This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 2 2001 Enron files for bankruptcy On December 2, 2001, the Enron Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court, sparking one of the largest corporate scandals in U.S. history. An energy-trading company based in Houston, Texas, Enron was formed in 1985 as the merger of two gas companies, Houston Natural G... read more 21st CENTURY 2006 649-day tree sit-in at the University of California, Berkeley begins Abolitionist Movement 1859 Abolitionist John Brown is hanged American Revolution 1777 Philadelphia nurse overhears British plans to attack Washington's army Art, Literature, and Film History 1972 The Temptations earn their final #1 hit with "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" 1997 "Good Will Hunting" premieres Cold War 1961 Fidel Castro declares himself a Marxist-Leninist Crime 1991 William Kennedy Smith's rape trial begins France 1804 Napoleon crowned emperor MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY The United Arab Emirates is formed Red Scare 1954 Joseph McCarthy condemned by Senate U.S. GOVERNMENT 1970 Environmental Protection Agency opens U.S. Presidents 1823 Monroe Doctrine declared World War II 1942 Physicist Enrico Fermi produces the first nuclear chain reaction

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 3 1947 "A Streetcar Named Desire" opens on Broadway On December 3, 1947, Marlon Brando's famous cry of "STELLA!" first booms across a Broadway stage, electrifying the audience at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre during the first-ever performance of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. The 23-year-old Brando played the rough, working-class Po... read more 1980s 1984 Explosion kills 2,000 at pesticide plant in Bhopal, India 19th Century 1818 Illinois becomes the 21st state American Revolution 1776 George Washington arrives at the banks of the Delaware Art, Literature, and Film History 1979 Eleven people killed in a stampede outside Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio Cold War 1989 Bush and Gorbachev suggest Cold War is coming to an end Crime 1989 Five-year-old disappears—abductor is later ID'd by clothing fibers Inventions & Science 1967 First human heart transplant 1979 Last AMC Pacer rolls off assembly line 1992 First SMS text message is sent World War I 1912 Armistice signed in First Balkan War

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 4 1991 Hostage Terry Anderson freed in Lebanon On December 4, 1991, Islamic militants in Lebanon release kidnapped American journalist Terry Anderson after 2,454 days in captivity. As chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press, Anderson covered the long-running civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990). On March 16, 1985, he was kidnapped o... read more 1990s 1992 President Bush orders U.S. troops to Somalia American Revolution 1780 George Washington's cousin tricks Loyalists 1783 George Washington bids farewell to his officers Crime 1928 "Irish Godfather" killed by car bomb in St. Paul, MN 1969 Police kill two members of the Black Panther Party 2009 Amanda Knox convicted of murder in Italy Natural Disasters & Environment 2012 Typhoon "Pablo" kills over 1,000 people in the Philippines Sports 1997 NBA suspends Latrell Sprewell for attacking coach Westward Expansion 1867 Oliver Kelley organizes the Grange World War I 1917 Psychiatrist reports on the phenomenon of shell shock World War II 1942 Polish Christians come to the aid of Polish Jews

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 5 1945 Aircraft squadron disappears in the Bermuda Triangle At 2:10 p.m., five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers comprising Flight 19 take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. Flight 19 was scheduled to take them due east for 120 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 120-mile leg t... read more 1970s 1978 U.S.S.R. and Afghanistan sign "friendship treaty" 19th Century 1872 The Mary Celeste, a ship whose crew mysteriously disappeared, is spotted at sea 1876 Hundreds die in Brooklyn theater fire Africa 2013 South African president Nelson Mandela dies at 95 American Revolution 1776 Phi Beta Kappa fraternity is founded Art, Literature, and Film History 1984 Eddie Murphy stars in "Beverly Hills Cop" Crime 1873 The Boston Belfry Murderer kills his first victim European History 1952 Smog kills thousands in England Sports 2002 TV producer Roone Arledge dies U.S. Government 1933 21st amendment is ratified; Prohibition ends Vietnam War 1964 Army Captain awarded first Medal of Honor for action in Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 6 1884 Washington Monument completed On December 6, 1884, in Washington, D.C., workers place a nine-inch aluminum pyramid atop a tower of white marble, completing the construction of an impressive monument to the city's namesake and the nation's first president, George Washington. As early as 1783, the infant U.S. Congress decided that... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1933 "Ulysses" is ruled not obscene 1969 Murder at the Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end Civil War 1865 13th Amendment ratified Great Britain 1921 Irish Free State declared Natural Disasters & Environment 1907 The Monongah coal mine disaster Sports 1961 Ernie Davis becomes first Black player to win Heisman Trophy World War I 1917 The Great Halifax Explosion World War II 1941 FDR to Japanese emperor: "Prevent further death and destruction"

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 7 1941 Pearl Harbor bombed At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attac... read more 1970s 1975 Indonesia invades East Timor Art, Literature, and Film History 2001 "Ocean's Eleven" remake opens in theaters Civil War 1862 Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas Crime 1982 First execution by lethal injection 1993 Shooter opens fire on Long Island Railroad train Early U.S. 1787 Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution Natural Disasters & Environment 1988 Earthquakes wreak havoc in Armenia Sports 1989 Sugar Ray Leonard fights Roberto Duran for the third and final time U.S. Presidents 1941 FDR reacts to news of Pearl Harbor bombing Westward Expansion 1805 Lewis and Clark temporarily settle in Fort Clatsop

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 8 1980 John Lennon shot John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles, the rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close ... read more American Revolution 1775 Americans begin siege of Quebec Art, Literature, and Film History 1894 Humorist James Thurber is born 1982 "Sophie's Choice" premieres in Los Angeles CHINA 1949 Chinese Nationalists move capital to Taiwan Civil War 1863 President Lincoln issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction Cold War 1987 Superpowers agree to reduce nuclear arsenals Great Britain 1542 Mary Queen of Scots born Inventions & Science 1942 Auto-factory architect Albert Kahn dies Natural Disasters & Environment 1881 Theater fire kills hundreds in Vienna Sports 1940 Bears beat Redskins 73-0 in NFL Championship game U.S. Presidents 1993 NAFTA signed into law Vietnam War 1969 President Nixon announces Vietnam War is ending World War I 1914 The Battle of the Falkland Islands World War II 1941 The United States declares war on Japan 1941 Jeannette Rankin casts sole vote against WWII

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 9 1992 U.S. Marines storm Mogadishu, Somalia On December 9, 1992, 1,800 United States Marines arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia, to spearhead a multinational force aimed at restoring order in the conflict-ridden country. Following centuries of colonial rule by countries including Portugal, Britain and Italy, Mogadishu became the capital of an indep... read more 1990s 1990 Lech Walesa elected president of Poland Art, Literature, and Film History 1854 "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson is published 1983 "Scarface," starring Al Pacino, opens in theaters Crime 1981 Policeman Daniel Faulkner found dead Great Britain 1992 Separation of Charles and Diana announced Inventions & Science 1979 Smallpox is officially declared eradicated Middle East 1987 Intifada begins on Gaza Strip Red Scare 1958 John Birch Society founded Sports 1934 New York Giants beat Chicago Bears in "Sneakers Game" 2016 World Anti-Doping Agency accuses Russia of widespread cheating at Olympics Vietnam War 1971 Paris peace talks break down Westward Expansion 1835 The Texan Army captures San Antonio World War I 1917 Jerusalem surrenders to British troops

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 10 1901 First Nobel Prizes awarded The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk... read more American Revolution 1778 John Jay is elected president of the Continental Congress Art, Literature, and Film History 1830 Emily Dickinson is born 1967 Soul legend Otis Redding dies in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin 2009 "Avatar" makes its world premiere in London Civil War 1864 General William T. Sherman approaches Savannah, ending his March to the Sea Cold War 1977 Soviets arrest dissidents on United Nations Human Rights Day Colonial America 1690 First paper currency is authorized in the Colonies France 1898 Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American War Inventions & Science 1915 Ford builds its 1 millionth car Sports 1922 Canton Bulldogs claim NFL's first title U.S. Presidents 1920 Woodrow Wilson awarded Nobel Peace Prize U.S. Politics 1974 Sex scandal leads to political fallout for Arkansas congressman Women's History 1869 Wyoming grants women the right to vote World War I 1917 Red Cross is awarded Nobel Peace Prize

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 11 1936 Edward VIII abdicates After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He chose to abdicate after the British government public and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson. On the eve... read more 1950s 1950 American diplomat Ralph Bunche receives Nobel Peace Prize 1990s 1994 Russian forces enter Chechnya 1997 Kyoto Protocol first adopted in Japan American Revolution 1777 British delay Washington's march to Valley Forge Art, Literature, and Film History 1964 Sam Cooke dies under suspicious circumstances in LA Cold War 1969 Soviets declare nudity a sign of "western decadence" Crime 1963 Frank Sinatra Jr. released by kidnappers 1978 Millions stolen from JFK Airport in infamous 'Lufthansa heist' 2008 Billionaire conman Bernard Madoff arrested Vietnam War 1961 First U.S. helicopters arrive in South Vietnam CHINA 1915 Yuan Shih-kai accepts Chinese throne World War II 1941 Germany declares war on the United States 1946 UNICEF founded

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 12 1980 Da Vinci notebook sells for over $5M On December 12, 1980, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. The manuscript, written around 1508, was one of some 30 similar books da Vinci produced during his lifetime on a variety of subjects. It co... read more Africa 1963 Kenya declares independence from Britain American Revolution 1787 Pennsylvania ratifies the Constitution Art, Literature, and Film History 1913 Stolen "Mona Lisa" recovered in Florence 1967 "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" opens in theaters 1970 "Tears Of A Clown" gives Smokey Robinson & The Miracles their first #1 pop hit Crime 1989 Real estate mogul Leona Helmsley sentenced to prison 1997 14-year-old indicted for school shooting Inventions & Science 1901 First radio transmission sent across the Atlantic Ocean Sports 1965 NFL rookie Gale Sayers ties single-game TD record U.S. Presidents 1963 JFK memorial album sets record for sales World War II 1937 USS Panay sunk by Japanese

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 13 2000 Al Gore concedes presidential election Vice President Al Gore concedes defeat to George W. Bush in his bid for the presidency, following weeks of legal battles over the recounting of votes in Florida, on December 13, 2000. In a televised speech from his ceremonial office next to the White House, Gore said that while he ... read more American Revolution 1776 Charles Lee captured at Widow White's Tavern Art, Literature, and Film History 1925 Dick Van Dyke born China 1937 The Rape of Nanking Civil War 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg Crime 2000 Texas Seven prison break Exploration 1577 Explorer Francis Drake sets sail from England Middle East 2003 Saddam Hussein captured Sports 1992 Goaltender Manon Rheaume becomes first woman to play in pro hockey game U.S. Presidents 1918 Woodrow Wilson arrives in France for peace talks World War I 1916 Soldiers perish in avalanche as World War I rages World War II 1942 Joseph Goebbels complains of Italians' treatment of Jews

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 14 1911 Roald Amundsen becomes first explorer to reach the South Pole Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen, born in Borge, near Oslo, in 1872, was one of the great figures in polar exploration. In 1897, he was first mate on a Belgian expedition that was the first ever to w... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1977 "Saturday Night Fever" premieres in LA Civil War 1863 President Lincoln pardons his sister-in-law Crime 1874 Burglar confesses to high-profile kidnapping case 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting Inventions & Science 1900 The birth of quantum theory 1909 Indy "Brickyard" is completed U.S. Presidents 1799 George Washington dies Vietnam War 1961 President Kennedy announces intent to increase aid to South Vietnam World War II 1939 USSR expelled from the League of Nations

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 15 2011 U.S. declares an end to the War in Iraq In a ceremony held in Baghdad on December 15, 2011, the war that began in 2003 with the American-led invasion of Iraq officially comes to an end. Though today was the official end date of the Iraq War, violence continued and in fact worsened over the subsequent years. The withdrawal of American troo... read more 1970s 1973 Kidnapped grandson of Getty billionaire found Art, Literature, and Film History 1944 Legendary bandleader Glenn Miller disappears over the English Channel 1993 "Schindler's List" opens, wins Steven Spielberg his first Oscar Cold War 1978 United States announces that it will recognize communist China Crime 1988 James Brown begins his prison sentence GAY RIGHTS 1973 The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses Holocaust 1961 Architect of the Holocaust sentenced to die Landmarks 2001 Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens Native American History 1890 Sitting Bull killed by Indian police Sports 1925 Madison Square Garden formally opens with NHL game 1973 Jockey Sandy Hawley wins record 500th race 1974 "Catfish" Hunter becomes MLB's first free agent in modern era United States Constitution 1791 Bill of Rights is finally ratified WORLD WAR I 1917 Russia reaches armistice with the Central Powers World War II 1945 General MacArthur orders end of Shinto as Japanese state religion

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 16 1773 The Boston Tea Party In Boston Harbor, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The midnight raid, popularly known as the "Boston Tea Party," was in protest of the British Parliament's Tea Act of 1773, a bill designed to save... read more 19TH CENTURY 1872 Buffalo Bill Cody makes his first stage appearance 1960s 1960 Two airplanes collide over New York City Art, Literature, and Film History 1775 Jane Austen is born 1893 Antonin Dvorak's "New World Symphony" receives its world premiere in New York City 2009 Blockbuster sci-fi film "Avatar" has its U.S. premiere Crime 1989 A terrorist bomber begins his deadly rampage Sports 1973 OJ Simpson rushes record 2,000 yards in a season U.S. Presidents 1950 President Truman declares state of emergency over Korean War 1998 President Clinton orders air attack on Iraq 1998 U.S. House of Representatives recommends impeaching Clinton World War I 1914 Germans bombard English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough World War II 1944 Battle of the Bulge begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 17 1903 First airplane flies Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight. Orvil... read more 1960s 1961 Circus catches fire in Brazil, killing hundreds 21st Century 2011 Kim Jong Il, leader of North Korea, dies American Revolution 1777 France formally recognizes the United States Art, Literature, and Film History 1892 First issue of "Vogue" is published 2003 Third and final "Lord of the Rings" movie opens Civil War 1862 Union General Ulysses S. Grant expels Jews from his military district Cold War 1991 Boris Yeltsin announces the Soviet Union will cease to exist by New Year's Eve Crime 1975 Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme sentenced to life for assassination attempt 1986 "Operation Iceman" nabs notorious mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski Inventions & Science 1979 Stuntman Stan Barrett breaks the sound barrier MIDDLE EAST 2010 Street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolates in Tunisia, igniting the Arab Spring U.S. Government 1944 U.S. approves end to internment of Japanese Americans 1963 Clean Air Act becomes law World War II 1941 Commander at Pearl Harbor relieved of his duties

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 18 1620 Mayflower arrives at Plymouth Harbor On December 18, 1620, the English ship Mayflower arrives at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepare to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony The famous Mayflower story began in 1606, when a group of reform-minded Puritans in Nottinghamshire, England, founded their own chu... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1961 The Tokens earn a #1 hit with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" Crime 1878 Last member of Irish secret society is executed Great Britain 1912 Fraudulent "Piltdown Man" fossil discovered Slavery 1865 Slavery abolished in America with adoption of 13th amendment Sports 1932 First NFL playoff game is played indoors U.S. Presidents 1915 Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt 1972 Joe Biden loses first wife and daughter in tragic car accident 2019 President Donald Trump impeached Vietnam War 1972 Nixon announces start of "Christmas Bombing" of North Vietnam World War I 1916 Battle of Verdun ends World War II 1941 Japan invades Hong Kong

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 19 1998 President Clinton impeached After nearly 14 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish hi... read more American Revolution 1776 Thomas Paine publishes "The American Crisis" 1777 George Washington leads troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge Art, Literature, and Film History 1843 "A Christmas Carol" is published 1997 "Titanic" sails into theaters China 1984 Britain agrees to return Hong Kong to China Cold War 1986 Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov released from internal exile Colonial America 1732 Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanack" is published Crime 1986 World Series parachutist sentenced Space Exploration 1972 Last lunar-landing mission ends Sports 1917 National Hockey League opens its first season 1990 Bo Jackson becomes first athlete named to NFL, MLB all-star games World War II 1941 Hitler takes command of the German army

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 20 1957 Elvis Presley is drafted On December 20, 1957, while spending the Christmas holidays at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley receives his draft notice for the United States Army. With a suggestive style—one writer called him "Elvis the Pelvis"—a hit movie, Love Me Tender, and a ... read more 1990s 1995 NATO assumes peacekeeping duties in Bosnia Art, Literature, and Film History 1989 "Roger & Me" opens in U.S. theaters Cold War 1963 Berlin Wall opened for first time Crime 1986 Man chased to his death in Howard Beach hate crime Latin America 1989 The U.S. invades Panama U.S. Presidents 1836 Andrew Jackson submits Indian treaty to Congress Vietnam War 1960 National Liberation Front formed World War II 1941 Hitler to Halder: No retreat!

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 21 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Scotland On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonated in the cargo area when the plan... read more 21st Century 2012 "Gangnam Style" becomes the first YouTube video to reach one billion views Art, Literature, and Film History 1967 "The Graduate" opens in New York 1996 "Curious George" co-creator Margret Rey dies Crime 1980 Socialite Sunny von Bulow is found comatose France 1958 Charles de Gaulle elected president of France Space Exploration 1968 Apollo 8 departs for moon's orbit Sports 1891 First basketball game played U.S. Presidents 1970 President Nixon meets Elvis Presley Westward Expansion 1866 Native Americans kill 81 soldiers World War II 1945 General George S. Patton dies

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 22 1956 First gorilla born in captivity On December 22, 1956, a baby gorilla named Colo enters the world at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, becoming the first-ever gorilla born in captivity. Weighing in at approximately 4 pounds, Colo, a western lowland gorilla whose name was a combination of Columbus and Ohio, was the daughter of Millie and Ma... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1808 Beethoven's Fifth Symphony given world premiere in Vienna 1849 Fyodor Dostoevsky spared from execution 1993 “Philadelphia,” the first major Hollywood movie about AIDS, opens in theaters Civil War 1864 General Sherman presents President Lincoln with a Christmas gift Cold War 1989 Romanian government falls Crime 1978 John Wayne Gacy confesses to dozens of murders 1984 Bernhard Goetz shoots four youths on the subway 2001 “Shoe bomber” Richard Reid attempts to detonate bombs on Paris-Miami flight France 1894 Dreyfus affair begins in France SOUTH AMERICAN HISTORY 1988 Chico Mendes, leading Brazilian conservationist, is assassinated Sports 1894 Governing body for U.S. golf is founded U.S. Presidents 1968 Julie Nixon marries David Eisenhower Vietnam War 1971 Soviet Union attacks Chinese policy toward Vietnam Westward Expansion 1884 Cattleman John Chisum dies in Arkansas World War I 1917 Russian-German peace talks begin at Brest-Litovsk World War II 1941 Churchill and Roosevelt discuss war and peace

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 23 1888 Vincent van Gogh chops off his ear On December 23, 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cuts off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France. He later documented the event in a painting titled Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Today, Van Gogh is regarded as an... read more American Revolution 1783 George Washington resigns as commander in chief Art, Literature, and Film History 1959 Chuck Berry is arrested on Mann Act charges in St. Louis, Missouri 1997 Woody Allen marries Soon-Yi Previn BLACK HISTORY 1867 Madam C.J. Walker is born Cold War 1968 Crew of USS Pueblo released by North Korea Colonial America 1620 Construction of Plymouth settlement begins Crime 1984 Subway shooter Bernhard Goetz goes on the lam 2009 "Balloon Boy" parents sentenced in Colorado Exploration 1986 Voyager completes global flight Inventions & Science 1982 Chemical contamination prompts evacuation of Missouri town 1983 The journal "Science" publishes first report on nuclear winter Sports 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers' Franco Harris scores on "Immaculate Reception" 1982 Chaminade shocks No. 1 Virginia in one of greatest upsets in sports history World War II 1944 The execution of Eddie Slovik is authorized 1948 Japanese war criminals hanged in Tokyo

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 24 1979 Soviet Union invades Afghanistan On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978. As midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,5... read more 19th Century 1814 War of 1812 ends 1851 Fire ravages Library of Congress 1865 KKK founded Art, Literature, and Film History 1973 Stephenie Meyer, best-selling author of "Twilight" novels, is born Cold War 1952 McCarran-Walter Act goes into effect, revising immigration laws Inventions & Science 1801 Richard Trevithick introduces his "Puffing Devil" 1948 A family moves into the world’s first fully solar house U.S. Presidents 1923 President Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree Vietnam War 1964 Viet Cong bomb Brinks Hotel 1972 Bob Hope gives his last show in Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 25 1914 The Christmas Truce Just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I cease firing their guns and artillery and commence to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France and Britain even heard brass bands joini... read more American Revolution 1776 George Washington crosses the Delaware Art, Literature, and Film History 1895 The legend of “Stagger Lee” is born 1941 Bing Crosby introduces "White Christmas" to the world 1962 "To Kill a Mockingbird" film premieres in Los Angeles Cold War 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR Crime 1996 Six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey is murdered Inventions & Science 1880 Layne Hall is born; will become oldest licensed driver in United States Religion 6 Christ is born? Sports 1971 Miami Dolphins beat Kansas City Chiefs in NFL's longest game 2002 Katie Hnida is first woman to play in Division I football game

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 26 1946 Bugsy Siegel opens Flamingo Hotel Mobster Bugsy Siegel opens the glitzy Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 26, 1946. Well-known singer and comedian Jimmy Durante headlined the night's entertainment, with music by Cuban band leader Xavier Cugat. Some of infamous gangster Benjamin "Bu... read more 19th Century 1820 Moses Austin asks Spanish for Texas colony American Revolution 1776 George Washington wins first major U.S. victory at Trenton Art, Literature, and Film History 1973 "The Exorcist" opens in theaters Crime 1985 World-renowned primatologist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda Holidays 1941 FDR establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday 1966 The first Kwanzaa Inventions & Science 1956 Carmaker Preston Tucker dies Natural Disasters & Environment 2004 Tsunami devastates Indian Ocean coast Sports 1908 Jack Johnson wins heavyweight title U.S. Presidents 1972 Harry Truman dies World War I 1917 U.S. government takes over control of nation's railroads World War II 1943 Britain surprises German attacker in the Arctic 1944 General Patton relieves Allies at Bastogne