December 21

Today in History
• 1582 - Flanders adopts the Gregorian calendar, skipping 11 days
• 1829 - 1st stone arch railroad bridge in US dedicated, Baltimore
• 1849 - 1st US skating club formed (Philadelphia)
• 1866 - Fetterman Massacre: Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians kill all 81 Army soldiers
• 1898 - Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium
• 1909 - 1st junior high school established (Berkeley California)
• 1913 - 1st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in NY World
• 1929 - 1st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas Tx)


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Anne and Samantha Day
• Blue Christmas
• Turkish Language Day
• Humbug Day
• National Crossword Puzzle Day
• National Flashlight Day
• National Maine Day
• São Tomé Day

Birthdays
• 1117 - Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury
• 1537 - Johan III, king of Sweden, 1569-92
• 1603 - Roger Williams, English theologian and colonist
• 1804 - Benjamin Disraeli, Tory, British Prime Minister, 1868, 1874-80
• 1818 - Amalia, wife of king Otto of Greece
• 1851 - Thomas Chipman McRae, American politician, 34th Governor of Arkansas
• 1874 - Juan Bautista Sacasa, President of Nicaragua (1932-36)
• 1890 - Fred M Vinson, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1946-53