1917 – The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, authorizing prohibition of alcohol, is approved by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification.
1920 – First postage stamps printed without the words United States or US.
1936 – Su Lin, first giant panda to come to the United States from China, arrives in San Francisco.
1944 – US Destroyers Hull, Spence & Monaghan sink in typhoon (Philippines)
1949 – National Football League Championship: Philadelphia Eagles beat Los Angeles Rams 14-0. The game was played in driving rain that caused the field to become a mud pit.
1956 – “To Tell the Truth” debuts on CBS-TV.
1956 – Phil Rizzuto signs as New York Yankees radio-TV announcer.
1958 – Project SCORE, world’s first communications satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral.
1961 – For second consecutive year, The Associated Press names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year.
1965 – Frank Borman and Jim Lovell splash down in the Atlantic after a two week Gemini 7 mission.
1972 – The United States launches Operation Linebacker II, its heaviest bombing of North Vietnam, as negotiations to end the Vietnam War collapse.
1977 – NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers retired jersey #42 of Nate Thurmond.
1984 – 73rd Davis Cup: Sweden beats United States in Gothenburg 4-1.
1989 – “I Love Lucy”, Christmas episode, shown for first time in over 30 years.
1993 – The MGM Las Vegas hotel and casino first opens as the largest hotel complex in the world. It has since been surpassed as the largest complex.
1996 – TV industry executives agree to adopt a rating system.
2002 – Governor of California Gray Davis announces the state faces a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier.
2011 – The last US troops withdraw from Iraq, formally ending the Iraq War.
2018 – Nevada becomes the first state with a female majority legislature with new appointments taking it to 51%.
2020 – Moderna COVID-19 vaccine granted emergency authorization by Food and Drug Administration.
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