1572 – Theologian Johann Sylvan executed in Heidelberg for his heretical Antitrinitarian beliefs.
1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary.
1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
1805 – Joseph Smith, American religious leader, 1st President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1844) was born.
1823 – A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas, is published anonymously.
1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.
1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom.
1940 – Jorma Kaukonen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna) was born.
1946 – Ray Tabano, American guitarist (Aerosmith) was born.
1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
1951 – Anthony Phillips, English guitarist and songwriter (Genesis) was born.
1954 – First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray.
1956 – Dave Murray, English guitarist and songwriter (Iron Maiden and Urchin) was born.
1963 – Jess Harnell, American singer-songwriter and voice actor (Rock Sugar) was born.
1964 – Eddie Vedder, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Bad Radio, and Hovercraft) was born.
1968 – Lucy Bell, English-Australian actress was born.
1968 – The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea.
1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.
1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
1982 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.
2012 – Mike Scaccia, American guitarist (Ministry, Rigor Mortis, League of Blind Women, and Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters) (b. 1965) died.
2013 – Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russian general and weapons designer, designed the AK-47 rifle (b. 1919) died.
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