===
- 537 – The current Hagia Sophia building in Istanbul, originally built as a church before it later became a mosque in 1453 and then a museum in 1935, was inaugurated.
- 1918 – A public speech by famed Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski (pictured) in Poznań sparked the Greater Poland Uprising against Germany.
- 1966 – The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, was discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
- 1979 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet troops stormed Tajbeg Palace outside ofKabul and killed Afghan President Hafizullah Amin and his 300 elite guards.
- 2007 – Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was assassinated while she was leaving a political rally of Pakistan Peoples Party supporters at Liaquat National Bagh in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
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Events
- 537 – The Hagia Sophia is completed.
- 1512 – The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World.
- 1655 – Second Northern War/the Deluge: Monks at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa are successful in fending off a month-long siege.
- 1657 – The Flushing Remonstrance is signed.
- 1703 – Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.
- 1814 – War of 1812: The American schooner USS Carolina is destroyed. It was the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's makeshift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
- 1831 – Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution.
- 1836 – The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing 8 people.
- 1845 – Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia.
- 1911 – "Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, is first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
- 1918 – The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.
- 1922 – Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō becomes the first purpose built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.
- 1923 – Daisuke Namba, a Japanese student, tries to assassinate the Prince Regent Hirohito.
- 1927 – Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.
- 1932 – Radio City Music Hall, "Showplace of the Nation", opens in New York, New York.
- 1939 – Erzincan, Turkey is hit by an earthquake, killing 30,000.
- 1939 – Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet Union attack in the Battle of Kelja.
- 1942 – The Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia is founded.
- 1945 – The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are created with the signing of an agreement by 29 nations.
- 1949 – Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence. End of the Dutch East Indies.
- 1966 – The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, is discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
- 1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital manned mission to the Moon.
- 1978 – Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.
- 1978 – The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in the South Pole recorded temperatures of 7.5 °F (−13.6 °C), making it the highest temperature to ever be recorded in the South Pole.
- 1979 – The Soviet Union invades the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
- 1985 – Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside Rome, Italy and Vienna, Austria airports.
- 1996 – Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram Airfield which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul, Afghanistan.
- 1997 – Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
- 2001 – China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.
- 2002 – Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya, Russia.
- 2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
- 2007 – Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.
- 2007 – Riots erupt in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of the presidential election, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.
- 2008 – Israel launches 3-week operation on Gaza - Operation Cast Lead.
- 2009 – Iranian election protests: On the Day of Ashura in Tehran, Iran, government security forces fire upon demonstrators.
[edit]Births
- 1390 – Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)
- 1571 – Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)
- 1572 – Johannes Vodnianus Campanus, Czech humanist, composer, pedagogue, poet, and dramatist (d. 1622)
- 1654 – Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)
- 1683 – Conyers Middleton, English minister (d. 1750)
- 1714 – George Whitefield, English-American preacher (d. 1770)
- 1715 – Philippe de Noailles, French soldier (d. 1794)
- 1717 – Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)
- 1721 – François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher (d. 1790)
- 1761 – Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian military commander (d. 1818)
- 1773 – George Cayley, English scientist, inventor, and politician (d. 1857)
- 1776 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)
- 1796 – Mirza Ghalib, Indian poet (d. 1869)
- 1803 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, French Canadian Patriote (d. 1839)
- 1822 – Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)
- 1823 – Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1917)
- 1832 – Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and patron of art (d. 1897)
- 1864 – René Georges Hermann-Paul, French artist (d. 1940)
- 1879 – Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (d. 1954)
- 1883 – Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American financier, industrialist and philanthropist (d. 1979)
- 1888 – Thea von Harbou, German author and actress (d. 1954)
- 1892 – Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian World War One flying ace (d. 1917)
- 1896 – Louis Bromfield, American writer (d. 1956)
- 1896 – Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (d. 1952)
- 1896 – Carl Zuckmayer, German author and dramatist (d. 1977)
- 1900 – Hans Stuck, German race car driver (d. 1978)
- 1901 – Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)
- 1901 – Irene Handl, English actress (d. 1987)
- 1906 – Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer and actor (d. 1972)
- 1907 – Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and writer (d. 1999)
- 1907 – Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (d. 1978)
- 1907 – Conrad L. Raiford, Goodwill Ambassador (d. 2002)
- 1907 – Mary Howard aka Josephine Edgar, British writer (d. 1991)
- 1909 – James Riddell, British champion skier and author (d. 2000)
- 1910 – Charles Olson, American poet (d. 1970)
- 1911 – Anna Russell, English-born Canadian singer and comedian (d. 2006)
- 1915 – Mary Kornman, American actress (d. 1973)
- 1915 – William Masters, American gynecologist (d. 2001)
- 1915 – Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian footballer (d. 1999)
- 1916 – Werner Baumbach, German bomber pilot (d. 1953)
- 1917 – Onni Palaste, Finnish writer (d. 2009)
- 1918 – John Celardo, American comic strip artist (d. 2012)
- 1919 – Charles Sweeney, American general (d. 2004)
- 1920 – Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (d. 2005)
- 1923 – Bruno Bobak, Polish-Canadian painter (d. 2012)
- 1924 – James A. McClure, American politician (d. 2011)
- 1925 – Maurice Bambier, French politician (d. 1994)
- 1925 – Michel Piccoli, French actor
- 1926 – Jerome Courtland, American actor, director and producer
- 1927 – Antony Gardner, British politician (d. 2011)
- 1927 – Agnes Nixon, American television producer, director, and writer
- 1927 – Nityanand Swami, Indian politician (d. 2012)
- 1927 – Audrey Wagner, American baseball player [AAGPBL] (d. 1984)
- 1930 – Marshall Sahlins, American Anthropologist
- 1930 – Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American writer (d. 2011)
- 1931 – Scotty Moore, American guitarist
- 1934 – Larisa Latynina, Russian gymnast
- 1938 – Stanislav Stanojevic, Serbian-born French film director and actor
- 1939 – John Amos, American actor
- 1941 – Mike Pinder, British musician (The Moody Blues)
- 1941 – Nolan Richardson, American basketball coach
- 1942 – Byron Browne, baseball player
- 1942 – Charmian Carr, American actress
- 1942 – Thomas Menino, American politician
- 1942 – Ron Rothstein, American basketball coach
- 1943 – Cokie Roberts, American journalist
- 1943 – Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish musician
- 1943 – Peter Sinfield, British lyricist and producer
- 1943 – Roy White, American baseball player
- 1944 – Mick Jones, British musician (Foreigner)
- 1946 – Lenny Kaye, American guitarist
- 1946 – Janet Street-Porter, British journalist and producer
- 1946 – Joyce Spiliotis, American politician (d. 2012)
- 1947 – Bill Eadie, professional wrestler known as "Ax" of Demolition
- 1947 – Tracy Nelson, American blues singer
- 1947 – Janet Perry, American soprano
- 1947 – Willy Polleunis, Belgian athlete
- 1947 – Mickey Redmond, Canadian hockey player
- 1948 – Gérard Depardieu, French actor
- 1950 – Haris Alexiou, Greek singer
- 1950 – Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer
- 1950 – Terry Bozzio, American drummer (Missing Persons)
- 1950 – Morgan Chu, American lawyer and intellectual property expert
- 1950 – Doug Stone, Canadian voice actor
- 1951 – Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico
- 1952 – Karla Bonoff, American singer and songwriter
- 1952 – Tovah Feldshuh, American actress
- 1952 – Jay Hill, Canadian politician
- 1952 – David Knopfler, British musician (Dire Straits)
- 1952 – Raimund Krauth, German footballer (d. 2012)
- 1955 – E. E. Bell, American actor
- 1955 – Brad Murphey, Australian racing driver
- 1955 – Barbara Olson, American political commentator (d. 2001)
- 1957 – Jerry Gaskill, American musician (King's X)
- 1957 – Greg Mortenson, American author
- 1958 – Barbara Crampton, American actress
- 1958 – Steve Jones, American golfer
- 1958 – Norbert Schmitz, German footballer (d. 1998)
- 1959 – Gerina Dunwich, American author
- 1959 – Andre Tippett, American football player
- 1960 – Maryam d'Abo, British actress
- 1960 – Victoria Paige Meyerink, American actress and producer
- 1960 – Donald Nally, American choral conductor
- 1962 – Mark Few, American basketball coach
- 1962 – Bill Self, American basketball coach
- 1962 – Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer
- 1962 – Pierlucio Tinazzi, Italian security guard (d. 1999)
- 1963 – Gaspar Noé, Argentinian-born director
- 1964 – Ian Gomez, American actor
- 1964 – Theresa Randle, American actress
- 1965 – Salman Khan, Indian actor
- 1965 – Chris Mainwaring, Australian rules footballer (d. 2007)
- 1966 – Wendy Coakley-Thompson, American writer
- 1966 – Bill Goldberg, American football player and professional wrestler
- 1966 – Eva LaRue, American actress
- 1966 – Fabian Núñez, American politician
- 1969 – Jean-Christophe Boullion, French race car driver
- 1969 – Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist
- 1970 – Brendon Cook, Australian racing driver
- 1970 – Chyna, American professional wrestler
- 1970 – Lorenzo Neal, American football player
- 1971 – Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer
- 1971 – Jason Hawes, Paranormal investigator
- 1971 – Bryan Smolinski, American ice hockey player
- 1972 – Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor
- 1972 – Colin Charvis, Welsh rugby union player
- 1972 – Kevin Ollie, American basketball player
- 1972 – Matt Slocum, American musician (Sixpence None the Richer)
- 1973 – Wilson Cruz, Puerto Rican actor
- 1973 – Dee Ferris, British painter
- 1973 – Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch composer
- 1974 – Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor
- 1974 – Fumiko Orikasa, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1974 – Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player
- 1974 – Edgar Ponce, Mexican actor and dancer (d. 2005)
- 1975 – Adnan Farhan Abd Al Latif, Yemeni criminal (d. 2012)
- 1975 – Heather O'Rourke, American actress (d. 1988)
- 1976 – Nikolaos Georgeas, Greek footballer
- 1976 – Fernando Pisani, Canadian/Italian ice hockey player
- 1976 – Aaron Stanford, American actor
- 1977 – Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress
- 1978 – Deuce McAllister, American football player
- 1979 – David Dunn, English footballer
- 1979 – Carson Palmer, American football player
- 1980 – Bernard Berrian, American football player
- 1980 – Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler
- 1980 – Cas Haley, American singer and guitarist
- 1980 – Dahntay Jones, American basketball player
- 1981 – David Aardsma, American baseball player
- 1981 – Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
- 1981 – Moise Joseph, American-Haitian runner
- 1981 – Javine Hylton, English singer
- 1981 – Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Anthony Boric, New Zealand All Black rugby player
- 1983 – Cole Hamels, American baseball player
- 1984 – Pleasure P, American R&B Singer (Pretty Ricky)
- 1984 – Gilles Simon, French tennis player
- 1985 – Logan Bailly, Belgian footballer
- 1985 – Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Belgian racing driver
- 1985 – Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player
- 1988 – Zavon Hines, English football player
- 1988 – Rick Porcello, American baseball player
- 1988 – Ok Taecyeon, South Korean actor & singer (2PM)
- 1988 – Hayley Williams, American singer (Paramore)
- 1989 – Ingrid Várgas Calvo, Peruvian tennis player
- 1990 – Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player
- 1991 – Chloe Bridges, American actress
- 1991 – Danny Wilson, Scottish footballer
[edit]Deaths
- 418 – Pope Zosimus
- 1076 – Prince Sviatoslav II of Kiev (b. 1027)
- 1087 – Bertha of Savoy, German queen and Holy Roman Empire Empress (b. 1051)
- 1381 – Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician
- 1543 – George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, follower of Martin Luther (b. 1484)
- 1548 – Francesco Spiera, Italian Protestant jurist (b. 1502)
- 1603 – Thomas Cartwright, English Puritan clergyman
- 1704 – Hans Albrecht von Barfus, Brandenburg and Prussian field marshal and prime minister (b. 1635)
- 1707 – Jean Mabillon, French palaeograopher and diplomat (b. 1632)
- 1737 – William Bowyer, English printer (b. 1663)
- 1743 – Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (b. 1659)
- 1771 – Henri Pitot, French engineer (b. 1695)
- 1782 – Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish philosopher (b. 1697)
- 1800 – Hugh Blair, Scottish preacher and man of letters (b. 1718)
- 1812 – Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Lithuanian rabbi and founder of Chabad Hasidism (b. 1745)
- 1812 – Joanna Southcott, an English self-described religious prophetess (b. 1750)
- 1834 – Charles Lamb, English essayist (b. 1775)
- 1836 – Stephen F. Austin, American pioneer (b. 1793)
- 1858 – Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French composer (b. 1785)
- 1896 – John Brown, British manufacturer (b. 1816)
- 1900 – William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, English inventor, industrialist, and engineer (b. 1810)
- 1914 – Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and inventor (b. 1863)
- 1923 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (b. 1832)
- 1925 – Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet (b. 1895)
- 1938 – Calvin Bridges, American geneticist (b. 1889)
- 1938 – Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet (b. 1891)
- 1950 – Max Beckmann, German painter (b. 1884)
- 1952 – Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1878)
- 1953 – Julian Tuwim, Polish poet (b. 1894)
- 1955 – Alfred Carpenter, English naval officer (b. 1881)
- 1956 – Lambert McKenna, Irish editor and lexicographer (b. 1870)
- 1958 – Harry Warner, American studio executive (b. 1881)
- 1965 – Edgar Ende, German painter (b. 1901)
- 1966 – Guillermo Stábile, Argentine footballer (b. 1905)
- 1972 – Lester B. Pearson, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1897)
- 1974 – Vladimir Fock, Russian physicist (b. 1898)
- 1978 – Chris Bell American musician (b. 1951)
- 1978 – Houari Boumediene, President of Algeria (b. 1932)
- 1978 – Bob Luman, American country and rockabilly singer (b. 1937)
- 1979 – Hafizullah Amin, second President of Afghanistan (b. 1929)
- 1981 – Hoagy Carmichael, American composer and singer (b. 1899)
- 1982 – Jack Swigert, American astronaut (b. 1931)
- 1985 – Dian Fossey, American Zoologist (b. 1932)
- 1986 – Geoffrey D Lloyd, Chairman of the guild of British Newspaper editors (b. 1933)
- 1988 – Hal Ashby, American film director (b. 1929)
- 1992 – Kay Boyle, American writer (b. 1902)
- 1993 – André Pilette, Belgian racing driver (b. 1918)
- 1994 – Fanny Cradock, English food writer and broadcaster (b. 1909)
- 1994 – J. B. L. Reyes, Filipino jurist (b. 1902)
- 1995 – Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian classical pianist (b. 1909)
- 1995 – Genrikh Kasparyan, Armenian chess player and composer (b. 1910)
- 1997 – Brendan Gill, American columnist and humorist (b. 1914)
- 1997 – Billy Wright, Irish Protestant paramilitary leader (b. 1960)
- 2002 – George Roy Hill, American film director (b. 1922)
- 2003 – Alan Bates, English actor (b. 1934)
- 2003 – Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican baseball player (b. 1962)
- 2003 – Vestal Goodman, American Gospel singer (b. 1929)
- 2004 – Hank Garland, American musician (b. 1930)
- 2005 – William Doody, Canadian politician (b. 1931)
- 2007 – Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1953)
- 2007 – Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish film director (b. 1922)
- 2007 – Jaan Kross, Estonian writer (b. 1920)
- 2008 – Delaney Bramlett, American musician (b. 1939)
- 2008 – Robert Graham, Mexican Sculptor (b. 1938)
- 2009 – Isaac Schwartz, Ukrainian Composer (b. 1923)
- 2011 – Catê, Brazilian footballer (b. 1973)
- 2011 – Michael Dummett, British philosopher (b. 1925)
- 2011 – Helen Frankenthaler, American abstract expressionist painter (b. 1928)
- 2011 – Johnny Wilson, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
[edit]Holidays and observances
- Christian Feast Day:
- Constitution Day (North Korea)
- St. Stephen's Day (Eastern Orthodox Church; a public holiday in Romania)
- The third day of Christmas (Western Christianity)
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Green turning red in watermelon politics
Piers Akerman – Thursday, December 27, 2012 (5:36pm)
FACING falling support, the Greens are trying to find a different colour scheme to fool the voters.
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SKY RULED
Tim Blair – Thursday, December 27, 2012 (11:23am)
A fine warbird gallery.
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Real men don't rape .. but they might defend a woman being attacked .. and hurt the abuser .. - ed
Indian gang-rape victim flown to Singapore in a critical state
AN Indian student who was left fighting for her life after being gang raped on a bus in New Delhi has arrived in Singapore for treatment at a leading hospital.
The attack sparked a wave of protests across India in which a policeman died and more than 100 police and protesters were injured.
The 23-year-old victim has already undergone three operations in India after suffering severe intestinal injuries during the 40-minute gang rape on December 16 in which she was also assaulted with an iron rod.
She was flown by air ambulance from Delhi overnight and arrived at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital early today "in an extremely critical condition", the hospital said in a statement.
"She is being examined and the hospital is working with the Indian High Commission (embassy)," it said, adding she was being treated at its intensive care unit.
The head of the hospital which treated her in New Delhi hinted that the Mount Elizabeth Hospital, located in Singapore's Orchard Road shopping district, was chosen for its modern organ transplant facility.
"The said hospital has a state-of-art multi-organ transplant facility. The arrangement has also been made for the family to accompany her as the treatment may take longer period," B.D. Athani, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, said yesterday.
"She has had to be operated upon three times. With fortitude and courage she has survived the after-effects of the injuries so far, but her condition continues to be critical," he told reporters.
The decision to approve the 23-year-old's transfer was taken at a cabinet meeting in New Delhi yesterday and authorities have said the Indian government will cover the cost of medical treatment.
"We arranged the passport and visa for the victim and members of her family," a foreign ministry official told AFP.
India has said it is setting up a special commission of inquiry after the gang rape which occurred when the woman was allegedly tricked into boarding a bus by six men who then took it in turns to assault her.
Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack and have been remanded in custody.
Announcing the commission yesterday, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said a separate panel would examine existing legislation and "suggest changes in the laws in order to make punishment for such horrific crimes stiffer".
"Whatever we do now is intended to demonstrate the government's serious intent in the matter that we will apprehend and punish the perpetrators, we will try and find out what went wrong ... and fix responsibility and amend the laws," he said.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets since the attack to demonstrate both against the levels of violence and also the notoriously slow criminal justice system.
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I want it extended .. the Campbelltown PAHS issue has never been dealt with. Kids involved were not questioned until they left school and then their natural desire to not take it further was inflated to ignore what had happened. The ramification may well have been the death of Hamidur Rahman. But it is currently outside the scope of inquiry. - ed
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It is simple, and revolutionary .. a theory that explains how the brain works. It can be applied simply too. However, no simple theory can explain why Gillard is still in government - ed
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