Midnight in Amsterdam: The World's First Same-Sex Weddings
At midnight on April 1, 2001, Amsterdam's mayor married four same-sex couples as the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
Tagged: human rights
Malala Yousafzai Is Born
Born July 12, 1997, in Pakistan's Swat Valley, Malala Yousafzai survived a Taliban assassination attempt to become the youngest Nobel laureate in history.
A Letter That Launched Amnesty International
On May 28, 1961, British lawyer Peter Benenson's Observer article "The Forgotten Prisoners" launched the letter-writing campaign that became Amnesty International.
The Vote That Banned Britain's Slave Trade
On March 25, 1807, after twenty years of campaigning, the Slave Trade Act received royal assent, making Britain's slave trade illegal from May 1.
December 9, 1948: The World Outlaws Genocide
On December 9, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Genocide Convention, the first treaty making genocide a crime under international law.
The World Says No: The UN Condemns Apartheid
On November 6, 1962, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 1761, condemning South Africa's apartheid policies and urging a worldwide economic and military boycott.