Jerry Waxman
Today in History: December 23
A Look Back At Today: December 23
“The Night Before Christmas” first appears in a newspaper.
Pilgrims began construction of Plymouth settlement.
The Federal Reserve System was created.
The airplane Voyager completed the first non-stop flight around the world.
Today in History: December 22
A Look Back At Today: December 22
The Dreyfus Affair Begins
Democratic Elections In Poland
Shoes A Weapon Of Terror
Freedom To Ask And Tell
Today in History: December 21
A Look Back At Today: December 21
Terror Attack over Lockerbie
Sherman’s March To The Sea Ended
The first basketball game was played
The first newspaper crossword puzzle was published
Commonwealth of Independent States was formed
Today in History: December 20
A Look Back At Today, December 20
The Louisiana Purchase was completed.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater.
The United States launched Operation Just Cause.
The United States Space Force was established.
Today in History: December 19
Today in History: December 19
In 1777, General George Washington led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge.
In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program.
In 2011, North Korean announced the death of Kim Jong Il and proclaimed Kim Jong Un as the leader.
In 2022, the House Jan. 6 Committee urged the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against the previous president
Today in History: December 18
Today in History: December 18
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was proclaimed in effect.
In 1892, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” publicly premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia; although now considered a classic, it received a generally negative reception from critics.
In 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)
In 2011, the last convoy of heavily armored U.S. troops left Iraq, crossing into Kuwait in darkness in the final moments of a nearly nine-year war.
Today in History: December 17
Today in History: December 17
In 1903 The Wright brothers’ flight redefined the possibilities of travel and opened the skies to human exploration.
In 1933 The first NFL championship laid the foundation for professional football’s evolution into a national pastime.
In 1989 “The Simpsons” redefined animated television, blending humor with social commentary to leave an indelible mark on entertainment.
In 1992 NAFTA reshaped North American trade, fostering economic ties while sparking debates on globalization.
In 2014 The U.S.-Cuba rapprochement signaled a pivotal moment in the post-Cold War world, rekindling hopes for reconciliation.
Today in History: December 16
Today in History: December 16
On Dec. 16, 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 1907, 16 U S Navy battleships, known as the Great White Fleet, set sail on a 14-month, round-the-world voyage to showcase America’s growing naval strength, and signal its emergence as a global power.
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.
In the year 2000, President-elect George W Bush selected Colin Powell to become the first Black secretary of state.
In 2014, The Peshawar school massacre occurred when Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar, killing at least 148 people, including more than 130 schoolchildren.
Today in History: December 15
Today in History: December 15
The Bill of Rights became the bedrock of American civil liberties on this day in 1791.
In 1890, Hunkpapa Lakota Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed.
In 1939, the Civil War motion picture epic “Gone with the Wind,” premiered in Atlanta.
In 2011, the flag used by U.S. forces in Iraq was lowered marking the formal end of an unnecessary war.
In 2013, Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in his childhood hometown of Qunu.