December 11 - The Day in History

December 11 : General Interest 1936: Edward VIII abdicates After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne... read more American Revolution 1777 : British delay Washington's march to Valley Forge http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-delay-washingtons-march-to-valley-forge Automotive 1962 : NYC authorities jettison plans for expressway across Lower Manhattan http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nyc-authorities-jettison-plans-for-expressway-across-lower-manhattan Civil War 1862 : The Federals occupy Fredericksburg http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/federals-occupy-fredericksburg Cold War 1969 : Soviets declare nudity a sign of "western decadence" http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-declare-nudity-a-sign-of-western-decadence Crime 2008 : Billionaire conman Bernard Madoff arrested http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/billionaire-conman-bernard-madoff-arrested Disaster 1944 : Toronto endures record snowstorm http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/toronto-endures-record-snowstorm General Interest 1946 : UNICEF founded http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/unicef-founded 1994 : Yeltsin orders Russian forces into Chechnya http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yeltsin-orders-russian-forces-into-chechnya Hollywood 1944 : Tootsie actress Teri Garr born http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tootsie-actress-teri-garr-born Literary 1918 : Alexander Solzhenitsyn is born http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/alexander-solzhenitsyn-is-born Music 1964 : Sam Cooke dies under suspicious circumstances in LA http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sam-cooke-dies-under-suspicious-circumstances-in-la Old West 1872 : Buffalo Bill Cody makes his first stage appearance http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/buffalo-bill-cody-makes-his-first-stage-appearance Presidential 1815 : Madison presents trade agreement to Congress http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/madison-presents-trade-agreement-to-congress Sports 1981 : Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/muhammad-ali-vs-trevor-berbick Vietnam War 1961 : First U.S. helicopters arrive in South Vietnam. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-us-helicopters-arrive-in-south-vietnam 1969 : Paratroopers depart South Vietnam http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paratroopers-depart-south-vietnam World War I 1915 : Yuan Shih-kai accepts Chinese throne http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yuan-shih-kai-accepts-chinese-throne World War II 1941 : Germany declares war on the United States http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-declares-war-on-the-united-states

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