Today:
1. 1878: The first telephone switchboard is installed in New Haven, Connecticut.
2. 1887: In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed.
3. 1915: The United States Coast Guard is created.
4. 1945: World War II: The Battle of the Bulge ends with the Allies repelling the Germans.
5. 1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurs as the shuttle breaks apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of all seven crew members.
6. 1998: Gunmen open fire in the U.S. Capitol building, killing two police officers.
7. 2020: Basketball player Kobe Bryant dies in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.