Today In History
Today is Wednesday, Dec. 6, the 340th day of 2017. There are 25 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
› 1917: Some 2,000 people were killed when an explosives-laden French cargo ship, the Mont Blanc, collided with the Norwegian vessel Imo at the harbor in Halifax, Nova Scotia, setting off a blast that devastated the Canadian city. Finland declared its independence from Russia.
ON THIS DATE
› 1790: Congress moved to Philadelphia from New York.
› 1865: The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, abolishing slavery, was ratified as Georgia became the 27th state to endorse it.
› 1907: The worst mining disaster in U.S. history occurred as 362 men and boys died in a coal mine explosion in Monongah, West Virginia.
› 1947: Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Harry S. Truman.
› 1957: America’s first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit failed as Vanguard TV3 rose about four feet off a Cape Canaveral launch pad before crashing down and exploding.
› 1973: House minority leader Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Comedy performer David Ossman is 81. Actor Patrick Bauchau is
79. Country singer Helen Cornelius is 76. Actor James Naughton is 72. Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is 72. Rhythm and blues singer Frankie Beverly (Maze) is 71. Former Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., is
69. Actress JoBeth Williams is 69. Actor Tom Hulce is 64. Actor Wil Shriner is 64. Actor Kin Shriner is 64. Actor Miles Chapin is 63. Rock musician Rick Buckler (The Jam) is 62. Comedian Steven Wright is 62. Country singer Bill Lloyd is 62. Singer Tish Hinojosa is
62. Actress Janine Turner is 55. Rock musician Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl) is 55. Writer-director Judd Apatow is 50. Rock musician Ulf “Buddha” Ekberg (Ace of Base) is
47. Writer-director Craig Brewer is 46. Actress Colleen Haskell is 41. Actress Lindsay Price is
41. Actress Ashley Madekwe is 36. Actress Nora Kirkpatrick is 33. Christian rock musician Jacob Chesnut (Rush of Fools) is 28. Tennis player CoCo Vandeweghe is 26. NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel is 25.