Key Historical Events
- 1783: George Washington resigns as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.
- 1912: An assassination attempt is made on the Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge.
- 1913: The Federal Reserve Act is signed, establishing the U.S. Federal Reserve System.
- 1914: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Egypt during WWI.
- 1941: American forces on Wake Island surrender to Japan; British forces capture Benghazi in Libya.
- 1944: In the Battle of the Bulge, U.S. forces withdraw from St. Vith.
- 1947: The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
- 1972: Franco Harris scores the “Immaculate Reception” in an NFL playoff game.
- 1990: Slovenia votes for independence from Yugoslavia.
- 1997: The fictional holiday of Festivus is introduced in the Seinfeld episode “The Strike”.
Notable Births & Deaths
- 1867: Entrepreneur and philanthropist Madam C.J. Walker is born.
- 1911: Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the AK-47, is born (died 2013).
- 1925: Popular comedian Victor Borge dies.
Other Events
- 1939: A Finnish counter-offensive occurs at Summa during the Winter War.
- 1948: Seven Japanese war criminals are executed in Tokyo.
- 1975: The Metric Conversion Act is signed in the U.S..
