December 15
1791 - The Bill of Rights took effect when Virginia became the 10th state to ratify it.
1890 - Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, South Dakota during a clash with Indian police.
1916 - The French defeated the Germans at the World War I Battle of Verdun.
1938 - Ground was broken for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1939 - The movie "Gone With the Wind" premiered in Atlanta, Georgia.
1944 - Band leader Glenn Miller disappeared when his U.S. Army plane crashed over the English Channel.
1944 - The U.S. Senate approved the promotions of Henry H. Arnold, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall to the five-star rank of "General of the Army" and the nominations of William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King and Chester W. Nimitz as five-star "Fleet Admiral".
1961 - Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court for organizing the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.
1964 - Canada adopted its current national flag, a red maple leaf on a white background.
1965 - Two U.S. manned spacecraft, Gemini 6A and Gemini 7, maneuvered toward each other while in orbit, at one point coming as close as one foot.
1966 - Animated cartoon pioneer and movie producer Walt Disney died in Los Angeles at age 65.
1967 - The Silver Bridge between Gallipolis, Ohio, and Point Pleasant, West Virginia, collapsed into the Ohio River, killing 46 people.
1978 - President Jimmy Carter announced he would grant diplomatic recognition to Communist China on New Year’s Day and sever official relations with Taiwan.
1989 - A demonstration that turned into a popular uprising in Romania began the downfall of Nicolae Ceausescu.
2000 - The long-troubled Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine was closed for good.
2001 - With a crash and a large dust cloud, a 50-foot tall section of steel -- the last standing piece of the World Trade Center’s facade -- was brought down in New York.
2003 - The late Sen. Strom Thurmond's family acknowledged Essie Mae Washington-Williams' claim that she was Thurmond's illegitimate mixed-race daughter.
2004 - American telecommunications giants Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. announced they would merge in a $35 billion deal.
2005 - Millions of Iraqis turned out to choose a parliament in a mostly peaceful election.
2009 - The Washington, D.C. City Council voted to legalize same-sex marriage.
2009 - Evangelist Oral Roberts died in Newport Beach, California, at age 91.
2010 - The U.N. Security Council gave a unanimous vote of confidence to the government of Iraq by lifting 19-year-old sanctions on weapons and civilian nuclear power.
2013 - Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in his childhood hometown, ending a 10-day mourning period for South Africa’s first Black president.
2016 - A federal jury in Charleston, South Carolina, convicted Dylann Roof of slaughtering nine Black church members who had welcomed him to their Bible study.
2019 - The Hallmark Channel said it would reinstate commercials for a wedding-planning website featuring same-sex couples; the network had pulled the ads following a complaint from a conservative group.
Birthdays
23 - Stefania Owen (actress)
23 - Maude Apatow (actress)
37 - Camilla Luddington (actress)
38 - George O. Gore II (actor)
39 - Michelle Dockery (actress)
41 - Adam Brody (actor)
44 - Geoff Stults (actor)
48 - Stuart Townsend (actor)
50 - Michael Shanks (actor)
52 - Garrett Wang (actor)
54 - Teresa May (model)
55 - Molly Price (actress)
56 - Paul Kaye (actor)
57 - Helen Slater (actress)
70 - Melanie Chartoff (actress)
71 - Don Johnson (actor)
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Today in Sports History - December 15
1917 - The NHL's first exhibition game was played four days before the start of the regular season. The Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers played a benefit game for victims of the Halifax Explosion, which had occurred 10 days earlier.
1925 - The third Madison Square Garden was opened with a game between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Americans.
1935 - The Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants 26-7 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1946 - The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 24-14 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1966 - The New Orleans Saints officially became the NFL's 16th franchise.
1973 - Tennessee defeats Temple 11-6 in a men's basketball game.
1974 - The Miami Dolphins won their 31st consecutive home game.
1982 - Paul "Bear" Bryant announced his retirement as head football coach at the University of Alabama.
1996 - John Elway (Denver Broncos) won his 126th game to set an NFL record.
1997 - The San Francisco 49ers retired Joe Montana's #16.
2002 - Edgardo Alfonzo and the San Francisco Giants agreed on a four year contract worth $26 million.
2002 - USC quarterback Carson Palmer wins the Heisman Trophy.
2008 - Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford wins the Heisman Trophy.
2019 - The Raiders play their final game in Oakland in a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The franchise moved to Las Vegas the following season.
1791 - The Bill of Rights took effect when Virginia became the 10th state to ratify it.
1890 - Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, South Dakota during a clash with Indian police.
1916 - The French defeated the Germans at the World War I Battle of Verdun.
1938 - Ground was broken for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1939 - The movie "Gone With the Wind" premiered in Atlanta, Georgia.
1944 - Band leader Glenn Miller disappeared when his U.S. Army plane crashed over the English Channel.
1944 - The U.S. Senate approved the promotions of Henry H. Arnold, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall to the five-star rank of "General of the Army" and the nominations of William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King and Chester W. Nimitz as five-star "Fleet Admiral".
1961 - Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court for organizing the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.
1964 - Canada adopted its current national flag, a red maple leaf on a white background.
1965 - Two U.S. manned spacecraft, Gemini 6A and Gemini 7, maneuvered toward each other while in orbit, at one point coming as close as one foot.
1966 - Animated cartoon pioneer and movie producer Walt Disney died in Los Angeles at age 65.
1967 - The Silver Bridge between Gallipolis, Ohio, and Point Pleasant, West Virginia, collapsed into the Ohio River, killing 46 people.
1978 - President Jimmy Carter announced he would grant diplomatic recognition to Communist China on New Year’s Day and sever official relations with Taiwan.
1989 - A demonstration that turned into a popular uprising in Romania began the downfall of Nicolae Ceausescu.
2000 - The long-troubled Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine was closed for good.
2001 - With a crash and a large dust cloud, a 50-foot tall section of steel -- the last standing piece of the World Trade Center’s facade -- was brought down in New York.
2003 - The late Sen. Strom Thurmond's family acknowledged Essie Mae Washington-Williams' claim that she was Thurmond's illegitimate mixed-race daughter.
2004 - American telecommunications giants Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. announced they would merge in a $35 billion deal.
2005 - Millions of Iraqis turned out to choose a parliament in a mostly peaceful election.
2009 - The Washington, D.C. City Council voted to legalize same-sex marriage.
2009 - Evangelist Oral Roberts died in Newport Beach, California, at age 91.
2010 - The U.N. Security Council gave a unanimous vote of confidence to the government of Iraq by lifting 19-year-old sanctions on weapons and civilian nuclear power.
2013 - Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in his childhood hometown, ending a 10-day mourning period for South Africa’s first Black president.
2016 - A federal jury in Charleston, South Carolina, convicted Dylann Roof of slaughtering nine Black church members who had welcomed him to their Bible study.
2019 - The Hallmark Channel said it would reinstate commercials for a wedding-planning website featuring same-sex couples; the network had pulled the ads following a complaint from a conservative group.
Birthdays
23 - Stefania Owen (actress)
23 - Maude Apatow (actress)
37 - Camilla Luddington (actress)
38 - George O. Gore II (actor)
39 - Michelle Dockery (actress)
41 - Adam Brody (actor)
44 - Geoff Stults (actor)
48 - Stuart Townsend (actor)
50 - Michael Shanks (actor)
52 - Garrett Wang (actor)
54 - Teresa May (model)
55 - Molly Price (actress)
56 - Paul Kaye (actor)
57 - Helen Slater (actress)
70 - Melanie Chartoff (actress)
71 - Don Johnson (actor)
========================================
Today in Sports History - December 15
1917 - The NHL's first exhibition game was played four days before the start of the regular season. The Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers played a benefit game for victims of the Halifax Explosion, which had occurred 10 days earlier.
1925 - The third Madison Square Garden was opened with a game between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Americans.
1935 - The Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants 26-7 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1946 - The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 24-14 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1966 - The New Orleans Saints officially became the NFL's 16th franchise.
1973 - Tennessee defeats Temple 11-6 in a men's basketball game.
1974 - The Miami Dolphins won their 31st consecutive home game.
1982 - Paul "Bear" Bryant announced his retirement as head football coach at the University of Alabama.
1996 - John Elway (Denver Broncos) won his 126th game to set an NFL record.
1997 - The San Francisco 49ers retired Joe Montana's #16.
2002 - Edgardo Alfonzo and the San Francisco Giants agreed on a four year contract worth $26 million.
2002 - USC quarterback Carson Palmer wins the Heisman Trophy.
2008 - Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford wins the Heisman Trophy.
2019 - The Raiders play their final game in Oakland in a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The franchise moved to Las Vegas the following season.
