1620 – 102 Mayflower Pilgrims and about 30 crew land at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts [NS, Dec 21]
1936 – Edward VIII announces in a radio broadcast that he is abdicating the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson
1941 – NY Giants acquire future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Johnny Mize from Cardinals for 3 players and $50,000
1946 – UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) established (Nobel 1965)
1958 – Upper Volta (now Bourkina Faso) gains autonomy from France
1973 – West German chancellor Willy Brandt normalizes trade with Czechoslovakia
1975 – US 1st class postage rises from 10 cents to 13 cents
1990 – US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) returns from space
2002 – Joe Sakic scores his 500th career goal at Vancouver
2017 – Saudi Arabia announces an end to its 35 year ban on cinemas