Calendar for December 8th, 2012

Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Celebrated in many Catholic countries)

2001: Islamic New Year

2001: First Day of Chanukah

Born 1765: Eli Whitney (inventor)

Born 1886: Diego Rivera (artist)

1886: American Federation of Labor is organized at Columbus, Ohio, with Samuel Gompers as first president

Born 1894: Elzie Crisler Segar (Popeye creator)

1909: American Bird Banding Association formed, first such society in U.S.

1911: The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra gave its first concert

1915: John McCrae's In Flanders Fields poem was published

Born 1925: Sammy Davis, Jr. (entertainer)

Born 1933: Flip Wilson (comedian)

1941: U.S. declared war on Japan (WW II)

Born 1943: Jim Morrison (lead singer of The Doors)

Born 1953: Kim Basinger (actress)

1962: Nine N.Y.C. newspapers shut down when International Typographical Union workers strike

Died 1967: Major Robert Lawrence, the first African American astronaut, was killed during training exercises

Born 1976: Dominic Monaghan (actor)

Born 1978: Ian Somerhalder (actor)

Died 1980: John Lennon (musician, founding member of The Beatles)

1980: Musician and former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed in New York City

1991: Russian leaders announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union

Born 1993: AnnaSophia Robb (actress)

1994: Element 111, roentgenium, first created