December 17
1777 - France recognized American independence.
1903 - Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight in a heavier-than-air plane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
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 - 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) is signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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 - Iran received its first nuclear fuel from Russia, paving the way for the startup of its reactor.
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.
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.
2018 - A report from the Senate intelligence committee found that Russia’s political disinformation campaign on U.S. social media was more far-reaching than originally thought, with troll farms working to discourage Black voters and “blur the lines between reality and fiction” to help elect Donald Trump.
2020 - A government advisory panel endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for the shot from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign.
Birthdays
20 - Bella Shepard (actress)
27 - Nat Wolff (actress/singer)
28 - Kiersey Clemons (actress)
31 - Graham Rogers (actor)
35 - Vanessa Zima (actress)
35 - Emma Bell (actress)
37 - Shannon Woodward (actress)
44 - Maria Brink (singer)
44 - Katheryn Winnick (actress)
46 - Bree Sharp (singer)
46 - Milla Jovovich (actress)
47 - Marissa Ribisi (actress)
47 - Sarah Paulson (actress)
50 - Claire Forlani (actress)
51 - Sean Patrick Thomas (actor)
52 - Laurie Holden (actress)
55 - Tracy Byrd (singer)
68 - Sharon White (singer)
68 - Barry Livingston (actor)
68 - Bill Pullman (actor)
72 - Paul Rodgers (singer)
72 - Joel Brooks (actor)
74 - Wes Studi (actor)
74 - Marilyn Hassett (actress)
75 - Eugene Levy (actor/comedian)
76 - Ernie Hudson (actor)
77 - Bernard Hill (actor)
85 - Pope Francis
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Today in Sports History - December 17
1933 - The first NFL Championship Game was held at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 to win the inaugural championship.
1944 - The Green Bay Packers defeat the New York Giants 14-7 to win the NFL Championship Game.
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 (5084).
1991 - The most one-sided game in NBA history took place when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat 148-80.
1991 - The Pittsburgh Penguins scored eight goals in one period in a 10-2 rout of the San Jose Sharks.
2000 - Terrell Owens (San Francisco 49ers) caught an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears. The previous record was held by Tom Fears (Los Angeles Rams) with 18 catches on December 3, 1950, against the Green Bay Packers. Owens also broke Jerry Rice's franchise record of 16 receptions set in 1994 against the Los Angeles Rams.
1777 - France recognized American independence.
1903 - Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight in a heavier-than-air plane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
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 - 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) is signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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 - Iran received its first nuclear fuel from Russia, paving the way for the startup of its reactor.
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.
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.
2018 - A report from the Senate intelligence committee found that Russia’s political disinformation campaign on U.S. social media was more far-reaching than originally thought, with troll farms working to discourage Black voters and “blur the lines between reality and fiction” to help elect Donald Trump.
2020 - A government advisory panel endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for the shot from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign.
Birthdays
20 - Bella Shepard (actress)
27 - Nat Wolff (actress/singer)
28 - Kiersey Clemons (actress)
31 - Graham Rogers (actor)
35 - Vanessa Zima (actress)
35 - Emma Bell (actress)
37 - Shannon Woodward (actress)
44 - Maria Brink (singer)
44 - Katheryn Winnick (actress)
46 - Bree Sharp (singer)
46 - Milla Jovovich (actress)
47 - Marissa Ribisi (actress)
47 - Sarah Paulson (actress)
50 - Claire Forlani (actress)
51 - Sean Patrick Thomas (actor)
52 - Laurie Holden (actress)
55 - Tracy Byrd (singer)
68 - Sharon White (singer)
68 - Barry Livingston (actor)
68 - Bill Pullman (actor)
72 - Paul Rodgers (singer)
72 - Joel Brooks (actor)
74 - Wes Studi (actor)
74 - Marilyn Hassett (actress)
75 - Eugene Levy (actor/comedian)
76 - Ernie Hudson (actor)
77 - Bernard Hill (actor)
85 - Pope Francis
=====================================
Today in Sports History - December 17
1933 - The first NFL Championship Game was held at Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 to win the inaugural championship.
1944 - The Green Bay Packers defeat the New York Giants 14-7 to win the NFL Championship Game.
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 (5084).
1991 - The most one-sided game in NBA history took place when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat 148-80.
1991 - The Pittsburgh Penguins scored eight goals in one period in a 10-2 rout of the San Jose Sharks.
2000 - Terrell Owens (San Francisco 49ers) caught an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears. The previous record was held by Tom Fears (Los Angeles Rams) with 18 catches on December 3, 1950, against the Green Bay Packers. Owens also broke Jerry Rice's franchise record of 16 receptions set in 1994 against the Los Angeles Rams.
