Today's Highlight in History: On December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces attacked American and British territories and possessions in the Pacific, including the home base of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, drawing the United States into World War II. More than 2,300 Americans were killed. [Again, this is a "highlight?" See an item later today concerning Just Another Blog™'s personal connection to the infamous attack. — Ed.]In 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the US Constitution. [Frist!! — Ed.]
In 1796, electors chose John Adams to be the second president of the United States. [Second!! — Ed.]
In 1836, Martin Van Buren was elected the eighth president of the United States.
In 1842, the New York Philharmonic gave its first concert.
In 1907, the first Christmas Seals to help the fight against tuberculosis were sold, in Wilmington, Delaware. (Some sources say December 9th.)
In 1917, the U.S. declared war on Austria-Hungary in World War I.
In 1946, fire broke out at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta; the blaze killed 119 people, including hotel founder W. Frank Winecoff.
In 1963, videotaped instant replay was used for the first time in a live sports telecast as CBS re-showed a touchdown run during the Army-Navy football game.
In 1972, America's last moon mission to date was launched as Apollo 17 blasted off from Cape Canaveral.
In 1975, Indonesia invaded East Timor, leading to a 25-year occupation.
In 1982, convicted murderer Charlie Brooks, Jr. became the first U.S. prisoner to be executed by injection, at the prison in Huntsville, Texas.
In 1983, in Madrid, Spain, an Aviaco DC-9 collided on a runway with an Iberia Air Lines Boeing 727 that was accelerating for takeoff, killing all 42 people aboard the DC-9 and 51 aboard the Iberia jet.
In 1985, retired Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart died at age 70.
In 1987, 43 people were killed after a gunman aboard a Pacific Southwest Airlines jetliner in California apparently opened fire on a fellow passenger, the two pilots and himself, causing the plane to crash. [The gunman was a disgruntled PSA employee, by the way. — Ed.]
In 1987, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev set foot on American soil for the first time, arriving for a Washington summit with President Reagan.
In 1988, an earthquake in the Soviet Union devastated northern Armenia; an estimated 25,000 people died.
In 1993, a gunman opened fire on a Long Island Rail Road commuter train, killing six people and wounding 17. Colin Ferguson was later sentenced to a minimum of 200 years in prison.
In 1995, a 746-pound probe from the Galileo spacecraft hurtled into Jupiter's atmosphere, sending back data to the mothership before it was destroyed.
Ten years ago: Republicans threatened Attorney General Janet Reno with contempt of Congress over her decision to forgo an independent counsel's investigation of White House campaign fund raising. Singer Bob Dylan, actor Charlton Heston, actress Lauren Bacall, opera singer Jessye Norman and ballet master Edward Villella shared the 20th annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, DC.
In 2001, Taliban forces abandoned their last bastion in Afghanistan, fleeing the southern city of Kandahar.
Five years ago: Iraq handed over its long-awaited arms declaration to the United Nations, denying it had weapons of mass destruction. President Saddam Hussein apologized to Kuwait for his 1990 invasion. Shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth, bringing an astronaut and pair of cosmonauts home from a 6-month space station voyage. Bombs tore through four movie theaters in Bangladesh, killing 19. Miss Turkey Azra Akin won the Miss World contest in London, bringing to a close an international pageant that had incited deadly rioting in Nigeria, the original site of the event.
In 2004, Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president.
One year ago: President Bush gave a chilly response to the Iraq Study Group's proposals for reshaping his policy, objecting to talks with Iran and Syria, refusing to endorse a major troop withdrawal and vowing no retreat from embattled U.S. goals in the Mideast. The U.S. military transferred the first group of Guantanamo Bay detainees to a new maximum-security prison on the naval base. Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, the first woman U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, died in Bethesda, Maryland, at age 80.
Birthdays of The Living:
Actor Eli Wallach is 92. Educator and linguist Noam Chomsky is 79. Actress Ellen Burstyn is 75. Senator Thad Cochran (Republican, Mississippi) is 70. Broadcast journalist Carole Simpson is 67. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench is 60. Singer-songwriter Tom Waits is 58. Senator Susan M. Collins (Republican, Maine) is 55. Actress Priscilla Barnes is 52. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Larry Bird is 51. Former "Tonight Show" announcer Edd Hall is 49. Rock musician Tim Butler (The Psychedelic Furs) is 49. Actor Jeffrey Wright is 42. Football player Terrell Owens is 34.
Birthdays of the Gravebound:
Giovanni Bernini, Baroque sculptor/architect (1598)
Richard Warren Sears, merchant (1863)
Willa Cather, novelist (1873)
Ted Knight, actor (1923)
Harry Chapin, songwriter, singer (1942)
Reginald Lewis, business leader (1942)
This Date in Showbiz History:
In 1962, bassist Bill Wyman auditioned for the Rolling Stones. He played his first gig with the band the following week. [The story is that he had the biggest cabinet of anyone who audtioned. Size does matter. — Ed.]
In 1964, singer Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had a nervous breakdown on a flight between Houston and Los Angeles. It eventually led to his decision to stop touring with the Beach Boys.
In 1967, The Beatles opened their Apple Boutique in London to the public. John Lennon and George Harrison had held a private opening party two days before. [Beatles & Stones items today! — Ed.]
Also in 1967, Otis Redding recorded "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay." ["Poor Otis dead and gone/Left me here to sing his song/Pretty little girl with the red dress on/Poor Otis dead and gone." — The Doors]
In 1968, singer Eric Burdon announced The Animals would break up later in the month.
In 1969, "Frosty the Snowman" first aired on CBS.
In 1990, singer Dee Clark was found dead in Smyrna, Georgia, of a heart attack. Clark was 52. He was known for the hit "Raindrops."
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