On December 9th, 1854, Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," was published in England.
In 1892, "Widowers' Houses," Bernard Shaw's first play, opened at the Royalty Theater in London.
In 1907, Christmas seals went on sale for the first time, at the Wilmington, Del., post office. The proceeds went to fight tuberculosis. [Or on 7 December 1907. — Ed.]
In 1940, British troops opened their first major offensive in North Africa during World War II.
In 1941, China declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy. [Hadn't the Japanese been fucking w/ them since 1937? No wonder Mao Zedong kicked their Nationalist asses. — Ed.]
In 1942, the Aram Khachaturian ballet "Gayane," featuring the surging "Saber Dance," was first performed by the Kirov Ballet.
In 1958, the anti-Communist John Birch Society was formed in Indianapolis.
In 1965, Nikolai V. Podgorny replaced Anastas I. Mikoyan as president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.
In 1982, special Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski died at his Wimberly, Texas, ranch at age 77.
In 1987, the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, began as riots broke out in Gaza and spread to the West Bank, triggering a strong Israeli counter-response. [Yesterday or today? — Ed.]
In 1990, Solidarity founder Lech Walesa won Poland's presidential runoff by a landslide.
In 1992, Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation. (The couple's divorce became final August 28th, 1996.)
In 1993, the U. S. Air Force destroyed the first of 500 Minuteman II missile silos marked for elimination under an arms control treaty.U.S. astronauts completed repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton fired Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders after she told a conference that masturbation should be discussed in school as a part of human sexuality.
In 1995, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., was chosen to head the NAACP.
In 1996, archaeologist and anthropologist Mary Leakey died in Kenya at age 83.
Ten years ago: Confronting her critics, Attorney General Janet Reno traded testy remarks with House Republicans on the committee investigating campaign fund-raising as she defended her decision not to seek an independent counsel for fund-raising calls made by President Clinton and Vice President Gore.
In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt in the Florida presidential vote count.
Five years ago: President Bush tapped railroad executive John W. Snow to be his new Treasury Secretary, three days after firing Paul O'Neill. Senate Republican leader Trent Lott apologized for remarks he'd made praising the 1948 presidential run of then-segregationist Strom Thurmond, saying, "A poor choice of words conveyed to some the impression that I embraced the discarded policies of the past." United Airlines filed the biggest bankruptcy in aviation history after losing $4 billion in the previous two years.
In 2003, former Sen. Paul Simon died in Springfield, Ill., at age 75.
In 2004, Canada's Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage was constitutional.
One year ago: Discovery lighted up the sky in the first nighttime space shuttle launch in four years. A fire broke out at a Moscow drug treatment hospital, killing 45 women trapped by barred windows and a locked gate. Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy. Singer Georgia Gibbs, who'd reached the top of the charts in the 1950s, died in New York City at age 87.
Today's Birthdays:
Actor Kirk Douglas is 91. Actress Dina Merrill is 82. Actor Dick Van Patten is 79. Actor-writer Buck Henry is 77. Actress Dame Judi Dench is 73. Football Hall of Famer Deacon Jones is 69. Actor Beau Bridges is 66. Jazz singer-musician Dan Hicks is 66. Football Hall-of-Famer Dick Butkus is 65. Actor Michael Nouri is 62. Former Senator Thomas Daschle (D - South Dakota) is 60. Singer Joan Armatrading is 57. Actor Michael Dorn is 55. Actor John Malkovich is 54. Country singer Sylvia is 51. Singer/game show host Donny Osmond is 50. Comedian Mario Cantone is 48. Actor Joe Lando is 46. Actress Felicity Huffman is 45. Crown Princess Masako is 44. Rock musician Brian Bell (Weezer) is 39. Rock singer-musician Jakob Dylan (Wallflowers) is 38. Rock musician Tre Cool (Green Day) is 35. Rapper Canibus is 33. Rock singer Imogen Heap is 30.
And the Dead: John Milton, poet (1608); Joel Chandler Harris, humorist (1848); Jean de Brunhoff, author and illustrator of "Babar," the royalist elephant. (1899); Margaret Hamilton, actress (1902) [Possibly the great aunt of our college sex partner. We never asked for greater detail. — Ed.];
Grace Hopper, Rear Admiral, computer scientist (1906); Thomas P O'Neill, political leader (1912); John Cassavetes, actor and director (1929); Junior Wells, musician (1934).Show Biz Lice History:
In 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiered.
In 1967, police in New Haven, Connecticut, arrested Doors singer Jim Morrison for breach of peace and resisting arrest. Morrison had been sprayed with mace at a concert and police hauled him off stage. [Two Jimbo items in a row. — Ed.]
In 1972, an all-star orchestral stage version of The Who's "Tommy" was performed in London. Members of the cast included Richie Havens, Peter Sellers and Steve Winwood.
In 1978, actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd recorded a version of "Soul Man" and released it under the name The Blues Brothers.
In 1981, singer Sonny Til of The Orioles died of a heart attack in Washington. He was 56.
In 1995, The Beatles "Anthology One," with their first new song in 25 years, hit the top of the "Billboard" album chart. [Another day, another Beatle item. — Ed.]
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