History for December 15

History for December 15 - On-This-Day.com
Nero (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus) 37 AD - Fifth and last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Gustave Eiffel 1832 - Engineer: designed Paris’ Eiffel Tower and helped design Statue of Liberty, Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey (John Edward Kelly) 1862 - Boxer


J. Paul Getty 1892 - Oil magnate: Getty Oil, Tim Conway 1933 - Actor, comedian ("McHale’s Navy," "The Tim Conway Show," "The Carol Burnett Show"), Dave Clark 1942 - Singer (The Dave Clark Five), TV producer, actor


1791 - In the U.S., the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, went into effect following ratification by the state of Virginia.


1877 - Thomas Edison patented the phonograph.


1939 - "Gone With the Wind," produced by David O. Selznick based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.


1944 - A single-engine plane carrying U.S. Army Major Glenn Miller disappeared in thick fog over the English Channel while en route to Paris.


1944 - Dr. R. Townley Paton and a small group of doctors laid the groundwork for the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration.


1964 - Canada's House of Commons approved a newly designed flag thereby dropping the Canadian "Red Ensign" flag.


1966 - Walter Elias "Walt" Disney died in Los Angeles at the age of 65.


1978 - U.S. President Carter announced he would grant diplomatic recognition to Communist China on New Year's Day and sever official relations with Taiwan.