On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew tore through Florida, leading to 65 fatalities and inflicting over $26 billion in damage across Florida, Louisiana, and the Bahamas.
In 1814, during the War of 1812, British troops stormed Washington, D.C., setting fire to the unfinished Capitol, the White House, and other public buildings.
In 1912, Congress passed legislation establishing the Alaska Territory.
In 1932, Amelia Earhart undertook a 19-hour flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, becoming the first woman to fly solo and non-stop from coast to coast.
In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty officially came into effect.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Communist Control Act, effectively banning the Communist Party in the United States.
In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in New York for the murder of John Lennon.
In 1989, Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti permanently banned Pete Rose from the sport for betting on his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.
In 1991, following a coup attempt by hardline Communist leaders in the Soviet Union, Ukrainian lawmakers voted to adopt a Declaration of Independence for Ukraine.
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto, demoting it from full planet status to that of a “dwarf planet.”
In 2012, a Norwegian court found Anders Behring Breivik guilty of terrorism and premeditated murder for his twin attacks on July 22, 2011, which resulted in 77 deaths; he was sentenced to 21 years in prison, a term that can be extended as long as he is deemed a threat to society.
In 2018, the family of Arizona Senator John McCain announced that he had stopped medical treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer; McCain passed away the next day.
In 2019, police in Aurora, Colorado, responded to a call about a suspicious individual, using a chokehold to subdue Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man. He suffered cardiac arrest en route to the hospital and was later declared brain dead, after which he was taken off life support.
In 2020, Republicans officially nominated President Donald Trump for a second term on the first day of a scaled-back convention. While visiting the convention city of Charlotte, North Carolina, Trump warned delegates that “the only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election.”
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.
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