December 30

Today in History
• 1317 - Pontifical decree "Sancta Romania" against spiritualists
• 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield, Duke of York killed and his forces defeated
• 1685 - Don Francisco de Agurto installed as land guardian of S Netherlands
• 1703 - Tokyo hit by Earthquake; about 37,000 die
• 1731 - 1st U.S. music concert (Peter Pelham's great room in Boston)
• 1817 - 1st coffee planted in Hawaii (Kona)
• 1853 - Gadsden Purchase from Mexico for $10 million, now southern Arizona and New Mexico
• 1854 - Pennsylvania Rock Oil Co, 1st in U.S., incorporated in New York City


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Falling Needles Family Fest Day
• Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
• National Bacon Day
• National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
• National Cheryl Day
• National Resolution Planning Day
• No Interruptions Day
• Rizal Day

Birthdays
• 39-81 AD - Titus, Emperor of Rome who captured Jerusalem and completed the Colosseum
• 1673 - Ahmed III, 23rd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1703-30)
• 1722 - Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain
• 1847 - John Peter Altgeld, German-American politician (Governor of Illinois, 1893-97)
• 1850 - John Milne, British geologist (developed the first modern seismograph)
• 1851 - Asa Griggs Candler, developed Coca-Cola
• 1873 - Alfred "Al" Smith, American politician, 4 time Governor of New York
• 1890 - Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, President of Mexico