Wednesday, December 23rd
The 357th day of 2009.
There are 8 days left in the year.
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Today's Highlights in History
On Dec. 23, 1986, the experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California. (Go to article.)
On Dec. 23, 1867, Sarah Breedlove Walker, the American businesswoman and philanthropist considered to be the first black female millionaire , was born. Following her death on May 25, 1919, her obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On December 23, 1871, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1783 George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the Army and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Va.
1788 Maryland passed an act to cede an area "not exceeding ten miles square" for the seat of the national government; about two-thirds of the area became the District of Columbia.
1823 The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore was first published, in the Troy (N.Y.) Sentinel.
1941 American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese during World War II.
1948 Former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese war leaders were executed in Tokyo.
1968 Eighty-two crew members of the U.S. intelligence ship Pueblo were released by North Korea, 11 months after they had been captured.
1972 The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 in an NFL playoff game on a last-second touchdown catch by Franco Harris that was dubbed the "immaculate reception."
1995 A fire in Dabwali, India, killed 540 people, including 170 children, during a year-end party being held near the children's school.
1997 A jury in Denver convicted Terry Nichols of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
2003 The government announced the first suspected case of mad cow disease in United States.
2003 A jury in Chesapeake, Va., sentenced teen sniper Lee Boyd Malvo to life in prison, sparing him the death penalty.
2003 New York Gov. George Pataki pardoned the late comedian Lenny Bruce for his 1964 obscenity conviction.
2004 Former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland pleaded guilty to a corruption charge. (He was later sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.)
Current Birthdays
Eddie Vedder turns 45 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles Rock singer Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) turns 45 years old today.
88 Gerald S. O'Loughlin
Actor
85 Bob Kurland
Basketball Hall of Famer
78 Ronnie Schell
Actor
76 Akihito
Emperor of Japan
74 Paul Hornung
Football Hall of Famer
73 Frederic Forrest
Actor
73 James Stacy
Actor
69 Jorma Kaukonen
Rock musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
68 Ron Bushy
Rock musician (Iron Butterfly)
66 Harry Shearer
Actor, comedian ("The Simpsons")
63 Susan Lucci
Actress ("All My Children")
61 Jack Ham
Football Hall of Famer
60 Adrian Belew
Rock musician, producer
51 Dave Murray
Rock musician (Iron Maiden)
51 Joan Severance
Actress
38 Corey Haim
Actor
34 Jamie Murphy
Rock musician
32 Alge Crumpler
Football player
32 Irvin Mayfield
Jazz trumpeter
31 Estella Warren
Actress
26 Hanley Ramirez
Baseball player
19 Anna Maria Perez de Tagle
Actress ("Hannah Montana," "Camp Rock")
Historic Birthdays
Sarah Breedlove Walker
12/23/1867 - 5/25/1919
American philanthropist
(Go to obit.)
41 Robert Barclay
12/23/1648 - 10/3/1690
English-born American Quaker leader
71 James Gibbs
12/23/1682 - 8/5/1754
Scottish architect
41 Jean-Francois Champollion
12/23/1790 - 3/4/1832
French historian and linguist
38 Joseph Smith
12/23/1805 - 6/27/1844
American founder of the Mormon Church
75 Oscar Solomon Straus
12/23/1850 - 5/3/1926
American member of President Wilson's cabinet
68 James Buchanan Duke
12/23/1856 - 10/10/1925
American tobacco magnate
84 Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko
12/23/1858 - 4/25/1943
Russian playwright
76 Emil Brunner
12/23/1889 - 4/6/1966
Swiss theologian
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SOURCE: The Associated Press
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