Today in History December 15

Today in History
December 15

1256		Mongol forces under the command of Hulagu Khan enter and destroy the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut Castle (in present-day Iran) as part of their offensive on Islamic southwest Asia. [From MHQ—The Quarterly Journal of Military History]
1862		Nathan Bedford Forrest crosses the Tennessee River at Clifton with 2,500 men to raid the communications around Vicksburg, Mississippi.
1862		In New Orleans, Louisiana, Union Major General Benjamin F. Butler turns his command over to Nathaniel Banks. The citizens of New Orleans hold farewell parties for Butler, “The Beast” – but only after he leaves.
1864		The Battle at Nashville begins.
1890		As U.S. Army soldiers attempt to arrest Sitting Bull at his cabin in Standing Rock, South Dakota, shooting breaks out and Lt. Bullhead shoots the great Sioux leader.
1903		The British parliament places a 15-year ban on whale hunting in Norway.
1920		China wins a place on the League Council; Austria is admitted.
1924		The Soviet Union warns the United States against repeated entry of ships into Soviet territorial waters.
1938		Washington sends its fourth note to Berlin demanding amnesty for Jews.
1944		The battle for Luzon begins.
1946		Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh sends a note to the new French Premier, Leon Blum, asking for peace talks.
1961		Adolf Eichmann, the former German Gestapo official accused of a major role in the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews, is sentenced by a Jerusalem court to be hanged.
1965		The United States drops 12 tons of bombs on an industrial center near Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam.
1967		President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the meat bill in the presence of Upton Sinclair, the author of the controversial book The Jungle.
1972		The Commonwealth of Australia orders equal pay for women.
1973		The American Psychiatric Association votes to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders.
1976		The oil tanker MV Argo Merchant causes one of the worst marine oil spills in history when it runs aground near Nantucket, Massachusetts.
1978		US President Jimmy Carter announces the United States will recognize the People’s Republic of China and will sever all relations with Taiwan.
1981		In what is often called the first modern suicide bombing, a suicide car bomb kills 61 people at the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon; Iraq’s ambassador to Lebanon is among the casualties.
1993		The Downing Street Declaration, issued jointly by the UK and the Republic of Ireland, affirms the UK would transfer Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland only if a majority of Northern Ireland’s people approved.
2001		The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after an 11-year, $27 million project to fortify it without eliminating its famed lean.
2005		The F-22 Raptor Stealth fighter enters active service with the US Air Force.
Born on December 15
37		Nero Claudius Caesar, emperor of Rome; blamed for the great fire of Rome.
1832		Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, designer of the famous tower in Paris.
1883		William A. Hinton, developer of the “Hinton Test” for diagnosing syphilis.
1892		J. Paul Getty, American oilman and art collector..
1907		Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect who designed the United Nations Headquarters building.
1911		Nicholas P. Dallis, a psychiatrist turned comic strip writer who created the long-running strips Rex Morgan, M.D., Judge Parker, and Apartment 3-G.
1916		Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand-English physicist and molecular biologist; received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1962).
1919		Max Yasgur, whose New York farm became the site of the Woodstock music festival in August 1969.
1923		Uziel Gal, German-Israeli firearm designer, best known for designing the Uzi sub-machine gun.
1933		Tim Conway, actor, screenwriter, producer, known for his comedic roles in TV and film that he frequently improvised (The Carol Burnett Show TV series).
1942		Dave Clark, singer, songwriter, drummer, producer; lead singer of The Dave Clark Five.
1979		Adam Brody, actor (Gilmore Girls and The O.C. TV series).