336 – First documentary sign of Christmas celebration in ancient Rome

Seventy-three men, women, and children, mostly striking mine workers and their families, were crushed to death in a stampede when someone falsely yelled "fire" at a crowded Christmas party.

Italian Hall disaster

 Red_Dragon wrote: 
Dick Rutan, and his brother Burt, were true aviation innovators and experimenters.  Too bad Dick was kind of a looney politician.  It sidetracked him from his primary talent, imo.   Originally this single seater was 18 horsepower!!!

1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling.

1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.

1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.

1823 – A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas, is published anonymously.

1891 – Asteroid 323 Brucia becomes the first asteroid discovered using photography.

1808 – Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto (performed by Beethoven himself) and Choral Fantasy (with Beethoven at the piano).

1996 – NeXT merges with Apple Computer, starting the path to Mac OS X.

1951 – The EBR-1 in Arco, Idaho becomes the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity. The electricity powered four light bulbs.

1946 – The popular Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life is first released in New York, New York.

louisiana purchase.

Jenny Agutter born, 1952.

In 1777, Gen. George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pa., to camp for the winter.

On Dec. 19, 1843, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, was first published in England.

 Clinton was impeached, 1998

 ScottN wrote: 

Truer words.

 Red_Dragon wrote:What an enigma Gorbachev seems, imo, to be.  Personally, I hope history treats him kindly (knowing ALMOST all "world leaders are to some degree, criminals).