Today:
1780: Benedict Arnold committed treason during the American Revolutionary War by meeting with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point.
1792: The National Convention in France voted to abolish the monarchy, establishing the First French Republic.
1897: The New York Sun published the famous editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”
1937: J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel, “The Hobbit,” was published for the first time.
1949: The People’s Republic of China was proclaimed by its Communist leaders.
1964: Malta gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
1970: The first episode of “Monday Night Football” aired on ABC.
1981: Sandra Day O’Connor was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice.
1991: Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.
2003: NASA’s Galileo space probe mission ended with the probe being sent into Jupiter’s atmosphere.