• 1773 The Boston Tea Party

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• 1773 Sons of Liberty dump British tea

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• 1979 OPEC states raise oil prices

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• 1863 Johnston named commander of Army of Tennessee

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• 1950 Truman declares state of emergency

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• 1989 A terrorist bomber begins his deadly rampage

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• 1960 Two airplanes collide over New York City

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• 1811 Earthquake rocks the American wilderness
• 1920 Earthquake devastates Gansu province of China
• 1944 Battle of the Bulge begins
• 1971 Pakistani forces defeated in Bangladesh

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• 1977 Saturday Night Fever turns Travolta into movie star
• 2010 “Larry King Live” ends after 25 years on CNN

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• 1775 Jane Austen’s birthday

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• 1893 Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” receives its world premiere in New York City

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• 1826 Edwards declares the Texas Republic of Fredonia

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• 1998 Clinton orders air attack on Iraq

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• 1973 OJ Simpson rushes record 2,000 yards in a season

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• 1965 Westmoreland asks for more troops
• 1972 Kissinger announces that North Vietnamese left negotiations

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• 1914 Germans bombard English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough

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• 1944 Battle of the Bulge

December 16, 1981 President Reagan promulgated Executive Order 12335, which established the National Commission on Social Security Reform. The Commission was created as a result of the continuing deterioration of the financial position of the Old-Age and Survivors Trust Fund and to made recommendations to assure the financial integrity of the Social Security System.