December 31 ...

In 1687 the first Huguenots set sail from France for the Cape of Good Hope, where they would later create the South African wine industry with the vines they took with them on the voyage. In 1695 a 'window tax' was imposed in Britain, which unexpectedly resulted in many windows being bricked up. After many permutations, the tax was finally repealed July 24, 1851, just 155-plus years later. In 1775 the British repulsed an attack by Continental Army generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold at Quebec; Montgomery was killed in the battle. In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed an act admitting West Virginia to the Union. In 1879 Thomas Edison gave his first public demonstration of incandescent lighting to an audience in Menlo Park, NJ. In 1891 New York's new Immigration Depot was opened at Ellis Island. In 1929 Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played Auld Lang Syne as a New Year's Eve song for the first time. In 1946 President Harry Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II. In 1955 General Motors became the first US corporation to earn more than one billion dollars in a single year. In 1960 the farthing coin, which had been in use in Great Britain since the 13th century, ceased to be legal tender. In 1961 the Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid. In 1979 at year end oil prices were 88% higher than at the start of 1979. In 1999 Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was designated acting president.

90 years ago on this date in 1922 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed.

December 30 ...

In 1853 the US bought about 45,000 square miles of land from Mexico in a deal known as the Gadsden Purchase. In 1865 author and poet Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India. In 1879 Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance was first performed, at Paignton, Devon, England. In 1922 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed. In 1924 Edwin Hubble announced his discovery of the existence of other galactic systems. In 1936 the United Auto Workers union staged its first sit-down strike, at the Fisher Body Plant in Flint, MI. In 1944 King George II of Greece proclaimed a regency to rule his country, virtually renouncing the throne. In 1947 King Michael of Romania abdicated in favor of a Communist Republic, claiming he was forced from his throne. In 1953 the first color TV sets went on sale for about $1,175. In 1972 the US halted its heavy bombing of North Vietnam. In 1978 Ohio State University fired head football coach Woody Hayes, one day after Hayes punched Clemson University player Charlie Bauman during the Gator Bowl after Bauman had intercepted an Ohio State pass. In 1980 The Wonderful World of Disney was cancelled by NBC after more than 25 years on the TV; it was the longest-running series in prime-time television history. In 1993 Israel and the Vatican established diplomatic relations. In 1997 more than 400 people were massacred in four villages in the single worst incident during Algeria's insurgency.

175 years ago on this date in 1837, Canadian militiamen destroyed the Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo, NY.

Also on this date, 40 years ago in 1972, following 36 years of publication, the last weekly issue of LIFE magazine hit the newsstands; the magazine later became a monthly publication.

December 29 ...

In 1170 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, was murdered in his own cathedral by four knights acting on Henry II's orders. In 1813 the British burned Buffalo, NY, during the War of 1812. In 1837 Canadian militiamen destroyed the Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo, NY. In 1845 President James Polk and signed legislation making Texas the 28th state of the United States. In 1848 President James Polk turned on the first gas light at the White House. In 1890 the US Seventh Cavalry killed over 400 men, women, and children at Wounded Knee Creek, SD, in the last major conflict between American Indians and US troops. In 1934 Japan renounced the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930. In 1936 Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, IL. In 1940 Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London. In 1952 the first transistorized hearing aid was offered for sale by Sonotone Corporation. In 1972 following 36 years of publication, the last weekly issue of LIFE magazine hit the newsstands; the magazine later became a monthly publication. In 1996 the Guatemalan government and leaders of the leftist Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union signed a peace accord in Guatemala City, ending a civil war that had lasted 36 years. In 1998 Khmer Rouge leaders 'apologized' for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed 1 million lives.

December 28 ...

In 1732 The Pennsylvania Gazette, owned by Benjamin Franklin, ran an ad for the first issue of Poor Richard's Almanack. In 1832 John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down over differences with President Jackson. In 1836 Mexico's independence was recognized by Spain. In 1846 Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted to the Union. In 1897 Cyrano de Bergerac a play by Edmond Rostand, premiered in Paris, France. In 1908 an earthquake killed over 75,000 at Messina in Sicily. In 1912 the first municipally-owned street cars were used on the streets of San Francisco, CA. In 1917 the New York Evening Mail published a facetious essay by H.L. Mencken on the history of bathtubs in America. In 1973 Alexander Solzhenitsyn published Gulag Archipelago, an expose of the Soviet prison system. In 1981 the first American test-tube baby was born in Norfolk, VA.

December 27 ...

In 1831 Charles Darwin set out on a five-year, round-the-world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, during which time he recorded his biological, geological, and anthropological observations in South America, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia. Darwin's discoveries during the voyage helped him form the basis of his theories on evolution. In 1845 Dr. Crawford Williamson Long used anesthesia for childbirth for the first time, during the delivery of his own child in Jefferson, GA. In 1900 Carrie Nation staged her first raid on a saloon at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, KS, breaking each and every one of the liquor bottles that could be seen. In 1904 James Barrie's play Peter Pan premiered in London. In 1927 Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party. In 1945 the World Bank was created with an agreement signed by 28 nations. In 1947 the children's television program Howdy Doody, hosted by Bob Smith, made its debut on NBC. In 1949 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands granted sovereignty to Indonesia after more than 300 years of Dutch rule. In 1968 The Breakfast Club signed off for the last time on ABC radio after 35 years on the air. In 1978 Spain adopted a new constitution and became a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship. In 1985 Palestinian terorists opened fire inside the Rome and Vienna airports. A total of twenty people were killed, including five of the attackers, who were slain by police and security personnel. Also on this day, American naturalist Dian Fossey was found murdered at a research station in Rawanda. In 1996 Muslim fundamentalist Taliban forces retook the strategic air base of Bagram, solidifying their buffer zone around Kabul, the Afghanistan capital. In 2001 President George W. Bush granted China permanent normal trade status with the US. In 2002 North Korea ordered UN nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said that it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons; also on this day, at least 40 people were killed when suicide bombers attacked Grozny, Chechnya.

December 26 ...

In 1776 the British suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War when Gen. George Washington's troops famously crossed the Delaware River and marched almost 10 miles to Trenton, NJ, surprising Hessian troops under British command. In 1908 Jack Johnson knocked out Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia, to become the first black boxer to win the world heavyweight title. In 1917 during World War I, the US government took over operation of the nation's railroads. In 1941 Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the US Congress. In 1944 Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie was first performed publicly, at the Civic Theatre in Chicago, IL. In 1954 The Shadow aired on radio for the last time. In 1956 Fidel Castro attempted a secret landing in Cuba to overthrow the Batista regime; all but 11 of his supporters were killed. In 1974 Comedian Jack Benny died at age 80. In 1982 Time magazine's Man of the Year was a computer, the first time a non-human received the honor. In 1991 the Soviet Union's parliament formally voted the country out of existence. In 1995 Israel turned dozens of West Bank villages over to the Palestinian Authority. In 1998 Iraq announced that it would fire on US and British warplanes that patrol the skies over northern and southern Iraq. In 1999 Alfonso Portillo, a populist lawyer, won Guatemala's first peacetime presidential elections in 40 years. In 2004 a massive tsunami, caused by magnitude-9 earthquake off Sumatra, crashed into Indian Ocean coastlines from Malaysia to East Africa, killing more than 200,000 in a dozen countries.

December 25 ...

In 800 AD Charlemagne was crowned first Holy Roman Emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III. In 1066 William the Conqueror was crowned king of England. In 1646 Sir Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, England. In 1776 Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, NJ. In 1818 Silent Night was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria. In 1868 President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War. In 1883 painter Maurice Utrillo was born in Paris, France. In 1894 the University of Chicago became the first Midwestern football team to play on the west coast. The Maroons defeated Stanford, 24-4, in Palo Alto, CA. In 1899 Humphrey Bogart was born in New York City. In 1914 during World War I, British and German troops observed an unofficial truce, even playing soccer together on the Western Front. In 1918 Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was born in Mit Abu Al-Kum, Al-Minufiyah, Egypt. In 1926 Hirohito became the emperor of Japan after the death of his father, Emperor Taisho. In 1937 Arturo Toscanini conducted the first broadcast of Symphony of the Air over NBC radio. In 1939 Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was read on CBS radio for the first time. In 1941 Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese. In 1946 W.C. Fields died at the age of 66; also on this day, musician Jimmy Buffett was born in Pascagoula, MS. In 1962 the Department of Commerce Census Clock in Washington, DC, recorded the US population on this day as 188,000,000. In 1989 ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were executed by firing squad following a popular uprising; also on this day, dissident playwright Vaclav Havel was elected president of Czechoslovakia. In 1990 computer scientists Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau created the world's first hyperlinked webpage. In 1991 Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.

December 25 ...

In 800 AD Charlemagne was crowned first Holy Roman Emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III. In 1066 William the Conqueror was crowned king of England. In 1646 Sir Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, England. In 1776 Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, NJ. In 1818 Silent Night was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria. In 1868 President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War. In 1883 painter Maurice Utrillo was born in Paris, France. In 1894 the University of Chicago became the first Midwestern football team to play on the West Coast. The Maroons defeated Stanford, 24-4, in Palo Alto, CA. In 1899 Humphrey Bogart was born in New York City. In 1914 during World War I, British and German troops observed an unofficial truce, even playing soccer together on the Western Front. In 1918 Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was born in Mit Abu Al-Kum, Al-Minufiyah, Egypt. In 1926 Hirohito became the emperor of Japan after the death of his father, Emperor Taisho. In 1937 Arturo Toscanini conducted the first broadcast of Symphony of the Air over NBC radio. In 1939 Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was read on CBS radio for the first time. In 1941 Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese. In 1946 W.C. Fields died at the age of 66; also on this day, musician Jimmy Buffett was born in Pascagoula, MS. In 1962 the Department of Commerce Census Clock in Washington, DC, recorded the US population on this day as 188,000,000. In 1989 ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were executed by firing squad following a popular uprising; also on this day, dissident playwright Vaclav Havel was elected president of Czechoslovakia. In 1990 computer scientists Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau created the world's first hyperlinked webpage. In 1991 Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.

December 24 ...

In 1814 the War of 1812 between the US and Britain was ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium. In 1818 Franz Gruber of Oberndorf, Germany, composed the music for Silent Night to words written by Josef Mohr. In 1851 a fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, destroying about 35,000 volumes. In 1865 several veterans of the Confederate Army formed a private social club in Pulaski, TN, called the Ku Klux Klan. In 1906 Reginald A. Fessenden became the first person to broadcast a music program over radio, from Brant Rock, MA. In 1914 in World War I, the first air raid on Britain was made when a German airplane dropped a bomb on the grounds of a rectory in Dover. In 1943 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces as part of Operation Overlord. In 1944 a German submarine torpedoed the Belgian transport ship SS Leopoldville with 2,235 soldiers aboard. About 800 American soldiers died. The soldiers were crossing the English Channel to be reinforcements at the Battle of the Bulge. In 1948 the first completely solar-heated house became occupied in Dover, MA. In 1951 Libya achieved independence as the United Kingdom of Libya, under King Idris. In 1968 the crew of the US Navy ship Pueblo was released by North Korea; the Captain of the Pueblo, Commander Lloyd M. Bucher, and 82 of his crew were held for 11 months after the ship was seized by North Korea because of suspected spying by the Americans. Also on this day, American astronauts James A. Lovell, William Anders, and Frank Borman reached the moon, orbiting it 10 times before coming back to Earth; seven months later man first landed on the moon. In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. In 1992 President George H. W. Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five others in the Iran-Contra scandal. In 1997 Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as "Carlos the Jackal," was sentenced by a French court to life in prison for the 1975 murders of two French investigators and a Lebanese national. In 2004 the international Cassini spacecraft launched a probe on a three-week free-fall toward Saturn's mysterious moon Titan.

65 years ago on this date in 1947, John Bardeen, Walter H. Brattain, and William Shockley invented the transistor.