December 21st

Palestinians took over the control of the city of Bethlehem.

Soviet Union formally dissolves as 11 of 12 republics sign treaty forming Commonwealth of Independent States.

Lockerbie disaster: Pan Am Flight 103 destroyed mid air by a terrorist bomb killing all 258 on board over Scotland.

Elvis Presley met with president Richard Nixon in the White House.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination adopted. The human rights convention was adopted by the United Nations' member states and was put into force on January 4, 1969. It attempts to eliminate racial discrimination in the world.

Disney's Snow White, the first feature length color and sound cartoon, premiered.

The first crossword puzzle was printed in the New York World.

French Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium.

1st game of basketball, based on rules created by James Naismith, played by 18 students in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Phileas Fogg wins his wager. The fictional character created by French writer Jules Verne for his book, Around the World in Eighty Days, finished circumnavigating the world and reached London to win the wager he had set with his friends. The date also coincides with the publication of the last of the series that ended up becoming the now popular science fiction novel.

103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock [OS=Dec 11].