History for December 13

History for December 13 - On-This-Day.com:
Dick Van Dyke 1925 - Actor, comedian, Christopher Plummer 1929 - Actor, John Davidson 1941 - Singer, actor, game show host ("That's Incredible," "Hollywood Squares")


Ted Nugent 1948 - Musician, Steve Buscemi 1957 - Actor, Taylor Swift 1989 - Singer, songwriter


1636 - The United States National Guard was created when militia regiments were organized by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.


1862 - In America, an estimated 11,000 Northern soldiers were killed or wounded when Union forces were defeated by Confederates under General Robert E. Lee, at the Battle of Fredericksburg.


1913 - In the U.S., the Federal Reserve System was established.


1937 - Japanese forces took the Chinese city of Nanking (Nanjing). An estimated 200,000 Chinese were killed over the next six weeks. The event became known as the "Rape of Nanking."


1978 - The Philadelphia Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony U.S. dollar. The coin began circulation the following July.


1987 - U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz told reporters in Copenhagen, Denmark, that the Reagan administration would begin making funding requests for the proposed Star Wars defense system.


1988 - A bankruptcy judge in Columbia, SC, ordered the assets of the troubled PTL television ministry sold to a Toronto real estate developer for $65 million.


2000 - U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the 2000 Presidential election to Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The Florida electoral votes were won by only 537 votes, which decided the election. The election had been contested up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which said that the Florida recount (supported by the Florida Supreme Court) was unconstitutional.