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What happened in history on this day: December 19?
On December 19 in ...
- 1776 - Thomas Paine publishes his first "American Crisis" essay, in which he writes, "These are the times that try men's souls".
- 1777 - George Washington settles his troops at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania for the winter.
- 1795 - First state appropriation of money for road building, Kentucky.
- 1823 - Georgia passes first US state birth registration law.
- 1828 - South Carolina declares the right of states to nullify federal laws.
- 1842 - US recognizes independence of Hawaii.
- 1854 - Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents sewing machine to sew curving seams.
- 1862 - Skirmish at Jackson/Salem Church, Tennessee, CSA (80 casualties).
- 1867 - Victims of "Angola Horror" burn to death (Angola, New York).
- 1871 - Albert L Jones (New York City, New York), patents corrugated paper.
- 1903 - Williamsburg suspension bridge opens between Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York.
- 1907 - 239 workers die in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek Pennsylvania.
- 1910 - First US city ordinance requiring white and black residential areas (Baltimore, Maryland).
- 1910 - Rayon fabric is first commercially produced, in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.
- 1913 - US Senate passes its version of the Glass-Owen bill (Federal Reserve Act).
- 1919 - American Meteorological Society is founded.
- 1920 - First US indoor curling rink opens (Brookline, Massachusetts).
- 1928 - First autogiro (predecessor of helicopter) flight in US.
- 1930 - James Weldon Johnson resigns as executive secretary of NAACP.
- 1933 - Electric Home and Farm Authority Inc, authorized.
- 1941 - US Office of Censorship is created to control information pertaining to war.
- 1950 - US General Dwight Eisenhower is named NATO commander.
- 1957 - The Music Man, starring Robert Preston, opens at Majestic Theater in New York City for 1375 performances.
- 1958 - First radio broadcast from space (recorded Christmas message by President Eisenhower: "To all mankind, America's wish for Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men Everywhere").
- 1960 - Fire aboard USS Constellation, under construction in Brooklyn, New York (50 die).
- 1960 - Mercury-Redstone 1A reaches 210 km in test flight.
- 1962 - Transit 5A1, first operational navigational satellite, launched.
- 1971 - The USA devalues the dollar and realigns exchange rates.
- 1971 - NASA launches Intelsat 4 F-3 for COMSAT Corp.
- 1972 - The last American manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth.
- 1974 - Nelson A Rockefeller sworn-in as the 41st Vice-President.
- 1975 - John Paul Stevens becomes a US Supreme Court Justice.
- 1976 - Piper Cherokee plane crashes into Baltimore Memorial Stadium upper stands, injuring the pilot and three others, 10 minutes after Baltimore Colts lose 40-14 to Pittsburgh Steelers; no one seriously hurt.
- 1980 - Iran requests US$24 billion in US guarantees to free hostages.
- 1980 - Mutual Broadcasting cancels Sears Radio Theater.
- 1984 - Fire at the Wilberg Mine in central Utah kills 27 people.
- 1988 - NASA unveils plans for lunar colony and manned missions to Mars.
- 1989 - American Airlines purchases Eastern Airline's Latin American route.
- 1994 - A planned exchange rate correction of the Mexican Peso to the US Dollar becomes a massive financial meltdown in Mexico, unleashing the 'Tequila' effect on global financial markets.
- 1994 - The Whitewater scandal investigation begins in Washington, DC.
- 1998 - The US House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice.
- 2007 - An explosion and fire at the T2 Laboratories facility in Jacksonville, Florida kills four and injures 14.
- 2008 - U.S. crude oil prices drop to US$33.87 a barrel, lowest since February 2004.
- 2008 - US President George W. Bush announces US$17.4 billion in emergency loans to U.S. carmakers to prevent a collapse of the industry and save hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Births on December 19
- 1849 - Birth of Henry Clay Frick in Pennsylvania, USA; built world's largest coke and steel operation.
- 1865 - Birth of Minnie Maddern Fiske in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; stage actress (Henrik Ibsen's plays).
- 1875 - Birth of Carter G Woodson in New Canton, Virginia, USA; American historian (black studies).
- 1901 - Birth of Oliver [Hazard Perry] La Farge in New York City, New York, USA; anthropologist/novelist (Laughing Boy).
- 1903 - Birth of George Davis Snell in Bradford, Massachusetts, USA; geneticist (H-2 gene).
- 1906 - Birth of H Allen Smith in Illinois, USA; humorist/author (Armchair Detective, Low Man on the Totem Pole, Rhubarb).
- 1916 - Birth of Hal Hastings in New York City, New York, USA; orchestra leader (Chevrolet on Broadway).
- 1920 - Birth of David Susskind in New York City, New York, USA; host (Open End TV show, The David Susskind Show, producer (The Ages of Man, Death of a Salesman, Eleanor and Franklin, Blind Ambition, Circle Theatre, Dupont Show of the Month, Alice).
- 1920 - Birth of Jimmy Dickens in Bolt, West Virginia, USA; country singer (Grand Ole Opry).
- 1925 - Birth of Robert Sherman in Manhattan, New York, USA; song writer ("The Bear Necessities", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", "It's a Small World", Academy Awards for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", Grammy Awards), named Disney Legend 1990.
- 1933 - Birth of Cicely Tyson in Harlem, New York, USA; actress (Roots, Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman).
- 1934 - Birth of Al Kaline in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Hall of Fame outfielder (Detroit Tigers/American League batting champion 1955).
- 1940 - Birth of Phil Ochs in El Paso, Texas, USA; anti-war folk singer ("Joe Hill", "War is Over").
- 1941 - Birth of Maurice White in Memphis, Tennessee, USA; rock vocalist (Earth, Wind and Fire - "Spirit").
- 1943 - Birth of William De Vries in Brooklyn, New York, USA; surgeon-inventor (Symbion artifical heart).
- 1944 - Birth of Tim Reid in Norfolk, Virginia, USA; comedian (Venus Flytrap - WKRP, Frank's Place, Sister Sister, That 70's Show).
- 1945 - Birth of Elaine Joyce in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; actress (City of Angels, Mr Merlin, The Young and The Restless, Days of Our Lives, Don Knotts Show).
- 1946 - Birth of Robert Urich in Toronto, Ohio, USA; actor (SWAT, Spenser for Hire, Vega$).
- 1947 - Birth of Janie Fricke in South Whitley, Indiana, USA; country singer ("It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy").
- 1956 - Birth of Alice Barrett in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Frankie Frame - Another World).
- 1958 - Birth of Rick Pearson in Marianna, Florida, USA; Nike golfer (1990 Yuma Open).
- 1959 - Birth of Kathryn "Furu" Carpenter in Marshall, Michigan, USA; fencer-epee (Olympics-1996).
- 1960 - Birth of Mike Lookinland in Mount Pleasant, Utah, USA; actor (Bobby - The Brady Bunch).
- 1963 - Birth of Jennifer Beals in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actress (Flashdance, Bride, The L Word).
- 1963 - Birth of Karen Bliss-Livingston in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, USA; cyclist (Olympics-1996).
- 1964 - Birth of Mike Fetters in Van Nuys, California, USA; pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers).
- 1966 - Birth of Eric Weinrich in Roanoke, Virginia, USA; NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks).
- 1966 - Birth of Monique Oliver in Malibu, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-4th-1994).
- 1966 - Birth of Robert MacNaughton in New York City, New York, USA; actor (ET - The Extraterrestrial).
- 1967 - Birth of Doug Johns in South Bend, Indiana, USA; pitcher (Oakland Athletics).
- 1968 - Birth of Jennifer Devine in Portland, Oregon, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1970 - Birth of Jon Cleveland in Fresno, California, USA; Canadian 100 metre/200 metre swimmer (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Amy Locane in Trenton, New Jersey, USA; actress (Andrea - Spencer, Sandy - Melrose Place).
- 1971 - Birth of Jennifer Dore in Kearny, New Jersey, USA; rower (Olympics-4th-1996).
- 1972 - Birth of Alyssa Jane Milano in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (Samantha - Who's The Boss?, Jennifer - Melrose Place, Phoebe - Charmed).
- 1975 - Birth of Kristin Folkl in Saint Louis, Missouri; volleyball outside hitter (alternate-Olympics-1996).
- 1978 - Birth of Lauren Petty; Miss New Jersey Teen USA (1997).
- 1981 - Birth of Stevie Ficker; Miss Oregon Teen USA (1997).
Deaths on December 19
- 1953 - Robert A Millikan, American physicist (Nobel Prize 1923), dies at age 85.
- 1957 - John W Van Druten, US stage/screenwriter (I Remember Mama), dies at age 56.
- 1959 - Walter Williams, claimed to be last survivor of Civil War, dies at age 117.
- 1968 - Norman Thomas, founder (ACLU)/Socialist Party (1926-55), dies at age 84.
- 1977 - Death of Nellie Davis Tayloe AKA Nellie Tayloe Ross at age 101 in Washington, DC; governor (Wyoming, 1925-1926), U.S. Mint director (1933-1952).
- 1977 - Cyril Ritchard, American actor (Side By Side), dies at age 83 following heart attack during performance in Chicago on November 25 and subsequent coma.
- 2022 - Death of Sonya Eddy at age 55 from a post-surgery infection in Burbank, California, USA; actor (Epiphany Johnson - General Hospital TV show).
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