December 09
1941
China declared war against Japan, Germany, and Italy.
1958
The anti-Communist John Birch Society was formed.
1965
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” premiered.
1990
Lech Walesa was elected president of Poland.
1993
U.S. astronauts completed repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope.
1996
Archaeologist and anthropologist Mary Leakey died in Kenya at age 83.
Birthdays
John Milton
1608–1674, English Poet.
Joel Chandler Harris
humorist (1848)
Jean de Brunhoff
author and illustrator (1899)
Margaret Hamilton
actor (1902)
Grace Hopper
ear admiral; computer scientist (1906)
Thomas P O’Neill
political leader (1912)
Kirk Douglas
actor (1916)
John Cassavetes
actor and director (1929)
Junior Wells
musician (1934)
Tom Daschle
U.S. senator (1947)
John Malkovich
actor (1953)
Felicity Huffman
actor (1962)
Crown Princess Masako
royalty (1963)