Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 10th:
In 1520, Martin Luther publicly burned the papal edict demanding that he recant, or face excommunication.

In 1787, Thomas H. Gallaudet, a pioneer of educating the deaf, was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1817, Mississippi was admitted as the 20th state of the Union.

In 1884, Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the UK. It would be published in the U.S. the following February.

In 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Spanish-American War.

In 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for helping mediate an end to the Russo-Japanese War.

In 1914, actress/singer Dorothy Lamour was born in New Orleans, LA. She’d later head down a number of roads with Hope & Crosby.

In 1917, after three years of World War I, during which there had been no Nobel Peace Prize awarded, the Nobel Committee awarded the 1917 prize to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In 1919, composer/arranger Alexander Courage, best-known for composing the theme music for “Star Trek: TOS”, was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1920, the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson for his work in ending the First World War and creating the League of Nations.

In 1927, producer/screenwriter Anthony Coburn was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He’s best-known for his role in the early development of “Doctor Who”, including writing the series’ first story, “An Unearthly Child”.

In 1928, actor John Colicos was born in Montreal. Years later, he’d play Kor the Klingon in “Star Trek: TOS”, and work for the Cylons (the real Cylons, not those later pretenders) on “Battlestar Galactica”.

In 1931, Jane Addams became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; the co-recipient was Nicholas Murray Butler.

In 1936, King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication, renouncing the British throne.

In 1941, the Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers near Malaya.

In 1948, the U.N. General Assembly adopted its Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

In 1950, Ralph J. Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the first African-American to receive the award.

In 1952, the Cold War thriller “Invasion USA” was released in the U.S. It’s the one featured on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, not the later one starring Chuck Norris.

In 1962, "Lawrence of Arabia," David Lean's epic film starring Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence, had its royal gala premiere in London.

In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. received his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, saying he accepted it "with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind."

In 1965, the Grateful Dead gave their first concert performance under that name.

In 1967, singer Otis Redding, age 26, and six others were killed when their plane crashed into Wisconsin's Lake Monona.

Also in 1967, the Faustian comedy “Bedazzled”, starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, was released in the U.S.

In 1972, baseball's American League adopted the designated hitter rule on an experimental basis for three years.

In 1972, the mystery/suspense movie “Sleuth”, starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, premiered in New York City.

Also in 1972, the longest non-scoring pass in NFL history was made when Jim Hart (St. Louis Cardinals) threw a pass from his own one yard-line to Bobby Moore (later known as Ahmad Rashad). Moore was tackled on the Rams' one-yard line. The pass was officially 98 yards.

In 1978, filmmaker Ed Wood died in Los Angeles at age 54.

Also in 1978, “Superman: The Movie” premiered in Washington, D.C.

In 1984, South African Bishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1994, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin received the Nobel Peace Prize, pledging to pursue their mission of healing the anguished Middle East.

In 2001, the fantasy movie “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”, based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, premiered in the UK.

In 2005, actor/comedian Richard Pryor died in Encino, CA at age 65.

In 2016, the “Star Wars” prequel “Rogue One” premiered in Hollywood.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 11th:

In 1792, France's King Louis XVI went before the Convention to face charges of treason. (Louis was convicted, and executed the following month.)

In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state.

In 1911, producer/director Val Guest was born in London. Among his works are the first two movies featuring Professor Quatermass, and some sequences for the Niven/Sellers/Allen/Welles version of “Casino Royale”.

In 1926, actor/voice artist Dick Tufeld was born in Los Angeles. He’s best-known for providing the voice of the Robot in “Lost in Space”.

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

In 1931, actress/singer Rita Moreno was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Those of us of a certain age still remember her from “The Electric Company”.

In 1936, Edward VIII, the day after abdicating the British throne, 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."

In 1937, Italy announced it was withdrawing from the League of Nations.

Also in 1937, actor Stephen Moore, best-known for voicing Marvin in the radio & TV versions of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” was born in Brixton, London.

In 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; the U.S. responded in kind.

In 1944, actress Lynda Day George was born in San Marcos, TX. Years later, her alleged work with the IMF remains classified, assuming any of it can be proven to exist.

In 1945, actress Zenia Merton was born in Burma. She’s best-known for her role as Sandra Benes on “Space: 1999”, and was one of the few actors from the show’s first season to return for the second.

In 1946, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established.

In 1947, actress Teri Garr was born in Lakewood, OH. She’d later appear in the first attempted “Star Trek” spin-off, and even later play the wife of a man with an odd fixation on Devil’s Tower.

In 1951, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees announced his retirement from major league baseball.

In 1964, Che Guevara addressed the United Nations; in his speech, the Argentine revolutionary declared that "the final hour of colonialism has struck."

Also in 1964, singer-songwriter Sam Cooke was shot to death by a motel manager in Los Angeles; he was 33.

In 1968, “The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus”, featuring the Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, the Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and the Dirty Mac with Yoko Ono, was filmed in Wembley, London. It would be withheld from release until 1996.

In 1971, the Disney animated movie “The Aristocats” premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1972, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger landed on the moon with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt aboard; during three extravehicular activities (EVAs), they became the last two men to date to step onto the lunar surface.

In 1973, actor/rapper Mos Def was born in Brooklyn. Years later, he’d play the big-screen version of a certain alien from Betelguese.

In 1978, the Lufthansa heist was committed by a group led by Lucchese family associate Jimmy Burke. It was the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil, at that time.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating a $1.6 billion environmental "superfund" to pay for cleaning up chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.

Also in 1980, the detective series "Magnum P.I.," starring Tom Selleck, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1981, Muhammad Ali fought his last bout. He lost his 61st fight by decision to Trevor Berbick.

In 1992, the Dickens adaptation “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, featuring Michael Caine as Scrooge, was released in the U.S.

In 2008, Bernie Madoff was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. (Madoff is serving a 150-year federal prison sentence.)

In 2015, Joel Hodgson’s Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a revival of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” was completed, having raised over $6 million for the project.

 

- Yes, Steph Curry, this did actually happen.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 12th:

In 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1870, Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the first black lawmaker sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1893, actor Edward G. Robinson was born in Bucharest, Romania.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt nominated Oscar Straus to be secretary of Commerce and Labor; Straus became the first Jewish Cabinet member.

In 1911, Britain's King George V announced during a visit to India that the capital would be transferred from Calcutta to Delhi.

In 1915, singer/songwriter/actor/producer/director/Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, NJ.

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

In 1923, singer/composer/musician Bob Dorough was born in Cherry Hill, AR. He’s best-known for his work on the “Schoolhouse Rock” cartoons.

In 1925, the first motel, the Motel Inn, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA.

In 1937, Japanese aircraft sank the U.S. gunboat Panay on China's Yangtze River. (Japan apologized, and paid $2.2 million in reparations.)

In 1946, a United Nations committee voted to accept a six-block tract of Manhattan real estate offered as a gift by John D. Rockefeller Jr. to be the site of the U.N.'s headquarters.

In 1953, Chuck Yeager, while piloting the Bell X-1A on a supersonic test flight, lost control of the aircraft. It dropped 51,000 feet in less than a minute before Yeager regained control and landed safely.

In 1961, actress Sarah Sutton was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. She’s well-known to Whovians for playing Nyssa during the Tom Baker and Davison eras.

In 1963, Kenya became independent of Britain.

In 1965, the initial attempt to launch Gemini 6A, crewed by Command Pilot Walter M. Schirra and Pilot Thomas P. Stafford, failed. 1.5 seconds after ignition, the engines shut down due to mechanical and wiring problems.

In 1972, the disaster movie “The Poseidon Adventure” premiered in New York City.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore asked a federal court in San Francisco to allow her to plead guilty to trying to kill President Gerald R. Ford. (After the judge ruled Moore competent to change her plea, she was sentenced to life. Moore was released on parole on New Year's Eve 2007 after serving 32 years behind bars.)

In 1985, 248 American soldiers and eight crew members were killed when an Arrow Air charter crashed after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland.

In 1994, pilot/astronaut Stuart Roosa, CM Pilot for Apollo 14, died in Falls Church, VA at age 61.

In 2000, George W. Bush became president-elect as a divided U.S. Supreme Court reversed a state court decision for recounts in Florida's contested election.

In 2003, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones was knighted by HRH Charles, Prince of Wales.

In 2010, following a severe winter storm, the fabric roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis collapsed from high winds and the weight of snow.

In 2014, author/illustrator Norman Bridwell, creator of Clifford the Red Dog, died in Martha's Vineyard, MA at age 86.

 

Ernie the Fastest Milkman in the West was No.1 in the UK charts .

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 13th:
In 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman sighted present-day New Zealand.

In 1769, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire received its charter.

In 1862, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside launched futile attacks against entrenched Confederate soldiers during the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg; the soundly defeated Northern troops withdrew two days later.

In 1887, Medal of Honor recipient Alvin C. York was born in Pall Mall, TN.

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson arrived in France, becoming the first chief executive to visit Europe while in office.

In 1925, actor/comedian Dick Van Dyke was born in West Plains, MO. Please refrain from using an awful Cockney accent when wishing him a Happy Birthday.

In 1928, George Gershwin's "An American in Paris" had its premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York.

In 1929, actor Christopher Plummer was born in Toronto. His Shakespearean attack on the U.S.S. Enterprise would come later.

In 1937, the Chinese city of Nanjing fell to Japanese forces; what followed was a massacre of war prisoners, soldiers and citizens. (China maintains as many as 300,000 people died; Japan says the toll was far less.)

In 1944, during World War II, the light cruiser USS Nashville was badly damaged in a Japanese kamikaze attack off Negros Island in the Philippines that claimed 133 lives.

In 1949, the Knesset voted to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.

In 1962, the United States launched Relay 1, the first communications satellite for the retransmission of television, telephone and digital signals.

In 1966, on “Star Trek”, the episode “Balance of Terror” was broadcast on NBC-TV. It featured the introduction of the Romulans, and the first appearance of actor Mark Lenard in the franchise.

In 1974, Malta became a republic.

Also in 1974, singer/musician/Beatle George Harrison visited the White House, where he met President Gerald Ford.

In 1975, on “Doctor Who”, part four of “The Android Invasion” was broadcast on BBC 1. It included the last series appearances of Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan, and John Levene as RSM Benton.

Also in 1975, Richard Pryor hosted “Saturday Night Live” (then known as “NBC’s Saturday Night”) on NBC-TV. Accounts differ on whether the program was broadcast with a seven-second delay.

In 1977, a DC-3 aircraft chartered from the Indianapolis-based National Jet crashed near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff and boosters of the team.

In 1981, authorities in Poland imposed martial law in a crackdown on the Solidarity labor movement. (Martial law formally ended in 1983.)

In 1994, an American Eagle commuter plane crashed short of Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, killing 15 of the 20 people on board.

In 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole under a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit.

In 2004, a Chilean judge indicted former dictator General Augusto Pinochet on charges of kidnapping nine political dissidents and killing one of them during his 17-year military regime. (However, Pinochet never faced trial, and died in 2006 at age 91.)

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 14th:
In 1782, the Montgolfier brothers’' first balloon lifted off on its first test flight.

In 1799, George Washington, 1st President of the U.S., died at his Mount Vernon, VA, home at age 67.

In 1819, Alabama joined the Union as the 22nd state.

In 1896, Medal of Honor recipient Gen. Jimmy Doolittle was born in Alameda, CA.

In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the first men to reach the South Pole, beating out a British expedition led by Robert F. Scott.

Also in 1911, musician/bandleader Spike Jones was born in Long Beach, CA. Feitlebaum!

In 1930, producer/executive Herbert F. Solow was born. He’s best-known for his work with Desilu in the mid-1960’s, as the executive who handled “Star Trek”, “Mannix” and “Mission: Impossible”.

In 1939, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations for invading Finland.

In 1944, the drama “National Velvet”, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, premiered in New York City.

In 1946, the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish the U.N.'s headquarters in New York.

In 1961, the drama “Judgement at Nuremburg”, starring Spencer Tracy, premiered in Berlin.

In 1962, the U.S. space probe Mariner 2 passed Venus at a distance of just over 21,000 miles, transmitting information about the planet.

In 1963, the dam containing the Baldwin Hills reservoir burst, killing five people and damaging hundreds of homes in Los Angeles.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, ruled that Congress was within its authority to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against racial discrimination by private businesses (in this case, a motel that refused to cater to blacks).

In 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan concluded their third and final moonwalk and blasted off in the LM Challenger for their rendezvous with the CM America.

In 1977, the movie “Saturday Night Fever” premiered in New York City.

In 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights, which it had seized from Syria in 1967.

Also in 1984, the sci-fi movie “Dune”, written & directed by David Lynch, and based on Frank Herbert’s novel, was released in the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Australia and West Germany.

In 1989, Nobel Peace laureate Andrei D. Sakharov died in Moscow at age 68.

In 1999, torrential rains caused flash floods in Vargas, Venezuela, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and the complete collapse of the state's infrastructure.

In 2012, a gunman with a semi-automatic rifle killed 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, then committed suicide as police arrived; the gunman had fatally shot his mother at their home before carrying out the attack on the school.

In 2013, China carried out the world's first soft landing of a space probe on the Moon in nearly four decades as the unmanned Chang'e 3 lander touched down on the lunar surface.

Also in 2013, actor Peter O’Toole died in London at age 81.

In 2015, the sequel “Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens” premiered in Los Angeles. The fan debates started before the Lucasfilm logo had left the screen.

In 2017, theologian/religious broadcaster R.C. Sproul died in Altamonte Springs, FL at age 78.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 15th:
In 1791, the U.S. Bill of Rights became law when it was ratified by the Virginia General assembly.

In 1890, Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull was killed on Standing Rock Indian Reservation, leading to the Wounded Knee Massacre.

In 1921, disc jockey Alan Freed, commonly regarded as “the Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, was born in Windber, PA.

In 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially became effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.

Also in 1933, actor/comedian Tim Conway was born in Willoughby, OH.

In 1938, the groundbreaking for the Jefferson Memorial took place in Washington, D.C. with President Franklin D. Roosevelt taking part in the ceremony.

In 1939, the epic movie “Gone with the Wind” premiered at Loew’s Grand Theatre in Atlanta, GA.

In 1944, the U.S. Senate approved the promotions of Henry H. Arnold, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall to the five-star rank of General of the Army and the nominations of William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King and Chester W. Nimitz as Admirals of the Fleet.

Also in 1944, a single-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller, a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces, disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris.

In 1954, on “Disneyland”, the episode “Davy Crocket, Indian Fighter” was broadcast on ABC. It starred Fess Parker in the title role.

In 1960, Richard Pavlick was arrested for plotting to assassinate U.S. President-Elect John F. Kennedy.

In 1961, Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death after being found guilty by an Israeli court of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership of an outlawed organization.

In 1965, spacecraft Gemini 6A, crewed by Walter M. Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford, was launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida. Four orbits later, it achieved the first space rendezvous with Gemini 7, manned by Frank Borman and James A. Lovell.

In 1966, a re-edited version of “Daikaiju Gamera”, the first Gamera movie, was released in the U.S. under the title “Gammera the Invincible”. The Sandy Frank version, which was closer to the original and was later used on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, would arrive in 1985.

In 1966, filmmaker/studio executive/TV host Walt Disney died in Burbank at age 65.

Also in 1966, the Supermarionation movie “Thunderbirds are GO”, based on the TV series, was released in the UK.

In 1970, on “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, the episode “Spam” was broadcast on BBC1. The titular sketch was the closing bit from the episode.

In 1970, the Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully landed on Venus. It was the first successful soft landing on another planet.

In 1973, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “The Time Warrior” was broadcast on BBC 1. It marked the first appearance of the Sontarans, and introduced Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.

In 1974, the Mel Brooks comedy “Young Frankenstein” was released in the U.S.

In 1976, the comedy sequel “The Pink Panther Strikes Again”, starring Peter Sellers as Clouseau, was released in the U.S.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter announced that the U.S. would recognize the People’s Republic of China and sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

In 1981, a suicide car bombing targeting the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, levelled the embassy and killed 61 people, including Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon. The attack is considered the first modern suicide bombing.

In 1984, the movie “The Return of Godzilla” was released in Japan. It would be released in the U.S. the following year, re-edited and re-titled “Godzilla 1985”.

In 1989, a popular uprising began in Romania that resulted in the downfall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

In 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy, was reopened to the public after a $27 million realignment that had dragged on for over a decade.

In 2014, a gunman took 18 hostages inside the Martin Place Lindt Café for 16 hours in Sydney. He was killed, along with two hostages, when police raided the café the following morning.

 

yeah but Ernie .. .

 

Actually, I hadn't known that until you posted it. Thanks for the info.

 

Dec 17, 1903, Wilbur & Orville Wright sent a telegram: “Success. Four flights Thursday morning. All against twenty-one-mile wind. Started from level with engine power alone. Average speed through air thirty-one miles. Longest fifty-nine seconds. Inform press. Home Christmas.”

 

If I (belatedly) may...

ON DECEMBER 16th:

In 1653, Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.

In 1770, composer Ludwig Van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany.

In 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes.

In 1809, the French Senate granted a divorce decree to Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine (the dissolution was made final the following month).

In 1811, the first of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes struck the central Mississippi Valley with an estimated magnitude of 7.7.

In 1907, 16 U.S. Navy battleships, which came to be known as the "Great White Fleet," set sail on a 14-month round-the-world voyage to demonstrate American sea power.

In 1917, author Arthur C. Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England. He’d later co-write a movie with Stanley Kubrick with a finish that still confuses people.

In 1928, author Phillip K. Dick was born in Chicago. His works would later be the basis of a number of movies and TV shows.

In 1929, actor Nicholas Courtney was born in Cairo. He’d later play one of the Doctor’s closest and most trusted allies on Earth.

In 1930, golfer Bobby Jones became the first recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award honoring outstanding amateur athletes.

In 1944, the World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched a surprise attack against Allied forces through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg. (The Allies were eventually able to turn the Germans back.)

In 1951, NBC-TV debuted "Dragnet" in a special preview on "Chesterfield Sound Off Time". The show began officially on January 3, 1952.

In 1960, 134 people were killed when a United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City.

In 1965, the drama “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” was released in the U.S. Based on the novel by John Le Carre, it starred Richard Burton in the title role as Alec Lemas.

In 1968, the children’s fantasy “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, starring Dick Van Dyke and based on the book by Ian Fleming, premiered in London.

In 1972, after defeating the Baltimore Colts 16-0, the Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season. (They’d remain unbeaten in the post-season, culminating in a win at Super Bowl VII.)

In 1982, Environmental Protection Agency head Anne M. Gorsuch became the first Cabinet-level officer to be cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to submit documents requested by a congressional committee.

In 1985, mobsters Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti were shot dead on the orders of John Gotti, who assumed leadership of New York's Gambino crime family.

In 1991, the U.N. General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism by a vote of 111-25.

Also in 1991, Kazakhstan declared independence from the Soviet Union.

In 2009, Roy E. Disney, KCSG, died in Newport Beach, CA at age 79. He was a longtime senior executive at the Walt Disney Company, which was founded by his father and uncle.

In 2013, in the first ruling of its kind, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon declared that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' telephone records likely violated the Constitution's ban on unreasonable search.

In 2014, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants attacked an Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 145 people, mostly schoolchildren.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON DECEMBER 17th:

In 1777, France recognized American independence.

In 1843, Charles Dickens' classic story "A Christmas Carol" was published.

In 1865, Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8, known as the "Unfinished" (because only two movements had been completed) was first performed publicly in Vienna, 37 years after the composer's death.

In 1894, conductor Arthur Fiedler, best-known for leading the Boston Pops, was born in Boston, MA.

In 1914, during World War I, Britain declared Egypt an official protectorate.

In 1925, Col. William "Billy" Mitchell was convicted at his court-martial in Washington of insubordination for accusing senior military officials of incompetence and criminal negligence; he was suspended from active duty.

In 1929, actress Jacqueline Hill was born in Birmingham, England. One of her characters would later teach history to a certain unearthly child.

In 1938, Otto Hahn discovered the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy.

In 1939, the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled by its crew, ending the World War II Battle of the River Plate off Uruguay.

In 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion POWs were shot by Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe Peiper. It was one of a series of incidents later known as the Malmedy Massacre.

Also in 1944, the U.S. War Department announced it was ending its policy of excluding people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast.

In 1945, actor Ernie Hudson was born in Benton Harbor, MI. He’s best-known for playing Ghostbuster Winston Zeddemore. Reports of a later appearance in a “Torchwood” serial have been questioned by those who believe that serial doesn’t actually exist.

In 1946, actor/comedian/writer/director Eugene levy was born in Hamilton, Ontario. His appearances on a certain Melonville-based TV station would lead to much bigger things.

In 1953, actor Bill Pullman was born in Hornell, NY. His inspiring July 4th speech would come years later. Reports of a later appearance in a “Torchwood” serial have been questioned by those who believe that serial doesn’t actually exist.

In 1957, the United States successfully test-fired the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

In 1957, the Agatha Christie mystery “Witness for the Prosecution” was released in the U.S. It starred Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich. And the spoiler restrictions are still in place.

In 1962, the Beatles made their first TV appearance in Manchester, England on the local Granada Television program “People & Places”.

In 1966, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “The Highlanders” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Frazier Hines as Jamie MacCrimmon.

In 1969, an estimated 50 million TV viewers watched as singer Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on NBC-TV's "Tonight Show." The event earned the show its highest ratings to that date.

Also in 1969, The United States Air Force officially closed Project Blue Book, its study of UFOs.

In 1971, the James Bond movie “Diamonds are Forever”, starring Sean Connery as 007, was released in the U.S.

In 1975, a federal jury in Sacramento, CA sentenced Lynette Alice “Squeaky” Fromme to life in prison for her attempted assassination of President Gerald R. Ford.

In 1976, Atlanta-based WTCG-TV became the first commercial “superstation” when its programming was beamed via satellite to cable systems across the U.S. The station would change its call letters to WTBS in 1979.

In 1982, the Jim Henson fantasy movie “The Dark Crystal” was released in the U.S, the UK and Canada.

In 1983, Provisional IRA members detonated a car bomb at Harrods Department Store in London. Three police officers and three civilians were killed.

In 1989, the animated TV series "The Simpsons" premiered on Fox with the Christmas-themed episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”.

In 1994, North Korea shot down a U.S. Army helicopter which had strayed north of the demilitarized zone. The co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer David Hilemon, was killed; the pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall, was captured and held for nearly two weeks.

In 1999, the Disney animated movie “Fantasia 2000” premiered in New York City.

In 2003, SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, made its first powered and first supersonic flight.

In 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died after more than a decade of iron rule; he was 69, according to official records, but some reports indicated he was 70.

In 2014, the U.S. and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations after severing them 55 years earlier.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 18th:

In 1666, the township of Piscataway, NJ was founded.

In 1777, The United States celebrated its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the American rebels over British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga in October.

In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was declared in effect by Secretary of State William H. Seward.

In 1892, the ballet “The Nutcracker” by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky had its premiere at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1912, fossil collector Charles Dawson reported to the Geological Society of London his discovery of supposed early human remains at a gravel pit in Piltdown. (More than four decades later, “Piltdown Man” was exposed as a hoax.)

In 1916, during World War I, the Battle of Verdun ended when German forces under Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn were defeated by the French, and suffered 337,000 casualties.

In 1932, The Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL Championship Game.

In 1943, singer/musician/songwriter Keith Richards was born in Dartford, Kent, England. The secret of his continued survival remains unclear.

In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the government's wartime evacuation of people of Japanese descent from the West Coast while at the same time unanimously agreeing that "concededly loyal" Americans of Japanese ancestry could not continue to be detained.

In 1946, filmmaker Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, OH.

In 1950, film critic Leonard Maltin was born in New York City. The “two-and-a-half stars” controversy would come later.

In 1958, the world's first communications satellite, SCORE (Signal Communication by Orbiting Relay Equipment), nicknamed "Chatterbox," was launched by the United States aboard an Atlas rocket.

In 1964, first unit filming for “The Cage”, the original pilot for “Star Trek”, wrapped.

In 1965, Gemini 7, crewed by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, splashed down after 14 days in orbit.

In 1965, the spaghetti western “For a Few Dollars More” was released in Italy. Directed by Sergio Leone, it starred Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name, and co-starred Lee Van Cleef. It would be released in the U.S. nearly 18 months later.

In 1966, the animated special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, featuring the voice of Boris Karloff, was first broadcast on CBS-TV.

In 1969, Britain's House of Lords joined the House of Commons in making permanent a 1965 ban on the death penalty for murder.

In 1969, the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, starring George Lazenby as 007, premiered in London.

In 1972, the United States began heavy bombing of North Vietnamese targets during the Vietnam War. (The bombardment ended 11 days later.)

In 1979, the Disney sci-fi movie “The Black Hole” premiered in London.

In 1980, actor/comedian Baron Vaughn was born in Portales, New Mexico. He’d later provide the voice for one of the more recent victims of a bizarre movie-watching experiment.

In 1991, actor Deforest Kelley got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1997, actor/comedian Chris Farley was found dead in his apartment in Chicago of a cocaine and morphine overdose. He was 33.

In 2008, actress/producer Majel Barrett died in Los Angeles at age 76.

In 2015, Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in Great Britain, closed.

In 2016, actress/socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor died in Los Angeles at age 99.

In 2017, Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501, derailed near DuPont, WA killing six people, and injuring 70 others.

In 2018, actress/producer/director Penny Marshall died in Los Angeles at age 75.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 19th:

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

In 1813, British forces captured Fort Niagara during the War of 1812.

In 1907, 239 workers died in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, PA.

In 1916, producer/director Roy Ward Baker was born in London. He’s best-known for his work in TV and many British horror and sci-fi movies, as well as the acclaimed “A Night to Remember”, about the Titanic sinking.

In 1917, four teams of the National Hockey League played in the league’s first two games. The Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 7-4, and the Montreal Wanderers beat the Toronto Arenas 10-9.

In 1924, the last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was sold in London, England.

In 1932, the British Broadcasting Corp. began transmitting overseas with its Empire Service (later known as the BBC World Service) to Australia.

In 1935, the swashbuckling adventure “Captain Blood” premiered in the U.S. It starred Errol Flynn in the title role, along with Olivia de Haviland and Basil Rathbone.

In 1946, war broke out in Indochina as troops under Ho Chi Minh launched widespread attacks against the French.

In 1950, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was named commander of the military forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

In 1955, Carl Perkins recorded “Blue Suede Shoes” in Memphis, TN.

In 1957, “The Music Man”, starring Robert Preston, opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theater.

In 1961, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., 73, suffered a debilitating stroke while in Palm Beach, Florida.

Also in 1961, actor/author Matthew Waterhouse, best-known for playing ill-fated Companion Adric on “Doctor Who”, was born in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England.

In 1965, “Kaiju Daisenso”, later titled “Monster Zero”, was released in Japan. It starred Godzilla, Rodan and Ghidora.

In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, winding up the Apollo program of manned lunar landings.

In 1974, Nelson A. Rockefeller was sworn in as the 41st vice president of the United States in the U.S. Senate chamber by Chief Justice Warren Burger with President Gerald R. Ford looking on (in a first for the Senate, the proceeding was televised live).

Also in 1974, the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”, starring Roger Moore as 007, premiered in London.

In 1984, a coal fire at the Wilberg Mine near Orangeville, UT, killed 27 people.

Also in 1984, Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.

In 1986, Lawrence E. Walsh was appointed independent counsel to investigate the Iran-Contra affair.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached by the Republican-controlled House for perjury and obstruction of justice (he was subsequently acquitted by the Senate).

In 1999, actor Desmond Llewelyn, best-known for playing Q in the James Bond movies, died in Firle, East Sussex, England at age 85.

In 2013, Discount retailer Target announced that data connected to about 40 million credit and debit card accounts had been stolen as part of a breach that began over the Thanksgiving weekend.

In 2016, the Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was assassinated while at an art exhibition in Ankara. The accused assassin was shot and killed by Turkish guards.

Also in 2016, a truck drove through a Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, killing twelve people and injuring 48 others.

In addition in 2016, more than 270 electors of the Electoral College voted for Donald Trump, confirming his status as President-Elect of the United States.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 20th:
In 1606, the Virginia Company loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

In 1790, the first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, RI.

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

In 1812, German authors Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of the first edition of their collection of folk stories, "Children's and Household Tales."

In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favor of separation.

In 1864, Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, GA, as Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman nearly completed his "March to the Sea."

In 1924, Adolf Hitler was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch; during his time behind bars, he'd written his autobiographical screed, "Mein Kampf."

In 1941, during World War II, the American Volunteer Group, better known as the “Flying Tigers” fought their first battle in Kunming, China.

In 1943, actress Jacqueline Pearce, best-known as Servalan on “Blake’s 7”, was born in Woking, Surrey, England.

In 1945, the Office of Price Administration announced the end of tire rationing, effective Jan. 1, 1946.

In 1946, the popular Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life” was first released in New York City. Decades later, “Saturday Night Live” would discover the “lost” ending to the film.

In 1955, Cardiff was proclaimed the capital city of Wales.

In 1957, while spending the Christmas holidays at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley received his draft notice for the U.S. Army.

In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.

In 1964, the Toho kaiju movie “San daikaiju: Chikyu saidai no kessen” was released in Japan. The following September, it would be released in the U.S. as “Ghidora, the Three-Headed Monster”. It starred Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and introduced Ghidora.

In 1966, the spy spoof “Murderers’ Row”, starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm, was released in the U.S.

In 1967, the thriller “Billion Dollar Brain” premiered in Los Angeles. It starred Michael Caine in his third film as Harry Palmer.

In 1968, the Disney cartoon “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day”, the second Winnie the Pooh theatrical short, was released in the U.S. It was part of a double-bill with the Disney comedy “The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit”.

In 1971, businessman Roy O. Disney, co-founder of the Walt Disney Productions, died in Burbank at age 78.

Also in 1971, the international aid organization Doctors Without Borders was founded by Bernard Kouchner and a group of journalists in Paris, France.

In 1973, the fantasy adventure “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad” premiered in London. It starred John Phillip Law, Caroline Munro, and Tom Baker in the role that would help him earn his Doctorate.

In 1974, the Disney cartoon “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too”, the third Winnie the Pooh theatrical short, was released in the U.S. It was part of a double-bill with the Disney adventure “The Island at the Top of the World”.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro Island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1991, Oliver Stone’s controversial movie “JFK” was released.

In 2004, a gang of thieves stole £26.5 million worth of currency from the Donegall Square West headquarters of Northern Bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland, one of the largest bank robberies in British history.

In 2007, Elizabeth II became the oldest monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years, 7 months and 29 days.

In 2014, NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot and killed, allegedly in retaliation against the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. (The gunman committed suicide shortly afterwards.)

In 2018, Irish President Michael D. Higgins signed a bill making abortion legal in the Republic of Ireland for the first time.

 

If I may...

ON DECEMBER 21st:

In 1620, Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts.


In 1804, politician/author Benjamin Disraeli, who would twice serve as British Prime Minister, was born in London.


In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman concluded their "March to the Sea," which had begun in Atlanta on Nov. 15 and ended with the capture of Savannah, Georgia.

In 1879, the Henrik Ibsen play "A Doll's House" premiered at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. “Cinematic Titanic” would later riff on a scene from this play as part of the pre-show during their (supposed) farewell tour.

In 1910, an underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, killed 344 miners.

In 1913, the first newspaper crossword puzzle, billed as a "Word-Cross Puzzle," was published in the New York World.

In 1914, the first feature-length silent film comedy, Mack Sennett's "Tillie's Punctured Romance," starring Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand and Charlie Chaplin, premiered.

In 1922, ventriloquist/actor/comedian Paul Winchell was born in New York City. In addition to his show biz career, he would later design and patent a mechanical artificial heart.

In 1927, producer/director/executive Michael Carreras, best-known for his work with Hammer Films, was born in London.

In 1933, five-year-old Shirley Temple signed a movie contract with Fox. Her age was later changed to make her appear a year younger.

In 1937, Walt Disney's first animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," had its world premiere in Los Angeles.

In 1940, musician/songwriter/composer Frank Zappa was born in Baltimore, MD.

In 1942, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Williams v. North Carolina, ruled 6-2 that all states had to recognize divorces granted in Nevada.

In 1944, the Disney cartoon “The Three Caballeros” premiered in Mexico City. It starred Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito as the titular trio.

In 1945, Gen. George S. Patton died in Heidelberg, Germany, of injuries from a car accident, at age 60.

In 1948, actor Samuel L. Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. Years later, he’d be granted a Jedi Knighthood, and would later say he’d had it with…you know the rest.

In 1958, Charles de Gaulle was elected to a seven-year term as the first president of the Fifth Republic of France.

In 1963, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “The Dead Planet” was broadcast on BBC 1. It was the first appearance of the Daleks, and they’ve been EX-TER-MIN-A-TING ever since.

In 1966, the auto racing drama “Grand Prix” was released in the U.S.

In 1968, Apollo 8, crewed by Frank Borman, James A. Lovell and William Anders, was launched on a mission to orbit the moon.

In 1969, Vince Lombardi coached his last game. His Washington Redskins lost to the Dallas Cowboys 20-10. The Redskins ended that season at 7-5-2, which was the first winning season for the team in 14 years.

In 1976, the Liberian-registered tanker Argo Merchant broke apart near Nantucket Island, off Massachusetts, almost a week after running aground, spilling 7.5 million gallons of oil into the North Atlantic.

In 1981, “Blake”, the series finale of “Blake’s 7”, was broadcast over BBC1. And, to this day, fans have been debating who survived.

In 1988, 270 people were killed when a terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pam Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, sending wreckage crashing to the ground.

In 1991, in a final step signifying the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, 11 of the 12 Soviet republics declared that they were forming the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

In 1991, the movie “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” was shown on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” over Comedy Central. The episode also saw the introduction of the Christmas song, “Let’s Have a Patrick Swayze Christmas”.

In 2004, a suicide bombing at a mess hall tent near Mosul, Iraq, killed 22 people, including 14 U.S. service members and three American contractors.

In 2012, the Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm, Ltd. and of the “Star Wars” franchise.

In 2017, sportscaster Dick Enberg died in La Jolla, CA at age 82.