[Amnorix]

December 16

1431. Highlighting the issues that caused the two nations to be at war on and off for the better part of a millenium, King Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Despite this seeming success, Henry's many limitations (including mental instability) will lead to the collapse of the House of Lancaster and the rise of the House of York.

1653. Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector during the English Interregnum.

1773. The Boston Tea Party is held when the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawks, dump crates of tea into Boston Harbor in protest of English taxes.

1812. The first of the New Madrid Quake (megaquakes) is recorded). Named after New Madrid, Missouri, some of the quakes were felt strongly over an area of 50,000
square miles, and moderately across nearly 3 million square miles. Residents as far away as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvnia, and Norfolk, Virginia were awakened by the shaking. They are estimated to have been at 7.5 to 8.0 on the Richter scale.

1907. President Theodore Roosevelt's "Great White Fleet" begins its circumnavigation of the globe. A fleet of modern warships, the fleet was designed to show that American power was rising.

1944. The Battle of the Bulge begins when three German armies launch a surprise assault through the Ardennes forest into a relative weak spot in Allied lines. Those of you who have seen the movie Patton and may remember the scene where Patton predicted that this attack might occur at this timeframe and in this location should be advised that there is little/no evidence in support of that. What is not total bs was the quick response by allied troops, including those under Patton certainly, in reacting to contain the German offensive.

1985. On the orders of John Gotti, Mafia kingpin "Big Paul" Castellano is shot dead, leaving Gotti in charge of the Gambino crime family.