December 20

Today in History
• 1606 - Virginia Company settlers leave London to establish Jamestown Va
• 1669 - 1st jury trial in Delaware; Marcus Jacobson sentenced to flogging, branding and slavery
• 1699 - Russian Tsar Peter the Great ordered Russian New Year changed from Sept 1 to Jan 1
• 1790 - 1st successful US cotton mill begins spinning yarn in Pawtucket
• 1879 - Thomas Edison privately demonstrated incandescent light at Menlo Park
• 1892 - Pneumatic automobile tire patented, Syracuse, NY
• 1922 - 14 republics form Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics (USSR)
• 1928 - 1st international dogsled mail leaves Minot, Maine for Montreal, Quebec


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Cathode-Ray Tube Day
• Dot Your I’s Day
• Games Day
• Go Caroling Day
• Macao SARE Day
• Mudd Day
• National Sangria Day
• Sacagawea Day

Birthdays
• 1537 - John III, King of Sweden (1568-92)
• 1720 - Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie/Young Pretender
• 1805 - Thomas Graham, father of colloid chemistry
• 1813 - Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa Governor, U.S. Secretary of Interior 1881 - 1882
• 1819 - John Geary, 1st San Francisco postmaster, 1st mayor, May 1, 1850
• 1833 - Samuel A. Mudd, doctor, convicted of giving medical aid to JW Booth
• 1868 - Harvey S. Firestone, industrialist and founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
• 1894 - Robert Menzies, 12th Prime Minister of Australia