BREAKING NEWS ~ New York judge strikes down same-sex marriage ban News
BREAKING NEWS ~ New York judge strikes down same-sex marriage ban

[JURIST] New York State Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan ruled Friday that New York's law banning same-sex marriages violates the state constitution. Read her 62-page opinion [PDF]. If upheld on appeal, the decision would allow same-sex couples in the state to wed. Justice Ling-Cohan found in favor of five same-sex couples who were denied marriages licenses last year. Gay rights organization Lambda Legal, which brought the case, has issued a press release. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.