What Happened on December 10?

December 10 is Human Rights Day — marking the UN's 1948 Universal Declaration — on the same date the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, Mississippi became a state in 1817, and Wyoming Territory granted women the vote in 1869.

• 1817 — Mississippi becomes the 20th U.S. state

  On December 10, 1817, Mississippi joined the Union as the twentieth state. Read the full story →

• 1869 — Wyoming Territory grants women the right to vote

  On December 10, 1869, Wyoming's territorial legislature approved women's suffrage — a pioneering step in U.S. voting rights. Read the full story →

• 1898 — The Treaty of Paris ends the Spanish-American War

  On December 10, 1898, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris — ending the Spanish-American War. Read the full story →

• 1901 — The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm and Oslo

  On December 10, 1901 — the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death — the first Nobel Prizes honored breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Read the full story →

• 1948 — The United Nations adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

  On December 10, 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a global promise of dignity and freedom. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) · Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) · Melvil Dewey (1851–1931) · Kenneth Branagh (1960)

Days & observances

Human Rights Day · National Lager Day · Dewey Decimal System Day · Nobel Prize Award Ceremony Day