This Day in History

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December 23

484 – Huneric dies and is succeeded by his nephew Gunthamund, who becomes king of the Vandals. During his reign Christians are protected from persecution.

562 – Hagia Sophia in Constantinople reopened with a rebuilt dome after a series of earthquakes caused the original to collapse.

1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary.

1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary.

1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

1893 – The opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed.

1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.

1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom.

1941 – World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupies Wake Island.

1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.

1954 – First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray.

1968 – The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea.

1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York, New York is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.

1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having reportedly survived by cannibalism.

1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling.

2002 – A U.S. MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25 in the first combat engagement between a drone and conventional aircraft.

Births

1805 – Joseph Smith; 1867 – Madam C. J. Walker; 1911 – James Gregory; 1918 – Helmut Schmidt; 1935 – Paul Hornung; 1943 – Harry Shearer; 1944 – Wesley Clark; 1945 – Ron Bushy; 1946 – Susan Lucci; 1949 – Reinhold Weege; 1956 – Dave Murray; 1958 – Joan Severance; 1964 – Eddie Vedder; 1967 – Carla Bruni; 1969 – Greg Biffle

Deaths

679 – Dagobert II; 1884 – John Chisum; 1939 – Anthony Fokker; 1972 – Andrei Tupolev; 1973 – Charles Atlas; 1979 – Peggy Guggenheim; 1982 – Jack Webb; 2000 – Billy Barty; 2000 – Victor Borge