Thursday, December 20, 2007

Today in History: December 20, 2007

WAR!, DISASTERS, SCANDAL, COURTS
BUSINESS, DEATH, BIRTHDAYS




On December 20th, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States during ceremonies in New Orleans.

WAR!

In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.

In 1864, Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, Georgia, as Union General William T. Sherman continued his "March to the Sea."

In 1945, the Office of Price Administration announced the end of tire rationing, effective January 1st, 1946.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of General Manuel Noriega.

In 2006, acknowledging deepening frustration over Iraq, President Bush told a news conference he was considering an increase in American forces and warned that the next year would bring more painful U.S. losses.

In 2006, recently sworn-in Defense Secretary Robert Gates made an unannounced visit to Iraq.

DISASTERS

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

SCANDAL

In 1978, former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman was released from prison after serving 18 months for his role in the Watergate cover-up.

In 2002, Trent Lott resigned as Senate Republican leader two weeks after igniting a political firestorm with racially charged remarks.

COURTS

In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded couples.

BUSINESS

In 1790, the first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

In 2002, the nation's 10 biggest brokerages agreed to pay $1.44 billion and fundamentally change the way they did business to settle allegations they'd misled investors by hyping certain companies' stocks.

DEATH

In 1968, author John Steinbeck died in New York at age 66.

In 1976, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley died at age 74.

BIRTHDAYS

Actress Audrey Totter is 90. Comedian Charlie Callas is 80. Actor John Hillerman is 75. Rock musician-music producer Bobby Colomby is 63. Rock musician Peter Criss is 62. Psychic/illusionist Uri Geller is 61. Producer Dick Wolf ("Law & Order") is 61. Rock musician Alan Parsons is 58. Actress Jenny Agutter is 55. Actor Michael Badalucco is 53. Actress Blanche Baker is 51. Rock singer Billy Bragg is 50. Rock singer-musician Mike Watt (The Secondmen, Minutemen, fIREHOSE) is 50. Country singer Kris Tyler is 43. Rock singer Chris Robinson is 41. Actress Nicole deBoer is 37. Actor Jonah Hill is 24. Singer JoJo is 17.

December 20th, the 354th day of 2007. There are 11 days left in the year.

compiled by Mondoreb
[image:
Source: Today in History

Digg!

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Leave your name/nic.
We've changed the comments section to allow non-registered users to comment.
We'll continue like that until it's being abused.
We reserve the right to delete all abusive or otherwise inappropriate comments.