Wednesday, December 16th
The 350th day of 2009.
There are 15 days left in the year.
Go to a previous date.
Go to lesson
Today's Highlights in History
On Dec. 16, 1950, President Truman proclaimed a national state of emergency in order to fight "Communist imperialism." (Go to article.)
On Dec. 16, 1901, Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist who authored 44 books and over 1000 articles , was born. Following her death on Nov. 15, 1978, her obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On December 16, 1871, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the Academy of Music in New York City. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1653 Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.
1773 The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboard to protest tea taxes.
1809 Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate.
1899 Playwright Noel Coward was born in London.
1916 Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen.
1917 Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke was born in Minehead, England.
1944 The Battle of the Bulge during World War II began as German forces launched a surprise counterattack against Allied forces in Belgium.
1960 A United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City, killing 134 people.
1985 Reputed organized-crime chief Paul Castellano was shot to death outside a New York City restaurant.
1990 Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president of Haiti in the country's first democratic elections.
1991 The U.N. General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism.
1998 President Bill Clinton ordered a sustained series of airstrikes against Iraq by American and British forces in response to Saddam Hussein's continued defiance of UN weapons inspectors.
2000 President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to become the first African-American secretary of state.
2007 British forces formally handed over to Iraq responsibility for Basra, the last Iraqi region under their control.
Current Birthdays
Benjamin Bratt turns 45 years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello Actor Benjamin Bratt turns 45 years old today.
72 Morris Dees
Civil rights attorney
71 Joyce Bulifant
Actress
70 Liv Ullmann
Actress
67 Lesley Stahl
Broadcast journalist ("60 Minutes")
66 Don Carcieri
Governor of Rhode Island
65 Steven Bochco
TV producer ("NYPD Blue," "Hill Street Blues")
64 Jim Gibbons
Governor of Nevada
63 Tony Hicks
Rock musician (The Hollies)
62 Benny Andersson
Singer (ABBA)
61 Ben Cross
Actor
57 Bill Bateman
Rock musician (The Blasters)
49 Alison LaPlaca
Actress
47 Sam Robards
Actor
47 Jon Tenney
Actor ("The Closer")
45 Jeff Carson
Country singer, songwriter
37 Michael McCary
R&B singer (Boyz II Men)
26 Chris Scruggs
Country musician
21 Hallee Hirsh
Actress ("JAG")
20 Anna Popplewell
Actress ("The Chronicles of Narnia" films)
Historic Birthdays
Margaret Mead
12/16/1901 - 11/15/1978
American anthropologist
(Go to obit.)
50 Catherine of Aragon
12/16/1485 - 1/7/1536
English queen
41 Jane Austen
12/16/1775 - 7/18/1817
English novelist
58 Francois Boieldieu
12/16/1775 - 10/8/1834
French composer
61 Josephine Shaw Lowell
12/16/1843 - 10/12/1905
American social reformer
51 Hans Buchner
12/16/1850 - 4/5/1902
German bacteriologist
88 George Santayana
12/16/1863 - 9/26/1952
Spanish-American philosopher and poet
81 Sir John Berry Hobbs
12/16/1882 - 12/21/1963
English athlete
73 Sir Noel Coward
12/16/1899 - 3/26/1973
English actor and playwright
96 V.S. Pritchett
12/16/1900 - 3/20/1997
English author
61 James McCracken
12/16/1926 - 4/29/1988
American operatic tenor
56 Ludwig van Beethoven
12/16/1770 - 3/26/1827
German composer and pianist
Go to a previous date.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
Front Page Image Provided by UMI
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Children's Privacy Notice
