Saturday, December 17, 2011

TODAY IN HISTORY

Saturday, December  17, 2011
AP Highlight in History: 
On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful man-powered airplane flight, near Kitty Hawk, N.C.
 
AP Photo
On this date in:
1933In the first NFL championship game, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 at Wrigley Field.
1944The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of excluding Japanese-Americans from the West Coast.
1957The United States successfully test-fired the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.
1969The U.S. Air Force closed its Project "Blue Book" by concluding there was no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings.
1969An estimated 50 million viewers watched singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky on NBC's "Tonight Show."
1975Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford. (She was paroled in 2009.)
1989The animated TV series "The Simpsons" premiered on Fox.
1992President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in separate ceremonies.
1996Kofi Annan of Ghana became United Nations secretary-general.
AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
2004President George W. Bush signed into law the largest overhaul of U.S. intelligence-gathering in 50 years.
2005President George W. Bush acknowledged he'd personally authorized a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. following Sept. 11.
2010Mohamed 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.
 
Video
Highlights of This Day in History
Today's Birthdays:
Actor Bill Pullman turns 58 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
NameProfessionAge
Art NevilleRock musician, singer (The Neville Brothers)74
Chris MatthewsBroadcast journalist66
Eugene LevyActor ("American Pie" movies, "SCTV")65
Paul RodgersRock singer (Bad Company)62
Barry LivingstonActor ("My Three Sons")58
Peter FarrellyDirector, producer55
Mike MillsRock musician (R.E.M.)53
Sarah PaulsonActress37
Giovanni RibisiActor37
Bree SharpRock singer36
Chase UtleyBaseball player33
Actress Milla Jovovich turns 36 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini

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