640 - Pope John IV is elected.
1294 - Pope Boniface VIII is elected Pope, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned.
1814 - The Treaty of Ghent is signed ending the War of 1812.
1851 - The Library of the US Congress burns
1865 - The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
1914 - World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
1924 - Albania becomes a republic.
1939 - World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
1942 - World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers.
1943 - World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the Supreme Allied Commander.
1951 - Libya becomes independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
1955 - NORAD Tracks Santa Claus for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.
1968 - Apollo Program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.
1973 - District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
2005 - Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18th attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
Famous Birthdays:
3 BC - Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman Emperor
1166 - King John of England
1389 - John VI, Duke of Brittany
1784 - Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia
1845 - King George I of Greece
1879 - Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, Queen Consort to Christian X
1943 - Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland
1973 - Stephenie Meyer, author
1974 - Ryan Seacrest, television host
1981 - Shane Tuck, footballer
1991 - Louis Tomlinson, singer
No comments:
Post a Comment