December 21 in History

Vespasians supporters enter Rome & drag Vitelius through the streets & kill him

Vespasians supporters enter Rome & drag Vitelius through the streets & kill him

Adopted Emperor by the Senate afte Vitellius is killed in street fighting

Athelstan granted sixty hides at Bremhill to the religious community of Malmesbury.

Daimbert of Pisa becomes Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem after the First Crusade, strengthening Italian ecclesiastical influence in the new crusader regime.

Apppointed Pope

A truce is signed between England & Scotland, a 5 yr peace

A truce is signed between England & Scotland, a 5 year peace

Henry VII signs a marriage Treaty between his daughter Mary & Archduke Charles

Henry VII signs a marriage Treaty between his daughter Mary & Archduke Charles

He was furthermore given full authority over the navy and army at sea.

Howard's commission is signed, requiring Howard "according as there shall be occasion, and wherever and whenever he shall deem it fitting, to invade.

Orders were drawn up for Howard to take the fleet to sea.

enter, spoil and make himself master of the kingdoms, dominions, lands, islands, and all other places whatever belonging to the said Spaniards".

Galileo writes to Benedetto Castelli arguing that scriptural interpretation should not override demonstrated conclusions about the natural world.

Galileo becomes the target of a public sermon by Tommaso Caccini attacking Copernican astronomy and mathematicians.

The Commons prepares charges over ship money judgments and abuses of judicial authority.

A cover up Treaty for the secret Treaty, details Anglo-French action against the Dutch

Created Lord Churchill of Eyemouth in the Scottish peerage.

William III of Orange addresses a large meeting of peers assembled to consider how England should be governed until a national settlement is reached.

Moves that petitioners in the Bridgeman versus Holt dispute be allowed to withdraw their petition after reaching an agreement.

Congress approved the Federal Constitution, establishing the First Republic and a federal system of government.

Is convicted for his role in the July Ordinances and sentenced to imprisonment.

Elected President of France for 10 years

Becomes prime minister after Thompson dies.

At the request of the President Congress authorizes the Venezuelan Boundary Commission

The Discovery sets sail from Lyttleton, New Zealand

Government forces kill striking nitrate workers and family members gathered at the Santa Maria School.

Appointed President of Nicaragua

Atkinson falls into a crevasse during the difficult upper Beardmore Glacier crossing but is recovered.

Evans falls into a crevasse during the upper glacier ascent and receives a severe shake.

The remaining teams continue man-hauling their sledges after the first supporting party turns north.

The first four-man supporting party turns back from the Beardmore Glacier, leaving eight men to continue south.

Atkinson turns back with the first four-man supporting party from the Beardmore Glacier.

Cherry-Garrard begins the return journey after his supporting party is ordered back.

Keohane joins Atkinson, Cherry-Garrard and Wright in the first supporting party ordered back.

Wright turns north with the first four-man support group after reaching the upper Beardmore Glacier.

The southbound expedition reorganises after the first supporting party turns back on the Beardmore Glacier.

Scott's parties encounter difficult crevassed ice while climbing toward the polar plateau.

His government reviews a detailed memorandum on Germany's deteriorating economic position near the end of 1922.

A decree restores convertibility of Bank of Italy notes into gold or gold-convertible foreign currency.

Concludes the coal & cattle pact, a trade agreement made with the Irish Free State

The Special Areas Act provides assistance to districts suffering severe industrial unemployment.

Concludes the coal & cattle pact, a trade agreement made with the Irish Free State

Government forces kill striking miners and civilians during the Catavi Massacre.

Blocked on the Myshkova by the 2nd Guards Army, the German 6th Army cannot break out

Blocked on the Myshkova by the 2nd Guards Army, the German 6th Army cannot break out

Leads Opeartion Winter Storm to support Field Marshal Paulus

Healey marries Edna May Edmunds, whom he had met at Oxford before the war.

Healey’s marriage to fellow Oxford graduate Edna Edmunds begins a partnership lasting until her death.

Costello's administration secures enactment of the Republic of Ireland Act, ending the Crown's remaining statutory external role.

Tai participates in state visit connected with Jordanian political and historical developments.

Oswald scored 212 with the M1 rifle on December 21, 1956, qualifying as a Marine sharpshooter.

Signs an agreement with Cyrille Adoula accepting in principle the unity of the Congo.

Castro and James Donovan, a U.S. lawyer sign an agreement to exchange the 1,113 prisoners for $53 million US dollars in food and medicine, the money is raised privately

Castro agrees with Donovan to exchange 1,113 Bay of Pigs prisoners for food and medicine valued at about fifty-three million dollars.

On 21 December 1962, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro and James B. Donovan a US lawyer aided by Milan C. Miskovsky, a CIA legal officer, signed an agreement to exchange 1,113 prisoners for US $53 million in food and medicine, sourced from private donations and from companies expecting tax concessions

Castro and James Donovan, a U.S. lawyer sign an agreement to exchange the 1,113 prisoners for $53 million US dollars in food and medicine, the money is raised privately

Kennedy administration legal officer Milan Miskovsky assists Donovan during the exchange negotiations.

Kennedy agrees that the United States will make Polaris missiles available to Britain after Skybolt cancellation

Macmillan secures agreement for Britain to acquire Polaris missiles for its strategic deterrent

Douglas-Home supports the formula assigning British Polaris forces to NATO with a national reservation

Rusk supports language linking British Polaris forces to NATO except where supreme national interests are at stake

The USA agrees to sell Polaris to Britain

The Nassau settlement forms the basis for the later Polaris Sales Agreement between the United States and Britain

Kennedy is informed that Castro and Donovan have signed the prisoner exchange agreement.

Donovan signs the agreement providing for release of 1,113 Brigade 2506 prisoners in exchange for food and medicine.

The USA agrees to sell Polaris to Britain

Britain agrees to purchase Polaris missiles while building its own submarines and nuclear warheads

Serves as lunar module pilot on Apollo 8.

Commands Apollo 8 on the first crewed flight to the Moon.

Serves as command module pilot on Apollo 8.

Commands Apollo 8 as the Saturn V third stage sends the crew from Earth orbit toward the Moon.

The Supreme Court decides the 1970 voting-age case Oregon v Mitchell

Announces the controlling opinion in Oregon v Mitchell

East & West Germany recognize each others boundaries & independence

East & West Germany recognize each others boundaries & independence

East & West Germany recognize each others boundaries & independence

Refuses full participation in the Geneva peace process after the war.

Jordan is invited to the Geneva peace conference after the October War.

Attends the Geneva peace conference convened after the war.

Attends the Geneva peace conference after the war.

Authorizes Egyptian participation in the Geneva peace conference after the war.

Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, US and USSR leaders meet in Geneva

Welcomes the Geneva conference as a diplomatic path after the war.

After reviewing presidential recordings supplied by the White House, releases relevant portions to Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski.

Tass calls Margaret Thatcher the "Iron Lady" over her condemnation of Rusia

Venera 12 descends through the Venusian atmosphere and transmits scientific measurements from the surface.

Mugabe signs the settlement providing a ceasefire, constitution and supervised elections.

Vega 2 launches with a Venus atmospheric balloon and lander as part of the international Vega programme.

Pan Am Flight 103 is destroyed over Lockerbie, later leading to accusations against Libyan officials.

Loses control during a mass rally in Bucharest.

Ceausescu addresses a mass rally that breaks into open protest.

Peoples Militia is abolished, & their weapons confiscated by the army

Joins leaders of former Soviet republics at Alma-Ata as the Commonwealth of Independent States expands.

The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control

Clervoy operates Discovery's robotic arm to capture Hubble for the emergency Servicing Mission 3A.

Sturza leaves office after his government loses support

Dumitru Braghis becomes Prime Minister after the Sturza government falls

Appointed provisional President of Argentina during the December 2001 crisis

Acting President also exercises cabinet and head-of-government authority

Berdymukhamedov becomes acting President after Niyazov's death

Niyazov's rule ends after his death

Constitutional successor is blocked from assuming the acting presidency

At an Israeli Cabinet meeting, Yuval Diskin, Head of Israels internal security agency, confirms the seriousness of Hamass interest in maintaining the truce

At an Israeli Cabinet meeting, Yuval Diskin, Head of Israels internal security agency, confirms the seriousness of Hamass interest in maintaining the truce

Beji Caid Essebsi won the presidential runoff election.

Birmingham is selected to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Announces Patriot air defense support during Zelenskyy's Washington visit.

Visits Washington and addresses the United States Congress during his first wartime trip abroad.

Birth of Heinrich Boll

Birth of Frank Vincent Zappa

Death of Richard Duke of York, killed at the Battle of Wakefield

Richards head is placed over a York city gate with a paper crown on it

Death of George Smith Patton

Niyazov dies while serving as President of Turkmenistan

Death of Saparmurat Niyazov

Helps defeat the Yorkists when they sail from Sandal castle

Richard Duke of York is killed & succeeded by his son Edward who becomes Duke of York

Killed in battle while quelling a Northern rebellion

Defeats Marshal Soults cavalry but still has to withdraw from the Peninsular

Gains leverage over the Ottoman government after Ibrahim Pasha defeats its army at Konya.

Lal Singh commands Sikh troops at Ferozeshah in one of the fiercest engagements of the First Sikh War.