December 1, 1989 - Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet Russian leader to visit the Vatican and meet the Pope, thus ending 72 years of strict atheist policy in Communist Russia.

On December 2, 1982 the first permanent artificial heart was implanted in 61-year-old Barney C. Clark by Dr. William De Vries at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Clark, who was near death at the time of the operation, survived 112 days after the implantation. The first successful heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard at Cape Town, South African, on Louis Washkansky, who lived for 18 days.

December 7, 1761 wax sculptor Marie Tussaud was born in Strasbourg, France. She was trained in Bern, Switzerland by a local doctor and later established Madame Tussaud's waxworks in London. At the age of 16 her first wax figure was of Voltaire.

December 5 is a day to pay tribute to volunteers worldwide and to recognize the value of volunteerism in peace and development. Volunteer groups everywhere will mark the spirit of volunteerism together with communities, academia, organizations, and UN agencies to demonstrate the spirit of volunteerism among local residents..

December 11 highlights the importance of mountains, as well as the opportunities and constraints in mountain development. The Mountains cover around 27% of the Earth’s land surface and host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots yet are suffering from the impacts of climate change and unsustainable development.

December 12 is an opportunity to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health and call on leaders to make smarter investments in health systems. Universal Health Coverage is imperative to ensure that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.

December 18 coincides with the day in 1973 that the United Nations General Assembly adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization. The celebration of the Arabic Language day aims to acknowledge the contribution of the ‘Arabic language’ in enriching science, philosophy, literature, art and universal culture.

The main characters are Lucy and Jane, who have been best friends their entire lives. When Jane receives a new job opportunity and they have to go their separate ways, Lucy embarks on a personal journey of discovery. Their friendship is put to the test as well as her sense of self, on a path she may not be entirely ready to take.

Viewers say that the movie is anchored in an authentically relatable approach to its story of self-discovery, and praise the strong performances by Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno, the latter being a British actress born to Japanese parents in Tokyo.

Cranberry and feta Christmas pinwheels

Chop 1/4 cup of green onions and 1 cup of sweetened dried cranberries.

In a medium bowl combine 280 gr of cream cheese with 2 spoons of milk until creamy and smooth. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk.

Stir in the green onions, sweetened dried cranberries and 1 cup of crumbled feta. Mix until everything is well combined.

You will use 4 spinach tortillas. Spread the mixture evenly onto the tortillas and roll up tightly and place them seam-side down in a tray.

Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

They can be refrigerated overnight. You can substitute with cranberries and chives, according to your preference.