Today in History

Today in History Today is Saturday, Dec. 25, the 359th day of 2021. There are six days left in the year. This is Christmas Day. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 25, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as the eighth and final leader of a communist superpower that had already gone out of existence. On this date: In A.D. 336, the first known commemoration of Christmas on Dec. 25 took place in Rome. In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. In 1776, Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey, during the American Revolutionary War. In 1818, ‘œSilent Night (Stille Nacht)’� was publicly performed for the first time during the Christmas Midnight Mass at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria. In 1926, Hirohito became emperor of Japan, succeeding his father, Emperor Yoshihito. In 1962, the movie version of ‘œTo Kill a Mockingbird,’� adapted from the Harper Lee novel and starring Gregory Peck, opened in Los Angeles. In 1989, ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu (chow-SHES’-koo) and his wife, Elena, were executed following a popular uprising. Former baseball manager Billy Martin, 61, died in a traffic accident near Binghamton, New York. In 1995, singer Dean Martin died at his Beverly Hills home at age 78. In 1999, space shuttle Discovery’s astronauts finished their repair job on the Hubble Space Telescope and released it back into orbit. In 2003, 16 people were killed by mudslides that swept over campgrounds in California’s San Bernardino Valley. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf (pur-VEHZ’ moo-SHAH’-ruhv) survived a second assassination bid in 11 days, but 17 other people were killed. In 2006, James Brown, the ‘œGodfather of Soul,’� died in Atlanta at age 73. In 2009, passengers aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 foiled an attempt to blow up the plane as it was landing in Detroit by seizing Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO’-mahr fah-ROOK’ ahb-DOOL’-moo-TAH’-lahb), who tried to set off explosives in his underwear. (Abdulmutallab later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.) Ten years ago: Five members of a family – three children and their grandparents – died in a Christmas morning blaze in Stamford, Connecticut, that was blamed on burning embers in a trash can. A suicide bombing of a Catholic church near Nigeria’s capital left at least 44 people dead. Five years ago: A Russian Tu-154 carrying 92 people to Syria crashed into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff from Sochi, killing all 92 people on board. Decrying the suffering in Syria, Pope Francis wished Christmas peace and hope for all those scarred by war and terrorism, which he said was sowing ‘œfear and death in the heart of many countries and cities.’� George Michael, who rocketed to stardom with WHAM! and went on to enjoy a long and celebrated solo career, died at his home in Goring, England, at age 53.