December 18th marks significant events from the first NFL playoff game (1932) and the launch of the first comms satellite (Project SCORE, 1958) to the end of capital punishment in the UK (1969) and the start of impeachment debates for President Clinton (1998), alongside moments like Japan invading Hong Kong (1941) and the US bombing North Vietnam (1972), showcasing a mix of sports, space, war, and political history.
Sports & Technology
- 1932: Chicago Bears win the first NFL playoff game against the Portsmouth Spartans, held indoors due to snow.
- 1958: Project SCORE, the world’s first communications satellite, is launched by the U.S..
- 1983: Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point in just the 34th game of the season.
World Events & Politics
- 1941: Japan invades Hong Kong, beginning a brutal occupation.
- 1944: The U.S. Supreme Court upholds Executive Order 9066 in Korematsu v. United States, paving the way for Japanese American incarceration.
- 1969: The UK abolishes the death penalty for murder.
- 1972: The U.S. begins massive Christmas bombings of North Vietnam (Operation Linebacker II).
- 1998: The U.S. House of Representatives begins impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton.
Other Notable Events
- 1956: Japan becomes a member of the United Nations.
- 1970: Divorce becomes legal in Italy.
- 2012: Journalists from NBC News, including Richard Engel, are freed in Syria.
