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THE AMERICAN CALENDAR
EACH DATE IS THE ANNIVERSARY
OF A PERSON OR EVENT. IT SIGNIFIES THE DATE OF BIRTH OR IN SOME CASES THE
DATE OF DEATH AS SPECIFIED. |
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December |
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Woody
Allen, American writer, director and actor. Allen Stewart Konigsburg
was born in Brooklyn, New York. At 17 became a radio staff writer
and soon began writing sketches for television. His first play,
Don't Drink the Water
opened on Broadway in 1966. He made his stage acting debut in his
own Play It Again Sam, in 1969. |
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The
Monroe Doctrine, delivered by President James Monroe before Congress.
The declaration enunciated that the Americas were not to be considered
as a field for European colonization and the United States would
view with displeasure any attempt by European powers to intervene
in the political affairs of American countries. It dominated American
diplomacy for the next century. |
Alexander Haig, U.S. Secretary
of State in 1981. He served as National Security Adviser to Henry
Kissinger's special assistant. He served as President Nixon's Army
Chief of Staff, White House Chief of Staff
and NATO commander. As
Secretary of State under President Reagan he was often criticized
for his handling of authority and resigned in 1982. |
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George
B. McClellan, controversial Union army commander in the Civil War.
In the first two years of the war he failed to produce any significant
victories primarily for his dilatory and procrastinating tendencies
and was eventually removed
from the Virginia battlefields by President Abraham Lincoln. |
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Battle
Hymn of the Republic. A popular patriotic song written during the
American Civil War by Julia Ward Howe and sung to the tune of John
Brown's Body. She wrote the words while she was visiting the Union
troops under General George B. McClellan near Washington, DC. It
was later published in the Atlantic Monthly magazine. |
Mary Baker Eddy, the enigmatic
founder of the Christian Science Church who died at her home in
Chestnut Hill, Mass. A pioneer in the field of healing, she had
been the center of controversy much of her adult life.
Her new church was based
on the method Jesus had used for healing sins and sickness. |
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Martin
Van Buren, 8th president of the United States who was vice president
in the administration of Andrew Jackson. As a Democrat he organized
the Albany Regency, a political machine in New York state. He was
the Democratic candidate for president in 1840 in the Tippecanoe
and Tyler Too campaign and lost again in the 1848 campaign. |
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George
Armstrong Custer, American army officer whose death in battle against
the Sioux Indians created a legend and stirred bitter controversy.
He is famous for his fighting ability in the Civil War. However,
his "last stand" occurred on June 25, 1876, in the valley
of the Little Bighorn River where Custer and the 7th Cavalry were
massacred by the Indians. |
Walt Disney, American
motion picture animator and producer who created the famous cartoon
character Mickey Mouse. He became winner of a record 30 Academy
Awards including feature films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
Pinnochio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. In 1961 he produced the first
television series in color. He launched two amusement parks, Disneyland
and Disney World in California and Florida. He died in Los Angeles
on December 15, 1966. |
Prohibition comes to a
jubilant end. It had been a long time between legal drinks, nearly
14 years to be exact. The repeal of the 18th Amendment that had
prohibited all alcoholic beverages ended precisely
when Utah became the last
of 36 states to ratify the 21st Amendment to end the nation's long
dry spell. |
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John
S. Mosby, Confederate cavalry leader who fought at Bull Run and
scouted for General Jeb Stuart. He was commander for Mosby's Partisan
Rangers. Adopting a guerrilla type of warfare, they operated in
Virginia and Maryland cutting Union communication lines, destroying
supply trains and capturing outposts. |
Americans voracious for
paperback books. They are sweeping the stores as people find reading
a cheap, portable pleasure. Over 135 million of them were sold in
the last ten months.
Reaping the benefits are
popular authors James A. Michener, Norman Mailer, and Graham Greene.
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Willa
Cather, American novelist and short story writer who celebrated
the pioneer traditions of the Nebraska prairies and the deserts
of the Southwest. All her fiction was built around pioneer traits
and themes: courage and struggle, sensitivity to the land, child-parent
ties, the quest for ancestors and the sense of the legendary and
historical past. She became a champion of these elements of an older
society against the modern, industrial, and materialistic world. |
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Pearl
Harbor was attacked by the Japanese aircraft which was the immediate
cause of the United States' entry in World War II. Almost the entire
Pacific fleet was destroyed or severely damaged which included eight
battleships, nine cruisers, 29 destroyers and five submarines. Also
destroyed were eighty naval aircraft and 97 army planes. More than
2400 military and navy personnel were killed. |
Larry Bird, American basketball
player acclaimed as one of the finest forwards and all-round performers
in the history of the game. He attended Indiana State University
where he compiled many NCAA records. He was drafted by the Boston
Celtics. He led Boston in every scoring statistic and defense.
He was named the NBA's
Most Valuable Player in 1984, 1985 and 1986. |
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Eli
Whitney, American inventor and manufacturer who early in life was
a successful businessman during the Revolutionary War. He went to
Savannah where he met General Nathanael Greene's widow. She encouraged
Whitney to invent a cotton gin that was successful. He also manufactured
firearms for the U.S. government with interchangeable parts on the
assembly line method. |
James Thurber, American
humorist and cartoonist who transformed his experience as an American
into superb comedy. In 1927 he began his long career with the New
Yorker magazine when he exploited his comedy on the human condition.
He reported
the misadventures of a
comic antihero incapable of managing shower faucets, used-car salesmen,
etc. |
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Joel
Chandler Harris, American journalist and fiction writer who was
the creator of "Uncle Remus." He was the master of the
early Negro dialect story. His tales mirror the vast shadow of a
race in slavery and its aftermath and a fading social pattern that
left indelible marks on American life and literature. |
Clarence Birdseye, American
inventor and industrialist who founded the frozen food industry.
On a fur-trading expedition in Labrador (1912-16) he observed that
many foodstuffs would keep indefinitely when frozen. He returned
to New York determined to turn this information to commercial use.
In 1925 he formed a company which packaged frozen food and took
the name of General Foods Corporation. He became a
millionaire and devoted
his time to inventions and obtained more than 300 patents. He died
in New York City on October 7, 1956. |
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Emily
Dickinson, American poet who was a recluse and was virtually unknown
in her lifetime. She wrote mainly of death and immortality in short,
intense, mostly unrhymed lyrics in which the skillful use of assonance
often gives the illusion of rhyme. She was greatly influenced by
the Bible, William Shakespeare, Ralph Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
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Boys
Town was founded by Father Edward Flanagan. The original home was
in an old house in Omaha with $90 borrowed to pay the first month's
rent. Later he moved to a 320-acre site outside the city limits.
In time the site was expanded
to 1,300 acres. one of
the leading tourist attractions in Nebraska, Boys Town hosts more
than 100,000 visitors a year. |
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Fiorello
LaGuardia, American public official, reformer and three-term mayor
of New York City. He was known for honest, nonpartisan government.
He was a most colorful mayor who was an able administrator,
engaged in numerous public
projects. He was an indefatigable worker winning widespread respect
and affection. |
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John
Jay, American statesman, president of the Continental Congress,
foreign secretary and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He negotiated
the treaty known as Jay's Treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain.
John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were two diplomats who made the
U.S. strong in foreign policy. |
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William
Lloyd Garrison, American abolitionist leader who was regarded as
the conscience behind the movement to abolish slavery in the United
States. He campaigned for the total and immediate emancipation of
the slaves. He published the Liberator newspaper and was unrelenting
in his moral crusade. |
Frank Sinatra, American
popular singer and actor. From 1937 to 1942 he sang with Harry James
and Tommy Dorsey's band. His style of crooning made him the bobby-soxers'
idol and became known as "the Voice." Along with his acting
in films, these activities together with investments in various
enterprises
made him one of the most
successful figures in 20th century show business. |
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The
Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, resulting in the most disheartening
defeat suffered by the Union Army in the Civil War. One of the bloodiest
battles of the war was fought between the Confederate generals Longstreet
and Jackson and the Union generals George G. Meade and Ambrose Burnside.
Union casualties were
12,653; those of the Confederates, 5,309. |
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James
Doolittle, American general who led the first attack on Tokyo in
World War II. on April 18, 1942, he led a raid by 16 B 25 bombers
from the U.S. Hornet. This attack bolstered U.S. morale, slowed
the Japanese offensive and won him the Medal of Honor. He commanded
air forces in Africa, Europe and the Pacific.
In 1989 he was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush. |
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The
Battle of Nashville, Tennessee in the American Civil War. The Confederate
Army commanded by General John B. Hood was almost destroyed. Hood
had only 23,000 men against 55,000 Union troops. Major General George
Thomas won the battle in severe winter conditions. |
Jean Paul Getty, American
oil magnate whose fortune was estimated at more than $1 billion.
He was believed to be the richest American of his time. In 1930
he inherited an estate of $30 million.
He started the Getty Museum
in Malibu, California, the greatest art collections in the world.
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The
Boston Tea Party occurred when American patriots dumped into Boston
Bay tea belonging to the English East India Company. To counteract
coercive measures passed by the English Parliament, Americans Samuel
Adams, John Hancock and others forbade the landing of tea in the
harbor. Patriots disguised
as Mohawk
Indians, tossed 342 chests of tea into Boston Bay and shipments
of tea were boycotted throughout the colonies. |
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Joseph
Henry, American physicist who is famous for his work with electromagnetic
phenomena. one of the great experimental scientists in the 19th
century, he also served as the first director of the Smithsonian
Institution from 1846 to 1878. Together with Michael Faraday, the
made scientific discoveries of electricity. Henry taught at Princeton
University while doing research at the same time. |
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December
17, 1807 John Greenleaf Whittier, American poet and abolitionist
who is known as a nostalgic poet of rural New England. He advocated
secession of the southern states rather than a bloody conflict between
the North and the South. He supported President Lincoln for his
conduct of the Civil War and Reconstruction policies. |
Erskine
Caldwell, American novelist and short story writer, noted for his
grotesque tragicomedies of life among the poor whites of the Deep
South. Caldwell's fiction uses degradation and depravity both to
evoke humor and to explore Southern realities. His
most famous novel, Tobacco Road, dramatic adaptation about a family
in Georgia sharecroppers
has become a part of
American folklore. |
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Tyrus
(Ty) Cobb, American baseball player known as the "Georgia Peach."
He was one of the greatest and most dynamic figures in the game.
He starred with the Detroit Tigers for 22 seasons, doubling as manager
for the last six. He led the American League in hitting 12 times
and had a lifetime batting average of .367, nine seasons in a row.
He stole 96 bases in 1915 and a career total of 892. Cobb was the
first player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He died
in Atlanta on July 17, 1961. |
Robert Moses, American
public official, made an enormous contribution to the city and state
of New York in the area of public works. He seemed more powerful
than governors or mayors and was able to secure great
sums of money to build
the enterprises he promoted. He was the virtual "czar"
of the park system for 40 years. |
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Edwin
M. Stanton, American Cabinet officer and lawyer who served as Secretary
of War under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was removed
from office by Johnson over Reconstruction policy. This act by the
president brought on his impeachment. Johnson was acquitted by one
vote in the Senate. |
Henry Clay Frick, American
industrialist who managed the Carnegie steel interests during the
period of their
consolidation, expansion
and integration of operations. He later became a dedicated art collector
and major investor of railroads. |
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Harvey
S. Firestone, American manufacturer who organized one of the leading
tire and rubber companies. He founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber
Company on August 3, 1900. He developed his own plantations
in Liberia to assure
sources of supply. With the support of the Secretary of Commerce
Herbert Hoover, he leased a million acres in Liberia. |
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The
Fetterman Massacre was the destruction of a force of 80 U.S. soldiers
and their leader, Capt. William J. Fetterman by Sioux Indians near
Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming. They were lured on by a small detachment
of mounted Sioux warriors
into an ambush by a larger party by Chief High Backbone. The entire
American contingent was wiped out. |
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Connie
Mack (Cornelius McGillicuddy) famous American baseball manager.
He managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years and brought dignity
to professional baseball. His teams won league pennants in 1902,
1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930 and 1931. He won World
Series titles in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930. Mack was elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. |
General George S. Patton,
called "old Blood and Guts," America's most cantankerous
war hero who died in Heidelberg Army hospital. He was injured in
a jeep accident. Patton's tank units were
responsible for major
war victories. He won many battles in North Africa and the Western
Front. |
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December
23, 1805 Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, that in the
20th century came to be a powerful and widely respected element
in religious life. On April 6, 1830, Smith formally started the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His church was persecuted
and he and his brother were killed while jailed. |
Paul Hornung, American
football player who became one of the most versatile players in
college and professional history. At Notre Dame University he won
the Heisman Trophy. With the Green Bay Packers he was one
of the most dangerous
runner, passer and scorer. He once scored five touchdowns in a single
game. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986. |
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Kit
Carson, American frontiersman and scout, was one of the best guides
in the early West. Kit grew up in an atmosphere of Indian warfare
in Missouri. He became a mountain man in the 1830s and fought horse
and fur thieves, hostile Indians, camp bullies and rival trappers.
He acted as guide for John Charles Fremont through the Rocky Mountains.
He also acted as guide for General Stephen Kearny and his army to
acquire California. In the 1860s he fought the Apaches, Kiowas,
Navahos, and Comanches. He died at Fort Lyon, Colorado on May 23,
1868. |
Howard Hughes, American
manufacturer of oil-well tools, moviemaker, aerospace manufacturer
and financier. He was the wealthiest man in the world because of
his numerous enterprises. His many investments included real estate,
aviation, Hollywood
films, golf courses and other investments.
He died during a flight
from Acapulco, Mexico to Houston, Texas. |
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Clara
Barton, American humanitarian who organized the American Red Cross.
She served in various fields of endeavor and became a nurse in the
Civil War in Virginia. Known as the "Angel of the Battlefield"
Barton took care of the wounded and became superintendent of nurses.
After the war she devoted the rest of her life to the American Red
Cross programs for victims of major disasters. She died on January
17, 1912. |
Conrad N. Hilton, American
business executive who built a hotel empire across the United States
and into Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Some of his
franchises were the Hilton Hotel in Dallas, the Waldorf-Astoria
in New York, the Palmer House, and the Conrad Hilton in Chicago
and Beverly Hilton
in California. Hilton
achieved success by choosing top managers and giving them complete
autonomy. |
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The
Battle of Trenton in the American Revolutionary War was one of the
most important American victories for the Continental Army. George
Washington's army emerged from the darkest moment of the struggle
to a victory that gave new life to the patriot cause. The Hessian
troops (British allies) were caught by surprise and 918 prisoners
were taken. Not a single American was killed in battle. It was the
most brilliant campaign of the century. |
George
Dewey, American admiral whose victory at the battle of Manila Bay
ended Spanish power in the Philippine Islands. Dewey's Asiatic Squadron
on May 1, 1898, entered Manila Bay at 5:45 a.m. The Spanish fleet
had little effect with their guns and Dewey spoke the famous order
to the captain of his flagship,
"You may fire when
you are ready, Gridley." Two hours later the Spanish fleet
was destroyed. |
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Observations
of 800 galaxies show that the universe was born in a giant cosmic
explosion five and
a half billion years
ago as reported by astronomers. The cause of the primeval explosion
is a mystery. |
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(Thomas)
Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States whose administration
implemented the 17th, 18th, and 19th Amendments. He sent General
John Pershing to Mexico to pacify the rebel leader Pancho Villa.
He declared war on Germany and proposed his Fourteen Points. He
was defeated by the U.S. Senate to adopt his League of Nations. |
Mortimer
Adler, American educator and philosopher with Robert Hutchins originated
the Great Books program on seminars based on readings in the classics
of Western hemisphere in literature and philosophy. They
edited over 400 works of major authors from Homer to Freud
which they published
in a 54-volume series called Great Books of the Western World. |
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Charles
Goodyear, American inventor of vulcanization of rubber. The basic
problem in which Goodyear was interested was how to treat the crude
rubber so that its elastic and waterproof qualities would be unaffected
by temperature changes. He was successful and was granted a patent
in 1844. Goodyear's rights to the vulcanization process was pirated
by many, even his own associates. |
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Andrew
Johnson, 17th president of the United States. He became president
after the assassination of President Lincoln. Johnson's administration
was one of the most controversial in American history because of
his Reconstruction policies aimed at restoring the Union after the
Civil War. Johnson became the only president ever to be impeached
although he was subsequently acquitted. |
William
"Billy" Mitchell, U.S. military officer and pioneer in
military aviation. He recognized the value of strategic bombing
and mass airborne operations, the eclipse of the battleship by the
airplane. An outspoken critic of the
military hierarchy he
was convicted by court martial of insubordination and resigned from
the service.
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George
G. Meade, American general who played a vital role in the defeat
of Confederate forces at the battle of Gettysburg. He fought in
the early Virginia campaigns, at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.
His greatest military achievement was his victory over General Robert
E. Lee at Gettysburg He fought under General Grant until the end
of the war.
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John
Peter Altgeld, Democratic governor of Illinois who was famous for
his pardon in 1893 of three of the men convicted of complicity in
the Haymarket Square Riot in Chicago in 1886. He attacked president
Grover Cleveland on the use of federal troops in the Pullman strike
in 1894 and aroused considerable opposition among conservative elements |
Alfred E. Smith, American
political leader and vigorous reformer as governor of New York.
He was the first Roman Catholic to run for the presidency. He lost
to Herbert Hoover but polled the largest popular vote of
15 million given to a
Democrat up to 1928. After leaving politics, he became president
of the Empire State Building in New York City. |
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Thomas
Macdonough, American naval officer who served in the Barbary Wars
and participated in 1804 in the attack on Tripoli. In the War of
1812, he led the U.S. naval command on Lake Champlain. On September
11, 1814, Macdonough forced the British naval squadron to surrender
and compelled the British army to retreat to Canada. |
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Battle
of Stone's River in the American Civil War was fought near Nashville,
TN. A hard fought but indecisive conflict. It had no apparent influence
on the strategic situation. Confederate Braxton Bragg opposed William
Rosecrans. The Union losses were 12,800 and the Confederates were
11,600. |
George C. Marshall, American
general of the U.S. Army, chief of staff, Secretary of State and
Secretary of Defense. He was a leader in the victory over the Axis
powers in World War II. Marshall was
the only professional
soldier ever awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Winston Churchill
called him the "true organizer of victory. II
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