Poor Gabriel's Almanac - December 16th

Interesting things that happened December 16th:

Birthdays on this date:

In 1485 Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII
In 1770 Ludwig von Beethoven (in Bonn, Germany), composer
In 1775 Jane Austen (in England), novelist (Pride and Prejudice)
In 1863 George Santayana, philosopher, poet, humanist
In 1871 Ernest Shipman, film producer (Back to God's Country)
In 1899 Sir Noel Coward, playwright
In 1900 V.S. Pritchett, literary critic
In 1901 Margaret Mead, anthropologist (Coming of Age in Samoa)
In 1913 George Ignatieff, Russian-born Canadian UN Ambassador (1966-69)
In 1917 Arthur C. Clarke, science-fiction author (2001, Childhood's End)
In 1926 James McCracken, dramatic tenor
In 1929 Nicholas Courtney (in Cairo, Egypt), actor (Doctor Who)
In 1939 Liv Ullman (in Tokyo, Japan), actor (Cries and Whispers)
In 1941 Leslie Stahl, TV newsperson
In 1952 Elayne Boosler, Comedian
In 1962 William "The Refrigerator" Perry, NFL lineman (Bears, 1985-93)

Events worth noting:

+ Victory Day (celebrated in Bangladesh)
+ Bahrain National Day
+ Feast of St Eusebius, bishop of Vercelli
In 1689 English Parliament adopts Bill of Rights after Glorious Revolution.
In 1773 Big Tea Party in Boston Harbor. Indians welcome. British unwelcome.
In 1857 Earthquake in Naples, Italy.
In 1864 Battle of Nashville.
In 1893 Anton Dvorak's "New World Symphony" premieres.
In 1905 "Variety", covering all phases of show business, first published.
In 1907 Great White Fleet sails from Hampton Downs on its World Cruise.
In 1909 US pressure forces Nicaraguan Pres José Santos Zelaya from office.
In 1911 South Pole first reached, by Norwegian Roald Amundsen.
In 1920 Earthquake in China (8.6 on the Richter scale, 100,000 dead).
In 1944 Battle of the Bulge begins.
In 1950 President Truman proclaims a national state of emergency in order to fight "Communist imperialism."
In 1960 Two airliners collide over New York Harbor, killing 134 people.
In 1965 Gemini VI returns to Earth.
In 1971 After a nine month war for Bangladeshi independence, the Pakistan Army surrendered to Bangladesh.
In 1973 O.J. Simpson sets NFL single-season rushing record (2003 yards) by rushing for 200 yards for the Bills in a 34-14 victory over the Jets.
In 1976 US government halts swine flu vaccination program due to reports the vaccine may cause paralysis.
In 1983 Yogi Berra named Yankee manager for the second time.

And remember ...

National Indigestion Season

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Although efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of this information, several errors have been found in the past. Don't place any bets on the basis of what you find here. If you spot an error, write to Poor Gabriel at poorgabriel@mystery.com .