Calendar for December 22nd, 2012

2001: First Day of Chanukah

2001: Winter Solstice

Died 1440: Bluebeard (pirate)

1772: Construction began for first schoolhouse west of Allegheny Mountains, in Schoenbrunn, Ohio

1775: Continental Fleet was organized by the rebellious American colonies under the command of Esek Hopkins

Born 1869: Edwin Arlington Robinson (poet)

1877: American Bicycling Journal first published

Died 1880: George Eliot (writer)

1882: Edward Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, created the first string of Christmas tree lights

Died 1887: Ferdinand V. Hayden (geologist)

Born 1912: Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson (U.S. First Lady)

Died 1943: Beatrix Potter (author)

Born 1945: Diane Sawyer (journalist)

Born 1962: Ralph Fiennes (actor)

Born 1968: Lauralee Bell (actress)

Died 1989: Samuel Beckett (writer)

Born 1989: Jordin Sparks (singer; season 6 American Idol winner)

Died 2002: Joe Strummer (singer)

2003: A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit the central California coast