Today is Monday, December 24, the 358th day of 2007. There are 7 days left in the year.
640 _ John IV begins his reign as Catholic pope
1798 _ Russia and England sign the second anti-French coalition
1818 _ ``Silent Night" composed by Franz Joseph Gruber; sung for the first time the next day
1893 _ Henry Ford completes his first useful gas motor
1914 _ German plane drops bombs on Dover, England
1920 _ Enrico Caruso gives his last public performance (New York City)
1922 _ BBC sends the first British radio play ``Truth about Father Christmas"
1943 _ FDR appoints General Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces
1951 _ The United Kingdom of Libya gains independence from Italy via the U.N.
1954 _ Laos gains its independence
1967 _ China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor
1970 _ Walt Disney's ``The Aristocats" is released
1980 _ Americans remembered Iran hostages by shining lights for 417 seconds
1986 _ Iran offensive against Iraqi islands of Shatt al-Arab
1990 _ Saddam says Israel will be Iraq's 1st target
1991 _ Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as head of the Soviet Union
1992 _ President Bush pardons Caspar Weinberger of Iran-contra affair