In History, Today on December 4

The United States Postal Service issued a new commemorative stamp featuring legendary performer and civil rights activist, Lena Horne, continuing their Black Heritage series.

The Paris Agreement is adopted by consensus at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris, aiming to combat climate change and accelerate actions for a sustainable low carbon future.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity discovered traces of compounds that included carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen in the Martian soil, indicating the potential for past life conditions.

NASA announced that it had captured images of liquid water flowing on Mars possibly just a few years ago, suggesting more recent water activity on the planet.

The Civil Partnership Act came into force in the United Kingdom, granting same-sex couples legal recognition for the first time.

The Florida Supreme Court ordered an immediate manual recount of approximately 45,000 disputed votes in the U.S. presidential election, a decision that was later halted by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Unity Module was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, marking the first American module of the International Space Station. This was a significant step in international cooperation in space exploration.

NASA launched the Mars Pathfinder, a mission that included the first successful deployment of a rover on Mars, which laid the foundation for future Mars exploration missions.

Pan American World Airways ceases operations after 64 years due to financial difficulties.

Jean-Bédel Bokassa, ruler of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire in a lavish ceremony.

The Montreux Casino in Switzerland catches fire during a Frank Zappa concert, inspiring Deep Purple's song 'Smoke on the Water.'

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was reopened to the public after extensive renovations, allowing the public to view its vast and influential art collection in a newly designed space.

The Million Dollar Quartet, consisting of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash, holds an impromptu jam session at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, marking the beginning of one of the world's largest fast-food chains.

The Great Depression officially ends in the United States as the economy recovers due to World War II production demands.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first U.S. president to travel to Europe while in office.

The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team was founded as a part of the National Hockey Association, which later became the NHL.

First recorded meeting of the Toledo women's suffrage group in Ohio, marking an important step in the women's suffrage movement in the United States.

The American brigantine Mary Celeste is found adrift and deserted in the Atlantic Ocean, leading to one of the greatest maritime mysteries.

Texas was admitted to the United States as the 28th state, following the approval of the Texas Annexation by the U.S. Congress earlier in the year, marking a significant development in the expansion of the United States.

In the face of mounting opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that all who abet suttee in India are guilty of culpable homicide.

The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published in London.

The Danish astronomer Ole Rømer presents the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light.

Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan, which later becomes the city of Chicago.

Thirty-eight colonists from Berkeley Parish in England disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God, considered by some as the first Thanksgiving in the Americas.

The Council of Trent, a major Roman Catholic ecumenical council, holds its final session.

The Treaty of Paris is signed between King Louis IX of France and King Henry III of England, ending a series of conflicts between the two nations.

The Crusaders capture Sidon, a city in modern-day Lebanon, during the First Crusade.

Pope Leo VIII is elected pope, succeeding John XII, who had been deposed by Emperor Otto I.

Carloman I, King of the Franks and co-ruler with his brother Charlemagne, dies, leaving Charlemagne as the sole ruler of the Frankish Kingdom.