Today is Wednesday, December 7, the 342nd day of 2016. There are 24 days left in the year.
1301 — Pope Boniface VIII’s degree Ausculta fili (only nominee)
1448 — Bishop Jona of Moscow chosen as metropolitan of Kiev/Intoxication
1456 — Earthquake strikes Naples; about 35,000 die
1492 — Columbus discovers Hispaniola (El Espanola/Haiti)
1496 — Jews are expelled from Portugal by order of King Manuel I
1602 — Giulio Caccini’s "Euridice" premieres in Florence
1757 — Battle at Leuthen: Prussian army beats Austrians
1766 — London auctioneers Christie’s hold their first sale
1776 — Phi Beta Kappa, 1st American scholastic fraternity (William & Mary College), is founded