WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011

Today is Wednesday, December 21, the 355th day of 2011. There are 10 days left in the year.

1620 ― 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock

1898 ― Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium

1910 ― Explosion in coal mine in Hulton, England, 344 mine workers dies

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

1925 ― Eisenstein's movie ``Potemkin” premieres in Moscow

1958 ― Charles De Gaulle wins seven-year term as first President of 5th Republic of France

1968 ― David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash premiere together in California

1989 ― Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final speech (he is executed 12/25)

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

1991 ― U.S. actress Jane Fonda marries CNN-director Ted Turner