THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 2023

1656 — Artificial pearls 1st manufactured by M Jacquin in Paris made of gypsum pellets covered with fish scales

1798 — David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patents a nut & bolt machine

1889 — American Academy of Political & Social Science organized, Philadelphia

1913 — Greece formally takes possession of Crete

1927 — Iraq gains independence from Britain, but British troops remain

1937 — Japanese troops conquer/plunder Nanjing

1938 — Major leagues agree on standard ball

1938 — Major leagues disagree on increasing rosters from 23 to 25

1939 — Soviet Union attacks Finland - League of Nations drops Soviet Union

1944 — Congress establishes rank of General of the Army (5-star General)

1946 — U.N. General Assembly votes to establish U.N. HQs in New York NY

1950 — U.N. General Assembly establishes High Commissioner for Refugees (Nobel 1954)

1952 — Uprising of captives in Pongam South Korea, 82 die

1960 — Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) forms

1967 — DNA created in a test tube

1977 — Egypt & Israel representatives gather in Cairo for first formal peace conference

1980 — At 2 PM EST there is 10 minutes of silence in memory of John Lennon

1981 — Israel annexes Golan Heights (seized from Syria in war of 1967)

1988 — U.S. agrees to talk to Palestine Liberation Organization (1st time in 13 years)