Today is Tuesday, December 15, the 349th day of 2009. There are 16 days left in the year.
1488 _ Bartholomeus Diaz returns to Portugal after sailing round Cape of Good Hope
1582 _ Spanish Netherlands/Denmark/Norway adopt Gregorian calendar
1815 _ Rossini gets assignment for Il Barbiere di Siviglia
1877 _ Thomas Edison patents phonograph
1916 _ French defeat Germans in WWI Battle of Verdun
1939 _ First commercial manufacture of nylon yarn, Seaford, Del.
1949 _ Albert Camus' ``Les Justes" premieres in Paris
1964 _ First time four people in space
1970 _ South Korean ferry Namyong-Ho sinks in Strait of Korea, 308 killed
1995 _ Playboy goes back on sale after 36 year ban in Ireland