December 8
1854 - Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
1886 - The American Federation of Labor was founded at a convention of union leaders in Columbus, Ohio.
1941- Congress declared war on Japan and the United States entered World War II.
1949 - Communist attacks forced the Chinese Nationalist government to flee to the island of Formosa (Taiwan).
1978 - Former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir died.
1980 - John Lennon, former member of the Beatles, was shot and killed by a deranged fan, Mark David Chapman, in New York City.
1987 - President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the first treaty to reduce the nuclear arsenals of the two superpowers.
1991 - AIDS patient Kimberly Bergalis, who had contracted the disease from her dentist, died in Fort Pierce, Florida, at age 23.
1993 - President Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law.
2001 - The U.S. Capitol was reopened to tourists after a two-month security shutdown.
2008 - In a startling about-face, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal he would confess to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks; four other men also abandoned their defenses.
2014 - The U.S. and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government.
2016 - John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died in Columbus, Ohio, at age 95.
2020 - The Supreme Court rejected Republicans’ last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvania’s certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral battleground; the court refused to call into question the certification process in the state.
2021 - President Joe Biden signed an executive order to make the federal government carbon-neutral by 2050, aiming for a 65% reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and an all-electric fleet of car and trucks five years later.
2021 - Nearly 17 years after being sentenced to die, Scott Peterson was resentenced in California to life without parole for the Christmas Eve killing of his pregnant wife, Laci, in 2002. (The state Supreme Court found that Peterson’s jury was improperly screened for bias against the death penalty.)
Birthdays
26 - Teala Dunn (actress)
29 - AnnaSophia Robb (actress)
31 - Wallis Currie-Wood (actress)
36 - Kate Voegele (actress/singer)
37 - Josh Donaldson (baseball player)
37 - Dwight Howard (basketball player)
38 - Sam Hunt (singer)
40 - Hannah Ware (actress)
40 - Nicki Minaj (rapper)
41 - Philip Rivers (football player)
43 - Ingrid Michaelson (singer)
44 - Ian Somerhalder (actor)
46 - Dominic Monaghan (actor)
54 - Mike Mussina (baseball player)
56 - Matthew Laborteaux (actor)
56 - Sinead O'Connor (singer)
57 - David Harewood (actor)
58 - Teri Hatcher (actress)
59 - Wendell Pierce (actor)
61 - Ann Coulter (political commentator)
63 - Marty Raybon (singer)
69 - Kim Basinger (actress)
76 - John Rubinstein (actor)
79 - Mary Woronov (actress)
83 - Jerry Butler (singer)
==================================
Today in Sports History - December 8
1863 - Tom King of England defeated American John Heenan and became the first world heavyweight champion.
1942 - Georgia running back Frank Sinkwich wins the Heisman Trophy.
1948 - Southern Methodist running back Doak Walker wins the Heisman Trophy.
1953 - Notre Dame running back Johnny Lattner wins the Heisman Trophy.
1955 - Ohio State running back Howard Cassady wins the Heisman Trophy.
1961 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 78 poins in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1973 - Penn State running back John Cappelletti wins the Heisman Trophy.
1977 - Texas running back Earl Campbell wins the Heisman Trophy.
1987 - Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers) became the first goalie in NHL history to shoot and score a goal. His empty net goal made him only the second goalie to get credit for a goal in the NHL.
2000 - Mario Lemieux announced to the Pittsburgh Penguins that he planned to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player at age 35. He would be the first modern owner-player in U.S. pro sports.
2003 - The Orlando Magic ended their 19-game losing streak by beating the Phoenix Suns 105-98.
2004 - In Michigan, five Indiana Pacers and seven fans were charged for various crimes related to a fight that broke out during a Pacers-Pistons game on November 19.
2007 - Florida quarterback Tim Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy.
2011 - The 161-day NBA lockout ended when owners and players ratified the new collective bargaining agreement.
2012 - Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.
2017 - Japanese pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani announced that he would sign with the Los Angeles Angels.
2018 - Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray wins the Heisman Trophy.
1854 - Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
1886 - The American Federation of Labor was founded at a convention of union leaders in Columbus, Ohio.
1941- Congress declared war on Japan and the United States entered World War II.
1949 - Communist attacks forced the Chinese Nationalist government to flee to the island of Formosa (Taiwan).
1978 - Former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir died.
1980 - John Lennon, former member of the Beatles, was shot and killed by a deranged fan, Mark David Chapman, in New York City.
1987 - President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the first treaty to reduce the nuclear arsenals of the two superpowers.
1991 - AIDS patient Kimberly Bergalis, who had contracted the disease from her dentist, died in Fort Pierce, Florida, at age 23.
1993 - President Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law.
2001 - The U.S. Capitol was reopened to tourists after a two-month security shutdown.
2008 - In a startling about-face, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal he would confess to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks; four other men also abandoned their defenses.
2014 - The U.S. and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government.
2016 - John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died in Columbus, Ohio, at age 95.
2020 - The Supreme Court rejected Republicans’ last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvania’s certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral battleground; the court refused to call into question the certification process in the state.
2021 - President Joe Biden signed an executive order to make the federal government carbon-neutral by 2050, aiming for a 65% reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and an all-electric fleet of car and trucks five years later.
2021 - Nearly 17 years after being sentenced to die, Scott Peterson was resentenced in California to life without parole for the Christmas Eve killing of his pregnant wife, Laci, in 2002. (The state Supreme Court found that Peterson’s jury was improperly screened for bias against the death penalty.)
Birthdays
26 - Teala Dunn (actress)
29 - AnnaSophia Robb (actress)
31 - Wallis Currie-Wood (actress)
36 - Kate Voegele (actress/singer)
37 - Josh Donaldson (baseball player)
37 - Dwight Howard (basketball player)
38 - Sam Hunt (singer)
40 - Hannah Ware (actress)
40 - Nicki Minaj (rapper)
41 - Philip Rivers (football player)
43 - Ingrid Michaelson (singer)
44 - Ian Somerhalder (actor)
46 - Dominic Monaghan (actor)
54 - Mike Mussina (baseball player)
56 - Matthew Laborteaux (actor)
56 - Sinead O'Connor (singer)
57 - David Harewood (actor)
58 - Teri Hatcher (actress)
59 - Wendell Pierce (actor)
61 - Ann Coulter (political commentator)
63 - Marty Raybon (singer)
69 - Kim Basinger (actress)
76 - John Rubinstein (actor)
79 - Mary Woronov (actress)
83 - Jerry Butler (singer)
==================================
Today in Sports History - December 8
1863 - Tom King of England defeated American John Heenan and became the first world heavyweight champion.
1942 - Georgia running back Frank Sinkwich wins the Heisman Trophy.
1948 - Southern Methodist running back Doak Walker wins the Heisman Trophy.
1953 - Notre Dame running back Johnny Lattner wins the Heisman Trophy.
1955 - Ohio State running back Howard Cassady wins the Heisman Trophy.
1961 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 78 poins in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1973 - Penn State running back John Cappelletti wins the Heisman Trophy.
1977 - Texas running back Earl Campbell wins the Heisman Trophy.
1987 - Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers) became the first goalie in NHL history to shoot and score a goal. His empty net goal made him only the second goalie to get credit for a goal in the NHL.
2000 - Mario Lemieux announced to the Pittsburgh Penguins that he planned to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player at age 35. He would be the first modern owner-player in U.S. pro sports.
2003 - The Orlando Magic ended their 19-game losing streak by beating the Phoenix Suns 105-98.
2004 - In Michigan, five Indiana Pacers and seven fans were charged for various crimes related to a fight that broke out during a Pacers-Pistons game on November 19.
2007 - Florida quarterback Tim Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy.
2011 - The 161-day NBA lockout ended when owners and players ratified the new collective bargaining agreement.
2012 - Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.
2017 - Japanese pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani announced that he would sign with the Los Angeles Angels.
2018 - Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray wins the Heisman Trophy.
