Today In History: December 21

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history, in 1779 a new session of the House of Assembly commenced.

Prior to the new sitting, parliament had not met during the two-year period from October 1777 to November 1779. In the new session, parliament actually convened on Christmas day.

Then in 1953, Thomas Daniel Knox, also known as Dan Ranfurly became governor and served until 1956. While serving, he and his wife, Herminone, started the Ranfurly Home for Children and the Ranfurly Library Service.

In 2011, 10 years after it was destroyed by fire on September 4th, the newly rebuilt Downtown Nassau Straw Market was officially opened by then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

The opening came within a few weeks of another fire that damaged the Pompey Museum. Ingraham said at the time, despite the tragedies and setbacks, the opening was an occasion for celebration.

Then five years later, in 2016 Rodney Moncur received his letter of appointment as Senator from Governor-General Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling.

His appointment by opposition leader Loretta Butler-Turner was branded by Maurice Moore, one of the Free National Movement’s founders, as a “Failure of ingenuity and promised political advancement”.

Finally, on this day in 2020, exploratory oil drilling in Bahamian waters began, amid widespread opposition by environmentalists.

This, as then-Attorney General Carl Bethel insisted in a Senate meeting the former PLP government negotiated a deal with BPC that would have likely resulted in Bahamians being shortchanged.

While senators were arguing, Potter said in a statement the well will be drilled to the highest environmental and safety standards.