NFL 2024 - 25 Season: A Review of Week 17

The NFL made a bit of impressive history this past weekend. It is the second time ever - and the first time since 1998 - that three teams reached records of 14-2 or better in the same season. Two of those teams are in the same division, which means that in the regular season finale, we will have a meeting between two 14-2 teams, with a hell of a lot at stake. The winner will clinch the number one seed in the NFC playoffs, and earn a playoff bye. Meanwhile, the loser will fall to the fifth overall seed, and have to play on the road for Wildcard weekend (which frankly, feels a bit unfair to me).

The three teams are the Kansas City Chiefs at 15-1, and the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, both at 14-2. The last time that three teams kept such impressive records intact this deep into an NFL season was in 1998, when the Minnesota Vikings finished the regular season at 15-1, and both the Denver Broncos (who were then defending Super Bowl champions from the AFC West) and Atlanta Falcons both finished the regular season with 14-2 records. 

Kansas City improved to 15-1 by soundly defeating the Steelers in Pittsburgh. It is a game I already reviewed. But basically, KC jumped ahead early with two touchdowns, and then beat the will out of the Steelers the rest of the way. It hurt the Steelers chances at capturing an AFC North division title, with the Ravens crushing the Texans in Houston later the same day. But the Chiefs clinched the top overall seed in the AFC with the impressive win. 

Detroit improved to 14-2 mostly by surviving a tough challenge by the San Francisco 49ers, 40-34. The Niners, who had already been eliminated from postseason contention entering this weekend, clearly were looking to play the role of spoilers. They looked like they were on their way to a win, as they led at the half, 21-13. But the Lions had a bit of an explosion in the third quarter, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal for a total of 18 points. Ultimately, they were able to earn the West Coast road win to finish the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record in away games this season.

Meanwhile, Minnesota just hung on against their tough division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, earning a 27-25 win. The Vikings had seemed to be dominating the game, holding a seemingly comfortable 27-10 lead entering the fourth quarter. To their credit, however, the Packers fought back and made it close, scoring two touchdowns and giving themselves an opportunity to steal a win. However, the Vikings did manage to hold on to improve to 14-2 on the year. Still, they kind of feel like the most overlooked 14-2 team in NFL history to me, as both Kansas City (15-1) and Detroit (14-2) garnered a lot more consistent attention and praise this season.

Another big game with huge playoff ramifications took place in the nation's capital. The Washington Commanders hosted the Atlanta Falcons. Washington needed a win to clinch a playoff berth, while Atlanta was hoping to keep ahead of Tampa Bay in the NFC South standings. At points, it looked like Washington might run away with it. To their credit, however, the Falcons kept coming back, and made a game of it, forcing overtime. In the end, however, Washington managed to get a touchdown for the win, officially punching their ticket into the playoffs. That also meant that the Falcons, with the loss, gave up control of their own destiny, and now find themselves with only a slim chance to qualify for the postseason, needing a lot of help in order to do so.

Tampa Bay capitalized big time this weekend, winning while watching Atlanta lose in Washington. The Bucs took care of business, absolutely blowing the Carolina Panthers out, 48-14. The Buccaneers now have sole possession of first place in the NFC South, and control their own destiny. If they win this coming weekend when they host the New Orleans Saints, they win the NFC South division title, and the fourth overall seed in the NFC, which includes a home playoff game.

Buffalo had long ago clinched a playoff spot. In fact, had long ago clinched another AFC East division title. However, with the Chiefs locking up the top overall seed in the AFC, the Bills had a chance to clinch the number two spot. And they left no doubt, jumping all over the New York Jets. Gang Green was behind 40-0 before they finally scored some largely empty points to make the final score of 40-14 look more respectable. 

Miami kept their slim playoff hopes alive by crushing the Browns, 20-3. They still need some help to qualify, needing a Broncos loss, while also needing to take care of business and beat the Jets at the Meadowlands this weekend. Not impossible, although it feels unlikely.

The Philadelphia Eagles have locked up the number two overall seed this season, as they crushed the Dallas Cowboys, 41-7, this past weekend. Saquon Barkley, one of the major candidates for MVP honors on the season, reached 2,000 yards rushing, and is within 100 yards of clinching the overall rushing record for one season. However, since Philly now is locked in with the number two seed, they likely will not play their starters for very long, if at all. So it is questionable whether Barkley will even get a chance at the record this weekend, when they host the G-Men.

One team that did play spoiler this past weekend were the Giants, my team. The offense had looked lifeless for so long, that this version of the team looked almost unrecognizable. They had 32 combined points total in their three December games prior to this one. Then all of a sudden, Giants quarterback Drew Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns, enjoying a banner day. That's the good news. The bad news is that by virtue of this win, the G-Men fell from first to fourth in overall draft order, which a lot of fans are not thrilled about, to say the least. They beat the Colts, 45-33, and thus eliminated Indianapolis from playoff contention.

Otherwise, the Raiders beat the Saints, 25-10. Jacksonville beat Tennessee, 20-13. Those two games, however, had no playoff ramifications to speak of.

A Wonderful New Year's Sentiment by Neil Gaiman

In 2018, I began reading Neil Gaiman. 

I was only vaguely aware of his work before that, but had heard about the Sandman comic series, which had sounded intriguing and had come highly recommended years ago by a friend, yet which I had never fully gotten into.

Then, while listening to the Q on 93.9 during one of my evening commutes, I heard a radio interview with Gaiman, and was really impressed with his intelligence, and his body of work. So, I went to my library and picked up one of his books, "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," which author Joe Hill (son of Stephen King) had described as being perfect, neither a word too short or too long. That was some high praise, and so I had to see what the book was like.

And it was good! Great, even, really!

So, I picked up another Gaiman book, this one, "Trigger Warning," a collection of short stories. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Predictably, I picked up another work of his, "Nevermore." That one I picked up more recently, and have only gotten so far with. But it is quite good to this point, and this trend with Gaiman is becoming common enough that I know it is no fluke. He is a terrific author!

I ran into a pretty amazing quote that serves as a wonderful New Year's sentiment, and thought I would share it here, being that this is New Year's Day, and all. Enjoy!

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”

Neil Gaiman

A Wonderful New Year's Sentiment By Benjamin Franklin

Altered picture that I took of the Benjamin Franklin Memorial in Philadelphia some years ago. 

Ran into this quote by one of the most prominent of the Founding Fathers some years ago.

While it is true that Franklin, like many of the other Founding Fathers, had a troubling legacy, he nevertheless often expressed some words of real wisdom. The quote below clearly feels like it ranks up there. Truly inspiring words that seemed worth sharing here:

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”

― Benjamin Franklin

New Year's in History

Years ago, I wrote an article in the Guardian Liberty Voice (GLV) on the history of New Year's Day celebrations, a tradition that actually dates back some 4,000 years ago. 

This was the last article that I wrote and published for the GLV for 2014, and it took a considerable amount of research. But I felt proud once it was done, and happy when it was published fairly quickly after I submitted it. 

Admittedly, I did not write for GLV for a very long time, but one of the things that I did do was write on the history of certain holidays. The one that I feel proudest of was an article on the history of Thanksgiving, the American holiday that, tradition has it, is when the white pilgrims and Native Americans got together for a feat of mutual thanksgiving. The reality is something quite different, and it was a subject that had long fascinated me. It was one of the articles that garnered some attention, and some fairly rare praise from other writers of GLV. 

There were other holiday that I explored the history of, including Christmas, Boxing Day (the day after Christmas is a day when you are supposed to give to those less fortunate in most other English speaking nations outside of the United States), St. Patrick's Day, and some others. 

This includes New Year's Day, which was a fun project to explore. It was a fascinating and revealing article to write, and I hope everyone will take a look by clicking on the link below:

http://guardianlv.com/2014/12/new-years-in-history/

Happy New Year's in Languages All Around the World!

 

AFRIKAANS  gelukkige nuwejaar
AKPOSSO  ilufio ètussé
ALBANIAN  Gëzuar vitin e ri
ALLEMAND  ein gutes neues Jahr / prost Neujahr
ALSACIEN  e glëckliches nëies / güets nëies johr
ARABIC  عام سعيد (aam saiid) / sana saiida
ARMENIAN  shnorhavor nor tari
ATIKAMEKW  amokitanone
AZERI  yeni iliniz mübarək
BAMBARA  aw ni san'kura / bonne année
BASAA  mbuee
BASQUE  urte berri on
BELARUSIAN  З новым годам (Z novym hodam)
BENGALI  subho nababarsho
BERBER  asgwas amegas
BETI  mbembe mbu
BOBO  bonne année
BOSNIAN  sretna nova godina
BRETON  bloavezh mat / bloavez mad
BULGARIAN  честита нова година (chestita nova godina)
BURMESE  hnit thit ku mingalar pa
CANTONESE  sun lin fi lok / kung hé fat tsoi
CATALAN  bon any nou
CHINESE (MANDARIN)  新年快了 (xin nian kuai le) / 新年好 (xin nian hao)
CORNISH  bledhen nowedh da
CORSICAN  pace è salute
CROATIAN  sretna nova godina
CZECH  šťastný nový rok
DANISH  godt nytår
DARI  sale naw tabrik
DUALA  mbu mwa bwam
DUTCH  gelukkig nieuwjaar
ENGLISH  Happy New Year
ESPERANTO  feliĉan novan jaron
ESTONIAN  head uut aastat
EWE  eƒé bé dzogbenyui nami
EWONDO  mbembe mbu
FAROESE  gott nýggjár
FINNISH  onnellista uutta vuotta
FLEMISH  gelukkig nieuwjaar
FRENCH  Bonne et Heureuse Année a tous!
FRISIAN  lokkich neijier
FRIULAN  bon an
FULA  dioul mo wouri
GALICIAN  feliz aninovo
GEORGIAN  გილოცავთ ახალ წელს (gilocavt akhal tsels)
GERMAN  ein gutes neues Jahr / prost Neujahr
GREEK  Καλή Χρονιά / kali xronia
GUJARATI  sal mubarak / nootan varshabhinandan
GUARANÍ  rogüerohory año nuévo-re
HAITIAN CREOLE  bònn ané
HAOUSSA  barka da sabuwar shekara
HAWAIIAN  hauoli makahiki hou
HEBREW  שנה טובה (shana tova)
HERERO  ombura ombe ombua
HINDI  nav varsh ki subhkamna
HMONG  nyob zoo xyoo tshiab
HUNGARIAN  boldog új évet
ICELANDIC  gleðilegt nýtt ár
IGBO  obi anuri nke afor ohuru
INDONESIAN  selamat tahun baru
IRISH GAELIC  ath bhliain faoi mhaise
ITALIAN  felice anno nuovo / buon anno
JAVANESE  sugeng warsa enggal
JAPANESE  あけまして　おめでとう　ございます (akemashite omedetô)
KABYLIAN  asseggas ameggaz
KANNADA  hosa varshada shubhaashayagalu
KASHMIRI  nav reh mubarakh
KAZAKH  zhana zhiliniz kutti bolsin
KHMER  sur sdei chhnam thmei
KIEMBU  ngethi cya mwaka mweru
KINYARWANDA  umwaka mwiza
KIRUNDI  umwaka mwiza
KOREAN  새해 복 많이 받으세요 (seh heh bok mani bat uh seyo)
KURDE  sala we ya nû pîroz be
KWANGALI  mvhura zompe zongwa
LAO  sabai di pi mai
LATIN  felix sit annus novus
LATVIAN  laimīgu Jauno gadu
LIGURIAN  bón ànno nêuvo
LINGALA  bonana / mbúla ya sika elámu na tombelí yɔ̌
LITHUANIAN  laimingų Naujųjų Metų
LOW SAXON  gelükkig nyjaar
LUXEMBOURGEOIS  e gudd neit Joër
MACEDONIAN  Среќна Нова Година (srekna nova godina)
MALAGASY  arahaba tratry ny taona
MALAY  selamat tahun baru
MALAYALAM  nava varsha ashamshagal
MALTESE  is-sena t-tajba
MANGAREVAN  kia porotu te ano ou
MAORI  kia hari te tau hou
MARATHI  navin varshaachya hardik shubbheccha
MARQUISIAN  kaoha nui tenei ehua hou
MOHAWK  ose:rase
MONGOLIAN  Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хvргэе (shine jiliin bayariin mend hurgeye)
MORÉ  wênd na kô-d yuum-songo
NDEBELE  umyaka omucha omuhle
NGOMBALE  ngeu' shwi pong mbeo paghe
NORWEGIAN  godt nyttår
OCCITAN  bon annada
ORIYA  subha nababarsa / naba barsara hardika abhinandan
OURDOU  naya sar Mubarak
PAPIAMENTU  bon anja / felis anja nobo
PASHTO  nawe kaalmo mobarak sha
PERSIAN  سال نو مبارک (sâle no mobârak)
POLISH Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!!!
PORTUGUESE  feliz ano novo
PUNJABI  ਨਵੇਂ ਸਾਲ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ (nave saal deeyan vadhaiyaan)
ROMANCHE  bun di bun onn
ROMANI  baxtalo nevo bersh
ROMANIAN  un an nou fericit / la mulţi ani
RUSSIAN  С Новым Годом (S novim godom)   Поздравления с Новым годом 2014 (Happy New Year 2014)
SAMOAN  ia manuia le tausaga fou
SANGO  nzoni fini ngou
SARDINIAN  bonu annu nou
SCOTTISH GAELIC  bliadhna mhath ur
SERBIAN  srećna nova godina / Срећна нова година
SHIMAORE  mwaha mwema
SHONA  goredzva rakanaka
SINDHI  nain saal joon wadhayoon
SINHALESE  ශුභ අළුත් අවුරුද්දක් වේවා (shubha aluth awuruddak weiwa)
SLOVAK  šťastný nový rok
SLOVENIAN  srečno novo leto
SOBOTA  dobir leto
SOMALI  sanad wanagsan
SPANISH  feliz año nuevo
SRANAN  wan bun nyun yari
SWAHILI  mwaka mzuri / heri ya mwaka mpya
SWEDISH  gott nytt år
SWISS-GERMAN  es guets Nöis
TAGALOG  manigong bagong taon
TAHITIAN  ia orana i te matahiti api
TAMAZIGHT  assugas amegaz
TAMIL  இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் (iniya puthandu nal Vazhthukkal)
TATAR  yaña yıl belän
TELUGU  నూతన సంవత్శర శుభాకాంక్షలు (nuthana samvathsara subhakankshalu)
THAI  สวัสดีปีใหม่ (sawatdii pimaï)
TIBETAN  tashi delek / losar tashi delek
TIGRE  sanat farah wa khare
TSHILUBA  tshidimu tshilenga
TSWANA  itumelele ngwaga o mosha
TULU  posa varshada shubashaya
TURKISH  yeni yılınız kutlu olsun
TWENTS  gluk in'n tuk UDMURT  Vyľ Aren
UKRAINIAN  Щасливого Нового Року / З Новим роком (Z novym rokom)
URDU  naya sal mubarak
UZBEK  yangi yilingiz qutlug' bo'lsin V
IETNAMESE  Chúc Mừng Nǎm Mới / Cung Chúc Tân Niên / Cung Chúc Tân Xuân
WALOON  ene boune anéye, ene boune sintéye
WALOON ("betchfessîs" spelling)  bone annéye / bone annéye èt bone santéye
WELSH  blwyddyn newydd dda
WEST INDIAN CREOLE  bon lanné
WOLOF  dewenati
XHOSA  nyak'omtsha
YIDDISH  a gut yohr
ZULU  unyaka omusha omuhle



These were largely taken from the following website:

http://www.wishesquotes.com/new-year/happy-new-year-in-all-languages

Also, I wrote an article in the Guardian Liberty Voice (GLV) on the history of New Year's Day celebrations, a tradition that actually dates back some 4,000 years ago. This was the last article that I wrote and published for the GLV for 2014, and it took a considerable amount of research. But I felt proud once it was done, and happy when it was published fairly quickly after I submitted it. It was a fascinating and revealing article to write, and I hope everyone will take a look by clicking on the link below:

http://guardianlv.com/2014/12/new-years-in-history/

January 1st: 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 45 B.C.E.,  New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1st for the first time in history as the Julian calendar took effect. In 404 on this day, the last gladiator competition in Rome took place. Russia began using the Anno Domini era and ceased using the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire on this day in 1700. On this day in 1781, 1,500 soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne's command rebelled against the Continental Army's winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey, as part of the Pennsylvania (Continentals; Regiment) Mutiny of 1781. On this day in 1803, Haitian independence was proclaimed. In 1808 on this day, Sierra Leone became a British colony. On this day in 1863, American President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, officially abolishing slavery in the United States. In 1879 on this day, British writer E.M. Forster was born in London. In 1942 on this day, the United Nations was created. On this day in 1959, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fell out of power. In 1993 on this day, Czechoslovakia split into two separate states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The peaceful division had been engineered in 1992. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect on this day in 1994. In 1995 on this day, the World Trade Organization came into existence. The group of 125 nations monitored global trade. On this day in 2002, Euro coins and notes became the legal tender and went into circulation in twelve European Union member nations for the first time.

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

153 BC - Roman consuls begin their year in office.

On this day in 45 B.C.E.,  New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1st for the first time in history as the Julian calendar took effect. 

1 - Origin of Christian Era

69 - Roman garrison of Mainz uprising

89 - Gov Lucius Antonius Saturninus of Germany becomes emperor of Rome

313 - Start of Roman (Pontifical) Indiction

In 404 on this day, the last gladiator competition in Rome took place.

630 - The Prophet Muhammad sets out toward Mecca with the army that captures it bloodlessly.

722 - Hofmeier Charles Martel flees from bishop Willibrord

990 - Russia adopts Julian calendar

1259 - Michael VIII Palaiologos is proclaimed co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea with his ward John IV Laskaris.

1430 - Jews of Sicily are no longer required to attend conversionist services

1438 - Albrecht II von Habsburg becomes king of Hungary

1494 - Juw Dekama elected potentate of Frisia

1502 - Portuguese navigators discover Rio de Janeiro

1504 - King Louis XII loses last bulwark in Naples, Caeta

1515 - Francois, Duke of Angouleme succeeds Louis XII as Francois I of France

1515 - Jews are expelled from Laibach Austria

1515 - King Francis I of France succeeds to the French throne.

1527 - Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as king of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin.

1573 - Geuzen sets fire to Woudrichem

1583 - 1st day of the Gregorian calendar in Holland & Flanders

1600 - Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of 25 March.

1610 - German astronomer Simon Marius 1st discovers the Jupiter moons, but does not officially report it, Galileo does on July 1 1610

1622 - Papal Chancery adopts Jan 1 as beginning of the year (was Mar 25)

1651 - Charles II Stuart crowned king of Scotland

1660 - 1st entry in Samuel Pepys' diary

1660 - General Moncks army battles with the Tweed on way to London

1660 - Thomas Fairfax' New Model-army occupies York

1672 - Jean Racine's "Bajazet," premieres in Paris

1673 - Regular mail delivery begins between NY & Boston

1675 - Don Carlos de Gurrea/Aragon becomes Spanish land guardian of S Neth

1689 - Pro-James II-earl of Danby occupies York

1700 - Protestant Western Europe (except England) begin using Gregorian calendar

Russia began using the Anno Domini era and ceased using the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire on this day in 1700.

1707 - John V succeeds his father Pedro II as king of Portugal

1739 - J B C Bouvet de Lozier discovers Bouvet Island, near Antarctica

1770 - Date of action in the opera "Madeleine"

1772 - First traveler's cheques go on sale in London, can be used in 90 European cities

First US President George WashingtonFirst US President George Washington 1776 - Gen George Washington hoists Continental Union Flag

Washington's Headquarters at Morristown, New Jersey 

On this day in 1781, 1,500 soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne's command rebelled against the Continental Army's winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey, as part of the Pennsylvania (Continentals; Regiment) Mutiny of 1781.

1785 - "Daily Universal Register" (Times of London) publishes 1st issue

1788 - London's Daily Universal Registrar becomes the Times

1788 - Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipate their slaves

1797 - Albany replaces NYC as capital of NY

1798 - Russia appoints 1st Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

1800 - Dutch East Indies Company dissolves

1801 - The Irish Parliament votes to join the Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

1801 - The dwarf planet Ceres is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.

1803 - Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn Dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam.

The flag of Haiti

On this day in 1803, Haitian independence was proclaimed.  Two months after his defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte's colonial forces, Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaims the independence of Saint-Domingue, renaming it Haiti after its original Arawak name.    In 1791, a slave revolt erupted on the French colony, and Toussaint-Louverture, a former slave, took control of the rebels. Gifted with natural military genius, Toussaint organized an effective guerrilla war against the island's colonial population. He found able generals in two other former slaves, Dessalines and Henri Christophe, and in 1795 he made peace with revolutionary France following its abolishment of slavery. Toussaint became governor-general of the colony and in 1801 conquered the Spanish portion of island, freeing the slaves there.  

In 1808 on this day, Sierra Leone became a British colony.

1808 - Congress prohibits importation of slaves

1809 - Holland Brigade under brig gen Chasse reaches Madrid

1814 - Field marshal Blucher's troops cross the Rhine at Kaub

1818 - Official reopening of the White House

1826 - Baron Van der Capellen resigns as governor of Dutch-Indies

1827 - Dutch Trade Company NHM gets opium monopoly on Java

Abolitionist William Lloyd GarrisonAbolitionist William Lloyd Garrison 1831 - William Lloyd Garrison publishes 1st issue of abolitionist journal

1833 - British government demands Falkland islands

1833 - Curacao census: 2,602 whites, 6,531 free people & 5,894 slaves

1834 - German Tolunie goes into effect

1838 - 1st official horse race in South Australia-Adelaide

1840 - 1st recorded bowling match in US, Knickerbocker Alleys, NYC

1842 - 1st illustrated weekly magazine in US publishes 1st issue, NYC

1844 - 1st edition of New Rotterdam's Daily (3x per week)

1845 - The Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn is completed.

1846 - Yucatan declares independence from Mexico

1847 - Michigan is 1st state to abolish capital punishment

1847 - Neth's Haarlem's Current newspaper starts publishing

1848 - Britain takes Mosquito Coast from Nicaragua

1851 - City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line

1852 - 1st US public bath opens, in NYC

1852 - National debt of Britain & Ireland is 765,126,582 pounds

1852 - Netherlands begins issuing postage stamps

1853 - 1st practical fire engine (horse-drawn) in US enters service

1854 - Lincoln University, a black college, chartered (Oxford, Penn)

1858 - Canada begins using decimal currency system

1860 - Slavery ends of in Neth Indies

1861 - Porfirio Diaz conquers Mexico City

The statue of Abraham Lincoln sculpted by David Chester French, is the centerpiece of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C..

On this day in 1863, American President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, officially abolishing slavery in the United States.

1862 - 1st US income tax (3% of incomes > $600, 5% of incomes > $10,000)

1862 - Battle of Ft McRee, FL Battle of Port Royal, SC (Port Royal Ferry)

1863 - 1st homestead under the Homestead Act claimed, near Beatrice, Nebr

1863 - Battle of Galveston, Texas-Confederates recapture the city

1863 - Emancipation Proclamation (ending slavery) issued by Lincoln

Composer Franz SchubertComposer Franz Schubert 1863 - Franz Schubert's "Missa Solemnis," premieres in Leipzig

1865 - -Apr 26th] Carolinas' campaign

1871 - Belgium disbands salt tax

1873 - Origin of Japanese Era

1874 - New York City annexes the Bronx

1876 - The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.

1877 - England's Queen Victoria proclaimed empress of India

1879 - John Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major premieres in Leipzig

1880 - Building of Panama Canal, begins

1881 - Dr John H Watson is introduced to Sherlock Holmes

1886 - 1st Tournament of Roses (Pasadena California)

1890 - Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government.

1891 - French troops occupy Nioro, West-Sudan, 3000 killed

1891 - King Pakketvaart sails to Neth Indies

1892 - Ellis Island becomes reception center for new immigrants

1893 - 1st US college extension courses for credit, Univ of Chicago

1893 - Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar

1894 - Denmark adopts Mid-European time

1894 - Manchester Ship Canal in England opens to traffic

1895 - Norway adopts Mid-European time

1896 - Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of x-rays

1897 - 1st football game between black colleges-Atlanta U 10, Tuskegee 0

1898 - Brooklyn merges with NY to form present City of NY

1898 - Lightship replaces whistling buoy at mouth of SF Bay

1898 - d'Annunzio's "Sogno d'un mattino di primavera," premieres in Rome

1899 - Cuba liberated from Spain by US (Natl Day) (US occupies till 1902)

1899 - Spanish rule ends in Cuba.

1900 - 1st date in John dos Passos' USA trilogy (The 42nd Parallel)

1900 - British protectorates of Northern & Southern Nigeria established

1900 - Compulsory education in Netherlands goes into effect

1901 - Australia declares independence from federation of UK colonies

Physicist and Nobel Laureate Wilhelm RöntgenPhysicist and Nobel Laureate Wilhelm Röntgen 1901 - Nigeria becomes a British protectorate.

1902 - 1st Rose Bowl game (Pasadena, California) (U of Mich-49, Sanford-0)

1902 - Nathan Stubblefield makes 1st public demonstration of radio, Penn

1904 - Neth Indies colony begins opium production

1905 - 9 hour work day for diamond miners

1906 - Dutch law makes driver's license mandatory

1907 - Pres Theodore Roosevelt shakes a record 8,513 hands in 1 day

1908 - 1st time, ball signifying new year dropped at Times Square

1908 - Jack Hobbs makes his Test debut at the MCG (83 & 28)

1909 - Robert Fowler runs then world record marathon (2:52:45.4)

1909 - Drilling begins on the Lakeview Gusher.

1910 - Simpson-Hayward (England) takes 6-43 on debut with underarm lobs

1911 - Belgian Mining law introduces 9½ hour work day

1911 - South Australia transfers Northern Territory to federal government

1912 - 1st running of SF's famed "Bay to Breakers" race (7.63 miles/12.3 km)

26th US President Theodore Roosevelt26th US President Theodore Roosevelt 1912 - Sun Yat-sen forms Chinese Republic

1912 - The Republic of China is established.

1913 - Post office begins parcel post deliveries

1914 - 1st scheduled airline flight, St Petersburg-Tampa (Tony Jannus pilot)

1914 - Klaas ter Laan becomes Neth's 1st socialist mayor (Zaandam)

1914 - Northern & Southern Nigeria united in British colony of Nigeria

1915 - DW Griffith shows "Clansman" at a sneak preview

1915 - Jews of Laibach Austria expelled

1916 - 1st football game in Rose Bowl (Washington State-Brown)

1916 - 1st issue of "Journal of Negro History" published

1918 - Last day of the Julian calendar in Finland

1919 - Belorussian SSR established

1919 - Edsel Ford succeeds his father, Henry Ford, as president of the Ford Motor Company.

1920 - The Belorussian Communist Organisation is founded as a separate party.

1922 - Vancouver, BC starts driving on the right side of road

Ford Motor Company Founder Henry FordFord Motor Company Founder Henry Ford 1923 - Union of Socialist Soviet Republics established

1923 - Britain's Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMSR.

1924 - Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft/Volkische Block replaces NSDAP

1925 - Norway's capital Christiania changes name to Oslo

1926 - Flood in Rhine strikes Cologne

1927 - Communist uprising in West Java

1927 - Dodgers announce release of future Hall of Fame Zack Wheat

1927 - Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar: December 18, 1926 (Julian), is immediately followed by January 1, 1927 (Gregorian).

1928 - 1st US air-conditioned office building opens, San Antonio

1928 - Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting (Neth)

1929 - Roy Riegels runs 60 yds the wrong way with Rose Bowl fumble recovery

1930 - Earl Claus von Stauffenberg promoted to 2nd lieutenant

1930 - Jurgens & Van den Berg merge with Lever Brothers to form Unilever

1932 - Jacob Cocey Sr chosen as mayor of Massillon Ohio

1932 - Rasse und Siedlungshauptamt publishes Himmler's wedding laws

1932 - The United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth.

1934 - Alcatraz officially becomes a federal prison

1934 - Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (US bank guarantor) effective

1934 - International Telecommunication Union established

1934 - Nazi Germany passes the "Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring".

1935 - 1st Sugar Bowl & 1st Orange Bowl

1935 - Associated Press inaugurates Wirephoto

1935 - Eastern Airlines hires Eddie Rickenbacker as GM

1935 - Pres Mustapha Kemal Pasha names himself "Ataturk: Father of Turkey"

1936 - 1st newspaper to microfilm its current issues, NY Herald Tribune

1937 - Anastasio Somoza becomes president of Nicaragua

1937 - Count Claus von Stauffenberg promoted to captain

1937 - US Army Air Corps physiological research laboratory completed, Ohio

1937 - Safety glass in vehicle windscreens becomes mandatory in Great Britain.

1939 - Sydney, Australia, swelters in 45 ˚C (113 ˚F) heat, a record for the city.

1941 - Netherlands begins taxing wages

1941 - Russian general Zhukov appointed chief of general staff

1942 - Rose Bowl played in NC due to Japanese threat-Oregon 20, Duke 16

1942 - US & 25 other countries sign a united declaration against the Axis

In 1942 on this day, the United Nations was created.  On this day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issue a declaration, signed by representatives of 26 countries, called the "United Nations." The signatories of the declaration vowed to create an international postwar peacekeeping organization.    On December 22, 1941, Churchill arrived in Washington, D.C., for the Arcadia Conference, a discussion with President Roosevelt about a unified Anglo-American war strategy and a future peace. 

1943 - Count Claus von Stauffenberg promoted to lt-colonel

1943 - Negro League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown

1944 - 1st feature-length foreign movie, African Journey, shown on TV, NYC

1944 - Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football "Arab Bowl," Oran, North Africa

1944 - Gen Clark replaces Gen Patton as commander of 7th Army

1945 - France joins the UN

1945 - German air raid on allied airports at Eindhoven/Saint-Trond/Brussels

1946 - ENIAC, US 1st computer finished by Mauchly/Eckert

1946 - Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces he is not a god

1946 - National Assembly proclaims Hungary a republic

1947 - Benelux agress to work related issues

1947 - Britain nationalizes its coal industry

1947 - WTTG TV channel 5 in Washington, DC (MET) begins broadcasting

1948 - 1st color newsreel filmed (Pasadena, California)

1948 - Bradman scores 132 in the 1st innings of the 3rd Test v India

1948 - Britain nationalizes its railways

1948 - General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade effective

1948 - Italy adopts constitution

1948 - Orissa province accedes to India

1948 - British railways are nationalised to form British Rail.

1948 - After partition, India declines to pay the agreed share of Rs.550 million in cash balances to Pakistan.

1948 - The Constitution of Italy comes into force.

1949 - KPRC TV channel 2 in Houston, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 - KTTV TV channel 11 in Los Angeles, CA (MET) begins broadcasting

1949 - Tokelau (Union) Islands declared part of New Zealand

1950 - Dutch government raises all wages 5%, minimally fl. 5 per week

1950 - Ho Chi Minh begins offensive against French troops in Indo China

1950 - The state of Ajaigarh is ceded to the Government of India.

1951 - Massive Chinese/North Korean assault on UN-lines

1952 - Dmitri Shostakovitch completes his 5th string quartet

1953 - Ernest Blochs "Suite Hebraique," premieres

1953 - WBRE TV channel 28 in Wilkes-Barre Scranton, PA (NBC) 1st broadcast

1954 - KSLA TV channel 12 in Shreveport, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1954 - Rose & Cotton Bowl are 1st sport colorcasts

1954 - WWTV TV channel 9 in Cadillac-Traverse City, MI (CBS) 1st broadcast

1954 - Yugoslav parliament chairman/VP Milovan Djilas criticize communism

Vietnamese Communist Revolutionary Ho Chi MinhVietnamese Communist Revolutionary Ho Chi Minh 1955 - Bhutan issues its 1st postage stamps

1955 - WEAT (now WPEC) TV channel 12 in West Palm Beach, FL (CBS) begins

1956 - KHAS TV channel 5 in Hastings, NB (NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - KOSA TV channel 7 in Odessa, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting

1956 - Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) declares independence from Egypt & UK

1956 - WREC (now WREG) TV channel 3 in Memphis, TN (CBS) begins broadcasting

1956 - A new year event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine, Yahiko, central Niigata, Japan, killing at least 124 people.

1957 - Benjamin Britten's ballet "Prince & the Pauper," premieres in London

1957 - France returns Saar to becomes the 10th state of German Federal Rep

1957 - International Geophysical Year begins; ends 6/30/1958 (18-mo year)

1957 - George Town, Penang becomes a city by a royal charter granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

1957 - An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough RUC barracks in one of the most famous incidents of the IRA's Operation Harvest.

1958 - BOAC Britannia flies London to NY in a record 7h57m

1958 - European Economic Community (Common Market) starts operation

1958 - Treaties establish European Economic Community (Common Market)

1958 - WMBD TV channel 31 in Peoria, IL (CBS) begins broadcasting

Cuban President and Dictator Fulgencio BatistaCuban President and Dictator Fulgencio Batista 1959 - Cuban Dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba for the Dominican Republic

On this day in 1959, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fell out of power.       In the face of a popular revolution spearheaded by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the island nation to the Dominican Republic. As celebration and chaos intermingled in the Cuban capitol of Havana, U.S. policymakers debated how best to deal with the radical Castro and the ominous rumblings of anti-Americanism in Cuba.  

1959 - Chad becomes autonomous republic in French Community

1959 - Rohan Kanhai completes 256 v India at Calcutta

1960 - Bank of France issues new franc, worth 100 times the value of existing francs

1960 - Cameroon (French Cameroon) gains independence from France

1960 - Johnny Cash plays 1st of many free concerts behind bars

1960 - Montserrat adopts constitution

1961 - Briggs Stadium is renamed Tigers Stadium

1961 - Houston Oilers beat LA Chargers 24-16 in AFL championship game

1961 - Largest check issued, Natl Bank of Chicago to Sears ($960.242 billion)

1961 - Russia introduces a new ruble worth $1.11

1962 - Beatles' Decca audition is unsuccessful

1962 - Rwanda granted internal self-government by Belgium

1962 - Western Samoa gains independence from New Zealand Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II becomes co-chief of Western Samoa

1962 - United States Navy SEALs established.

Country Singer Johnny CashCountry Singer Johnny Cash 1963 - G Woods succeeds Eugene Black as president of the World Bank

1963 - WTEV (now WLNE) TV channel 6 in Providence RI begins broadcasting

1964 - Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland dissolved

1964 - KNMT TV channel 12 in Walker, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting

1964 - KTVS TV channel 3 in Sterling, CO (CBS) begins broadcasting

1965 - International Cooperation Year begins

1965 - Palestinian al-Fatah organization forms

1965 - The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul.

1966 - 12 day transit worker strike shuts down NYC subway

1966 - Milt coup by Col Jean-Bédell Bokassa in Central African Republic

1966 - Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" reaches #1

1966 - All US cigarette packs have to carry "Caution Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health"

1967 - CRU becomes the CAFA & turns over the Grey Cup trophy to the CFL

1967 - Day's play in the Calcutta Test v W Indies cancelled by riots

1967 - FCC requires AM-FM sister stations to be at least 50% different

1967 - Green Bay Packers beat Dallas Cowboys 34-27 in NFL championship game

1967 - KC Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills 31-7 in AFL championship game

1967 - St Helena adopts constitution

1967 - Tonga revises constitution

1967 - WABW TV channel 14 in Pelham, GA (PBS) begins broadcasting

1968 - ABC radio splits into 4 networks (Info, Entertainment, Contemp & FM)

Motorcycle Daredevil Evel KnievelMotorcycle Daredevil Evel Knievel 1968 - Evel Knievel fails in his attempt to jump Caesar's Palace Fountain

1968 - Netherlands gets color TV

1968 - WDCO TV channel 15 in Cochran, GA (PBS) begins broadcasting

1969 - Jack Kent Cooke, owner of NHL's LA Kings, fines each player $100 for "NOT" arguing with the referee

1970 - "The Epoch" (Time 0 for UNIX systems, Midnight GMT)

1970 - Afro-American Historical Calendar Series Established

1970 - Charles "Chub" Feeney becomes president of baseball's National League

1970 - Neth Christian Workers Union (NCW) forms

1970 - Revised calendar for Western (RC) Church goes into effect

1971 - Cigarette advertisements banned on TV

1972 - "Company" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 690 performances

1972 - "On the Town" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 65 performances

1972 - "Promises Promises" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 1281 perfs

1972 - China PR performs nuclear test at Lop Nor PRC

1972 - International Book Year begins

1972 - KDSD TV channel 16 in Aberdeen, SD (PBS) begins broadcasting

1973 - 47th Australian Women's Tennis: Margaret Court beats Goolagong (64 75)

1973 - Britain, Ireland & Denmark become 7th-9th members of Common Market

1973 - West African Economic Community formed (Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Upper Volta)

1974 - Lee MacPhail takes over as AL president, succeeding Joe Cronin

1974 - NBC radio begins on the hour news 24 hours a day (following CBS lead)

1974 - World Population Year begins

1975 - Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell & Mardian convicted of Watergate crime

1975 - International Women's Year begins

1975 - Sweden adopts constitution

1976 - "Musical Jubilee" closes at St James Theater NYC after 92 performances

1976 - Liberty Bell moves to new home behind Independence Hall

1976 - NBC replaces the peacock logo

1976 - Venezuela nationalizes oil fields

1977 - 1st woman formally ordained an Episcopal priest (Jacqueline Means)

1977 - Belgium reapportions 2,359 communities into 596

1977 - Czech intellects begin Human Rights Group Chapter 77

1977 - Tony Dorsett runs for record 202 yards in the Sugar Bowl

1978 - "Your Arm's Too Short..." closes at Lyceum NYC after 429 perfs

1978 - Air India B747 explodes near Bombay killing 213

1978 - Pres Ford signs 1st major revision of copyright law since 1909

1979 - International Year of the Child begins

1979 - Jura, 26th canton of Switzerland, established

1979 - US & China (Peoples Republic) begin diplomatic relations

1980 - 54th Australian Womens Tennis: Barbara Jordan beats S Walsh (63 63)

1980 - Alabama beats Arkansas in Sugar Bowl for college football championship

1980 - Chrysler UK renamed Talbot

1980 - International Decade of Water & Sanitation begins

1980 - Mob storms Russian embassy in Teheran

1980 - Premier Adbou Diouf becomes president of Senegal

1980 - Sweden changes order of succession to throne

1980 - Victoria is crowned princess of Sweden.

1981 - Georgia beats Notre Dame in Sugar Bowl for college football title

1981 - Greece is 10th country to join European Economic Community

1981 - International Year for the Disabled begins

1981 - Palau (Trust Territory of Pacific Is) becomes self-governing

1981 - Roger Smith becomes CEO of General Motors

1982 - 30 Something stars Ken Olin & Patricia Wettig meet, later they marry

1982 - Clemson wins the Orange Bowl for college football championship

1982 - Javier Perez de Cuellar becomes sec-gen of UN

1982 - MTA launches a 5 year plan to upgrade the NYC subway system

264th Pope John Paul II264th Pope John Paul II 1982 - Pope John Paul II prays for an end to martial law in Poland

1982 - TA launches 5 year capital program to overhaul NYC subway system

1983 - PGA inaugurates all-exempt tour

1983 - Penn State beats Georgia in Sugar Bowl for college football title

1983 - World Communications Year begins

1983 - TCP/IP protocols become the only approved protocol on the ARPANET, replacing the earlier NCP protocol

1984 - AT&T's 22 owned Bell system companies divests into 8 companies

1984 - Brunei becomes independent of UK

1984 - NYC transit fare rises from 75 cents to 90 cents

1985 - International Youth Year begins

1985 - US's 1st manadatory seat belt law goes into effect (NY)

1985 - VH-1 made its broadcasting debut

1985 - The Internet's Domain Name System is created.

1985 - The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone.

1986 - Aruba becomes independent from neighbor island Curacao

1986 - Barbra Striesand & Jon Peters relationship breaks up

1986 - International Peace Year begins

1986 - NYC transit fare rises from 90 cents to $1.00

1986 - Oklahoma wins Orange Bowl for college football championship

1986 - Spain & Portugal are 11th & 12th to join European Economic Community

1986 - Iowa's All-American running back, Ronnie Harmon, fumbles the ball 4 times in his last game-the Rose Bowl

1987 - 60 bodies recovered in Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico

1987 - China's rudimentary civil code in effect

1987 - International Year of Shelter for Homeless begins

1988 - Czech born tennis star Hana Mandikova becomes an Australian Citizen

1988 - Miami beats Oklahoma for college football championship

1988 - Year of the Reader begins

1989 - NYC transit fare rises from $1.00 to $1.15

1989 - Year of the Young Reader begins

1990 - David Dinkins sworn in as 1st black mayor of NYC

1990 - Mitsuko Nishiwaki beats Nakano to become Japan Women wrestling champ

1990 - NYC MTA stops token redemption at subway stations

1990 - Sports News Network begins operation on cable TV

1990 - FCC implements "SYNDEX" giving independent stations more rights over cable TV outlets for exclusive syndicated programs

1991 - 5% sales tax on consumer goods & services goes into effect in USSR

1991 - Iraq rejects peace proposal from Egyptian Pres Hosi Mubarak

1991 - Les Miserables opens at Festival Theatre, Adelaide

1992 - Bush is 1st US president to address Australian Parliament

1992 - Curacao becomes 1st in Dutch Antilles to have compulsory education

1992 - Europe breaks down trade barriers

1992 - International Space Year begins

1992 - NYC transit fare increases from $1.15 to $1.25

1993 - 12 member European Economic Community set up vast free trade zone

1993 - Blockbuster Bowl 3: Stanford beats Penn State, 24-3

1993 - Cigarette advertisements are banned in NYC's MTA

1993 - Czechoslovakia separates into Czech Republic (Bohemia) & Slovakia

In 1993 on this day, Czechoslovakia split into two separate states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The peaceful division had been engineered in 1992. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect on this day in 1994. In 1995 on this day, the World Trade Organization came into existence. The group of 125 nations monitored global trade. On this day in 2002, Euro coins and notes went into circulation in twelve European nations for the first time.

1994 - The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas.

In 1995 on this day, the World Trade Organization came into existence. The group of 125 nations monitored global trade. On this day in 2002, Euro coins and notes went into circulation in twelve European nations for the first time.

1995 - "Glass Menagerie" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 57 perfs

1995 - "Shadow Box" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 49 performances

1995 - Austria, Finland & Sweden act to join European Union

1995 - Centennial of Canadian Mounties presence in Canada's Yukon Territory

1995 - Fernando Henrique Cardoso installed as president of Brazil

1995 - International Year of Tolerance

1995 - Last "Far Side" by cartoonist Gary Larson (started 1980)

1995 - Raman Lamba & Ravi Sehgal score 464 for 1st wicket for Delhi

1995 - for"Tuna Christmas" closes at Booth Theater NYC 20 performances

1995 - The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.

Cartoonist Gary LarsonCartoonist Gary Larson 1996 - After 27 years, Betty Rubble debuts as a Flintstone vitamin

1996 - Curacao gains limited form of self rule (Status Aparte)

1997 - The Republic of Zaïre officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Zaïre.

1998 - All California bars, clubs & card rooms must be smoke-free

1998 - Mongolia switches from a 46 hour to 40 hour work week

1998 - US Census Bureau estimates population at 268,921,733

1998 - Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.

1998 - The European Central Bank is established.

1999 - International Year of Elderly

1999 - The Euro currency is introduced.

2000 - Gisbourne, New Zealand population 32,754 is first city in the world to welcome in the new millennium

2002 - The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially comes into force.

On this day in 2002, Euro coins and notes became the legal tender and went into circulation in twelve European Union member nations for the first time.

2002 - Taiwan officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei.

2004 - In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, was "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007.

2006 - Sydney, Australia swelters through its hottest New Years Day on record. The thermometre peaked at 45 degrees celsius, sparking bushfires and power outages.

2007 - Bulgaria and Romania officially join the European Union. Also, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages.

2007 - Slovenia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the thirteenth Eurozone country.

2007 - Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board.

2008 - A New Hampshire law legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples comes into effect.

2008 - Malta and Cyprus officially adopt the Euro currency and become the fourteenth and fifteenth Eurozone countries.

2009 - Slovakia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the sixteenth Eurozone country.

2009 - 61 die in nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.

2009 - The government of the Republic of China adopts Hanyu Pinyin as its official Chinese romanization (before this time, the most commonly used was Tongyong Pinyin.

2010 - Suicide car bomb detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100

2013 - 13 FARC members are killed by an airstrike by the Columbian military

2013 - 13 Boko Harem members are killed by Nigeria’s military in Maiduguri

2013 - 60 people are killed and 200 are injured after a stampede following New Year celebrations

2013 - 18 people are killed and 16 wounded after a bus and mini-bus collision in Thiès, Senegal

2013 - 10 people are killed and 120 are injured in a stampede in Luanda, Angola

2013 - US bi-partisan deal temporarily avoids the fiscal cliff

2013 - Magnus Carlsen breaks Garry Kasparov's chess FIDE rating, reaching 2,861

2304 - Mid-CALENDAR day

6000 - 1st reversible date since 11/11/1999

0404 - The last gladiator competition was held in Rome.   1622 - The Papal Chancery adopted January 1st as the beginning of the New Year (instead of March 25th).   1772 - The first traveler's checks were issued in London.   1785 - London's oldest daily paper "The Daily Universal Register" (later renamed "The Times" in 1788) was first published.   1797 - Albany became the capital of New York state, replacing New York City.   1801 - The Act of Union of England and Ireland came into force.   1801 - Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi became the first person to discover an asteroid. He named it Ceres.   1804 - Haiti gained its independence.   1808 - The U.S. prohibited import of slaves from Africa.   1840 - The first recorded bowling match was recorded in the U.S.   1863 - U.S. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in the rebel states were free.   1887 - Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India in Delhi.   1892 - Ellis Island Immigrant Station formally opened in New York.   1892 - Brooklyn and New York merged to form the single city of New York.   1894 - The Manchester Ship Canal was officially opened to traffic.   1898 - Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were consolidated into New York City.   1900 - Hawaii asked for a delegate to the Republican national convention.   1900 - Nigeria became a British protectorate with Frederick Lagard as the high commissioner.   1901 - The Commonwealth of Australia was founded. Lord Hopetoun officially assumed the duties as the first Governor-General.   1902 - The first Tournament of Roses (later the Rose Bowl) collegiate football game was played in Pasadena, CA.   1909 - The first payments of old-age pensions were made in Britain. People over 70 received five shillings a week.   1913 - The post office began parcel post deliveries.   1924 - Frank B. Cooney received a patent for ink paste.   1926 - The Rose Bowl was carried coast to coast on network radio for the first time.   1930 - "The Cuckoo Hour" was heard for the first time on the NBC-Blue Network, which later became ABC Radio.   1934 - Alcatraz Island officially became a Federal Prison.   1934 - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) began operation.   1936 - The "New York Herald Tribune" began microfilming its current issues.   1937 - The First Cotton Bowl football game was played in Dallas, TX. Texas Christian University (T.C.U.) beat Marquette, 16-6.   1939 - The Hewlett-Packard partnership was formed.   1942 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued a declaration called the "United Nations." It was signed by 26 countries that vowed to create an international postwar World War II peacekeeping organization.   1945 - France was admitted to the United Nations.   1956 - Sudan gained its independence.   1958 - The European Economic Community (EEC) started operations.   1959 - Fidel Castro overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista, and seized power in Cuba.   1968 - Evel Knievel, stunt performing daredevil, lost control of his motorcycle midway through a jump of 141 feet over the ornamental fountains in front of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.   1971 - Tobacco ads representing $20 million dollars in advertising were banned from TV and radio broadcast.   1973 - Britain, Ireland, Denmark and Norway joined the EEC.   1975 - The magazine "Popular Electronics" announced the invention of a person computer called Altair. MITS, using an Intel microprocessor, developed the computer.   1979 - The United States and China held celebrations in Washington, DC, and Beijing to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.   1981 - Greece joined the European Community.   1984 - AT&T was broken up into 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement with the U.S. Federal government.   1986 - Spain and Portugal joined the European Community (EC).   1987 - A pro-democracy rally took place in Beijing's Tiananmen Square (China).   1990 - David Dinkins was sworn in as New York City's first black mayor.   1992 - The ESPN Radio Network was officially launched.   1993 - Czechoslovakia split into two separate states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The peaceful division had been engineered in 1992.   1994 - Bill Gates, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft and Melinda French were married.   1994 - The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect.   1995 - Frederick West, an alleged killer of 12 women and girls, was found hanged in his jail cell in Winston Green prison, in Birmingham. West had been under almost continuous watch since his arrest in 1994, but security had reportedly been relaxed in the months preceding the apparent suicide.   1995 - The World Trade Organization came into existence. The group of 125 nations monitors global trade.   1998 - A new anti-smoking law went into effect in California. The law prohibiting people from lighting up in bars.   1999 - The euro became currency for 11 Member States of the European Union. Coins and notes were not available until January 1, 2002.   1999 - In California, a law went into effect that defined "invasion of privacy as trespassing with the intent to capture audio or video images of a celebrity or crime victim engaging in a personal of family activity."   2001 - The "Texas 7," rented space in an RV park in Woodland Park, CO.


1863 Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 1908 The ball signifying the New Year was dropped for the first time at Times Square in New York City. 1914 The world's first airline, St. Petersburg Tampa Airboat Line, starts operation in St. Petersburg, Florida. 1959 Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries took over Cuba and toppled Fulgencio Batista's regime. 1975 John Mitchell, H. R. Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman were convicted of obstruction of justice in the Watergate affair. 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 1994 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. 2002 Euro coins and notes went into circulation in twelve European nations.


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/jan01.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory