- 1765: Boston merchants joined the non-importation movement in order
to repeal the Stamp Act.
- 1793: The first daily newspaper in New York City, "The America
Minerva," was founded by Noah Webster.
- 1854: Alfred Lord Tennyson's famous poem, "The Charge of the Light
Brigade," was published in England.
- 1886: Clarence Birdseye, U.S. inventor famous for his invention of
deep-freezing foodstuffs, was born.
- 1907: Christmas Seals went on sale for the first time, in the
Wilmington, Del., post office. The proceeds went to fight
tuberculosis.
- 1926: Benny Goodman, 17, held his first recording session, playing
clarinet with the Ben Pollack Orchestra on "Downtown Shuffle" for
Victor Records.
- 1926: The United States Golf Association legalized the use of
steel-shafted golf clubs.
- 1934: In pro football's championship game, on an extremely cold and
icy day, the New York Giants trailed the Chicago Bears, 13-3, in
the third quarter before changing to basketball shoes for better
footing. The Giants won, 30-13, in what has come to be known as the
Sneakers Game.
- 1941: China formally issued a declaration of war against Japan,
Germany and Italy.
- 1961: Former SS officer Adolf Eichman was found guilty of war crimes
by an Israeli court. He was hanged.
- 1962: "Lawrence of Arabia," David Lean's epic film, premiered in
London.
- 1965: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first aired on CBS with the jazz
music composition by the Vince Guaraldi Trio in the background.
- 1967: President Johnson's daughter Linda married Charles Robb in
the first wedding at the White House since 1914.
- 1968: Newsweek reported the Beatles' "White Album" had sold
1.1 million copies in its first five days, despite a record high
$11.58 list price. Their critic gives mixed reviews to the 25-song
package, saying that "with some judicious editing, the Beatles
could have turned out a real fine album of one LP...and maybe even
put a picture on the jacket."
- 1978: "Saturday Night Live" players John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
recorded the album "Soul Man" and released it under the name The
Blues Brothers.
- 1990: Lech Walesa, former leader of the trade union Solidarity, won
a landslide victory in the Polish presidential election.
- 1994: President Clinton fired Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders after
learning she'd told a conference that masturbation should be
discussed in school as a part of human sexuality.
- 1996: The United Nations authorized the start of a long-delayed
"oil-for-food" deal with Iraq, enabling Baghdad to make a limited
return to the world oil market for the first time since its 1990
invasion of Kuwait.
*Happy Birthday*
----------------
- Joan Armatrading, 48, singer/musician
- Beau Bridges, 57, actor
- Dick Butkus, 56, ex-NFL linebacker/actor
- Tre Cool, 26, musician, Green Day
- Rick Danko, 55, singer/bassist, The Band
- Michael Dorn, 46, actor, "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
- Kirk Douglas, 82, actor
- Morton Downey Jr., 65, TV talk show host
- Buck Henry, 68, actor/writer
- Tom Kite Jr., 49, golfer
- Joe Lando, 37, actor, "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"
- John Malkovich, 45, actor
- Donny Osmond, 41, pop singer/talk show host
- Frances Reid, 85, actress, "Days of Our Lives"
- Nick Seymour, 40, bassist, Crowded House