Today is Saturday, December 13, the 348th day of 2008. There are 18 days left in the year.
1642 _ New Zealand discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman
1843 _ ``A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens published, 6,000 copies sold
1895 _ First complete performance of Gustav Mahler's 2nd Symphony
1903 _ Italo Marcioni patents the ice cream cone (New Jersey)
1903 _ Wright Brothers make first flight at Kittyhawk
1920 _ League of nations establishes International Court of Justice in The Hague
1928 _ George Gershwin's ``An American In Paris" premieres (New York NY)
1944 _ Japanese kamikaze crashes into U.S. cruiser Nashville, kills 138
1950 _ James Dean begins his career with an appearance in a Pepsi commercial
1991 _ Both Koreas sign an accord calling for reconciliation