Today is Saturday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2003 with 11 to
follow.
Those born on this date include author and decorator Elsie de Wolfe (Lady
Mendl) in 1865; industrialist Harvey Firestone in 1868; philosopher Susanne K.
Langer in 1895; actress Irene Dunne in 1898; nuclear physicist Robert Van de
Graaff in 1901; movie director George Roy Hill in 1922 (age 81); actor John
Hillerman in 1932 (age 71); psychic Uri Geller in 1946 (age 57); and actors
Jenny Agutter in 1952 (age 51) and Kiefer Sutherland in 1966 (age 37).
On this date in history:
In 1803, the United States formally took over territory acquired from France in
the Louisiana Purchase.
In 1812, Sacagawea, the young Indian woman who guided the Lewis and Clark
Expedition, died.
In 1864, Union Gen. William T. Sherman completed his "march to the
sea" across the South and arrived in Savannah, Ga.
In 1907, University of Chicago physics professor Albert Michelson became the
first U.S. scientist to receive the Nobel Prize.
In 1946 the first Indochina war began with Vietnamese troops under Ho Chi Minh
clashing with the French at Hanoi.
In 1956, the Montgomery, Ala., public bus boycott officially ended. The boycott
had been called in reaction to the Dec. 1, 1955, arrest of Rosa Parks, an
African-American woman, for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man.
In 1976, longtime Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley died at age 74.
In 1987, nearly 1,600 people died in the Philippines when a passenger ferry was
struck by an oil tanker and sank. It was the century's worst peacetime maritime
disaster.
In 1989, the United States invaded Panama to oust Manuel Noriega and install
the duly elected civilian government. Twenty-three U.S. troops were killed.
In 1990, Eduard Shevardnadze abruptly resigned as Soviet foreign minister, warning
against a dictatorship of hard-liners.
Also in 1990, the Pentagon said the U.S.-led forces of Operation Desert Shield
could move against Iraq by Jan. 15.
In 1991, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo ended his 70-day flirtation with a White
House bid, choosing instead to settle his state's budget woes rather than enter
the presidential race.
Also in 1991, Philippines prosecutors filed nine counts of graft against former
first lady Imelda Marcos, charging she used bogus front companies to bilk
millions of dollars from the nation.
In 1992, a former Cuban military pilot who defected to the United States in
1991 flew a small plane back to Cuba to bring his wife and two sons safely to
Florida.
In 1993, in Serbia, President Slobodan Milosevic's governing Socialist Party
claimed victory in parliamentary elections held the day before.
In 1994, former President Carter announced that the warring parties in Bosnia
had agreed to a four-month cease-fire starting on Dec. 23.
In 1995, 160 people were killed when an American Airlines 757 crashed into a
mountain shortly before it was scheduled to land in Cali, Colombia.
Also in 1995, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II had sent
letters to her son, Prince Charles, and his estranged wife, Princess Diana,
urging them to seek a divorce as quickly as possible.
Further in 1995, NATO assumed peacekeeping duties in Bosnia from the U.N.
In 1996, guerillas in Peru took an estimated 380 hostages at the Japanese
Ambassador's residence.
Also in 1996, a judge granted O.J. Simpson custody of his children, Sydney and
Justin, from his marriage with Nicole Brown Simpson.
In 1998, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declared that the four-night
U.S.-British bombing campaign of his country was a victory for Iraq over the
"enemies of God and humanity."
Also in 1998, a Houston woman gave birth to seven more babies after delivering
the first infant 12 days earlier. They were the only known set of octuplets to
be born alive in the United States. The smallest baby died a week later.
In 1999, Macau reverted back to Chinese rule.
In 2001, Argentine President Fernando de la Rua resigned amid mass protest
demonstrations but chaos continued in his troubled country.
In 2002, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., resigned as Senate majority leader amid an
intense furor growing from remarks that seemed to praise the 1948
segregationist presidential candidacy of Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.
A thought for the day: Bertrand Russell said, "To conquer fear is the
beginning of wisdom."
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Classic Quotes
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"There are two modes of establishing our reputation: to be praised by
honest men, and to be abused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the
former, because it will invariably be accompanied by the latter."
Charles Caleb Colton (1780 - 1832)
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"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."
Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)
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"Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed
of - for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily
preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to
rekindle it again. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what
you desire to appear."
Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC)
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"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed."
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Othello", Act 3 scene 3
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"A good reputation is more valuable than money."
Publilius Syrus (~100 BC), Maxims
Charles
Mims
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