- 1620] The Pilgrims are coming, the Pilgrims are coming: The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower go ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth (12/21)...
- 1880] Premiered on this date: Broadway officially becomes "The Great White Way" when the lights go on for the first time (12/20)...1946] Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" starring James Stewart and Donna Reed is previewed for charity at the Globe Theatre in Times Square (12/20). The next day is the official world premiere. The movie won't become a hit until it reaches TV...1967] "The Graduate" starring Anne Bancroft and introducing Dustin Hoffman premieres (12/20)...1981] "Dream Girls" opens at the Imperial Theater on Broadway (12/20) and 25 years later (2006) the movie opens...
- 1945] "Happy Trails": General George S. Patton dies in Germany from injuries suffered in a car accident. Patton was 60 (12/21)...1973] Bobby Darin passes away following surgery to repair a faulty heart valve. Darin was just 37 (12/20)...1996] Astronomer Carl Sagan goes to a galaxy, billions and billions of light years away at 62. Sagan suffered from a rare bone marrow disease (12/20)...1999] Legendary Country Music star Hank Snow dies from natural causes at 85 (12/20)...2000] Former New York City Mayor John Lindsay dies from Parkinson's disease and pneumonia at 79 (12/19)...2005] Mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante dies in a Springfield (MO) federal prison at 77 (12/19)...
- 1970] Elvis the drug czar: Richard M. Nixon has a meeting in the Oval Office about fighting drugs with Elvis Presley, who will die from an overdose of drugs (12/21)...
- 1978] Guilty as charged: Police in Des Plaines (IL) arrest John Wayne Gacy Jr. and begin unearthing the remains of 33 men and boys that Gacy will be convicted of murdering (12/21). Gacy is executed by lethal injection in May, 1994...1996] After two years of denials, House Speaker Newt Gingrich admits violating House ethic rules (12/21). He is soon replaced as House Speaker...
- 1980] Silent Night: No announcers are allowed in a Don Ohlmeyer experiment during the Jets-Dolphins game on NBC-TV, won by the Jets 24-17 (12/20). I remember how refreshing it was and they kept the parabolic crowd mics open so you felt like you were at the game. It's time for this experiment to return...
- 1987] All Paul Simon all the time: Presidential candidate Paul Simon introduces singer Paul Simon on 'Saturday Night Live' (12/19). Will the real Paul Simon please stand up...
- 1988] Terrorism in the sky: 270 are killed when a Pan Am Boeing 747 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland. A terrorist attack is responsible for one of the worst air tragedies ever (12/21)...
- 1990] Bo knows: Bo Jackson becomes the first athlete to be chosen for All-Star games in both baseball and football when he's selected to the NFL Pro Bowl (12/19). Had he not gotten hurt he would of been one of the all-time greats in both sports...
- 2002] This is justice?: Citing new DNA evidence, a judge throws out the convictions of 5 young men for the 1989 attack on the 'Central Park Jogger' who was raped and left for dead (12/19). Miraculously she survives...For more on December 19: C L I C K:
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