Today in history

In 1630 the village of Shawmut, Mass., changed its name to Boston.

In 1810 Mexicans began their revolt against Spanish rule.

In 1857 the song “Jingle Bells” by James Pierpont was copyrighted under its original title, “One Horse Open Sleigh.” (While considered a Christmastime classic, it was written for Thanksgiving.)

In 1908 General Motors was founded in Flint, Michigan, by William C. Durant.

In 1919 the American Legion was incorporated by an act of Congress.

In 1953, “The Robe,” the first movie presented in the widescreen process CinemaScope, had its world premiere in New York.

In 1966 the Metropolitan Opera opened its new opera house at New York’s Lincoln Center.

In 1972 “The Bob Newhart Show” premiered on CBS.

In 1974 President Gerald Ford offered conditional amnesty to Vietnam War draft evaders and deserters.

In 1976 the Episcopal Church, at its General Convention in Minneapolis, formally approved the ordination of women as priests and bishops.

In 1987 two dozen countries signed the Montreal Protocol, a treaty designed to save the Earth’s ozone layer by calling on nations to reduce emissions of harmful chemicals.

In 1999 Hurricane Floyd hit the Carolinas and began making its way up the East Coast, claiming more than 50 lives even after it weakened to a tropical storm.