Today In History

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 26, the 360th day of 2017. There are five days left in the year. The seven-day African-American holiday Kwanzaa begins today. This is Boxing Day.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1947: Heavy snow blanketed the Northeast, burying New York City under 26.4 inches of snow in 16 hours; the severe weather was blamed for some 80 deaths.

ON THIS DATE

› 1865: James H. Nason of Franklin, Massachusetts, received a patent for “an improved coffee percolator.”

› 1908: Jack Johnson became the first African-American boxer to win the world heavyweight championship as he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.

› 1917: During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation authorizing the government to take over operation of the nation’s railroads.

› 1967: “Magical Mystery Tour,” the Beatles’ poorly received TV special, was broadcast (in black and white) on BBC1.

› 2004: More than 230,000 people, mostly in southern Asia, were killed by a 100-foot-high tsunami triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor Donald Moffat is 87. Actor Caroll Spinney (Big Bird on TV’s “Sesame Street”) is 84. Rhythm and blues singer Abdul “Duke” Fakir (The Four Tops) is 82. Record producer (and convicted murderer) Phil Spector is 78. “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh is 72. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 70. Retired MLB All-Star Chris Chambliss is 69. Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 63. Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is 62. Humorist David Sedaris is 61. Rock musician James Kottak (The Scorpions) is 55. Country musician Brian Westrum (Sons of the Desert) is 55. Rock musician Lars Ulrich (Metallica) is 54. Actress Nadia Dajani is 52. Rock musician J is 50. Country singer Audrey Wiggins is

50. Rock musician Peter Klett (Candlebox) is 48. Rock singer James Mercer (The Shins; Flake) is 47. Actor-singer Jared Leto is 46. Actress Kendra C. Johnson is 41. Rock singer Chris Daughtry is

38. Actress Beth Behrs is

32. Actress Eden Sher is

26. Pop singer Jade Thirlwall (Little Mix Actor) is

25. Actor Zach Mills is 22.