Today is Monday, December 20, the 354th day of 2010. There are 11 days left in the year.
69 _ General Vespasianus occupies Rome
1192 _ Richard the Lionhearted captured in Vienna
1879 _ Thomas Edison privately demonstrated incandescent light at Menlo Park
1922 _ 14 republics form Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics (USSR)
1924 _ Adolf Hitler freed from jail early
1957 _ Elvis Presley given draft notice to join U.S. Army for national service
1967 _ ``The Graduate," starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, premieres
1969 _ Peter, Paul & Mary's ``Leaving on a Jet Plane" reaches No. 1
1987 _ Worst peacetime shipping disaster, Dona Paz ferry sinks after collision with oil tanker Vector; 1,749 confirmed deaths (probably closer to 3,000)
1999 _ Portugal returns Macau to China