12/19/2025
On Dec. 19, 1843, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, was first published in England. The novella tells the story of miser Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation to a kinder soul following visits from the ghost of his old business partner and the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The story was an immediate success, and remains one of Dickens' most beloved works.
On this date:
In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to camp for the winter. However, the beleaguered troops did not get the recuperation they needed. Basic supplies, such as food and clothing, ran low. Starvation and exposure killed about 2,500 soldiers
In 1961, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., 73, suffered a debilitating stroke while in Palm Beach, Florida.
In 2001, the fires that had burned beneath the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York City for the previous three months were declared extinguished except for a few scattered hot spots.
In 1907, 239 workers died in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania.
In 1946, war broke out in Indochina as troops under Ho Chi Minh launched widespread attacks against the French.
1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached by the Republican-controlled House for perjury and obstruction of justice (he was subsequently acquitted by the Senate).
In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, winding up the Apollo program of manned lunar landings.
In 1813, British forces captured Fort Niagara during the War of 1812.
Thought for Today: " When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions." _ Carter Godwin Woodson, American historian, author, journalist born on this day in 1875
days until Christmas!
Today's Highlight in History:
On Dec. 20, 1945, the Office of Price Administration announced the end of tire rationing. During the war Japanese occupations in the Far East had made it impossible to get rubber from plantations in the Dutch East Indies, and what little rubber was available went straight to airplane and munitions factories. No driver was permitted to own more than five tires. One of the first commodities to be restricted it was the last to be freed.
On this date:
In 1812, German authors Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of the first edition of their collection of folk stories, "Children's and Household Tales."
In 1924, Adolf Hi**er was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch.
In 1946, the Frank Capra film "It's A Wonderful Life," starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, had a preview showing for charity in New York, a day before its official world premiere.
In 1957, Rock 'n' roll star Elvis Presley received his draft notice. The 22-year-old refused special treatment, despite thousands of fans writing letters asking for this national treasure to be spared. Presley went on to serve two years and reached the rank of sergeant.
In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.
In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power after he had been indicted on drug trafficking charges. Noriega's regime fell in just days, and Noriega himself was arrested and later sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.
Thought for Today: “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” Zuzu Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life
Today's Highlights in History:
On Dec. 21, 1891, the first basketball game, devised by James Naismith, is believed to have been played at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.
On this date:
In 1945, U.S. Army Gen. George S. Patton, 60, died in Heidelberg, Germany, 12 days after being seriously injured in a car accident.
In 1969, Vince Lombardi coached his last NFL football game as his team, the Washington Redskins, lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 20-10 at the Cotton Bowl.
In 1976, the Liberian-registered tanker Argo Merchant broke apart near Nantucket Island off Massachusetts almost a week after running aground, spilling 7.5 million gallons of oil into the North Atlantic.
In 2002, President George W. Bush received a smallpox vaccination, fulfilling a promise he'd made when he ordered inoculations for about a-half million U.S. troops.
In 1988, 270 people were killed when a terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pam Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, sending wreckage crashing to the ground. Islamic terrorists were accused of planting the bomb, hidden in a tape player in the New York bound Boeing 747's cargo hold. In 2003, Libya took responsibility for the bombing.
Thought for Today: "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." _ Benjamin Disraeli Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom born on this day in 1804
