THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012

Today is Thursday, December 13, the 348th day of 2012. There are 18 days left in the year.

1577 ― Sir Francis Drake sets sail from England to go around the world

1843 ― "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens published, 6,000 copies sold

1895 ― First complete execution of Gustav Mahler’s 2nd Symphony

1903 ― Italo Marcioni patents the ice cream cone (New Jersey)

1928 ― George Gershwin's "An American In Paris" premieres (New York, N.Y.)

1944 ― Japanese kamikaze crashes into U.S. cruiser Nashville, kills 138

1961 ― Gideon Hausner in Jerusalem demands death penalty for Adolf Eichmann

1990 ― President de Klerk of South Africa meets with Nelson Mandela to talk of end of apartheid

1991 ― Both Koreas sign an accord calling for reconciliation

1995 ― Christopher Reeve is released from physical rehab center