Today in History - December 21st

1620 - On this day in history, The "Mayflower", and its passengers, pilgrims from England, landed at Plymouth Rock, MA.
1914 - Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Mack Swain appeared in the first six-reel, feature-length comedy. The film was entitled "Tillie's Punctured Romance".
1937 - Today in history, Walt Disney debuted the first, full-length, animated feature. The movie was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
1958 - Charles de Gaulle was elected to a seven-year term as the first president of the Fifth Republic of France.
1978 - On this day in history, Police in Des Plaines, Illinois, arrested John W. Gacy Jr. and began unearthing the remains of 33 men and boys that Gacy was later convicted of killing.
1988 - 270 people were killed when Pan Am Boeing 747 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, due to a terrorist attack.
1991 - Today in history, eleven of the 12 former Soviet republics proclaimed the birth of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

1996 - After two years of denials, House Speaker Newt Gingrich admitted violating House ethics rules.
2001 - On this day in history, the Islamic militant group Hamas released a statement that said it was suspending suicide bombings and mortar attacks in Israel.

SPORTS - Today in History, December 21st

1849 - The first ice-skating club in America was formed in Philadelphia.
1944 - Today in history, horse racing was banned in the US until after the end of World War II.
1951 - Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from baseball.

1898 - On this day in history, scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the radioactive element radium.
1998 - The first vaccine for Lyme disease was approved.

1967 - Today in history, The Rolling Stones album, "Their Satanic Majesties Request" was released.
1968 - Crosby, Stills and Nash performed together in public for the first time.
1968 - On this day in history, Janis Joplin gave her first solo performance in Memphis, TN.
1969 - Diana Ross gave her last performance as a member of the Supremes on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
1993 - Today in history, Shaquille O'Neal's "I Know I Got Skillz" single was certified Gold.