Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1154

Henry II was crowned king of England.

1562

The French Wars of Religion between the Huguenots and the Catholics began with the Battle of Dreux.

1732

Benjamin Franklin began publishing ''Poor Richard's Almanac.''

1776

Thomas Paine published his first ''American Crisis'' essay, writing: ''These are the times that try men's souls.''

1777

Gen. George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to camp for the winter. Nearly 3000 died during the very severe winter.

1842

Hawaii's independence was recognized by the United States.

1843

Charles Dickens' classic Yuletide tale, ''A Christmas Carol,'' was first published in England.

1871

Corrugated paper was patented by Albert L. Jones of New York.

1903

The Williamsburg Bridge opened, spanning the East River between New York City and Brooklyn.

1907

A coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pa., killed 239 workers.

1932

The British Broadcasting Corp. began transmitting overseas with its ''Empire Service'' to Australia.

1950

General Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military forces.

1972

Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, ending the Apollo program of manned lunar landings.

1972

Ugandan leader General Idi Amin gives British workers an ultimatum to accept reduced pay or be expelled.

1974

Nelson A. Rockefeller was sworn in as the 41st vice president of the United States.

1984

Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.

1986

The Soviet Union announced it had freed dissident Andrei Sakharov from internal exile, and pardoned his wife, Yelena Bonner.

1996

The school board of Oakland, Calif., voted to recognize Black English, also known as ''ebonics.''

1997

''Titanic,'' the highest grossing film ever made, opened in American movie theaters.

1998

Two days after his confession of marital infidelity, Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., told the House he wouldn't serve as its next speaker.

1998

President Bill Clinton was impeached by the Republican-controlled House for perjury and obstruction of justice, becoming the second chief executive to be ordered to stand trial in the Senate. Andrew Johnson, like Clinton, was impeached and acquitted.

2000

The U.N. Security Council voted to impose broad sanctions on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless they closed terrorist training camps and surrendered U.S. embassy bombing suspect Osama bin Laden.

2003

Libya makes a surprise announcement that it will destroy its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.

1683

Philip V, the first Bourbon King of Spain.

1906

Leonid Brezhnev, a leader of the Russian Communist Party.

1915

Edith Piaf (Gassion), French cabaret singer, actress.

1944

Peter Tosh (born Winston Hubert McIntosh), pioneer reggae musician.

1848

Emily Brontë, English poet and novelist who wrote "Wuthering Heights."

2000

John Lindsay, American politician and former New York City mayor.