1732 – Benjamin Franklin under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of “Poor Richard’s Almanack”
1795 – 1st state appropriation of money for road building, Kentucky.
1823 – South Carolina declares right of states to nullify federal laws.
1843 – “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is published, 6,000 copies sold.
1904 – Dawson City hockey team begins 9 day walk to get a boat to Seattle to catch a train to Ottawa to play in Stanley Cup on January 13, 1905.
1910 – Rayon 1st commercially produced in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.
1918 – Robert Ripley began his “Believe It or Not” column (NY Globe)
1922 – Theresa Vaughn, 24, confesses in court in Sheffield, England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in three countries.
1942 – Robert Stroud “Birdman of Alcatraz” is transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
1950 – General Eisenhower named NATO commander.
1955 – Carl Perkins records “Blue Suede Shows”
1960 – Frank Sinatra’s 1st recording session with Reprise Records (Ring-A-Ding-Ding)
1971 – CBS airs “Homecoming A Christmas Story,” (introducing the Waltons)
1976 – Piper Cherokee crashes into Baltimore Memorial Stadium upper stands, 10 minutes after Colts lose 40-14 to Steelers. No one was seriously hurt.
1980 – Iran request $24 billion in US guarantees to free hostages.
1986 – OPEC reaches an accord that would cut production by 7 percent for the first six months of 1987 and would raise prices immediately toward at target world oil price of $18 per barrel.
1994 – Rolls-Royce announces its future cars will feature V12 engine which will be produced by BMW.
1998 – Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives forwards articles 1 and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate.
2010 – “Miracle at the New Meadowlands”, Philadelphia Eagles trail New York Giants by 21 points with eight minutes to play, before scoring 4 touchdowns in final 7 minutes, including dramatic walk-off punt return for a touchdown by DeSean Jackson.
2014 – The Guardian newspaper calls 2014 ‘The year the people stood up’