 Today's
highlight in history:
On Dec. 18, 1944, in a pair of rulings, the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld the wartime relocation of Japanese-Americans (Korematsu
v. United States), but also said undeniably loyal Americans of
Japanese ancestry could not continue to be detained (Ex parte
Endo).
On this date:
In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S.
Constitution.
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing
slavery, was declared in effect.
In 1892, Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker" publicly
premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1940, Adolf Hitler signed a secret directive ordering
preparations for a Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Operation
Barbarossa was launched in June 1941.)
In 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania,
the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United
States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)
In 1957, the World War II epic "The Bridge on the River Kwai"
opened in New York.
In 1969, Britain's Parliament permanently abolished the death
penalty for murder.
In 1972, the United States began heavy bombing of North
Vietnamese targets during the Vietnam War. (The bombardment
ended 11 days later.)
In 1980, former Soviet Premier Alexei N. Kosygin died at age 76.
In 1987, Ivan F. Boesky was sentenced to three years in prison
for his role in a major Wall Street insider-trading scandal.
(Boesky served about two years of his sentence).
Ten years ago: President Clinton extended indefinitely
the deadline for withdrawal of U.S. troops helping with the U.N.
peacekeeping effort in Bosnia. Onetime dissident Kim Dae-jung of
South Korea was elected the country's president. Fired
California highway employee Arturo Reyes Torres shot and killed
four people at a maintenance yard before being killed by police.
Comedian Chris Farley was found dead in his Chicago apartment;
he was 33.
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Five years ago: Embattled Senate Republican
leader Trent Lott sustained a double-barreled setback as Rhode
Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee broke ranks to call for a change in
party leadership and Secretary of State Colin Powell forcefully
criticized Lott's controversial remarks on race. Robert Johnson,
the billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television, was
chosen as owner of the NBA's new Charlotte expansion franchise.
One year ago: Robert Gates was sworn in as defense
secretary. President Bush signed legislation to let America
share its nuclear know-how and fuel with India. The NBA
suspended seven players for their roles in a brawl between
Denver and New York; each team was fined $500,000. Animator Joe
Barbera died in Los Angeles at age 95.
Today's birthdays: Television writer-producer
Hal Kanter is 89. Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark is
80. Actor Roger Smith is 75. Blues musician Lonnie Brooks is 74.
Rock singer-musician Keith Richards is 64. Writer-director Alan
Rudolph is 64. Movie producer-director Steven Spielberg is 61.
Blues artist Ron Piazza is 60. Movie director Gillian Armstrong
is 57. Movie reviewer Leonard Maltin is 57. Rock musician Elliot
Easton is 54. Actor Ray Liotta is 52. Actor Brad Pitt is 44.
Country singer Tracy Byrd is 41. Actress Rachel Griffiths is 39.
Singer Alejandro Sanz is 39. Country/rap singer Cowboy Troy is
37. Rapper DMX is 37. Tennis player Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is
36. DJ Lethal (Limp Bizkit) is 35. Actress Katie Holmes is 29.
Singer Christina Aguilera is 27. Christian rock musician Dave
Luetkenhoelter (Kutless) is 25.
Thought for today: "The only thing we have to
fear on this planet is man." -- Carl Jung, Swiss
psychologist (1875-1961)
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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