- 1492: The first Spanish settlement in the new world was founded by
Columbus at La Navidad, now Haiti; it was later destroyed by
natives.
- 1776: Gen. George Washington's troops captured 1,000 Hessian
soldiers in the Battle of Trenton, a major setback for the British.
- 1862: 38 Santee Sioux Indians were hanged in Mankato, Minn., for
their roles in an uprising that claimed the lives of hundreds of
white settlers.
- 1865: James H. Mason of Franklin, Mass., patented the coffee
percolator.
- 1919: The Yankees and the Red Sox reached an agreement on the
transfer of Babe Ruth.
- 1924: Judy Garland, billed as Baby Frances, made her show business
debut at the age of 2-1/2 as part of her family's vaudeville act on
the New Grand Theater stage.
- 1928: Johnny Weissmuller announced his retirement from amateur
swimming after never losing a free-style race in 8 years of
competition. He held all world records for free-style swimming from
50 to 880 yards.
- 1931: George Gershwin's musical, "Of Thee I Sing," opened in New
York City. The show became the first American musical to be awarded
a Pulitzer Prize.
- 1944: Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie" had its first
public performance at the Civic Theatre in Chicago. In the Battle
of the Bulge, the embattled U.S. 101st Airborne Division,
surrounded by German forces in Belgium, was relieved by units of
the 4th Armored Division.
- 1954: One of radio's most popular programs, "The Shadow," aired for
the last time.
- 1955: RKO became the first major studio to announce the sale of its
film library to TV.
- 1963: The Beatles released the single "I Want To Hold Your Hand"/"I
Saw Her Standing There," their first U.S. smash, and marked the
beginning of Beatlemania and the British Invasion in America.
- 1967: The Dave Brubeck Quartet formally disbanded after saxman Paul
Desmond left the group.
- 1968: Led Zeppelin made its concert debut in Boston as the opening
act for Vanilla Fudge. Bruin Ted Green set the NHL penalty record,
with three minors, two majors and two game misconducts in a matchup
against the N.Y. Rangers.
- 1973: "The Exorcist," starring Linda Blair and rated X, premiered
in theaters.
- 1982: For the first time, TIME's Man of the Year was a non-human. A
computer received the honors as 1982's "greatest influence for good
or evil."
- 1986: Doug Jarvis, 31, set an NHL record when he skated in his
916th consecutive game. He holds the individual record for most
consecutive games played (964).
*Happy Birthday*
----------------
- Steve Allen, 77, comedian/TV talk show host
- Carlton Fisk, 51, MLB catcher
- Alan King, 71, comedian/actor
- Jared Leto, 26, actor, "My So Called Life," "Prefontaine"
- Ozzie Smith, 44, MLB shortstop
- Phil Spector, 58, music producer
- Lars Ulrich, 35, drummer, Metallica
- John Walsh, 53, activist/TV host, "America's Most Wanted"
- Tahnee Welch, 37, actress, "Cocoon"