406 80,000 Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine at Mainz, beginning invasion of Gallia
1744 English astronomer James Bradley announces discovery of Earth’s nutation motion (wobble)
1775 Battle of Quebec: American Continental Army led by Richard Montgomery is defeated trying to take the British stronghold of Quebec City in the American Revolutionary War, General Montgomery is killed and Benedict Arnold is injured
1861 22,990mm of rain falls in Cherrapunji Assam in India in 1861, a world record
1958 Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista tells his Cabinet he is fleeing the country
Historical Events Today Events In 2022
Today In Film & TV
1923 BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID
Today In Music
1879 Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “Pirates of Penzance” premieres in NYC
Today In Sport
1989 Jockey Kent Desormeaux sets record with 598 wins in a year
1904 First New Year’s Eve celebration held in Times Square, New York City
1994 This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC-11 to UTC+13 and UTC-10 to UTC+14, respectively.
Famous Weddings
1910 Editor Maxwell Perkins (26) weds Louise Saunders at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in North Plainfield, New Jersey
1940 Actress Bette Davis (32) weds New England innkeeper Arthur Farnsworth at 15,000-acre ranch in Lake Montezuma, Arizona
1950 World heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano (27) weds Barbara Cousins in Brockton, Massachusetts
