December 14 - This day in History

December 14: General Interest
1911: Amundsen reaches South Pole

Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott... read more


American Revolution
1777 : Thomas Conway is named inspector general
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-conway-is-named-inspector-general


Automotive
1909 : Indy "Brickyard" is completed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indy-brickyard-is-completed


Civil War
1863 : President Lincoln pardons his sister-in-law
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-pardons-his-sister-in-law


Cold War
1980 : CIA issues warning about Soviet arms sales to Third World nations
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cia-issues-warning-about-soviet-arms-sales-to-third-world-nations


Crime
1874 : An unsatisfactory end to a kidnapping
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/an-unsatisfactory-end-to-a-kidnapping

2012 : Gunman kills students and adults at Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-students-and-adults-at-newtown-connecticut-elementary-school-


Disaster
1967 : Blizzard ravages Navajo reservation
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/blizzard-ravages-navajo-reservation


General Interest
1799 : George Washington dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-washington-dies

1900 : The birth of quantum theory
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-birth-of-quantum-theory


Hollywood
2005 : King Kong remake debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-kong-remake-debuts


Literary
1640 : Aphra Behn is baptized
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aphra-behn-is-baptized


Music
1977 : Saturday Night Fever gets its world premiere and launches a musical juggernaut
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/saturday-night-fever-gets-its-world-premiere-and-launches-a-musical-juggernaut


Old West
1799 : George Washington dies at Mount Vernon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-washington-dies-at-mount-vernon


Presidential
1799 : First U.S. President George Washington dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-us-president-george-washington-dies


Sports
1946 : Stan Smith is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/stan-smith-is-born


Vietnam War
1961 : Kennedy announces intent to increase aid to South Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-announces-intent-to-increase-aid-to-south-vietnam

1964 : Operation Barrel Roll begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-barrel-roll-begins


World War I
1918 : New king renounces Finnish throne
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-king-renounces-finnish-throne


World War II
1939 : USSR expelled from the League of Nations
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ussr-expelled-from-the-league-of-nations