Visiting New York City During the Holiday Season

Recently, I got an opportunity to visit NYC and see it all decked out for the holiday season. My son and I had a bit of a tradition of visiting the city at least once or twice each year, and that included a few visits in and around the holiday season. But that was a few years ago. Until a few days ago, it had been years since the last time that I visited New York City around the time of the holidays.

In truth, it was nice to see it. Granted, my enthusiasm for trips to New York City has diminished over the years. Where once I used to pay leisurely visits almost on a weekly basis, now those trips are relatively few and far between.

Still, it was nice to see the city again during the festive holiday season. 

Below are some pictures that I took. 

Enjoy.

NFL 2025 Week 15 Thursday Night Football Review: Bucs Fall to Falcons In Yet Another Tight NFC South Battle

  

Thursday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons 29, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28

First of all, let me just say that the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Bucs on Thursday Night Football was aesthetically pleasing. It felt a little like a throwback to an earlier era in the NFL. Both teams wore throwback uniforms from decades ago, and the game was also played on natural grass. I personally always preferred natural grass to any form of artificial turf. It just looks better, more natural. As for the uniforms, it would really be nice if both teams scrapped their current logos and uniforms and returned to these logos and uniforms.

But I digress....

As for the game....well, I mentioned in the preview that it feels like there are more questions than answers with this Tampa Bay team. And after seeing them once again seemingly have an opponent on the ropes, only to once again allow them to get off the hook and steal a win hardly felt like a solid, definitive statement kind of game. Which is what they probably needed at this point.

At the very least, they needed a win. But they did not get one.

Again, they had a weaker opponent on the ropes. In fact, they scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to go up - seemingly comfortably - 28-14. At home and against a seemingly weaker opponent, in a must win situation.

Yet, they could not hold on. The Falcons had just committed a costly turnover, and Tampa Bay made the most of the opportunity with a touchdown. But then the Falcons offense, led by quarterback Kirk Cousins, marched down the field in an impressive drive that culminated in a touchdown. For some inexplicable reason (at least to me), Atlanta went for two, and failed. But it was still 28-20.

Then the Bucs returned the earlier favor and committed a turnover. The Falcons made the most of that opportunity with another impressive drive. Once again, it culminated in another touchdown. This time, Atlanta of course had to go for the two-point conversion. But it failed, as the Bucs defense held.

By that point, the Bucs clearly had lost the momentum and were desperately trying to cling to their lead. But at least their defense had held the Falcons off during in both of those two-point conversions. Still, the Tampa offense could seemingly do nothing, and soon had to punt to the Falcons.

There were a lot of problems that the Falcons faced on that drive. That included a third and 28 and a long fourth down (I believe that it was 14 yards). Tampa Bay should have buried them.

But they didn't. The Falcons kept successfully converting these seemingly last gasp chances.

Ultimately, it came down to a 42-yard field goal attempt by Atlanta placekicker Zane Gonzalez. It veered a bit to the left, and was hardly a comfortable kick, narrowly missing the goalpost. Yet it snuck through, allowing Atlanta to steal a win and, like the Saints one week before them, to play the role of spoiler for the Buccaneers.

It was hardly a perfect game for the Falcons. While they outgained Tampa Bay with 476 total yards to just 338 for the Bucs, they nonetheless committed that costly turnover and also had a whopping 19 penalties for 125 yards. Far from perfection.

Yet good enough to beat the Bucs, handing them a second straight divisional loss at home. Now, the glaring question is whether or not Tampa Bay will be good enough to rebound from their current rut enough to win the division and/or qualify for the postseason.

That seemed like a no-brainer just weeks ago. Now, the Bucs have put themselves in a position where they probably have to win both meetings against Carolina, who has a chance to move into sole possession of first place with a win over the Saints in New Orleans this Sunday.

My pick: Inaccurate

December 12th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 627, the Battle at Nineveh was fought. Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeated Perzen. In 1098 on this day during the First Crusade, those fighting for Christians captured & plundered the city of Ma'araa, in modern day Syria. On this day in 1792 in Vienna, Ludwig Von Beethoven (22) received his first lesson in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn. Washington DC was officially established as the capital city of the United States on this day in 1800. On this day in 1806, Cherokee leader and Confederate General Stand Watie was born. On this day in 1822, Mexico was officially recognized as an independent nation by the United States. On this day in 1913, the Mona Lisa, possibly the most famous painting in the world today, was recovered in Florence, Italy. Gambia & Senegal signed agreement on this day in 1981 to be collectively known as Senegambia in Feb 1982. This confederation, however, did not last very long. In 1986 on this day, South African journalist Zwelakhe Sisulu was arrested. The Maastricht Treaty was signed on this day in 1991 to officially establish the European Union (EU). On this day in 2000, the United States Supreme Court released its controversial decision in Bush v. Gore case, which feels like the de facto beginning of the modern-day Red States versus Blue State tensions within the United States.

         

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• On this day in 627, the Battle at Nineveh was fought. Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeated Perzen. 

• In 1098 on this day during the First Crusade, those fighting for Christians captured & plundered the city of Ma'araa, in modern day Syria. 

• 1408 - Order of the Dragon: The Order of the Dragon was first created on December 12, 1408 by Emperor Sigismund, then King of Hungary, and his wife Queen Barbara of Celje following the battle for possession of Bosnia.

• 1474 - Isabella crowns herself queen of Castile & Aragon

• 1479 - Jews are expelled from Schlettstadt Alsace by Emperor Frederick III

• 1524 - Pope Clement VII approves Organization of Jewish Community of Rome

• 1527 - Composer Adrian Willaert moves from Milan to Venice

• 1653 - Barebone-parliament ends

• 1677 - Brandenburgs army occupies Stettin

• 1700 - Utrecht/Overijssel/Buren/Leerdam/Ijsselstein adopt Gregorian calendar

• 1715 - Russian/Prussian troops occupy Stralsund [NS=12/23]

• 1769 - Pope Clement XIV proclaims a universal jubilee

• Pennsylvania officially became the second state to ratify the Constitution on this day in 1787, thus becoming the second state of the United States.

• 1791 - Bank of US opens

Bust of iconic German composer and musician Ludwig van Beethoven

• On this day in 1792 in Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received his first lesson in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.  

• Washington DC was officially established as the capital city of the United States on this day in 1800. 

• On this day in1806, Cherokee leader and Confederate General Stand Watie was born. 

• 1812 - French invasion of Russia comes to an end.

 

The flag of Mexico (above) and a Bienvenidos a México!/ Welcome to Mexico display (below). Both of these pictures were taken by me at the border town of Nogales, Mexico.

• On this day in 1822, Mexico was officially recognized as an independent nation by the United States.

1858 - 1st Canadian coins circulated (1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent & 20 cent)
1862 - Battle of Dumfries, VA
1862 - Naval Engagement at Yazoo River, MS (USS CAIRO torpedoed)
1870 - Joseph Rainey (SC) became 1st black sworn into House of Reps
1871 - Jules Janssen discovers dark lines in solar corona spectrum

• 1878 - Joseph Pulitzer begins publishing "St Louis Dispatch"

• 1897 - Anti-Jewish violence breaks out in Bucharest Romania
1897 - Rudolph Dirks' 1st Katzenjammer cartoon strip in NY Journal
1897 - Belo Horizonte, the first planned city of Brazil, is founded.
1898 - 1st 1st-class game between NSW & Tasmania

• 1899 - 1st case of plague on Oahu, Hawaii

1899 - George F Bryant of Boston patents the wooden golf tee
1900 - National Negro Anthem, "Lift Every Voice & Sing," composed
Inventor and Nobel Laureate Guglielmo MarconiInventor and Nobel Laureate Guglielmo Marconi 

• 1901 - Marconi receives 1st transatlantic radio signal, England to US

• 1903 - Roger Casement completes report about abuses in Belgian Congo

1904 - CMS McClellans "Leah Kleschna," premieres in NYC
1906 - Oscar Straus, 1st Jewish government member, appointed Sec of Commerce

 

The flag of India

• 1911 - Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.

1912 - R Friml/O Harbachs musical "Firefly," premieres in NYC
1913 - Hebrew language officially used to teach in Palestinian schools

The Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

• On this day in 1913, the Mona Lisa, possibly the most famous painting in the world today, was recovered in Florence, Italy. 

• 1914 - The largest one-day percentage drop in the history of Dow Jones Industrial Average, down 24.39%.

• 1915 - 1st all-metal aircraft (Junkers J-1) test flown at Dessau Germany

• 1915 - Aristide Briand forms French war government

1915 - Russian troops overrun Hamadan, Persia

• 1917 - French troop train derails in French Alps killing 543

1917 - Rev Edward Flanagan forms Boys Town outside Omaha, Neb
1920 - Maurice Ravels ballet "La Valse," premieres in Paris
1925 - Arthur Heinman coins term "motel," opens Motel Inn, San Luis Obispo
1925 - Cossack officer/ex-premier Reza Chan becomes shah of Persia

• 1925 - Last Qajar Shah of Iran deposed; Rezā Shāh Pahlavi takes over

1926 - Leningrad: premier of Dmitri Sjostakovitsj' 1st Pianoconcert
1928 - Nichols/Brownes "Wings over Europe," premieres in NYC
1930 - Baseball Rules Committee greatly revises the rule book
1930 - Baseball changes rule, ball bounces into stands not a HR, now a double
1930 - Start of the 1st Australia v West Indies Test (at Adelaide)
1931 - Japanese government of Imukai forms
1932 - S N Behrmans "Biography," premieres in NYC

• 1932 - USSR & China resume diplomatic relations

• 1936 - Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek declares war on Japan

• 1937 - Japanese aircraft shell & sink US gunboat Panay on Yangtze River in China. (Japan apologized & eventually paid US $2.2M in reparations)

• 1939 - Russ Indigirka capsizes in blizzard off Japanese coast; 750 die

• 1940 - British troops conquer Sidi el-Barrani

• 1941 - European reservists on Java mobilized

• 1941 - German occupying army do a house search in Paris looking for Jews
1941 - Russian 20th army recaptures Soljetsjnogorsk

• 1942 - German offensive in Southwestern Stalingrad

1942 - A fire in a hostel in St. John's, Newfoundland kills 100 people.

1945 - Special Court of justice convicts NSB-leader Mussert to death

1946 - Ice plant collapses, shearing a tenement building & burying 38

1946 - Tide detergent introduced 

Flag of the United Nations

• On this day in 1946, the United Nations committee voted to accept a six-block tract of Manhattan real estate to be the site of the UN's headquarters. The land had been offered as a gift by John D. Rockefeller Jr.  

1947 - United Mine Workers union withdrew from AFL
1948 - Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali Massacre - 14 members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaysia allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.
1949 - AL votes 7-1 rejecting legalizing the spitball
1950 - 16th Heisman Trophy Award: Vic Janowicz, Ohio State (HB)
1950 - Baseball owners vote to drop 4-year old bonus & high school rule
1951 - Joe DiMaggio announces his retirement
1952 - Dallas Texans (former Boston Yanks) play last game, last original team
1953 - Chuck Yeager reaches Mach 2.43 in Bell X-1A rocket plane
1955 - 1st prototype of hovercraft patented by Brit eng Christoper Cockerell
1956 - Commencement of the Irish Republican Army's Border Campaign.
1957 - Maj Adrian Drew flies 1,943 kph in F-101 Voodoo
1957 - US announces manufacture of Borazon (harder than diamond)
1958 - Dutch social democratic party-ministers/premier Drees dismissed
1958 - Fergie Gupte takes 9-102 with leggies v W Indies at Kanpur
1959 - UN Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space is established
1961 - Ham radio satellite Oscar 1 launched with military Discoverer 36
Clergyman and Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr.Clergyman and Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC (picture taken during visit in 2013)

Statue of Martin Luther King Jr in Denver, Colorado

• 1961 - Martin Luther King Jr & 700 demonstraters arrested in Albany Ga

1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• 1963 - Argentina asks for extradition of ex-president Peron

1963 - Frank Sinatra Jr returned after being kidnapped

Flag of Kenya

• 1963 - Kenya (formerly British East Africa) declares independence from UK

1964 - Cleveland Browns' Frank Ryan sets club record of 5 TD passes
1964 - Shooting starts for "Star Trek" pilot "The Cage" (Menagerie)

    

    

• 1965 - Beatles last Great Britain concert (Capitol Theatre in Cardiff Wales)

1965 - Doug Walters makes maiden Test ton in 1st Test, goes on to 155
1965 - Gale Sayers of Chicago Bears scores 6 TDs, ties NFL record
1965 - Vivian Beaumont Theater opens at 65th St & Amsterdam Ave NYC
1966 - US Supreme Courts votes 4-3 allowing Braves to move to Atlanta
1967 - US launches Pioneer 8 into solar orbit
1968 - Arthur Ashe becomes 1st black to be ranked #1 in tennis
1968 - Rolling Stones film TV show "Rock 'n Roll Circus"-never aired
1968 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1969 - "Hello Dolly" with Barbra Striesand premieres
1969 - Bill Toomey achieves world record-score (8417 points)
1969 - Bomb attack on bank in Milan, 14 killed
1969 - Strategia della tensione: Piazza Fontana bombing - The offices of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana, Milan, are bombed.
1970 - Polish government proclaims price rise
1970 - Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 42 launched to study X-rays
1970 - USSR performs underground nuclear test

• 1973 - Canada begins selling Olympic coins ($5 & $10 silver coins)
1973 - San Diego files anti-trust against NL (stopping Padres move to DC)
1975 - Gas stove explodes & starts fire killing 138 (Mecca Saudi Arabia)
38th US President Gerald Ford38th US President Gerald Ford 

1975 - Sara Jane Moore pled guilty to trying to kill US President Gerald Ford
1976 - QB Joe Namath last game as a NY Jet
1977 - Yanks purchase Andy Messersmith from Braves
1979 - Gold hits record $462.50 an ounce

• 1979 - Rhodesia becomes independent nation of Zimbabwe

• 1979 - President of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq, confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam.

1980 - US's copyright law amended to include computer programs
1981 - "1st" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 37 performances

Gambia & Senegal signed agreement on this day in 1981 to be collectively known as Senegambia in Feb 1982. This confederation, however, did not last very long. 

1981 - Gambia & Senegal sign agreement to be known as Senegambia in Feb 1982
1981 - Wayne Gretzky scores quickest 50th goal (game 39)
1982 - "Herman Van Veen: All of Him" closes at Ambassador NYC after 6 perf
1982 - $9,800,000 in cash stolen from money transport car in NYC
1982 - 57th Australian Womens Tennis: C Evert beats M Navratilova (63 26 63)
1982 - Joanne Carner/John Mahaffey wins LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic
1983 - A truck bomb explodes at US Embassy in Kuwait
NHL all-time top scorer Wayne GretzkyNHL all-time top scorer Wayne Gretzky 1985 - 248 US soldiers & 8 crew members die in Arrow Air charter crash

• 1985 - DC-8 crashes near Gander, Newfoundland; 258 die
1985 - NASA launches space vehicle S-207
1986 - David Boon's fourth Test century, 103 v England at Adelaide
1986 - James "Bone Crusher" Smith TKO's WBA champ Tim Witherspoon in Madison Square Garden
1986 - Russian Tupolev-134 crashes in East Berlin, 70 killed

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

• On this day in 1986 on this day during the white minority government rule known as apartheid in South African, journalist Zwelakhe Sisulu was arrested. 

1987 - Mookie Blaylock sets NBA record of 13 steals in a game
1987 - Okla's sets NCAA record of 33 steals vs Centenary
1987 - Rollermania at Madison Square Garden, Eastern Express beats Midwest Pioneers
1988 - 3 trains collide in London, 40 die
1988 - NYC Subway system adds new stations (Z line)
1988 - PLO leader Yasi Arafat accepts Israel's right to exist
1988 - Sandra Miller of Queens sues Mike Tyson for sexual harassment
1990 - US accuses Iraq of dragging its feet on dates for talks
Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike TysonHeavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson 1990 - US ambassador to Kuwait, Nathaniel Howell leaves Kuwait

The Maastricht Treaty was signed on this day in 1991 to officially establish the European Union (EU). 

1991 - Maastricht Treaty signed to create a European Community
1991 - NJ Nets set NBA record of 22 blocks beating Nuggets 121-81
1991 - Orion Pictures filed Chapter 11 for bankruptcy protection
1991 - Tampa Bay Bucaneer Dexter Manley, retires after failing drug test
1992 - 58th Heisman Trophy Award: Gino Torretta, Miami-Fla (QB)
1992 - 6.8-7.5 earthquake strikes Flores Island (tsunami kills 3,000)
1992 - Japanese crown prince Naruhito announces engagement to Masaka Owada
1992 - Julia Kurotchkina, 18, of Russia, crowned 42nd Miss World
1992 - NY Giants lose 19-0 to Phoenix Cardinals
1993 - "Any Given Day" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 32 performances
1993 - "Kentucky Cycle" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 34 performances
1993 - WAQX 104.3 (Q-104) rock format replaces WNCN classic format in NYC

The flag of Brazil.

• In 1994 on this day, the Brazilian Supreme Court acquitted former President Fernando Collor de Mello of corruption charges that had forced him to resign in 1992.

1995 - CBC announces Radio Canada International service to end on March 31

• 1995 - Israeli PM Shimon Peres address both house of US congress
1995 - NBA referees return to work after striking

• 1995 - Amendment to make it illegal to physically desecrate the flag turned down by senate 63-36 (need 2/3 vote)

1996 - Assassination attempt on Uday (Iraqi's heir to Sadam Hussain)
1996 - Marlins sign their 6th free-agent since Nov 22, Moises Alou
1997 - Carlos the Jackal, "professional revolutionary" goes on trial in Paris
1997 - Florida releases Alex Arias, the last original Marlin

• 1997 - Japanese train builders (Maglev) claim world speed record at 332 MPH
1997 - Red Sox sign Pedro Martinez to record 6 year $69 million contract
1997 - SWAT team shoots John E Armstrong in Fla, freeing 2 young hostages
1997 - TWA 800 hearings end

1997 - Fed judge sentences Autumn Jackson, who claims to be Bill Cosby's daughter, to 26 months for trying to extort $40 million from him

• On this day in 2000, the United States Supreme Court released its controversial decision in Bush v. Gore case, which feels like the de facto beginning of the modern-day Red States versus Blue State tensions within the United States.

• 2006 - Peugeot produces its last car at the Ryton Plant signalling the end of mass car production in Coventry, formerly a major centre of the British motor industry.

1787 - Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.   1800 - Washington, DC, was established as the capital of the United States.   1870 - Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the first black lawmaker to be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.   1896 - Guglielmo Marconi gave the first public demonstration of radio at Toynbee Hall, London.   1897 - The comic strip"The Katzenjammer Kids" (Hans and Fritz), by Rudolph Dirks, appeared in the New York Journal for the first time.   1899 - George Grant patented the wooden golf tee.   1900 - Charles M. Schwab formed the United States Steel Corporation.   1901 - The first radio signal to cross the Atlantic was picked up near St. John's Newfoundland, by inventor Guglielmo Marconi.   1912 - The Mother's Day International Association was incorporated with the purpose of furthering meaningful observations of Mother's Day.  1915 - The first all-metal aircraft, the German Junkers J1, made its first flight.   1917 - Father Edward Flanagan opened Boys Town in Nebraska. The farm village was for wayward boys. In 1979 it was opened to girls.   1925 - The "Motel Inn," the first motel in the world, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA.   1937 - Japanese aircraft sank the U.S. gunboat "Panay" on China's Yangtze River. Japan apologized for the attack, and paid $2.2 million in reparations.   1947 - The United Mine Workers union withdrew from the American Federation of Labor.   1951 - The U.S. Navy Department announced that the world's first nuclear powered submarine would become the sixth ship to bear the name Nautilus.   1955 - It was announced that the Ford Foundation gave $500,000,000 to private hospitals, colleges and medical schools.   1955 - British engineer Christopher Cockerell patented the first hovercraft.   1963 - Kenya gained its independence from Britain.   1975 - Sara Jane Moore pled guilty to a charge of trying to kill U.S. President Ford in San Francisco the previous September.   1982 - 20,000 women encircled Greenham Common air base in Britain in protest against proposed cite of U.S. Cruise missiles there.   1983 - Car bombs were set off in front of the French and U.S. embassies in Kuwait City. Shiite extremists were responsible for the five deaths and 86 wounded. Total of five bombs went off in different locations.   1984 - In a telephone conversation with U.S. President Reagan, William J. Schroeder complained of a delay in his Social Security benefits. Schroeder received a check the following day.   1985 - 248 American soldiers and eight crewmembers were killed when an Arrow Air charter crashed in Gander, Newfoundland after takeoff.   1989 - Britain forcibly removed 51 Vietnamese from Hong Kong and returned them to their homeland.   1989 - Leona Helmsley was fined $7 million and sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion.   1994 - The Brazilian Supreme Court acquitted former President Fernando Collor de Mello of corruption charges that had forced him to resign in 1992.   1994 - IBM stopped shipments of personal computers with Intel's flawed Pentium chip.   1995 - The U.S. Senate stopped a constitutional amendment giving Congress authority to outlaw flag burning and other forms of desecration against the American flag.   1995 - Two French airmen shot down over Bosnia arrived home after almost four months of being held captive by the Bosnian Serbs.   1997 - Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, the international terrorist known as "Carlos the Jackal," went on trial in Paris on charges of killing two French investigators and a Lebanese national. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.   1997 - The U.S. Justice Department ordered Microsoft to sell its Internet browser separately from its Windows operating system to prevent it from building a monopoly of Web access programs.   1997 - Denver Pyle received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1998 - The House Judiciary Committee rejected censure, and approved the final article of impeachment against U.S. President Clinton. The case was submitted to the full House for a verdict.   2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court found that the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court in the 2000 U.S. Presidential election was unconstitutional. U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the election to Texas Gov. George W. Bush the next day.   

2000 - Timothy McVeigh, over the objections of his lawyers, abandoned his final round of appeals and asked that his execution be set within 120 days. McVeigh was convicted of the April 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Fedal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, that killed 168 and injured 500.   

2000 - The Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to a record breaking 10-year, $252 million contract. The contract amount broke all major league baseball records and all professional sports records.   2001 - The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would implement minimum federal election standards and provide funding to help states modernize their voting systems.   2001 - Gerardo Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison for being the leader of a Cuban spy ring. His conviction was based on his role in the infiltration of U.S. military bases and in the deaths of four Cuban-Americans whose planes were shot down five years before.   2001 - In Beverly Hills, CA, actress Winona Ryder was arrested at Saks Fifth Avenue for shoplifting and possessing pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription. The numerous items of clothing and hair accessories were valued at $4,760.   2002 - North Korea announced that it would reactivate a nuclear power plant that U.S. officials believed was being used to develop weapons.

1787 Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. 1870 Joseph Rainey took his seat as the first African American in the U.S. House of Representatives. 1913 The Mona Lisa was recovered in Florence after having been stolen two years earlier (August 1911) from the Louvre. 1963 Kenya gained its independence from Britain. 1998 The House Judiciary Committee approved a fourth and final article of impeachment against President Clinton. 2000 The U.S. Supreme Court stopped the presidential election recount in Florida. 2001 Yasir Arafat closed the offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/dec12.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

The Unofficial Stephen King Checklist For the Constant Reader

Most people who follow this blog, or who know me personally, know that that one of my favorite authors is Stephen King. 

Here's the strange thing: I am not even all that huge a fan of horror. There is just something about his writing that gripped me from the first. It was a friend who introduced me to his books back in 1997, urging me to pick up a copy of Needful Things. Intrigued, not really knowing what to expect, I went ahead and picked it up and read it.

And was hooked almost right away. There was just an easy style about his writing that made him not only easy to read but made me want to read more. The characters felt real, even if the situations did not. It was right around that time that I was getting into reading, and he almost instantly rose to the top of my list of favorite authors. Suddenly, I was trying to get everything that he wrote. It took some years, but I pretty much read almost everything that he has written, or at least the vast majority of his published writings.

The exceptions are probably easier to list than what I have actually read. Some of the books which I have never yet quite managed to read yet, with different reasons for each, are Danse Macabre, Secretary of Dreams I & II, The Plant, and the new children's book with artwork by Maurice Sandok, which I intend to read at some point in 2026. Probably some other works which I am not remembering, or perhaps not even really all that familiar with.

In any case, it seems that King has that kind of impact on a lot of readers. Not everyone has read almost everything that he has written and published. Yet, it seemed like this handy little chart (which likely will be out of date soon, since he publishes so many works so often) seemed like it would be a handy tool for any Constant Readers Out there.

Enjoy.

Terry Newsom Facebook page 3 December, 2025: · 

Here's my list... what should I read next? Green is have... and have read. (Note... I've already read End of the Whole Mess.)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10236082407594512&set=gm.1161282962842988&idorvanity=670493271921962

A Facebook Post By David Abbruzzese Which Reveals the Deep Misery Surrounding Donald Trump

Meant to post this a long time ago. 

On the right, there are words from someone - I cannot remember who it was, and the print for this picture is admittedly a bit too much of a strain on my eyes - who explained how this while Trump presidency is an obscenity. 

I am inclined to agree. And this accompanying photo of the "First Couple" seems to provide photographic evidence of this. They look miserable, especially Dear Leader. King Con Don is surely one of the most miserable, whiny spoiled assholes in this world. And this picture absolutely captures that. He certainly looks the part here. 

Seeing what has happened here in the United States makes me quite sad. Whatever flaws, it feels like this country had faith in itself and in it's future decades ago. We elected leaders who inspired and commanded respect around the world. I was in Paris earlier this year, and there are several avenues named after American presidents from the 20th century, particularly the midway point and the immediate postwar years. Avenues named after Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. I saw a statue of Thomas Jefferson both in Paris, as well as a memorial to him in my old family hometown of Marly-le-Roi, outside of the park. 

Now, we have this fat, bloated, fake con artist as our elected leader, with his ludicrous fake tan and absurd hair done in whatever weird combover. He is loud and decidely unpresidential, unworthy of the office which he currently holds. Instead of the dignity, integrity, and idealism that some of those past leaders used to represent for much of the world, this guy is transparently and blatantly corrupt and a dangerous, frankly unstable MAGAlomaniac. He is a symbol of what a growing number people feel about this country right now, which is that it is in decline and increasingly inward looking and blind. Desperate not to admit that it is not as great as it claims to be, lashing out at any insinuations that perhaps the best days are already behind it.

It is getting increasingly infuriating - well beyond frustrating - that so many millions of MAGA cult members steadfastly refuse to see their pathetic "leader" for what he really is. The evidence is mounting against his claims of innocence regarding the Epstein Files. The economy has not recovered, and the price of groceries and gas remains very high. The reputation of this country the world over has never been as low as it currently is, and Trump has become the face of all of these failures to everyone except those dedicated and self-deceiving MAGA cult members.

But this post is not about drowning everyone with facts revealing who this man really is, and how MAGA refuses to concede anything negative about him. What struck me truly was just how miserable this "First Couple" looks. Particularly Dear Leader. 

Why on Earth would anyone want such a miserable, pathetic and astonishingly needy man to be the elected voice and face of this - or any - country is beyond me.

Yet it brings to mind the old saying. You know the one, about misery loving company?

No wonder we are going through such trying times right now in this country.

David Abbruzzese Facebook Post · November 19, 2025

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10166835937178508&set=a.65227178507

December 11th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 359, Honoratus, first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, took office. In 1792 on this day, France's King Louis XVI went on trial, accused of treason. Buffalo Bill Cody made his first stage appearance on this day in 1872. On this day in 1915, Yuan Shih-kai accepted the Chinese throne. But the response to China's return to monarchy was so vehement, than Yuan quickly stepped down and returned to a quiet life in the countryside. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was born on this day in 1918. On this day in 1941, Germany and Italy both declared war on the United States to support their Axis ally Japan following the Pearl Harbor attacks. The Soviets declared nudity a sign of "western decadence" on this day in 1969. On this day in 1973, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and Czech Prime Minister Lubomir Strougal formally nullified the 1938 Munich pact when they signed a treaty sanctioning Hitler's seizure of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. In 1981 on this day, Muhammad Ali fought his last boxing match, which was a loss by unanimous decision to Trevor Berbick.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

On this day in 359, Honoratus, first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, took office.

• 384 - St Damasus I dies and ends his reign as Catholic Pope. Began reign 366

• 1282 - Llywelyn ab Gruffydd/Llywelyn the Last (b. c.1228), the last native Prince of Wales, is killed at Cilmeri, near Builth Wells, south Wales. Reigned from 1259

• 1419 - Heretic Nicolaas Serrurier exiled from Florence

• 1477 - Duchess Maria van Bourgondie ends Great Privilegie

• 1572 - Spanish troops begin siege of Haarlem

• 1602 - A surprise attack by forces under the command of the Duke of Savoy and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain, is repelled by the citizens of Geneva. Commemorations/celebrations on Fête de l'Escalade are usually held on December 11 or the closest weekend.

• 1618 - Russia & Poland signs Peace treaty of Dailino

• 1620 - 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock (12/21 NS)

• 1665 - "Messiah" Sjabtai Tswi festival in Smyrna

• 1688 - King James II arrested

• 1710 - Battle of Villa Viciosa (France beat Habsburgers)

• 1719 - 1st recorded display of Aurora Borealis in US (New England)

  

Voltaire

• On this day in 1730, Voltaire's "Brutus," premiered in Paris. 

Picture of a statue of Louis XVI taken at the Basilique cathédrale Saint-Denis, near Paris

• In 1792 on this day, France's King Louis XVI went before the Convention, which had replaced the National Assembly, to face charges of treason. He was ultimately convicted and condemned and was sent to the guillotine the following January. 

• 1812 - 1st newspaper on Curacao (Curacao Gazette & Commercial Advertiser)

• 1816 - Citizens of Geneva thwarted Savoyard invaders

• 1816 - Indiana becomes 19th state

1844 - 1st dental use of nitrous oxide, Hartford, Ct

French Enlightenment Philosopher VoltaireFrench Enlightenment Philosopher Voltaire 1866 - 1st yacht race across Atlantic Ocean

• 1872 - 1st black US gov took office, Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (La)

• 1882 - Boston's Bijou Theatre, 1st American playhouse lit exclusively by electricity, 1st performance, Gilbert & Sullivan's "Iolanthe"

1882 - Victorien Sardous "Fedora," with Sarah Bernhardt, premieres in Paris

• 1888 - French Panama Canal company fails

1893 - 11 fishing ships wash up at Wadden Sea, 22 killed

• 1903 - British forces under MacDonald & Young march into Tibet

• 1905 - 120°F (49°C), Rivadavia, Argentina (South American record)

• 1905 - British government of Campbell-Bannerman forms

• 1905 - A workers uprising occurs, establishing the Shuliavka Republic in Kiev.

• 1906 - US president Roosevelt attacks abuses in the Congo

The flag of New Zealand

• 1907 - New Zealand Parliament Buildings almost completely destroyed by fire.

1908 - Frederick Delius' "In a Summer Garden," premieres

1909 - Colored moving pictures demonstrated at Madison Square Garden, NYC

1909 - Canadian Football exhibition game played in Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, Hamilton Tigers beat Ottawa Rough Riders, 11-6 before 15,000

1913 - "Mona Lisa," stolen from Louvre Museum in 1911, recovered

1914 - Stockton Street Tunnel (SF) completed

• On this day in 1915, Yuan Shih-kai accepted the Chinese throne. But the response to China's return to monarchy was so vehement, then Yuan quickly stepped down and returned to a quiet life in the countryside.

• 1916 - David Lloyd George forms British war government

1917 - 13 black soldiers hanged for participation in Houston riot

1917 - German-occupied Lithuania proclaims independence from Russia

1919 - Boll weevil monument dedicated in Enterprise, Ala

1925 - Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Quas Primas

1926 - Josephine Baker goes up in Amsterdam

1926 - Queensland win their 1st Sheffield Shield cricket match, v NSW

Flag of Argentina

•  On this day in 1928 in Buenos Aires in Argentina, police thwarted an attempt on the life of American President-elect Herbert Hoover.   

1928 - NL Pres John Heydler proposes designated hitter for pitchers

1930 - Bank of the United States closes in New York City

1931 - Japan leaves the Golden Standard

1931 - Brit Statute of Westminster gives complete legislative independence to Canada, Australia, NZ, South Africa, Ireland, Newfndlnd

1932 - SF's coldest day (27°F) - it snows

1934 - 1935 All-Star Game is assigned to Cleveland

1934 - 1st Toronto Maple Leaf penalty shot, Conacher unsuccessful vs Rangers

1934 - Ford C Frick becomes president of baseball's National League

1934 - NL votes to permit night baseball (up to 7 games per home team)

1936 - Edward VIII announces in a radio broadcast that he is abdicating the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson

1937 - 25th CFL Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts defeats Winn Blue Bombers, 30-7

1937 - Italy withdraws from League of Nations

1938 - NY Giants win NFL championship

1939 - New anti Jewish measurements in Poland, proclaimed

Duchess of Windsor Wallis SimpsonDuchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson 

• 1940 - Russian general Zhukov warns of German assault

• 1941 - Dutch government in London declares war on Italy

• On this day in 1941, Germany and Italy both declared war on the United States to support their Axis ally Japan following the Pearl Harbor attacks. 

1941 - Giants acquire Johnny Mize from Cards for 3 players & $50,000

1941 - Japanese attack Wake Island (only failed WW II-landing)

1941 - Japanese occupy Guam

1942 - Australian/Dutch guerrilla troops evacuated to Timor near Australia

• 1944 - Surprise attack on House of Keeping Axe, 29 prisoners freed

• 1945 - Het Parool publishes 1st Captain Rob-strip

1946 - Hank Williams begins to record on Sterling label

Flag of Spain

• Spain was suspended from the United Nations on this day in 1946.

1946 - UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) established (Nobel 1965)

1947 - "Angel in the Wings" opens at Coronet Theater NYC for 308 performances

1947 - Bob Hilliard/Carl Sigman's musical "Angel in Wings," premieres in NYC

1947 - Pacific Coast League application for major league status rejected

1948 - WHEN (now WTVH) TV channel 5 in Syracuse, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting

1948 - WMC TV channel 5 in Memphis, TN (NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 - Chic Bear Johnny Lujack passes for 6 touchdowns vs Chic Cards (52-29)

1949 - Cleveland Browns beat SF '49ers 21-7 in final AAFC championship game

1949 - WOAI (now KMOL) TV channel 4 in San Antonio, TX (NBC) 1st broadcast

1950 - Baseball owners vote 9-7 not to renew Commissioner Chandler's contract

1950 - Hindemiths Concerto for clarinet, premieres

Baseball Player Joe DiMaggioBaseball Player Joe DiMaggio 1951 - Joe DiMaggio announces his baseball retirement

1953 - KTVA TV channel 11 in Anchorage (CBS) becomes Alaska's 1st TV station

1954 - Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium

1954 - USS Forrestal christened in Newport News, Va

1956 - Anti-Russian demonstrates in Stettin & Wroclaw Poland

1958 - 4th (last) Dutch government of Drees falls

1958 - Archibald MacLeish's "JB," premieres in NYC

• 1958 - Upper Volta (now Bourkina Faso) gains autonomy from France

1959 - Yanks trade Marv Thronberry, Don Larsen, Hank Bauer & Norm Seibern for Roger Maris, Kent Hadley & Joe Deaestri

1960 - Black Sunday - Riot in Algiers, 114 die

1960 - Coleman/Leigh's musical "Wildcat" with Lucille Ball premieres in NYC

1960 - Cleveland's Bernie Parrish sets club record for longest interception return with a 92 yard run

1961 - "Please, Mr. Postman" by Marvelettes, released

• 1961 - Adolf Eichmann is found guilty of war crimes, in Israel

• 1961 - Elvis Presley's "Blue Hawaii," album goes to #1 & stays #1 for 20 wks

US President John F. KennedyUS President John F. Kennedy 

• In 1961 on this day, American President John F. Kennedy provided US military helicopters & crews to South Vietnam.

• 1964 - Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. An unknown terrorist fires a mortar shell at the building during the speech.

1965 - "Anya" closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 16 performances

1965 - "Yearling" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 3 performances

1966 - Al Nelson sets NFL record returning missed field goal, 100 yards

1967 - 6.5 earthquake in West India, 170 killed

    

    

• 1967 - Beatles' Apple Music signs its 1st group-Grapefruit

• 1967 - People's front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) established

1967 - SST prototype "Concorde" 1st shown (France)

1968 - KECC (now KECY) TV channel 9 in El Centro, CA (CBS) 1st broadcast

1968 - US Soccer Football Association refuses to let NASL disband

1969 - Libya adopts constitution

1970 - John Lennon releases an album that contains songs with word "fuck"

1970 - Start of the 1st Test match at the WACA, v England

1970 - Test Cricket debut of Gregory Stephen Chappell

Musician and Beatle John LennonMusician and Beatle John Lennon 1971 - The Libertarian Party of the United States is formed.

• 1972 - Astronauts Cernan & Harrison become 11th & 12th on Moon

1972 - Jet's Don Maynard becomes all time pro reception leader (632)

1973 - Houston Astro Caesar Cedino jailed in death of 19 year old woman

1973 - NA Soccer League awards LA, SF, Seattle & Vancouver franchises

1973 - Ron Santo becomes 1st to invoke no-trade clause of 10-year-1-club vet

Flag of Germany (formerly West Germany during the Cold War)

• On this day in 1973, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and Czech Prime Minister Lubomir Strougal normalized trade between the two countries, and also formally nullified the 1938 Munich pact when they signed a treaty sanctioning Hitler's seizure of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.   

1975 - 1st class postage rises from 10 cents to 13 cents

1975 - Great Yankee trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis & Ken Brett from Pirates for George "Doc" Medich

1978 - 6 masked men bound 10 employees at Lufthansa cargo area at NY Kennedy Airport & made off with $5.8 M in cash & jewelry

1979 - Geoff Boycott scores cricket century in a limited-over international

• On this day in 1979, the Lancaster House Agreement was signed, leading to the end of Rhodesia's white minority rule and the establishment of Zimbabwe: However, it first would no longer be an independent state and would become part of the United Kingdom's dominions before ultimately becoming the modern nation of Zimbabwe. 

American President Jimmy Carter

• In 1980 on this day, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed into law legislation creating a $1.6 billion environmental "superfund" that would be used to pay for cleaning up for chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.  

1980 - Dirk Wellham scores 100 on 1st-class debut, NSW v Victoria

1980 - The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (known as either CERCLA or Superfund) is enacted by the U.S. Congress.

1981 - Argentine president/gen Roberto Viola flees

Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad AliHeavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali 

• 1981 - Muhammad Ali's 61st & last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick

1981 - Peru's Javier Perez de Cuellar becomes sec-gen of UN

1981 - Spacelab I arrives at Kennedy Space Center

Flag of the United Nations

• On this day in 1981, the UN Security Council chose Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as the fifth Secretary General of the United Nations.

1981 - Wash Capitals biggest margin of victory (9) beating Toronto 11-2

1981 - El Mozote massacre: Salvadoran armed forces kill an estimated 900 civilians in an anti-guerrilla campaign during the country's civil war.

1983 - 1st visit to Lutheran church by a pope (John Paul II in Rome)

1983 - 72nd Australian Mens Tennis: Mats Wilander beats Ivan Lendl (61 64 64)

1983 - Jan Stephens/Fred Couples wins LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic

1984 - "Doug Henning & His World..." opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 60 perf

• 1984 - Mauretania military coup under Col Maawiya Ould Sid'ahmed Taya

1985 - Computer store owner in Sacramento California killed by package bomb

1985 - Dow Jones closes above 1,500 for 1st time (1,511.70)

1985 - General Electric acquires RCA Corp & its subsidiary, NBC

1985 - NHL Record 62 points scored, Edmonton (36) beats Chicago (26) 12-9 & ties record of 21 goals

264th Pope John Paul II264th Pope John Paul II 1986 - A Bartlett Giamatti becomes president of baseball's National League

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

• On this day in 1986 during the days of apartheid rule, and while the country was enduring a serious state of emergency, the white minority government of South Africa expanded its media restrictions by imposing prior censorship and banning coverage of a wide range of peaceful anti-apartheid protests. 

1987 - Test debut of Carl Hooper, WI v India at Bombay

1989 - "City of Angels" opens at Virginia Theater NYC for 878 performances

1989 - Mark Davis signs record $3.25 million per year KC Royals contract

• 1990 - 13 die in 83 vehicle accident in Chattanooga Tn I-75, due to fog

1990 - US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) returns from space

1991 - William Kennedy Smith found not guilty of rape

1992 - Nor'easter storm hits NY, doing $ Billion worth of damage

1992 - WNEW AM radio on 1130 in NYC ends transmitting after 58 years

1993 - 59th Heisman Trophy Award: Charlie Ward, Florida State (QB)

1993 - Eduardo Frei elected president of Chile

1994 - Kelly Robbins & Tammie Green wins LPGA Diner's Club Golf Matches

1994 - Russian troops pull inside Tsjetsjenie

1995 - Thomas O Hicks buys NHL Dallas Stars for $84 million

1997 - "Sunshine Boys," opens at Lyceum Theater NYC

1997 - Fed judge orders Microsoft not to bundle IE4 in Windows

1997 - The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change opens for signature.

1998 - Thai Airways Airbus A310-200 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101

2001 - The People's Republic of China joins the World Trade Organization.

2005 - The Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead is rocked by explosions, causing a huge oil fire.

2005 - Cronulla riots: Thousands of White Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese (and many who were not) in Cronulla Sydney. These are followed up by ethnic attacks on Cronulla.

Iran President Mahmoud AhmadinejadIran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 2006 - The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust is opened in Tehran, Iran by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

2007 - Two car bombs go off at the Constitutional Court building in Algiers and the United Nations office. An estimated 45 people are killed in the bombings.

2008 - Bernard Madoff arrested and charged with securities fraud in $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

2009 - Tiger Woods announced an indefinite leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage.

• 2010 - Two explosions occur in a busy shopping district of Stockholm, Sweden, killing one and injuring two others. Officials say the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack.

• 2012 - 125 people are killed and 200 are injured by bombings in Aqrab, Syria

• 2012 - HSBC bank settles with US authorities to pay $1.9 billion for drug cartel money laundering

• 2012 - British physicist, Stephen Hawking, wins the $3 million Fundamental Physics Prize, the most lucrative academic prize in the world

1282 - Llywelyn (Llewelyn ap Gruffydd) was killed in Cilmeri, central Wales.   1719 - The first recorded sighting of the Aurora Borealis was in New England.   1769 - Edward Beran of London patented venetian blinds.    1816 - Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th American state.   1844 - Dr. Horace Wells became the first person to have a tooth extracted after receiving an anesthetic for the dental procedure. Nitrous Oxide, or laughing gas, was the anesthetic.   1872 - Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback became America's first black governor when he took office as acting governor of Louisiana.   1882 - Boston's Bijou Theater had its first performance. It was the first American playhouse lit exclusively by electricity.   1894 - The world's first motor show opened in Paris with nine exhibitors.      1930 - The Bank of the United States in New York failed.   1936 - Britain's King Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry American Wallis Warfield Simpson. He became the Duke of Windsor.   1937 - The Fascist Council in Rome, withdrew Italy from the League of Nations.   1941 - Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The U.S in turn declared war on the two countries.   1943 - The City Center of Music and Drama was dedicated in New York by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.   1946 - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established by the U.N. General Assembly. The fund provides relief to children in countries devastated by war.   1951 - Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees) announced his retirement from major league baseball. DiMaggio only played for the Yankees during his 13-year career.   1961 - The first direct American military support for South Vietnam occurred when a U.S. aircraft carrier carrying Army helicopters arrived in Saigon.   1967 - The prototype of the Concorde was shown for the first time in Toulouse, France.  1981 - Muhammad Ali fought his last fight. He lost his 61st fight to Trevor Berbick.   1985 - The U.S. House of Representatives joined the U.S. Senate by giving final congressional approval to the Gramm-Rudman deficit-reduction law.   1985 - General Electric Company agreed to buy RCA Corporation for $6.3 billion. Also included in the deal was NBC Radio and Television.    1987 - Charlie Chaplin's trademark cane and bowler hat were sold at Christie's for £82,500.   1988 - 62 people were killed in a Mexico City marketplace when tons of illegal fireworks exploded.   1990 - Ivana Trump was divorced from Donald Trump after 12 years of marriage.   1991 - Salman Rushdie, under an Islamic death sentence for blasphemy, made his first public appearance since 1989 in New York, at a dinner marking the 200th anniversary of the First Amendment (which guarantees freedom of speech in the U.S.).   1994 - Thousands of Russian troops, armored columns and jets entered Chechnya. The move by Moscow was an effort to restore control the breakaway republic.   1994 - The world's largest free trade zone was created when leaders of 34 Western Hemisphere nations signed a free-trade declaration known as "The Miami Process."   1996 - In Crystal City, VA, "The Art of the Toy" opened. The exhibit was at the Patent and Trademark Office Museum.   1997 - Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams became the first political ally of the IRA to meet a British leader in 76 years. He conferred with Prime Minister Tony Blair in London.   1997 - More than 270 Tutsi refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo were killed by Juto guerillas in Mudende, Rwanda.   1997 - More than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth's "greenhouse gases."   1998 - Scientists announced that they had deciphered the entire genetic blueprint of a tiny worm.   1998 - The Mars Climate Orbiter blasted off on a nine-month journey to the Red Planet. However, the probe disappeared in September of 1999, apparently destroyed because scientists had failed to convert English measures to metric values.   1998 - Majority Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee pushed through three articles of impeachment against U.S. President Clinton.   2000 - Mario Lemeiux, owner of Pittsburgh Penquins, announced that he would end his three-plus year retirement and become an active National Hockey League (NHL) player again. When Lemieux returned officially he became the first owner/player in NHL history.   2001 - U.S. Attorney General Ashcroft announced the first federal indictment directly related to the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Zacarias Moussaoui was charged with six conspiracy charges. Moussaoui was in custody at the time of the attacks.   2001 - Ted Turner purchased 12,000 acres in Nebraska for Bison ranches.   2001 - It was announced that U.S. President George W. Bush would withdraw the U.S. from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia.   2001 - Federal agents seized computers in 27 U.S. cities as part of "Operation Buccaneer." The raids were used to gain evidence against an international software piracy ring.

1816 Indiana became the 19th state. 1844 Nitrous oxide was used for the first time in dentistry. 1936 King Edward VIII abdicated the throne of Britain for the woman he loved, Mrs. Wallis Simpson. 1941 Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. 1946 The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established. 1994 Russian troups invaded Chechnya in an unsuccessful attempt to restore Moscow's power in the region. 1997 Housing secretary Henry Cisneros was indicted for conspiracy, obstructing justice, and false statements to the FBI.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/dec11.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory