It Happened Today, December 16!
Today's Almanac Duty of remembrance…A people without memory is a people without a future. A people who forget their past are condemned to relive it.
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince · · 1 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
Today's Almanac
Duty of remembrance…
A people without memory is a people without a future. A people who forget their past are condemned to relive it.
December 16, 1990: General Elections in Haiti
For the first time in its history, the Haitian people, after a long struggle, were able to choose their leaders in elections closely followed by the international community. The Lavalas movement, which symbolized the hope of a people in search of peace and justice, saw its leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, triumph with 67% of the votes, thus becoming the first democratically elected president of Haiti. December 16, 1824: A fire ravaged the commercial center of Port-au-Prince
This fire, which started in a pharmacy belonging to a Frenchman who was then absent from the country, spread rapidly and destroyed more than 200 houses serving as shops and warehouses. December 16, 1888: Constitution promulgated by President François Dénys Légitime
Constitution promulgated by President François Dénys Légitime, from whose authority the northern state, led by Florvil Hyppolite, was withdrawn. December 16, 1960: Decree changing the name of the University of Haiti
Created by the Law of August 5, 1920, the decree of December 16 renamed it the State University of Haiti.
A people without memory is a people without a future. A people who forget their past are condemned to relive it.
December 16, 1990: General Elections in Haiti
For the first time in its history, the Haitian people, after a long struggle, were able to choose their leaders in elections closely followed by the international community. The Lavalas movement, which symbolized the hope of a people in search of peace and justice, saw its leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, triumph with 67% of the votes, thus becoming the first democratically elected president of Haiti. December 16, 1824: A fire ravaged the commercial center of Port-au-Prince
This fire, which started in a pharmacy belonging to a Frenchman who was then absent from the country, spread rapidly and destroyed more than 200 houses serving as shops and warehouses. December 16, 1888: Constitution promulgated by President François Dénys Légitime
Constitution promulgated by President François Dénys Légitime, from whose authority the northern state, led by Florvil Hyppolite, was withdrawn. December 16, 1960: Decree changing the name of the University of Haiti
Created by the Law of August 5, 1920, the decree of December 16 renamed it the State University of Haiti.
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