Mrs. Roosevelt with the Declaration
December 10, 1948: The United Nations General Assembly, meeting at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France, adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Of the 58 members of the UN at the time, 48 voted Yes, none voted No, 8 abstained, and 2 did not vote.
A foundational text in the history of human and civil rights, the Declaration consists of 30 articles detailing an individual's "basic rights and fundamental freedoms," and affirming their universal character as inherent, inalienable, and applicable to all human beings. Adopted as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations," the UDHR commits nations to recognize all humans as being "born free and equal in dignity and rights," regardless of "nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status."
John Peters Humphrey of Canada, the newly appointed Director of the Division of Human Rights within the United Nations Secretariat, was called upon by the UN Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, to work on the project, becoming the Declaration's principal drafter. Humphrey is credited with devising the "blueprint" for the Declaration, while René Cassin, the representative from France, composed the first draft. The American representative, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, was key in lobby several nations, including her own, to accept it.
Although not legally binding, the contents of the UDHR have been elaborated and incorporated into subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, and national constitutions and legal codes.
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December 10, 1948 was a Wednesday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. And there were no games scheduled in the NHL.
There were 3 games in the Basketball Association of America, the league that would become the NBA a year later. The Minneapolis Lakers beat the Rochester Royals, 96-75 at the Edgerton Park Arena in Rochester, New York. George Mikan scored 31 points. And there was a doubleheader at the Chicago Stadium. In the 1st game, the St. Louis Bombers beat the Washington Capitols, 88-83 in overtime. In the 2nd game, the Chicago Stags beat the Fort Wayne Pistons, 78-70.
