December 22 - Holiday Party

Holiday Party

This Day In History

1808

Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto (performed by Beethoven himself) and Choral Fantasy (with Beethoven at the piano).

1851

The first freight train is operated in Roorkee, India.

1891

Asteroid 323 Brucia becomes the first asteroid discovered using photography.

1937

The Lincoln Tunnel opens to traffic in New York, New York.

1944

German troops demand the surrender of U.S. troops at Bastogne, Belgium, prompting the famous one word reply from General Anthony McAuliffe: "Nuts!"

1964

The first test flight of the SR-71 (Blackbird) takes place at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.

1989

Berlin's Brandenburg Gate re-opens after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany.

Famous Birthdays

1639

Jean Racine, French dramatist (d. 1699)

1696

James Oglethorpe, English general and founder of the state of Georgia (d. 1785)

1765

Johann Friedrich Pfaff, German mathematician (d. 1825)

1858

Giacomo Puccini, Italian composer (d. 1924)

1860

Austin Norman Palmer, American penmanship innovator (d. 1927)

1936

Héctor Elizondo, American actor

1944

Steve Carlton, American baseball player

1947

Brian Daley, American science-fiction writer (d. 1996)

1951

Charles de Lint, Canadian fantasy author

1960

Jean-Michel Basquiat, American artist (d. 1988)

1962

Ralph Fiennes, English actor

1968

Dina Meyer, American actress
1978
Joanne Kelly, Canadian Actress