ON THIS DAY

IN HISTORY

The Great Storm of 1703, the greatest windstorm ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain, makes landfall. Winds gust up to 195km/h, and 9 000 people die. The Royal Navy loses 13 ships and 1 500 sailors.

Captain Kurt von François moves his administrative headquarters to Windhoek, German South West Africa, seven months after erecting a fort there.

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English social worker and reformer Emily Hobhouse sets sail for South Africa, where she will investigate conditions in British concentration camps.

The Imperial Japanese Navy carries out a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet and its defending Army and Marine air forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (Simultaneous attacks in the Far East, targeting Singapore, Hong Kong and Manila, took place, but were recorded as being on December 8 because of the International Date Line.)

Instant replay makes its debut during the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission, is launched. The crew takes the photograph that becomes known as The Blue Marble as they leave the Earth.

A Pacific Southwest Airlines passenger plane crashes near Paso Robles, in California, killing all 43 on board, after a murder/suicide by one of the passengers in which a disgruntled passenger shoots his ex-boss, then shoots both pilots and steers the plane into the ground.

A PLO delegation lead by Yasser Arafat proclaims the State of Palestine, also recognising the State of Israel. |