December 17
1777 - France recognized American independence.
1903 - Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first flight in a heavier-than-air plane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
1938 - German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered nuclear fission by splitting the nuclei of uranium into lighter elements.
1944 - The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of holding Japanese-Americans in internment camps, allowing "evacuees" to return home.
1957 - The United States successfully test-fired the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.
1969 - An estimated 50 million viewers watched singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky on NBC's "Tonight Show."
1969 - The U.S. Air Force ended its "Project Blue Book" and concluded that there was no evidence of extraterrestrial activity behind UFO sightings.
1975 - Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford. (She was paroled in 2009.)
1979 - Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance executive, was fatally injured after leading police on a chase with his motorcycle in Miami. (Four white police officers accused of beating McDuffie were later acquitted, sparking riots.)
1989 - The animated TV series "The Simpsons" premiered on FOX.
1992 - The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico. (After President Donald Trump demanded a new deal, the three countries signed a replacement agreement in 2018.)
1996 - Kofi Annan of Ghana became United Nations secretary-general.
2001 - Marines raised the Stars and Stripes over the long-abandoned American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
2004 - President George W. Bush signed into law the largest overhaul of U.S. intelligence-gathering in 50 years.
2005 - President George W. Bush acknowledged he'd personally authorized a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. following Sept. 11.
2007 - New Jersey became the first state to abolish the death penalty in over 40 years.
2010 - Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old fruit vendor frustrated with harassment by local officials, set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. His act of defiance set off nationwide protests that brought down longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and soon spread to the rest of the Arab world.
2010 - President Barack Obama signed into law a huge, holiday-season tax bill extending cuts for all Americans, saluting a new spirit of political compromise as Republicans applauded and liberals seethed.
2011 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died after more than a decade of iron rule; he was 69, according to official records, but some reports indicated he was 70.
2014 - The United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations, sweeping away one of the last vestiges of the Cold War.
2019 - Joe Biden released a doctor’s report saying that the 77-year-old former vice president was “healthy, vigorous” and “fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
2019 - A federal judge in Washington sentenced former Trump campaign official Rick Gates to 45 days in jail despite what she said was “extraordinary” cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe and other Justice Department investigations; Gates had pleaded guilty to charges related to political consulting work he did in Ukraine.
Birthdays
26 - Nat Wolff (actor/singer)
30 - Graham Rogers (actor)
34 - Vanessa Zima (actress)
34 - Emma Bell (actress)
36 - Shannon Woodward (actress)
37 - Mikky Ekko (singer)
42 - Manny Pacquiao (boxer)
45 - Bree Sharp (singer)
45 - Mila Jovovich (actress)
46 - Marissa Ribisi (actress)
46 - Sarah Paulson (actress)
49 - Claire Forlani (actress)
50 - Sean Patrick Thomas (actor)
51 - Laurie Holden (actress)
54 - Tracy Byrd (country singer)
67 - Barry Livingston (actor)
67 - Bill Pullman (actor)
71 - Paul Rodgers (singer)
73 - Marilyn Hassett (actress)
74 - Eugene Levy (actor)
75 - Ernie Hudson (actor)
76 - Bernard Hill (actor)
84 - Tommy Steele (actor/singer)
84 - Pope Francis
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Today in Sports History - December 17
1933 - In the first NFL Championship Game, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 at Wrigley Field.
1944 - The Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants 14-7 to win the NFL Championship Game, the sixth and final title for legendary Packers coach Curly Lambeau.
1967 - Noland Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) set a record when he ran a kickoff return 106 yards.
1984 - Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) set NFL season records for touchdowns (48), completions (362) and yards (5,084).
1991 - The most lopsided game in NBA history to date took place when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat 148-80.
2000 - Terrell Owens of the San Francisco 49ers caught an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears.
1777 - France recognized American independence.
1903 - Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first flight in a heavier-than-air plane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
1938 - German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered nuclear fission by splitting the nuclei of uranium into lighter elements.
1944 - The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of holding Japanese-Americans in internment camps, allowing "evacuees" to return home.
1957 - The United States successfully test-fired the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.
1969 - An estimated 50 million viewers watched singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky on NBC's "Tonight Show."
1969 - The U.S. Air Force ended its "Project Blue Book" and concluded that there was no evidence of extraterrestrial activity behind UFO sightings.
1975 - Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford. (She was paroled in 2009.)
1979 - Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance executive, was fatally injured after leading police on a chase with his motorcycle in Miami. (Four white police officers accused of beating McDuffie were later acquitted, sparking riots.)
1989 - The animated TV series "The Simpsons" premiered on FOX.
1992 - The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico. (After President Donald Trump demanded a new deal, the three countries signed a replacement agreement in 2018.)
1996 - Kofi Annan of Ghana became United Nations secretary-general.
2001 - Marines raised the Stars and Stripes over the long-abandoned American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
2004 - President George W. Bush signed into law the largest overhaul of U.S. intelligence-gathering in 50 years.
2005 - President George W. Bush acknowledged he'd personally authorized a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. following Sept. 11.
2007 - New Jersey became the first state to abolish the death penalty in over 40 years.
2010 - Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old fruit vendor frustrated with harassment by local officials, set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. His act of defiance set off nationwide protests that brought down longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and soon spread to the rest of the Arab world.
2010 - President Barack Obama signed into law a huge, holiday-season tax bill extending cuts for all Americans, saluting a new spirit of political compromise as Republicans applauded and liberals seethed.
2011 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died after more than a decade of iron rule; he was 69, according to official records, but some reports indicated he was 70.
2014 - The United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations, sweeping away one of the last vestiges of the Cold War.
2019 - Joe Biden released a doctor’s report saying that the 77-year-old former vice president was “healthy, vigorous” and “fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
2019 - A federal judge in Washington sentenced former Trump campaign official Rick Gates to 45 days in jail despite what she said was “extraordinary” cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe and other Justice Department investigations; Gates had pleaded guilty to charges related to political consulting work he did in Ukraine.
Birthdays
26 - Nat Wolff (actor/singer)
30 - Graham Rogers (actor)
34 - Vanessa Zima (actress)
34 - Emma Bell (actress)
36 - Shannon Woodward (actress)
37 - Mikky Ekko (singer)
42 - Manny Pacquiao (boxer)
45 - Bree Sharp (singer)
45 - Mila Jovovich (actress)
46 - Marissa Ribisi (actress)
46 - Sarah Paulson (actress)
49 - Claire Forlani (actress)
50 - Sean Patrick Thomas (actor)
51 - Laurie Holden (actress)
54 - Tracy Byrd (country singer)
67 - Barry Livingston (actor)
67 - Bill Pullman (actor)
71 - Paul Rodgers (singer)
73 - Marilyn Hassett (actress)
74 - Eugene Levy (actor)
75 - Ernie Hudson (actor)
76 - Bernard Hill (actor)
84 - Tommy Steele (actor/singer)
84 - Pope Francis
========================================
Today in Sports History - December 17
1933 - In the first NFL Championship Game, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 at Wrigley Field.
1944 - The Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants 14-7 to win the NFL Championship Game, the sixth and final title for legendary Packers coach Curly Lambeau.
1967 - Noland Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) set a record when he ran a kickoff return 106 yards.
1984 - Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) set NFL season records for touchdowns (48), completions (362) and yards (5,084).
1991 - The most lopsided game in NBA history to date took place when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat 148-80.
2000 - Terrell Owens of the San Francisco 49ers caught an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears.
