- 1863: President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the
                  Reconstruction of the South and offered amnesty for confederate
                  deserters.
                - 1926: Variety Magazine reported "a new development in radio:
                  television."
                - 1931: Coaxial cable was patented.
                - 1940: George Halas' Chicago Bears destroyed the Washington
                  Redskins 73-0 in the most lopsided football victory in history.
                - 1941: The United States entered World War II as Congress declared
                  war against Japan, one day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
                - 1952: The first TV acknowledgment of pregnancy occurred on "I Love
                  Lucy."
                - 1961: The Beach Boys released their first record - "Surfin,'" it
                  became a local hit in Los Angeles, but only made it to No. 75 on
                  the national charts.
                - 1962: Alan Freed left Miami's WQAM to appear at his payola trial in
                  New York and testify to receiving $2,000 in exchange for playing
                  certain records on his New York radio show. He pleads guilty to
                  acepting payola and is fined $300 and given six months probation.
                - 1978: Golda Meir, who had served as Israel's prime minister from
                  1969 to 1974, died at age 80.
                - 1980: The comic strip "Bloom County" made its debut.
                - 1980: Former Beatle John Lennon was shot to death in New York City
                  by Mark David Chapman as he and his wife, Yoko Ono, were returning
                  from a recording session.
                - 1984: "Captain Kangaroo," starring Bob Keeshan, made its final
                  appearance after 29 years on CBS.
                - 1987: Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first NHL
                  goalie to shoot a puck in the opposing goal. His goal helped the
                  Flyers to a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins.
                - 1987: President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed
                  the INF Treaty, which provided for the dismantling of all U.S. and
                  Soviet missiles with ranges of 300 to 3400 miles.
                - 1993: President Clinton signed NAFTA.
                - 1995: Four months after the death of its founder and guiding
                  spirit, Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead announced it was disbanding.
                - 1996: The Carolina Panthers became the first second-year expansion
                  team to make the playoffs by beating San Francisco, 30-24.
                - 1997: President Clinton welcomed Wei Jingsheng, China's best-known
                  democracy advocate, to the White House three weeks after his release
                  from a Chinese jail.

                *Happy Birthday*
                ----------------
                - Gregg Allman, 51, musician, singer, The Allman Brothers Band
                - Rick Baker, 48, special effects technician
                - Kim Basinger, 45, actress
                - David Carradine, 62, actor, "Kung Fu"
                - Roy Firestone, 45, sportscaster
                - Marty Friedman, 36, guitarist, Megadeth
                - Malcolm Gets, 35, actor, "Caroline in the City"
                - Teri Hatcher, 34, actress, "Lois & Clark"
                - Sinead O'Connor, 32, singer/songwriter
                - Maximilian Schell, 68, actor