Massachusetts becomes first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts Constitution to allow only opposite-sex couples to marry.
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Belgium becomes second country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Belgium since 1 June 2003, making it the second country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples, after the Netherlands, and 9 days ahead of the Canadian province of Ontario. Legislation to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples was passed by both chambers of the Federal Parliament in November 2002 and January 2003 with the support of most political parties, and received royal assent on 13 February 2003.
Bangaldesh implements world’s first plastic bag ban
In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country in the world to ban lightweight plastic bags, a groundbreaking move inspired by devastating floods caused by clogged drains. The ban set a global precedent and sparked international attention to plastic pollution. While challenges with enforcement and alternatives have slowed progress, the policy has raised public awareness and inspired innovations in eco-friendly materials like jute, cassava, and cloth bags. Bangladesh’s pioneering step continues to influence environmental policy worldwide, and ongoing efforts to strengthen enforcement and expand sustainable alternatives keep the country positioned as a trailblazer in the fight against plastic waste.
The Netherlands became the world’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage
No country recognized marriage between two people of the same sex prior to the 21st century, but a law to legalize marriage equality passed the Dutch legislature in 2000 and went into effect several months later.
Palestine declares independence
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence formally established the State of Palestine, and was written by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and proclaimed by Yasser Arafat in Algiers, Algeria. Despite the 1988 proclamation of the State of Palestine, at the time the Palestine Liberation Organization did not exercise control over any territory. The PLO began to exercise a limited rule in the Areas A and B of the West Bank and part of the Gaza Strip as a consequence of the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement. In 2012, Palestine was upgraded to the status of non-member observer state in the UN.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter pardons all Vietnam War draft dodgers
On January 21, 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Act is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the country.
The first session of the UN General Assembly convenes
The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN and the international community.
Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague
He traveled to Hong Kong in 1894 at the request of the Japanese government during an outbreak of the bubonic plague, and identified a bacterium that he concluded was causing the disease.
Oxford English Dictionary debuts
The Oxford English Dictionary is now the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press.