Kwanzaa The seven-day festival celebrating African heritage begins. It was started in 1966 by social activist Maulana Karenga. Kwanzaa is Swahili for "first fruit."

1996 JonBenét Murder Case The Ramsey's discover their daughter is missing and a three-page ransom note. Her body was later found in the wine cellar.

1967 Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles is first broadcast, on BBC-TV, later released in the U.S. as a movie.

1931 First musical play to win a Pulitzer George Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing opens in New York City.

1929 Comics Sea Hag debuts in the Popeye comic strip.

1908 First black heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson becomes champ when he KO's Tommy Burns.

1865 First coffee percolator is patented, by inventor James H. Nason.

1776 Battle of Trenton Gen. Washington captures 1,000 Hessian troops during the American Revolution.

1974 Tiffany Brissette American actress. TV: Small Wonder (Vicki the robot).

1939 Phil Spector American music producer, "Tycoon of Teen," developed the "Wall of Sound" recording technique. In 2009, he was convicted of the 2003 shooting death of Lana Clarkson in his home. Music: You've Lost the Lovin' Feeling (producer/co-writer. It is the most played song in the U.S.).

1927 Alan King (Irwin Kniberg), American comedian, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a record 83 times.

1921 Steve Allen American comedian, songwriter. TV: The Tonight Show (1954, creator and its first host).

1914 Richard Widmark American actor. Film: Kiss of Death (1947) and Madigan (1968).

1893 Mao Tse-tung d. 1976 Chinese Communist leader, "Founding Father" of the People's Republic of China.

1893 Robert LeRoy Ripley d. 1949 American cartoonist, created Believe-It-or-Not (1918). Note: He claimed his birthday was Dec 25, believe it or not.

1891 Henry Miller d. 1980 American novelist. Writings: Tropic of Cancer (1931) and Tropic of Capricorn (1939).

1837 George Dewey d. 1917 American naval officer, noted for his spectacular defeat of the Spanish at Manilla Bay during the Spanish-American War (1898). He was the first U.S. admiral (1899).

1792 Charles Babbage d. 1871 English mathematician. He designed a mechanical digital computer, although it was never built.

1738 Thomas Nelson d. 1789 American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence, governor of Virginia (1781).

2005 Vincent Schiavelli b. 1948 American actor. Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982, Mr. Vargas the biology teacher), Ghost (1990, the sad-eyed subway ghost). TV: The Corner Bar (Peter Panama, the first sustained gay character on network American TV). His distinctive looks were due to Marfan syndrome.

1986 Elsa Lanchester b. 1902 (Elizabeth Sullivan), English singer, actress. Film: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935, the blushing bride).

1974 Jack Benny b. 1894 (Benjamin Kubelsky), American comedian, famed for his violin concertos.

1972 Harry S Truman b. 1884 33rd U.S. President (1945-53) and 34th U.S. Vice-President.

1931 Melvil Dewey b. 1851 American librarian, creator of the Dewey Decimal System (1876).

1831 Stephen Girard b. 1750 French philanthropist, founder of Girard College at Philadelphia and for whom Girard, Ohio is named..

418 Saint Zozimus b. ???? Greek-born religious leader, 41st Pope (417-418).

268 Saint Dionysius b. ???? religious leader, 25th Pope (259-268).

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