MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009

Today is Monday, December 21, the 355th day of 2009. There are 10 days left in the year.

1620 _ 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock

1898 _ Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium

1913 _ First crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in New York World

1923 _ Nepal changes from British protectorate to independent nation

1925 _ Eisenstein's movie Potemkin premieres in Moscow

1937 _ First feature-length color and sound cartoon premieres (Disney's Snow White)

1958 _ Charles De Gaulle wins 7-year term as first president of 5th Republic of France

1962 _ U.S. and Cuba accord, releases bay of pigs captive

1968 _ David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash premiere together in California

1991 _ Soviet Union formally dissolves 11 of 12 republics sign treaty forming Commonwealth of Independent States