Saturday, December 26th
The 360th day of 2009.
There are 5 days left in the year.
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Today's Highlights in History
On Dec. 26, 1941, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress. (Go to article.)
On Dec. 26, 1893, Mao Tse-tung, the Chinese statesman who led the communist revolution in China and became its first communist leader, was born. Following his death on Sept. 9, 1976, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On December 26, 1868, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about Reverdy Johnson, the U.S. minister to Great Britain. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1776 The British suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War.
1799 George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
1865 James H. Nason of Franklin, Mass., received a patent for a coffee percolator.
1893 Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong was born in Hunan province.
1908 Jack Johhnson became the first black heavyweight boxing champion when he knocked out Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.
1917 The U.S. government took over operation of the nation's railroads.
1944 Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie" premiered at the Civic Theatre in Chicago.
1947 Heavy snow blanketed the Northeast, burying New York City under 25.8 inches of snow in 16 hours; the severe weather was blamed for some 80 deaths.
1972 Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, died in Kansas City, Mo., at age 88.
1974 Comedian Jack Benny died at age 80.
1996 Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colo. The slaying remains unsolved.
2004 Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts broke Dan Marino's single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 48th and 49th of the season in a victory over San Diego.
2004 A tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean left more than 216,000 people dead or missing, mostly in southern Asia.
2006 Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 93.
Current Birthdays
Chris Daughtry turns 30 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles Rock singer Chris Daughtry ("American Idol") turns 30 years old today.
79 Donald Moffat
Actor
74 Abdul "Duke" Fakir
R&B singer (The Four Tops)
76 Caroll Spinney
Actor (Big Bird on "Sesame Street")
69 Phil Spector
Record producer
64 John Walsh
TV host ("America's Most Wanted")
63 Bob Carpenter
Country musician (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
62 Carlton Fisk
Baseball Hall of Famer
55 Ozzie Smith
Baseball Hall of Famer
54 Evan Bayh
U.S. senator, D-Ind.
53 David Sedaris
Humorist
47 James Kottak
Rock musician (The Scorpions)
47 Brian Westrum
Country musician (Sons of the Desert)
46 Lars Ulrich
Rock musician (Metallica)
44 Nadia Dajani
Actress
42 J
Rock musician
42 Audrey Wiggins
Country singer
40 Peter Klett
Rock musician (Candlebox)
39 James Mercer
Rock singer (The Shins)
29 Ryan Shaw
R&B singer
14 Zach Mills
Actor ("Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium")
Historic Birthdays
Mao Tse-tung
12/26/1893 - 9/9/1976
Chinese statesman and leader of his nation's communist revolution
(Go to obit.)
64 Leopold Mannes
12/26/1899 - 8/11/1964
American co-developer of Kodachrome film
88 Henry Miller
12/26/1891 - 6/7/1980
American novelist
93 Sir Norman Angell
12/26/1872 - 10/7/1967
English economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner
79 George Dewey
12/26/1837 - 1/16/1917
American naval commander
69 Dion Boucicault
12/26/1820 - 9/18/1890
Irish-born American playwright and actor
79 Charles Babbage
12/26/1791 - 10/18/1871
English mathematician and inventor
54 Thomas Gray
12/26/1716 - 7/30/1771
English poet
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SOURCE: The Associated Press
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