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Today in History: December 31


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Today in History
December 31

1775   George Washington orders recruiting officers to accept free blacks into the army.
1852   The richest year of the gold rush ends with $81.3 million in gold produced.
1862   Union General William Rosecrans’ army repels two Confederate attacks at the Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone’s River).
1910   John B. Moisant and Arch Hoxsey, two of America’s foremost aviators, die in separate plane crashes.
1911   Helene Dutrieu wins the Femina aviation cup in Etampes. She sets a distance record for women at 158 miles.
1915   The Germans torpedo the British liner Persia without any warning killing 335 passengers.
1923   The Sahara is crossed by an automobile for the first time.
1930   Brewery heir Adolphus Busch is kidnapped.
1941   General MacArthur reports that U.S. lines in Manila have been pushed back by the Japanese.
1942   After five months of battle, Emperor Hirohito allows the Japanese commanders at Guadalcanal to retreat.
1944   Hungary declares war on Germany.
1965   California becomes the largest state in population.
1977   Cambodia breaks relations with Vietnam.
Born on December 31
1720   Charles Edward Stuart, grandson of James II, known as the Young Pretender and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
1815   George Gordon Meade, Union general who defeated Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.
1869   Henri Matisse, French artist.
1889   George Catlett Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army during World War II, Secretary of State under Truman, won Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan.
1908   Simon Wiesenthal, survivor of the Nazi Holocaust who dedicated his life to tracking down former Nazis.

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