SANDY KOZEL

On this day in 1776, Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed
the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at
Trenton, NJ.

At The Battle of Trenton, after a brief struggle, nearly the entire
Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to American
forces.

The above historical marker is near the very spot the Continental
Army soldiers under George Washington’s command would have disembarked from their boats to begin their march to Trenton.

"Silent Night" was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus (above) in Oberndorff, Austria on this day in 1818.

Shown above is the only surviving autograph of the song by Joseph Mohr (below).

Josephus Franciscus Mohr
(December 11, 1792 – December 4, 1848)

Josephus Mohr was an Austrian Roman Catholic
priest and lyricist.  He wrote the lyrics of the
Christmas carol (English: ‘Silent Night’).

JOHN BELMONT

In Oslo, Norway on this day in 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the youngest person
to receive the award at the age of 35.

The first domestic passenger jet flight took place in the U.S. on
this day in 1958 when 111 passengers flew from New York to
Miami on a National Airlines Boeing 707 leased from Pan
American World Airways. In 1959 the Lockheed L-188 Electra
was introduced into the fleet. It was the only turboprop aircraft
type ever operated by the airline.

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CAMILLE
BOHANNON

During World War II on this day in 1942, naval battle of Guadalcanal
began between Japanese and American forces. The battle ended on
February 9, 1943 with the U.S. winning a major victory.
 

U.S. Marines, with full battle gear, charge ashore on Guadalcanal
Island.

The Washington opens fire on the Kirishima, November 15, 1942
during the Battle of Guadalcanal: painting by Lt. Dwight Shepler,
USNR.

Neil Percival Young is 73 years old today.

Young a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. After embarking on
a music career in the 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he formed
Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and others.

Actress Daryl Hannah and Neil Young were married in August in
a top-secret ceremony near San Luis Obispo, California. They 
had been dating since 2014.

TIM MAGUIRE

On this day in 2000, America’s Presidential vote faced limbo. There
was no winner named until more than a month later.

A Florida election official tries to figure out a voter’s intentions.

Also on this day in 2000, Hillary Rodham Clinton made history when
she became the first president’s wife to win public office. The state
of New York elected her to the U.S. Senate. (New York).

Hillary Rodham Clinton is sworn in as a United States Senator by
Vice President Al Gore in the Old Senate Chamber, as President
Clinton and daughter Chelsea look on, January 3, 2001.

The middle section of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington
state collapsed during a windstorm on this day in 1940. The third
longest suspension span in the world opened to traffic on July 1,
1940.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge as it looks today.

MIKE GRACIA

On this day in 1948, Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey for
the U.S. presidency. The Chicago Tribune published an early edition
that had the headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN." The Truman
victory surprised many polls and newspapers.

On this day in 1945, Howard Hughes flew his "Spruce Goose," a huge wooden airplane, for eight minutes in California. It was the plane’s
first and only flight and never went into production.

Take-off: Howard Hughes’ H-4, the "Spruce Goose." 

Hughes watches engineer Chal Bowen, October 31, 1947, two days before the flight as the radio operator looks on. Thirty-six people
were on board for the test flight.

Flight-deck seats, put in for military observers, seven guests from
the press corps and an additional seven industry representatives. 

On this day in 1959, Charles Van Doren, a game show contestant
on the NBC-TV program "Twenty-One" admitted that he had been
given questions and answers in advance.

Van Doren (at left) faces Herb Stempel (far right) on “Twenty-One,”
in 1956, under the eye of the show’s host, Jack Barry. Some fifty
million people watched the climax of their rivalry.

Charles Lincoln Van Doren turned 92 in February.