On this date

In 1883,

the United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones.

In 1916,

the World War I Battle of the Somme pitting British and French forces against German troops ended inconclusively after 41⁄ months of bloodshed. 2

In 1928,

Walt Disney’s first soundsynchronized animated cartoon, “Steamboat Willie” starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York.

In 1966,

U.S. Roman Catholic bishops issued a Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence, which did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays outside of Lent.

In 1976,

Spain’s parliament approved a bill to establish a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship.

In 1987,

the congressional IranContra committees issued their final report, saying President Ronald Reagan bore “ultimate responsibility” for wrongdoing by his aides.

In 2000,

actors Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones were married in an extravagant wedding at The Plaza hotel in New York City.

Ten years ago:

A methane blast ripped through a coal mine in eastern Ukraine, killing 101 miners.

Five years ago:

In the deadliest single attack in Israel’s offensive against Islamic militants, 12 people were killed when an Israeli missile ripped through a two-story home in a residential area of Gaza City.

One year ago:

President-elect Donald Trump signaled a sharp policy shift to the right by picking Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general, Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the CIA and Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. (Flynn resigned soon after.)