WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2009

Today is Wednesday, December 16, the 350th day of 2009. There are 15 days left in the year.

1617 _ Spanish viceroy Hernando Arias de Saavedra founds provinces Rio de la Plata (Argentina)/Guaira (Paraguay)

1631 _ Mount Vesuvius, Italy erupts, destroys six villages & kills 4,000

1689 _ English Parliament adopts Bill of Rights after Glorious Revolution

1773 _ Big tea party in Boston harbor-Indians welcome (Boston Tea Party)

1809 _ Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Empress Josephine by the French Senate

1913 _ Charlie Chaplin began his film career at Keystone for $150 a week

1915 _ Albert Einstein publishes his ``General Theory of Relativity"

1950 _ Truman proclaims state of emergency against ``Communist imperialism"

1971 _ Don McLean's 8+ minute version of ``American Pie" released

1987 _ Roh Tae-woo wins presidential election in South Korea