TODAY IN HISTORY - DECEMBER 18TH

1777 – The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the American rebels over British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga in October.

1787 – New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1865 – US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the USA.

1878 – Joseph Stalin, Georgian-Russian marshal and politician, 4th Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1953) is born.

1884 – Emil Starkenstein, Czech pharmacologist, co-founded clinical pharmacology (d. 1942) is born.

1890 – Edwin Howard Armstrong, American engineer, invented FM radio (d. 1954) is born.

1917 – The resolution containing the language of the Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition is passed by the United States Congress.

1932 – The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL Championship Game.

1943 – Keith Richards, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer is born.

1946 – Steven Spielberg, American director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded DreamWorks is born.

1958 – Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, is launched.

1963 – Brad Pitt, American actor and producer is born.

1964 – Stone Cold Steve Austin, American wrestler and producer is born.

1966 – Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by astronomer Richard Walker.

1972 – Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th.

1973 – Soviet Soyuz Programme: Soyuz 13, crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev and Pyotr Klimuk, is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union.

1980 – Christina Aguilera, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress is born.

1992 – Mark Goodson, American game show producer, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (b. 1915) dies.

2002 – California gubernatorial recall: Then Governor of California Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier.

2006 – Joseph Barbera, American animator, director, and producer, co-founded Hanna-Barbera (b. 1911) dies.