Sections
Log in
Top News
U.S. News World News Featured Voices
Odd News
Entertainment
Movies Music TV
Sports
Soccer NFL NBA MLB
Photos
News Entertainment Sports Features
More...
Defense Featured Science Health Video Archive Almanac
About Feedback Privacy Policy
About Feedback Privacy Policy
Search
Trending
Seth Meyers
Dead birds
Blue Origin
Extreme sports
William Shatner
Corpus Christi
Military bases
Louisville
Hanukkah
Jersey City
Odd News
Dec. 20, 2007 / 3:30 AM

The almanac

By
United Press International

Today is Thursday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2007 with 11 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Mars, Venus and Saturn. The evening stars are Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Sagittarius. They include author and decorator Elsie de Wolfe (Lady Mendl) in 1865; industrialist Harvey Firestone in 1868; philosopher Susanne K. Langer in 1895; U.S. actress Irene Dunne in 1898; nuclear physicist Robert Van de Graaff in 1901; movie director George Roy Hill ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting") in 1921; actor John Hillerman in 1932 (age 75); psychic Uri Geller in 1946 (age 61); and actress Jenny Agutter in 1952 (age 55).


On this date in history:

In 1803, the United States formally took over territory acquired from France in the Louisiana Purchase.

In 1812, Sacagawea, the young Indian woman who guided the Lewis and Clark Expedition, died.

In 1864, Union Gen. William T. Sherman completed his Civil War "march to the sea" across the South and arrived in Savannah, Ga.

In 1946 the first Indochina war began with Vietnamese troops under Ho Chi Minh clashing with the French at Hanoi.

In 1956, the Montgomery, Ala., public bus boycott officially ended but not until it had given a major boost to the civil rights struggle in the South. The boycott had been called in reaction to the Dec. 1, 1955, arrest of Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man.

In 1987, nearly 1,600 people died in the Philippines when a passenger ferry was struck by an oil tanker and sank. It was the century's worst peacetime maritime disaster.

In 1989, the United States invaded Panama to oust Manuel Noriega and install the duly elected civilian government. Twenty-three U.S. troops were killed.

In 1990, Eduard Shevardnadze abruptly resigned as Soviet foreign minister, warning against a dictatorship of hard-liners.

In 1991, Philippines prosecutors filed nine counts of graft against former first lady Imelda Marcos, charging she used bogus front companies to bilk millions of dollars from the nation.

In 1993, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's governing Socialist Party claimed victory in parliamentary elections held the day before.

In 1995, 160 people were killed when an American Airlines 757 crashed into a mountain shortly before it was scheduled to land in Cali, Colombia.

Also in 1995, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II had sent letters to her son, Prince Charles, and his estranged wife, Princess Diana, urging them to seek a divorce as quickly as possible.

Further in 1995, NATO assumed peacekeeping duties in Bosnia from the United Nations.

In 1996, guerrillas in Peru took an estimated 380 hostages at the Japanese ambassador's residence.

In 1998, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declared that the four-night U.S.-British bombing campaign of his country was a victory for Iraq over the "enemies of God and humanity."

Also in 1998, a Houston woman gave birth to seven more babies after delivering the first infant 12 days earlier. They were the only known set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States. The smallest baby died a week later.

In 1999, Macau reverted to Chinese rule.

In 2001, Argentine President Fernando de la Rua resigned amid mass protest demonstrations but chaos continued in his troubled country.

In 2002, U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., resigned as Senate majority leader amid an intense furor growing from remarks that seemed to praise the 1948 segregationist presidential candidacy of Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.

In 2004, the United Nations said sub-Saharan Africa, ravaged by drought, civil strife and swarms of crop-devouring locusts, faced a worsening food crisis.

In 2005, a three-day transit strike idled New York City's 6,300 subway cars and 4,600 buses and hampered the 7 million people who ride on the system every weekday.

Also in 2005, a judge in Harrisburg, Pa., ruled the concept of "intelligent design" cannot be taught in Pennsylvania public high school science classes.

In 2006, U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid, the head of the U.S. Central Command and the main military architect of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, submitted his letter of resignation.

Also in 2006, Sudan's Darfur conflict was reported spreading to Chad with untold numbers of ethnic killings and more than 90,000 Chadians fleeing their villages.


A thought for the day: Bertrand Russell said, "To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."

  • Topics
  • Bertrand Russell
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Eduard Shevardnadze
  • Elizabeth II
  • Elsie de Wolfe
  • Fernando de la Rua
  • George Roy Hill
  • Harvey Firestone
  • Irene Dunne
  • Jenny Agutter
  • John Abizaid
  • John Hillerman
  • Lady Mendl
  • Prince Charles
  • Robert Van de Graaff
  • Susanne K. Langer
  • Trent Lott
  • Uri Geller
  • William T. Sherman

Latest Headlines

Two-headed cobra discovered in Indian village
Odd News // 4 hours ago
Two-headed cobra discovered in Indian village
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in India said a two-headed snake was discovered in a village, but locals refused to turn the serpent over because they believe it has mythological meaning.

Festive SUV pulled over for excessive Christmas lights
Odd News // 4 hours ago
Festive SUV pulled over for excessive Christmas lights
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Washington State Patrol is warning drivers not to get too festive with their vehicles after an SUV decked out with Christmas lights was stopped on the highway.

Explosion at Montana home caused by bear spray in the oven
Odd News // 5 hours ago
Explosion at Montana home caused by bear spray in the oven
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Firefighters responding to a reported explosion at a Montana home said it turned out a can of bear spray had been left inside a warming oven.

Deer rescued from plastic pumpkin predicament in New Jersey
Odd News // 5 hours ago
Deer rescued from plastic pumpkin predicament in New Jersey
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Officials in a New Jersey borough said animal rescuers were able to come to the assistance of a deer seen wandering with part of its head stuck in a plastic pumpkin.

Airline offers priority seating to passengers in ugly Christmas sweaters
Odd News // 6 hours ago
Airline offers priority seating to passengers in ugly Christmas sweaters
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Alaska Airlines announced it is celebrating the Christmas season by offering priority boarding for one day to passengers wearing ugly sweaters.

New Jersey student's drone breaks speed record
Odd News // 6 hours ago
New Jersey student's drone breaks speed record
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A New Jersey student broke a Guinness World Record when his quadcopter drone ascended from the ground to 328 feet in 2.732 seconds.

Alaska man frees moose caught in Christmas lights
Odd News // 7 hours ago
Alaska man frees moose caught in Christmas lights
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- An Alaska resident came to the rescue of a moose that got its face tangled in Christmas lights and the incident was caught on video by a doorbell camera.

Firefighters rescue teen with fingers stuck in shopping cart
Odd News // 8 hours ago
Firefighters rescue teen with fingers stuck in shopping cart
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts teen required help from firefighters with power tools after her fingers got stuck in the holes of a shopping cart.

Squirrel steals package from front porch of Los Angeles home
Odd News // 9 hours ago
Squirrel steals package from front porch of Los Angeles home
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles resident's home security camera recorded the moment a sneaky squirrel stole a package from their front porch.

Maine girl's message in a bottle found 36 years later
Odd News // 1 day ago
Maine girl's message in a bottle found 36 years later
Dec. 10 (UPI) -- An 11-year-old Maine girl threw a message in a bottle into the water and it was found 36 years later by a man walking the Cape Cod beach in Massachusetts.

Trending Stories

Pigeons spotted wearing tiny cowboy hats in Las Vegas
Pigeons spotted wearing tiny cowboy hats in Las Vegas
Maine girl's message in a bottle found 36 years later
Maine girl's message in a bottle found 36 years later
Idaho man juggles balloons with his head for over 3 minutes
Idaho man juggles balloons with his head for over 3 minutes
Man wins $30,000 from lottery ticket rejected by friend
Man wins $30,000 from lottery ticket rejected by friend
Maryland man attributes lottery luck to Taylor Swift
Maryland man attributes lottery luck to Taylor Swift

Photo Gallery

 
Sports Illustrated gala honors Megan Rapinoe as Sportsperson of the Year
Sports Illustrated gala honors Megan Rapinoe as Sportsperson of the Year

Latest News

Trump signs executive order combatting anti-Semitism at Hanukkah event
New York Giants CB Janoris Jenkins directs derogatory tweet at fan during practice
House passes defense bill creating Space Force, paid parental leave
Medicaid expansion hasn't boosted ER visits to U.S. hospitals, study finds
France unveils pension overhaul plans amid ongoing protests
 
Back to Article
/
Back to top
About UPI Contact Feedback Advertisements Submit News Tips
Copyright © 2019 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy