This Day in History – December 6, 2011

1492 Haiti discovered by Columbus, at Môle Saint Nicolas 1732 1st play in American colonies acted by professional players, New York NY 1768 1st edition of “Encyclopedia Brittanica” published (Scotland) 1790 Congress meets in Philadelphia, new temporary US capitol 1820 US President James Monroe re-elected, Daniel D Tompkins Vice-President 1825 President John Adams suggests establishment of a US observatory 1833 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin departs Rio de la Plata 1849 Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery in Maryland 1865 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery 1873 1st international football game in US: Yale 2, Eton (England) 1 1876 1st crematorium in US begins operation, Washington PA 1876 US Electorial College picks Representative Hayes as President (although Tilden won) 1877 Washington Post publishes 1st edition 1877 1st sound recording made (Thomas Edison) 1882 Atmosphere of Venus detected during transit 1884 Aluminum capstone set atop Washington Monument, Washington DC 1904 Theodore Roosevelt confirms Monroe-doctrine (Roosevelt Corollary) 1912 China votes for universal human rights 1913 White Sox beat Giants 9-4 in exhibition game in Tokyo 1922 1st electric power line commercial carrier in US, Utica NY 1923 1st presidential address broadcast on radio (President Calvin Coolidge) 1925 Record 73,000 pay to watch Chicago Bears beat New York Giants 19-7 1933 Ban on James Joyce’ “Ulysses” in US, lifted 1941 NYC Council agrees to build Idlewild (Kennedy) Airport in Queens 1941 Dutch & British pilots see Japanese invasion fleet at Singapore 1956 Nelson Mandela & 156 others arrested for political activities in South Africa 1957 1st US attempt to launch a satellite fails-Vanguard rocket blows up 1957 AFL-CIO votes to expel Teamsters (readmitted in October 1987) 1958 US lunar probe Pioneer 3 reaches 107,269 km, falls back 1960 American League grants Gene Autry a franchise, Los Angeles Angels 1963 Beatles begin a tradition of releasing a Christmas record for fans 1969 300,000 attend the Altamont CA, rock concert feature Rolling Stones 1973 Gerald Ford sworn-in as 1st unelected Vice-President, succeeds Spiro T Agnew 1973 National League votes to move San Diego Padres to Washington DC (doesn’t happen) 1985 UK joins US Star Wars project 1987 3 satanist Missouri teenagers bludgeon comrade to death for “fun” 1988 Agnes Neil Williams purchases Baltimore Orioles for $70 million; Eli Jacobs becomes CEO of Baltimore Orioles 1989 Mafia drug kingpin bombs security force at Bogotá, kills 52 1990 Saddam anounces release of all foreign hostages 1990 Shoeless Joe Jackson’s signature is sold for $23,100 1992 San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice catches NFL record 101st touchdown 1992 San Francisco Giants renig on $43 million pact with Barry Bonds 1994 Orange County California files for bankruptcy 2006 NASA reveals photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars.]]]]> ]]>