TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 8, the 343rd day of 2020. There are 23 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Imperial Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On this date:

■ In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction for the South.

■ In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

■ In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty at the White House calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

Ten years ago: Hackers rushed to the defense of WikiLeaks, launching attacks on MasterCard, Visa, a Swiss bank and others who had acted against the site and its founder, Julian Assange.

Five years ago: China declared its first ever red smog alert as poisonous air quality forced the government to close schools, order motorists off the road and shut down factories in and around Beijing.

One year ago: Actor René Auberjonois, best known for the TV shows “Benson” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” died of lung cancer at his Los Angeles home; he was 79.

Today’s Birthdays: Flutist James Galway is 81. Singer Jerry Butler is 81. Pop musician Bobby Elliott (The Hollies) is 79. Actor Mary Woronov is 77. Actor Kim Basinger is

67. Rock musician Warren Cuccurullo is 64. Political commentator Ann Coulter is 59. Actor Teri Hatcher is

56. Actor David Harewood is

55. Singer Sinead O’Connor (AKA Shuhada’ Davitt) is 54. Actor Matthew Laborteaux is

54. Actor Dominic Monaghan is 44. Actor Ian Somerhalder is 42. Actor Hannah Ware is

38. Country singer Sam Hunt is 36. MLB All-Star infielder Josh Donaldson is 35. Rock singer-actor Kate Voegele is

34. Christian rock musician Jen Ledger (Skillet) is 31. NHL defenseman Drew Doughty is

31. Actor Wallis Currie-Wood is 29. Actor AnnaSophia Robb is 27.