Today in history

On Dec. 20, 1790, the first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, R.I.

In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of the first edition of their collection of folk stories, “Children’s and Household Tales.”

In 1860 South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favor of separation.

In 1864 Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, Ga., as Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman nearly completed his “March to the Sea.”

In 1924 Adolf Hitler was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch.

In 1945 the Office of Price Administration announced the end of tire rationing, effective Jan. 1, 1946.

In 1946 the Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, had a preview showing for charity in New York, a day before its official world premiere.

In 1963 the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives who lived in the Eastern sector for the holidays.

In 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed into law a measure mandating substantial increases in Social Security payroll taxes, saying the legislation would guarantee “that from 1980 through 2030, the Social Security system will be sound.”

In 1989 the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.