Today is Thursday, December 27, the 362nd day of 2012. There are four days in the year.
1825 ― First public railroad using steam locomotive completed in England
1831 ― Darwin begins his voyage to South America on board the HMS Beagle
1934 ― Shah of Persia declares Persia now Iran
1941 ― Japan bombs Manila even though it was declared an "open city"
1942 ― First Japanese women camp (Ambarawa) goes into use
1945 ― International Monetary Fund established; World Bank founded
1970 ― "Hello, Dolly!" closes at St. James Theater NYC after 2,844 performances
1972 ― New North Korean constitution comes into effect
1979 ― Soviet troops invade Afghanistan, President Hafizullah Amin overthrown
1993 ― Dow-Jones hits record 3,792.93