On this day :

1773 The Boston Tea Party, 1773 Sons of Liberty dump British tea, 1979 OPEC states raise oil prices, 1863 Johnston named commander of Army of Tennessee, 1950 Truman declares state of emergency, 1989 A terrorist bomber begins his deadly rampage, 1960 Two airplanes collide over New York City, 1811 Earthquake rocks the American wilderness, 1920 Earthquake devastates Gansu province of China, 1944 Battle of the Bulge begins, 1971 Pakistani forces defeated in Bangladesh, 1977 Saturday Night Fever turns Travolta into movie star, 2010 Larry King Live ends after 25 years on CNN, 1775 Jane Austens birthday, 1893 Antonin Dvoraks New World Symphony receives its world premiere in New York City, 1826 Edwards declares the Texas Republic of Fredonia, 1998 Clinton orders air attack on Iraq, 1973 OJ Simpson rushes record 2000 yards in a season, 1965 Westmoreland asks for more troops, 1972 Kissinger announces that North Vietnamese left negotiations, 1914 Germans bombard English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough, 1944 Battle of the Bulge,