
1781 – Bank of North America, the first bank chartered in the United States, opens.
1904 – First New Year’s Eve celebration held in Times Square in New York City.
1910 – American tobacco industry produced 9 billion cigarettes.
1930 – American tobacco industry produced 123 billion cigarettes.
1935 – Charles Darrow patents the board game Monopoly and becomes the first millionaire game designer.
1945 – Ratification of the United Nations Charter completed.
1946 – President Harry Truman officially proclaims the end of World War II.
1951 – First battery to convert radioactive energy to electricity announced.
1955 – General Motors Corporation becomes the first corporation to make over $1 billion in a year.
1961 – Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion.
1963 – Dear Abby show premieres on CBS radio and runs 11 years.
1966 – The Monkees’ single “I’m a Believer,” written by Neil Diamond, hits #1 and stays for seven weeks.
1974 – New York Yankees sign Cy Young Award winner Jim “Catfish” Hunter for five years for a record $3.75 million from the Oakland Athletics.
1977 – Convicted serial killer Ted Bundy escapes from jail in Aspen, Colorado.
1981 – CNN Headline News cable TV channel debuts.
1988 – A heavy, dense fog rolls over Soldier Field in Chicago during the second quarter of the Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles NFC Divisional Playoff Game, cutting visibility to 15 to 20 yards in a game known as “The Fog Bowl,” which was won by the Bears 20-12.
1997 – Intel cuts price of Pentium II-223 MHz from $401 to $268.
2005 – Jamie Dimon named as CEO of JPMorgan Chase.
2015 – 82nd Orange Bowl: #1 Clemson beats #4 Oklahoma 37-17.
2020 – World Health Organization grants the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine emergency authorization, paving the way for worldwide distribution.