2004 Iraq War CIA Director George Tenet is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1999 LAX bombing plot An Algerian man living in Canada is arrested at the United States-Canada border in Port Angeles, Washington after crossing by ferry. Customs officials found nitroglycerin and four timing devices concealed in the spare tire well of his automobile. He was planning to bomb LAX airport in Los Angeles, California.

1993 Sidewalk of Stars Radio City Music Hall unveils its "Sidewalk of Stars" in New York, with Liza Minnelli receiving the first star.

1987 Chrysler The automaker pleads no contest to charges of rolling back odometers on cars and selling them as new.

1986 First nonstop around-the-world flight without refueling begins, by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager flying the aircraft Voyager, finishing on December 23.

1952 First successful separation of Siamese twins Dr. Jac S. Geller of Mount Sinai Hospital, Ohio separates two girls joined at the sternum. Source: Guinness Book of World Records

1911 South Pole discovered Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole.

1900 The discovery of quantum physics is announced by Max Planck.

1819 Alabama becomes the 22nd state. Alabama is Creek Indian for "tribal town."

1774 American Revolution - First military encounter Major John Sullivan leads 400 volunteers in an attack on Fort William and Mary at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They captured the fort's commander and 100 casks of powder and small arms.

1719 The second newspaper in America The Boston Gazette, published by William Booker, is founded. It lasted until 1798.

1946 Patty Duke (Anna Marie Duke), American Oscar-Emmy-winning actress. She portrayed Helen Keller in the Broadway (1959) and film (1962, Oscar) versions of The Miracle Worker. TV: The Patty Duke Show.

1946 Joyce Vincent Wilson American singer, with Tony Orlando and Dawn, Knock Three Times (1971, #1) and Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973, #1).

1935 Lee Remick d. 1991 American actress. Film: Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and The Days of Wine and Roses (1962).

1931 Phineas Newborn Jr d. 1989 American jazz pianist.

1911 Spike Jones d. 1965 (Lindley Armstrong Jones), American musician, All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth (1948, #1).

1908 Morey Amsterdam d. 1996 American actor. TV: The Dick Van Dyke Show (Buddy Sorrel).

1897 Margaret Chase Smith d. 1995 American politician, former U.S. Senator (R-Maine). She was the first woman elected to both houses of the U.S. Congress. Her opposistion to the tactics of Joseph McCarthy earned her the nickname "Moscow Maggie."

1896 James Harold Doolittle d. 1993 American air-force officer, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom. He made the first blind airplane flight (1929) and led the first U.S. bombing raid over the Japanese mainland (1942) during World War II.

1895 George VI d. 1952 King of England and Northern Ireland (1936-52), he and Queen Elizabeth were the first British Sovereigns to visit (1939) the U.S.

1503 Nostradamus d. 1566 (Michel de Nostredame), French astrologer, physician, prophet. He predicted both the date and manner of his death.

1998 Norman Fell b. 1924 American actor, member of the Rat Pack. TV: Three's Company (Mr. Roper, the landlord).  He also played a landlord in the movie The Graduate.

1994 Orval Eugene Faubus b. 1910 American politician, Governor of Arkansas (1955-67). In September of 1957 he ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine blacks from entering all-white Central High School in Little Rock.

1993 Myrna Loy b. 1905 (Myrna Williams), American actress. Film: The Jazz Singer (1927, as a chorus girl) and The Thin Man (1934, Nora Charles).

1985 Roger Eugene Maris b. 1934 American baseball legend, American League MVP (1960-61). He broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record by hitting 61 (1961).

1980 Elston Gene Howard b. 1929 American baseball player, American League 1963 MVP and the first to use a baseball bat with a weight on the end to warm up in the on-deck circle (1969).

1964 William Bendix b. 1906 American actor. TV: The Life of Riley (Chester Riley).

1943 John Harvey Kellogg b. 1852 American surgeon, invented grain flakes cereal.

1810 Cyrus Griffin b. 1748 16th and last president of the Continental Congress (1788-89).

1799 George Washington b. 1732 first U.S. President (1789-97).

1591 Saint John of the Cross b. 1542 (San Juan de la Cruz), Spanish poet.

872 Adrian II b. 792 Italian religious leader, 106th Pope (867-872).

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