Birth of James Oglethorpe
On December 22, 1696, James Oglethorpe was born in Surrey, England. He settled the Georgia Colony in 1733 and served as its leader for a decade.
Military
Death of General George Patton
On December 21, 1945, General George S. Patton died from injuries he received in a car crash 12 days earlier. His death came mere months after the end of World War II, in which he’d commanded troops in some of the war’s major battles.
Death of Simón Bolivar
Military and political leader Simón Bolívar died on December 17, 1830, in Santa Marta, Gran Colombia. Freeing Venezuela from Spanish control, he became known as The Liberator and has also been called the “George Washington of South America.”
Death of Lakota Leader Sitting Bull
On December 15, 1890, Indian agency police on the Standing Rock Reservation killed Sitting Bull. A respected Lakota leader, he had a major influence on the Battle of Little Big Horn and was later part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.
Birth Of Aviator Jimmy Doolittle
James “Jimmy” Doolittle was born on December 14, 1896, in Alameda, California. A pioneering aviator with many “firsts” to his name, he’s best remembered as the leader and namesake of the “Doolittle” Raid on Japan during World War II.
“A Date Which Will Live In Infamy”
On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers attacked American troops at Pearl Harbor, launching the US into World War II.
Battle of Chattanooga
On November 25, 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant broke the Confederate siege of Chattanooga.
First Air Force One Christened
On November 24, 1954, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower christened the first plane to be designated Air Force One.
Sherman’s March to the Sea
After burning Atlanta, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman embarked on his month-long March to the Sea on November 15, 1864.