Here is another Navy related one. OTD in 1941, a Japanese pilot who had crashed on a remote Hawaiian island during the the attack on Pearl Harbor was killed in the "Battle of Niihau". He had recruited locals of Japanese descent and terrorized the islanders before a Hawaiian couple managed to overpower and kill him.
On December 14, 1799, George Washington dies of pneumonia at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia, just two years after his refusal of a third term as president and retirement from public life. He was 67 years old. "The father of Our Country," Washington's life was brilliantly summarized by friend Henry Lee during his eulogy: "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." On December 14, 1939, the Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations over its invasion of Finland two weeks earlier. The invasion was evidence that the League of Nations was ineffective at its stated primary purpose, the prevention of war. It had also failed to prevent invasions by two other members; Japan's invasion of China and Italy's invasion of Ethiopia. Then, of course, came World War II. (Although conceived by President Woodrow Wilson, the U.S. was never an official member, its joining blocked by isolationists in Congress.) The League would be disbanded in favor of the United Nations in 1946. On December 14, 1909, workers lay the last of 3.2 million bricks on the track surface of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each brick weighed 10 pounds and was laid by hand. The track's original surface, multiple layers of a compound including gravel, tar, limestone and asphalt oil, proved far too abrasive on tires, leading to several fatal crashes. The bricks proved to be a much safer surface. Locals began to refer to the track as "The Brickyard" even before the new surface was complete. Track officials overlaid the bricks with asphalt in 1961, but in homage to the nickname, left a yard of the old brick surface at the start/finish line.
On December 15, 1978, President Jimmy Carter announces that as of the New Year, the U.S. will formally recognize the People's Republic of China and sever relations with the neighboring Republic of China (Taiwan). Six previous administration had refused to recognize the PRC since the Communists came to power under Mao in 1949. The American business community generally supported the play, wanting to expand ties with China's growing economy. Carter also hoped the move would make the Soviet Union more agreeable in arms reduction talks. On December 15, 2001, Italian officials re-open the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the public, ending an 11-year ban on public admission to the famed structure. The bell tower to the adjoining Cathedral of Pisa had begun to lean while under construction, due to soft marshy layers under the foundation. A compensating redesign that makes the top taller on one side only made matters worse. The tower was completed in 1360, and modern day engineers consider it miraculous that it did not collapse even before it opened. The lean did get worse over the years, and in 1990, officials closed the tower and spent $27 million dollars tunneling under the foundation and adding rock. The effort reduced the lean by about 15 inches, but the tower (now open but with limited access) is still some 15 feet off perpendicular. On December 15, 1993, Schindler's List opens in American theatres. The film tells the story of German businessman Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of more than a thousand Polish Jews during WWII by hiring them to work in his factories. With Liam Neeson in the title role, the film wins seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a first Best Director Oscar for Stephen Spielberg in his 4th nomination.
On December 16, 1998, President Bill Clinton announces he has ordered air strikes against Iraq of dictator Saddam Hussein's refusal to cooperate with UN weapons inspectors. Many in Congress, including House Majority Leader Trent Lott, accused Clinton of trying to divert attention from his pending impeachment proceedings. Whatever the reason, the air strikes failed on both counts; the impeachment remained atop the news of the day, and Hussein continued to defy weapons inspectors. On December 16, 1985, Paul Castellano, head of the Gambino Crime Family and known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob", is assassinated outside a Manhatten steakhouse. Castellano succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the crime family in 1976, selected by Gambino personally for his focus on white collar businesses. The selection did not sit well with a number of ranking members of the family, notably John Gotti, an underling of Castellano's chief underboss, Neil Dellacroce. When Dellacroce died of natural causes on December 2, 1985, Gotti made his own move, ordering the hit on Castellano, and taking over as head of the family himself. The murder of Castellano was one of a number of charges that would see Gotti sentenced to life in prison in 1992. On December 16, 1973, Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson rushes for 200 yards in a 34-14 win over the New York Jets. Simpson's final carry of the day propels him over the 2,000 yard mark for the season, the first NFL player to eclipse that barrier. For the year (in the days of the 14-game season), Simpson rushed for over 100 yards 11 times. Although his season total yardage mark has been broken 6 times, Simpson's average of 143 yards rushing per game that season is still the NFL record. OJ Simpson Breaks NFL Rushing Record - CBS Morning News - December 17 1973 - YouTube
