- 1772: Moravian missionaries began construction of the first
                       schoolhouse west of the Allegheny Mountains at Schoenbrunn, Pa.
                     - 1882: The first string of Christmas tree lights was created by
                       Thomas Edison.
                     - 1894: The U.S. Golf Association was formed in New York City.
                     - 1937: The Lincoln Tunnel in New York opened to traffic.
                     - 1943: W.E.B. DuBois was elected the first black member of the
                       National Institute of Arts and Letters.
                     - 1943: Sporting goods manufacturers received permission to use
                       synthetic rubber for the core of baseballs.
                     - 1944: During the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans demanded the
                       surrender of American troops at Bastogne, Belgium; Brig. Gen.
                       Anthony C. McAuliffe reportedly replied: "Nuts!"
                     - 1956: The first gorilla born in captivity entered the world in
                       Columbus, Ohio.
                     - 1962: The 1,000,000th NBA point was scored.
                     - 1965: Director David Lean's "Dr. Zhivago," starring Omar Sharif and
                       Julie Christie, premiered.
                     - 1968: Julie Nixon, daughter of President-elect Richard Nixon,
                       married Dwight David Eisenhower, grandson of the former President.
                     - 1978: Kenny Jones became The Who's new drummer following the death
                       four months earlier of Keith Moon.
                     - 1989: Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu, the last of Eastern
                       Europe's hard-line Communist rulers, was toppled from power in a
                       popular uprising.
                     - 1990: Lech Walesa took the oath of office as Poland's first
                       popularly elected president.
                     - 1996: Kordell Stewart of the Pittsburgh Steelers ran 80 yards for a
                       touchdown in the first half of an 18-14 loss to Carolina, the
                       longest scoring run by a quarterback in NFL history.

                     *Happy Birthday*
                     ----------------
                     - Barbara Billingsley, 76, actress, "Leave It To Beaver"
                     - Steve Carlton, 54, former MLB Pitcher, 4-time Cy Young winner
                     - Hector Elizondo, 62, actor, "Chicago Hope"
                     - Ralph Fiennes, 36, actor, "The English Patient"
                     - Steve Garvey, 50, former MLB first baseman
                     - Maurice and Robin Gibb, 49, singers/musicians, The Bee Gees
                     - Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, 86, First Lady
                     - Rick Nielsen, 52, singer/musician, Cheap Trick
                     - Susan Powter, 41, author/talk show host
                     - Gene Rayburn, 81, game show host, "The Match Game"
                     - Grote Reber, 87, astronomer/radio engineer, built first radio
                       telescope
                     - Diane Sawyer, 53, newscaster/journalist
                     - Lynne Thigpen, 43, actress, "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?"
                     - Jim Wright, 76, ex-Speaker of the House