December 15
1791 - The Bill of Rights took effect with Virginia's ratification of it.
1890 - Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, South Dakota, during a confrontation with Indian police.
1916 - The French defeated the Germans in the Battle of Verdun during World War I.
1939 - The movie "Gone With the Wind" had its world premiere in Atlanta.
1944 - A single-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller, a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces, disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris.
1961 - Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court for organizing the deportation of Jews to concentration camps during World War II.
1964 - Canada adopted its national flag, a red maple leaf on a white background.
1966 - Animated-cartoon pioneer Walt Disney died in Los Angeles.
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.
2011 - The flag used by U.S. forces in Iraq was lowered in a low-key Baghdad airport ceremony marking the end of a war that had left 4,500 Americans and 110,000 Iraqis dead and cost more than $800 billion.
2013 - Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in his childhood hometown, ending a 10-day mourning period for South Africa’s first Black president.
2020 - The Food and Drug Administration cleared the first kit that consumers could buy without a prescription to test themselves for COVID-19 entirely at home.
2021 - Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating George Floyd’s civil rights, admitting for the first time that he held his knee across Floyd’s neck and kept it there even after Floyd became unresponsive, resulting in the Black man’s death.
Birthdays
24 - Erika Tham (actress)
26 - Stefania Owen (actress)
26 - Maude Apatow (actress)
32 - Alana Haim (actress/musician)
40 - Camilla Luddington (actress)
41 - George O. Gore II (actor)
42 - Michelle Dockery (actress)
44 - Adam Brody (actor)
47 - Geoff Stults (actor)
51 - Stuart Townsend (actor)
53 - Michael Shanks (actor)
55 - Garrett Wang (actor)
58 - Molly Price (actress)
59 - Paul Kaye (actor)
60 - Helen Slater (actress)
73 - Melanie Chartoff (actress)
74 - Don Johnson (actor)
84 - Cindy Birdsong (singer)
======================================
Today in Spots 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.
1935 - The Detroit Lions defeat the New York Giants 26-7 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1946 - The Chicago Bears defeat the New York Giants 24-14 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1966 - The New Orleans Saints became the NFL's 16th franchise.
1973 - Tennessee defeats Temple 11-6 in a record low scoring NCAA men's basketball game.
1974 - The Miami Dolphins won a record 31st consecutive home game.
1982 - Legendary college football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant announced his retirement from the University of Alabama.
1996 - John Elway of the Denver Broncos set an NFL record with his 126th career victory.
1997 - The San Francisco 49ers retired Joe Montana's #16.
2002 - USC quarterback Carson Palmer wins the Heisman Trophy.
2008 - Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford wins the Heisman Trophy.
2019 - The Raiders play their final football game in Oakland, a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars; the team would relocate to Las Vegas for the 2020 season.
1791 - The Bill of Rights took effect with Virginia's ratification of it.
1890 - Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, South Dakota, during a confrontation with Indian police.
1916 - The French defeated the Germans in the Battle of Verdun during World War I.
1939 - The movie "Gone With the Wind" had its world premiere in Atlanta.
1944 - A single-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller, a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces, disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris.
1961 - Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court for organizing the deportation of Jews to concentration camps during World War II.
1964 - Canada adopted its national flag, a red maple leaf on a white background.
1966 - Animated-cartoon pioneer Walt Disney died in Los Angeles.
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.
2011 - The flag used by U.S. forces in Iraq was lowered in a low-key Baghdad airport ceremony marking the end of a war that had left 4,500 Americans and 110,000 Iraqis dead and cost more than $800 billion.
2013 - Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in his childhood hometown, ending a 10-day mourning period for South Africa’s first Black president.
2020 - The Food and Drug Administration cleared the first kit that consumers could buy without a prescription to test themselves for COVID-19 entirely at home.
2021 - Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating George Floyd’s civil rights, admitting for the first time that he held his knee across Floyd’s neck and kept it there even after Floyd became unresponsive, resulting in the Black man’s death.
Birthdays
24 - Erika Tham (actress)
26 - Stefania Owen (actress)
26 - Maude Apatow (actress)
32 - Alana Haim (actress/musician)
40 - Camilla Luddington (actress)
41 - George O. Gore II (actor)
42 - Michelle Dockery (actress)
44 - Adam Brody (actor)
47 - Geoff Stults (actor)
51 - Stuart Townsend (actor)
53 - Michael Shanks (actor)
55 - Garrett Wang (actor)
58 - Molly Price (actress)
59 - Paul Kaye (actor)
60 - Helen Slater (actress)
73 - Melanie Chartoff (actress)
74 - Don Johnson (actor)
84 - Cindy Birdsong (singer)
======================================
Today in Spots 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.
1935 - The Detroit Lions defeat the New York Giants 26-7 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1946 - The Chicago Bears defeat the New York Giants 24-14 to win the NFL Championship Game.
1966 - The New Orleans Saints became the NFL's 16th franchise.
1973 - Tennessee defeats Temple 11-6 in a record low scoring NCAA men's basketball game.
1974 - The Miami Dolphins won a record 31st consecutive home game.
1982 - Legendary college football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant announced his retirement from the University of Alabama.
1996 - John Elway of the Denver Broncos set an NFL record with his 126th career victory.
1997 - The San Francisco 49ers retired Joe Montana's #16.
2002 - USC quarterback Carson Palmer wins the Heisman Trophy.
2008 - Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford wins the Heisman Trophy.
2019 - The Raiders play their final football game in Oakland, a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars; the team would relocate to Las Vegas for the 2020 season.
