Today in History - December 15th

1791 - On this day in history, in the United States, the Bill of Rights went into effect following ratification by the state of Virginia.
1815 - Jane Austen's "Emma" was published.
1840 - Today in history, Napoleon Bonaparte's remains were interred in Les Invalides in Paris, after dying in St. Helena while in exile.
1938 - FDR presided over the ground-breaking ceremonies for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1939 - On this day in history, "Gone with the Wind" premiered in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
1961 - Former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death in Jerusalem by an Israeli court.
1978 - Today in history, President Carter announced he would grant diplomatic recognition to Communist China on New Year's Day and cut relations with Taiwan.

1996 - Boeing Co. announced plans to pay $13.3 billion to acquire rival aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas Corp.
2000 - On this day in history, NY Senator-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed to accept an $8 million book deal with Simon & Schuster. The advance was the highest ever to be paid to a member of the US Congress.

SCIENCE, INVENTIONS, PATENTS - Today in History, December 15th

1654 - A meteorological office established in Tuscany began recording daily temperature readings.
1854 - Today in history, In Philadelphia, the first street cleaning machine was put into use.
1877 - Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.

1944 - Today in history, a single-engine plane carrying band leader Glenn Miller disappeared in thick fog over the English Channel while en route to Paris. The fate of the plane has never been determined.
1959 - The Everly Brothers recorded "Let It Be Me" in New York City. It was the first time they recorded outside of Nashville and it was the first time they recorded with strings.
1969 - On this day in history, John Lennon gave his last live performance in England. It was a UNICEF benefit in London.
1977 - The Sex Pistols were denied visas to enter the United States only two days before they are to appear on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
1988 - Today in history, James Brown was sentenced to a six-year jail term for leading police on a two-state car chase.
1997 - The movie "Spice World" premiered.