WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012

Today is Wednesday, December 26, the 361st day of 2012. There are five days left in the year.

1492 ― First Spanish settlement in New World founded, by Columbus

1831 ― Vincenzo Bellini's opera "Norma" premieres in Milan

1877 ― Socialist Labor Party of North America holds 1st national convention

1933 ― U.S. forswears armed intervention in the Western Hemisphere

1941 ― Winston Churchill becomes first British P.M. to address a joint meeting of Congress, warning that the Axis would "stop at nothing"

1944 ― Tennessee Williams' play "Glass Menagerie" premieres in Chicago

1963 ― Beatles release "I Want To Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There"

1968 ― Led Zeppelin's concert debut in Boston as opener for Vanilla Fudge

1973 ― "The Exorcist", starring Linda Blair and rated X, premieres

1982 ― TIME's Man of the Year is a computer