1622 – Papal Chancery adopts Jan 1 as beginning of the year (was Mar 25)
1852 – National debt of Britain and Ireland is 765,126,582 pounds
1891 – French troops occupy Nioro, West-Sudan, 3000 killed
1914 – Northern and Southern Nigeria united in British colony of Nigeria
1925 – 11th Rose Bowl: Notre Dame beats Stanford, 27-10
1944 – Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football “Arab Bowl,” Oran, North Africa
1958 – European Economic Community, better known as the European Common Market starts operation
1964 – KNMT TV channel 12 in Walker, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting
1995 – “A Tuna Christmas” closes at Booth Theater NYC after 20 performances
2004 – St. Louis head coach Joel Quenneville records his 300th NHL win with the Blues, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Savvis Center, St. Louis; Quenneville is Blues coaching games and wins leader