Today is Monday, Dec. 14, the 348th day of 2009. There are 17 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
In 1999, Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian national, was arrested after authorities found nitroglycerin in the trunk of his car as he arrived from Canada by ferry at Port Angeles. (Ressam was convicted in April 2001 of terrorist conspiracy and eight other charges.)
ON THIS DATE
In 1799, the first president of the United States, George Washington, died at his Mount Vernon, Va., home at age 67.
In 1861, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, died in London.
In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his group became the first men to reach the South Pole, beating out an expedition led by Robert F. Scott.
In 1939, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations for invading Finland.
In 1946, the U.N. General Assembly voted to establish its headquarters in New York.
In 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights, which it had seized from Syria in 1967.
In 1999, Charles Schulz announced he was retiring the “Peanuts” comic strip.
In 2004, The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the fifth time since June 2004.
Associated Press
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
