This Day in History...

[jcribb16]

On December 11


1719    The first recorded sighting of the Aurora Borealis was in New England.

1844    Dr. Horace Wells became the first person to have a tooth extracted after receiving an anesthetic for the dental procedure. Nitrous Oxide, or laughing gas, was the anesthetic.

1928    In Buenos Aires, police thwarted an attempt on the life of President-elect Herbert Hoover.

1941    Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The U.S in turn declared war on the two countries.

1961    The first direct American military support for South Vietnam occurred when a U.S. aircraft carrier carrying Army helicopters arrived in Saigon.

1985    General Electric Company agreed to buy RCA Corporation for $6.3 billion. Also included in the deal was NBC Radio and Television.

1991    Salman Rushdie, under an Islamic death sentence for blasphemy, made his first public appearance since 1989 in New York, at a dinner marking the 200th anniversary of the First Amendment (which guarantees freedom of speech in the U.S.).

1997    Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams became the first political ally of the IRA to meet a British leader in 76 years. He conferred with Prime Minister Tony Blair in London.

1997    More than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth's "greenhouse gases."

1998    Majority Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee pushed through three articles of impeachment against President Clinton.

1998    The Mars Climate Orbiter blasted off on a nine-month journey to the Red Planet. However, the probe disappeared in September of 1999, apparently destroyed because scientists had failed to convert English measures to metric values.

2000    Mario Lemeiux, owner of Pittsburgh Penquins, announced that he would end his three-plus year retirement and become an active National Hockey League player again. When Lemieux returned officially he became the first owner/player in NHL history.

2001    U.S. Attorney General Ashcroft announced the first federal indictment directly related to the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Zacarias Moussaoui was charged with six conspiracy charges. Moussaoui was in custody at the time of the attacks

2001    Ted Turner purchased 12,000 acres in Nebraska for Bison ranches.

2001    It was announced that U.S. President George W. Bush would withdrawing the U.S. from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia.

2001    Federal agents seized computers in 27 U.S. cities as part of "Operation Buccaneer." The raids were used to gain evidence against an international software piracy ring.
 

[vp44]

Dec 11 1792: During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention.

Dec 11 1936
After ruling for less than a 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 divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson. On the evening of 11 December, he gave a radio address in which he explained, "I have found it impossible to carry on the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of king, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love".

Dec. 11 2002
International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.

Dec.11 304-384
All lovers of Scripture have reason to celebrate this day. Damasus was the pope who commissioned Saint Jerome to translate the Scriptures into Latin, the Vulgate version of the Bible.

[jcribb16]

Dec 11 1792: During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention.

Dec 11 1936
After ruling for less than a 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 divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson. On the evening of 11 December, he gave a radio address in which he explained, "I have found it impossible to carry on the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of king, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love".

Dec. 11 2002
International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.

Dec.11 304-384
All lovers of Scripture have reason to celebrate this day. Damasus was the pope who commissioned Saint Jerome to translate the Scriptures into Latin, the Vulgate version of the Bible.

Those are neat to know!  There sure were a lot of things that happened on Dec. 11 during these hundreds or years.

[vp44]

I love History and Geography along with Language Arts and Literature it is a pet peeve of mine to learn so much about what was before us. I keep telling my son it is a great thing to know of where this world have been and what happen before and what is going on now.

[jcribb16]

I love History and Geography along with Language Arts and Literature it is a pet peeve of mine to learn so much about what was before us. I keep telling my son it is a great thing to know of where this world have been and what happen before and what is going on now.

I agree with that!

[jcribb16]

On December 12


1792    In Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received one of his first lessons in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.

1896    Guglielmo Marconi gave the first public demonstration of radio at Toynbee Hall, London.

1913    It was announced by authorities in Florence, Italy, that the "Mona Lisa" had been recovered. The work was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1911.

1917    Father Edward Flanagan founded Boys Town outside Omaha, NE.

1955    It was announced that the Ford Foundation gave $500,000,000 to private hospitals, colleges and medical schools.

1984    In a telephone conversation with President Reagan, William J. Schroeder complained of a delay in his Social Security benefits. Schroeder received a check the following day.

1995    The U.S. Senate stopped a constitutional amendment giving Congress authority to outlaw flag burning and other forms of desecration against the American flag.

1997    The U.S. Justice Department ordered Microsoft to sell its Internet browser separately from its Windows operating system to prevent it from building a monopoly of Web access programs.

1997    Denver Pyle received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998    The House Judiciary Committee rejected censure, and approved the final article of impeachment against U.S. President Clinton. The case was submitted to the full House for a verdict.

2000    The U.S. Supreme Court found that the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court in the 2000 U.S. Presidential election was unconstitutional. U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the election to Texas Gov. George W. Bush the next day.

2000    Timothy McVeigh, over the objections of his lawyers, abandoned his final round of appeals and asked that his execution be set within 120 days. McVeigh was convicted of the April 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Fedal Building in Oklahoma City, OK that killed 168 and injured 500.

2000    The Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to a record breaking 10-year, $252 million contract. The contract amount broke all major league baseball records and all professional sports records.

2001    The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would implement minimum federal election standards and provide funding to help states modernize their voting systems.

2001    Gerardo Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison for being the leader of a Cuban spy ring. His conviction was based on his role in the infiltration of U.S. military bases and in the deaths of four Cuban-Americans whose planes were shot down five years before.

2001    In Beverly Hills, CA actress Winona Ryder was arrested at Saks Fifth Avenue for shopliftng and possessing pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription. The numerous items of clothing and hair accessories were valued at $4,760.

2002    North Korea announced that it would reactivate a nuclear power plant that U.S. officials believed was being used to develop weapons.

[jcribb16]

On December 13


1913    The Sunday New York World printed a puzzle called a "word-cross." The puzzle was a success and became a weekly feature. The name eventually evolved into "crossword."

1913    Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" was found. It had been stolen on August 22, 1911.

1961    Anna Mary Robertson Moses, "Grandma Moses," passed away at the age of 101.

1978    The Philadelphia Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony U.S. dollar. The coin began circulation the following July.

1987    U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz told reporters in Copenhagen, Denmark, that the Reagan administration would begin making funding requests for the proposed Star Wars defense system.

1991    Five Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union agreed to join the new Commonwealth of Independent States.

1993    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people must receive a hearing before property linked to illegal drug sales can be seized.

1994    An American Eagle commuter plane carrying 20 people crashed short of Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, killing 15 people.

2000    The U.S. Supreme Court found that the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court in the 2000 U.S. Presidential election was unconstitutional. U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the election to Texas Gov. George W. Bush the next day.

2000    Seven convicts, the "Texas 7," escaped from Connally Unit in Kennedy, TX, southeast of San Antonio, by overpowering civilian workers and prison employees. They fled with stolen clothing, pickup truck and 16 guns and ammunition.

2001    U.S. President George W. Bush served formal notice to Russia that the United States was withdrawing from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

2001    Gunmen stormed the Indian Parliament and killed seven people and injured 18. Security forces killed the attackers during a 90-minute gun battle.

2001    NBC-TV announced that it would begin running hard liquor commercials. NBC issued a 19-point policy that outlined the conditions for accepting liquor ads.

2001    Michael Frank Goodwin was arrested and booked on two counts of murder, one count of conspiracy and three special circumstances (lying in wait, murder for financial gain and multiple murder) in connection to the death of Mickey Thompson. Thompson and his wife Trudy were shot to death in their driveway on March 16, 1988. Thompson, known as the "Speed King," set nearly 500 auto speed endurance records including being the first person to travel more than 400 mph on land.

[jwallbank]

Great historic facts!

[jcribb16]

On December 14


1503    Physician, astrologer and clairvoyant, Nostradamus, was born at St. Remy, Provence, France.

1799    The first President of the United States, George Washington, died at the age 67.

1946    The U.N. General Assembly voted to establish the United Nation's headquarters in New York.

1985    Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to lead a major American Indian tribe as she formally took office as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

1987    Chrysler pled no contest to federal charges of selling several thousand vehicles as new. Chrysler employees had driven the vehicles with the odometer disconnected.

1995    The presidents of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia signed the Dayton Accords to end fighting in Bosnia.

1995    AIDS patient, Jeff Getty, received the first-ever bone-marrow transplant from a baboon.

1999    Charles M. Schulz announced he was retiring the "Peanuts" comic strip. The last original "Peanuts" comic strip was published on February 13, 2000.

2000    It was announced that American businessman Edmond Pope would be released from a Russian prison for humanitarian reasons. Pope had been sentenced to 20 years in prison after his conviction on espionage charges.

2001    The first commercial export, since 1963, of U.S. food to Cuba began. The 24,000 metric tons for corn were being sent to replenish supplies that were lost when Hurricane Michelle struck on November 4.

2001    European Union leaders agreed to dispatch 3,000-4,000 troops to join an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.

[jcribb16]

On December 15


1815    Jane Austen's Emma was published.

1938    President Franklin D. Roosevelt presided over the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC.

1939    Gone With the Wind, produced by David O. Selznick and based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

1944    A single-engine plane carrying U.S. Army Major Glenn Miller disappeared in thick fog over the English Channel while en route to Paris. The true fate of the plane and its passengers has never been determined.

1961    Former *bleep* official, Adolf Eichmann, was sentenced to death in Jerusalem. He had been tried on charges for organizing the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.

1966    Walter Elias "Walt" Disney died in Los Angeles at the age of 65.

1992    IBM announced it would eliminate 25-thousand employees in the coming year.

1992    Bettino Craxi, the leader of Italy's Socialist Party, was informed that he was under investigation in a burgeoning corruption scandal in the northern city of Milan.

1998    The space shuttle Endeavor returned to Earth after its crew joined the first two pieces of the Mir space station.

1999    Syria reopened peace talks with Israel in Washington, DC, with the mediation of U.S. President Clinton.

2000    The Chernobyl atomic power plant in Kiev, Ukraine, was shut down.

2001    It was announced that Siena Heights University would begin offering a class called "Animated Philosophy and Religion." The two-credit class would cover how religion and philosophy are part of popular culture and is based on the television series "The Simpsons.

[jcribb16]

On December 16


1901    The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time.

1903    Women ushers were employed for the first time at the Majestic Theatre in New York City.

1944    During World War II, the Battle of the Bulge began. It was the final major German counteroffensive in the war.

1972    The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season.

1990    Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a leftist priest, was elected president in Haiti's first democratic elections.

1998    The U.S. and Britain fired hundreds of missiles on Iraq in response to Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with U.N. weapons inspectors.

1999    Torrential rains and mudslides in Venezuela left thousands of people dead and forced at least 120,000 to leave their homes.

2000    Researchers announced that information from NASA's Galileo spacecraft indicated that Ganymede appeared to have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath a surface of solid ice. Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is the solar system's largest moon. The discovery is considered important since water is a key ingredient for life.

2001    In Tora Bora, Afghanistan, tribal fighters announced that they had taken the last al-Quaida positions. More than 200 fighters were killed and 25 captured. They also announced that they had found no sign of Osama bin Laden.

[jcribb16]

On December 19


1562    The Battle of Dreux was fought between the Huguenots and the Catholics, beginning the French Wars of Religion.

1777    Gen. George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, PA, to camp for the winter.

1903    The Williamsburg Bridge opened in New York City. It was the first major suspension bridge in America.

1918    Robert Ripley began his "Believe It or Not" column in The New York Globe.

1959    Walter Williams died in Houston, TX, at the age of 117. He was said to be the last surviving veteran of the U.S. Civil War.

1973    Johnny Carson started a fake toilet-paper scare on the "Tonight Show."

1985    ABC Sports announced that it was severing ties with Howard Cosell and released ‘The Mouth’ from all TV commitments. Cosell continued on ABC Radio for another five years.

1996    The school board of Oakland, CA, voted to recognize Black English, also known as "Ebonics." The board later reversed its stance.

1998    A four-day bombing of Iraq by British and American forces ended.

1998    President Bill Clinton was impeached on two charges of perjury and obstruction of justice by the U.S. House of Representatives.

2000    The U.N. Security Council voted to impose sanctions on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless they closed all terrorist training camps and surrender U.S. embassy bombing suspect Osama bin Laden.

[jcribb16]

On December 23


1783    George Washington returned home to Mount Vernon, after the disbanding of his army following the Revolutionary War.

1823    The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore (" 'Twas the night before Christmas...") was published.

1880    Thomas Edison incorporated the Edison Electric Light Company of Europe.

1919    The first ship designed to be used as an ambulance for the transport of patients was launched. The hospital ship was named "USS Relief" and had 515 beds.

1930    Ruth Elizabeth Davis, an unknown actress, arrived in Hollywood, under contract to Universal Studios. Universal changed her name to Bette Davis for the movies.

1941    During World War II, American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese.

1953    Soviet secret police chief, Lavrenti Beria, and six of his associates were shot for treason following a secret trial.

1987    Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, serving a life sentence for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ford in 1975, escaped from the Alderson Federal Prison for Women in West Virginia. She was recaptured two days later.

1998    Guerrillas in south Lebanon fired dozens of rockets at northern Israel.

[landonb82]

That is  some pretty crazy stuff.. crazy indeed

[jcribb16]

On December 25


1223    St. Francis of Assisi assembled one of the first Nativity scenes, in Greccio, Italy.

1818    "Silent Night" was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria.

1868    President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War.

1917    The play "Why Marry?" opened at the Astor Theatre in New York City. "Why Marry?" was the first dramatic play to win a Pulitzer Prize.

1939    "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, was read on CBS radio for the first time.

1971    The longest pro-football game finally ended when Garo Yepremian kicked a field goal in the second quarter of sudden death overtime. The Miami Dolphins defeated Kansas City, 27-24. The total game time was 82 minutes and 40 seconds.

1991    Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.

1998    Seven days into their journey, Richard Branson, Steve Fossett and Per Lindstrand of Sweden gave up their attempt to make the first nonstop round-the-world balloon flight. They ditched near Hawaii.

2000    Over 300 people were killed and dozens were injured by fire at a Christmas party in the Chinese city of Luoyang. The incident occurred at the Dongdu Disco.