December 21 - This day in History

December 21: General Interest
1988: Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Scotland

On this day in 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonated in the cargo area when the plane was at an altitude of 31,000 feet. The disaster, which became the subject of Britain's largest... read more


American Revolution
1761 : Patriot Robert Barnwell is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriot-robert-barnwell-is-born


Automotive
1967 : "The Graduate" opens in New York; makes Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider famous
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-graduate-opens-in-new-york-makes-alfa-romeo-duetto-spider-famous


Civil War
1861 : Trent crisis escalates
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/trent-crisis-escalates


Cold War
1991 : Soviet republics proclaim the Commonwealth of Independent States
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-republics-proclaim-the-commonwealth-of-independent-states


Crime
1980 : Sunny von Bulow is found comatose
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sunny-von-bulow-is-found-comatose

1988 : Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pan-am-flight-103-explodes-over-lockerbie-scotland


Disaster
1946 : Earthquake sends tsunami toward Japan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-sends-tsunami-toward-japan


General Interest
1958 : De Gaulle elected
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/de-gaulle-elected

1968 : Apollo 8 departs for moon's orbit
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iapollo-8i-departs-for-moons-orbit

1975 : Carlos the Jackal attacks OPEC headquarters
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carlos-the-jackal-attacks-opec-headquarters


Hollywood
2001 : Russell Crowe stars in A Beautiful Mind
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russell-crowe-stars-in-a-beautiful-mind


Literary
1799 : William Wordsworth moves into Dove Cottage
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-wordsworth-moves-into-dove-cottage

1996 : Curious George co-creator Margret Rey dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/curious-george-co-creator-margret-rey-dies


Music
1985 : Harry Chapin earns a #1 hit with "Cat's In The Cradle"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/harry-chapin-earns-a-1-hit-with-quotcat39s-in-the-cradlequot


Old West
1866 : Indians massacre Fetterman and eighty soldiers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indians-massacre-fetterman-and-eighty-soldiers


Presidential
1970 : Nixon meets Elvis Presley
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-meets-elvis-presley


Sports
1918 : Hobey Baker killed in plane crash
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hobey-baker-killed-in-plane-crash


Vietnam War
1969 : Thailand announces plans to withdraw troops
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thailand-announces-plans-to-withdraw-troops

1972 : Defense Department reports eight B-52s lost during Linebacker II
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/defense-department-reports-eight-b-52s-lost-during-linebacker-ii


World War I
1915 : Sir William Robertson is appointed chief of the Imperial General Staff
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sir-william-robertson-is-appointed-chief-of-the-imperial-general-staff


World War II
1945 : "Old Blood and Guts" dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/old-blood-and-guts-dies