On this day in 1913,the first modern crossword puzzle was  
published in the "New York World," part of a set of what the
paper called "mental exercises." Clues included: "sunk in
mud," "the fibre of the gomuti palm" and "such and nothing
more."

Arthur Wynne (June 22, 1871 – January 14, 1945)

              
   SANDY KOZEL

More than two years after the Berlin Wall was constructed by
East Germany to prevent its citizens from fleeing its communist
regime, nearly 4,000 West Berliners were allowed to cross into
East Berlin to visit relatives.

On December 19, 1777, commander of the Continental Army
George Washington, the future first president of the United
States, lead his beleaguered troops into winter quarters at
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Things could hardly have looked bleaker for Washington
and the Continental Army as 1777 came to a close.

No one knew better than Washington that the army was on
the brink of collapse—in fact, he had defied Congress’
demand that he launch a mid-winter attack against the
British at Philadelphia and instead fell back to Valley
Forge to rest and refit his troops.

Director James Cameron’s epic drama Titanic, the story of the
real-life luxury ocean liner that struck an iceberg and sank on
its maiden voyage in 1912, resulting in the deaths of more than
1,500 passengers and crew, opened in theaters.