Considered by many to be the philosophical founder of modern Conservatism, Irish-born statesman, author and orator Edmund Burke (1729-1797) is also generally credited with being the initial person to utter and/or write the words, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” Many other notables, including philosopher-novelist-poet-essayist George Santayana (1863-1952) and Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), England’s World War II-era prime minister, have expressed similar sentiments more recently.

It’s clear that thoroughly examining the past is vital, and for a variety of reasons. Any random day can be historically significant; take this one, for example. The infamous Halifax Explosion took place exactly 94 years ago today. What remains the largest accidental blast in the annals of recorded history occurred as the result of a World War I-era maritime mix-up on Dec. 6, 1917. The SS Imo, a Norwegian ship loaded with relief supplies bound for Belgium, was navigating its way through “The Narrows” section of the Halifax Harbour (that’s how it’s spelled there) at the same time as the Mont Blanc, a French cargo ship overloaded with explosives.

But a tragic failure to effectively communicate caused the two ships to collide. The subsequent detonation sent a giant fireball 1.2 miles into the air, leveled virtually every structure within a two-square-kilometer radius of the incident, triggered a tsunami in the harbor (as we spell it), and caused a black rain consisting of unconsumed Mont Blanc chunks to rain down on Nova Scotia’s largest metropolis. The eruption’s force also knocked over sufficient furnaces, stoves and lamps to set a significant portion of the city on fire, rendering much of it uninhabitable for a significant period of time thereafter.

But apparently humanity has studied that particular bit of history satisfactorily, since no similar explosions (or at least no unintentional ones) have occurred since then.

Invaders led by Batu Khan overran the cities of Kiev and Voivode Dmytro on Dec. 6, 1240. But subsequent events indicate mankind has learned from painstakingly examining what caused this incident, just as it did in the aftermath of the Halifax explosion. The evidence? In the more than seven centuries that have elapsed since Genghis Khan’s grandson’s forces completed their conquest of what now constitutes parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, no major city has been plundered by Mongol hordes.

A coal mine explosion, which took place 104 years ago today in Monongah, W.Va., is generally considered the worst such disaster in United States history. It left hundreds dead, and more than 1,000 children fatherless. And while no subsequent incident has taken place underneath American soil that has been quite as dreadful as the methane-and-coal-dust-fueled conflagration of Dec. 6, 1907, it’s apparent those atop the mining industry haven’t studied the past adequately enough to entirely eliminate such catastrophes, since several similar tragedies have occurred since then.

But repeating history isn’t always horrific.

On Dec. 6, 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery, launching a career that saw her impact America as an abolitionist, humanitarian, Civil War-era spy and later as a vocal advocate for women’s suffrage. Ms. Tubman’s life and deeds should be studied and emulated; the world would be far better if more people exhibited the courage, heroism and commitment to justice she did during her lifetime (1820-1913).

Dec. 6, 1877 was the day on which Thomas Edison recited the first stanza of “Mary had a Little Lamb” into the phonograph he had just fashioned, thus producing one of the earliest-known recordings of a human voice. Many inventors have emulated Edison since then, and mostly for the good of mankind. And on the very same day of that very same year, the first-ever edition of one of America’s most respected daily newspapers, The Washington Post, was published.

It’s remarkable how many significant historical events have taken place on today’s date. The erection of the Washington Monument was completed exactly 127 years ago today. Everglades National Park was dedicated on Dec. 6, 1947. And it was precisely 10 years ago that the Canadian province of Newfoundland was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador.

Dec. 6 is without doubt one of history’s most consequential days. King Henry VI of England (1421), poet Joyce Kilmer (1886), pianist/composer Dave Brubeck (1920), and deadpan comedian Steven Wright (1955) were all born on it; Pope Clement VI (1352), Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis (1889), iconic Bluesman Leadbelly (1949), and Colonel Klink portrayer Werner Klemperer (1993) all expired on it.

Thankfully, I possess a bit of knowledge concerning Dec. 6 in history, but what’s equally fortunate is that this column is published on Tuesdays. Were it running tomorrow, I’d be out of luck, since I’ve searched every corner of my memory, but still cannot recall any even mildly significant historical event(s) ever taking place on a Dec. 7”¦

— Andy Young, an English teacher in York County, harbors no illusions about his abilities as a historian. He had to look up nearly all of the pearls of wisdom listed in today’s column.