Today in History - History - December 2nd

1941American mobster Louis Buchalter is sentenced to death along with his lieutenants Emanuel Weiss and Louis Capone

1697St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, consecrated for use in London, England

1840William Henry Harrison elected the 9th President of the United States of America

1907Tommy Burns KOs Gunner Moir in 10 for heavyweight boxing title

1948Stan Musial is picked NL MVP

1978Neil Diamond & Barbra Striesand's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" hits #1

1845Manifest Destiny: US President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.

1867In a New York City theater, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.

1951Don Hutson's #14 jersey is retired by the Green Bay Packers, the first number retired in the history of the franchise

1961Fidel Castro declares he's a Marxist, & will lead Cuba to Communism

1973Monica Seles, Novi Sad Yugoslavia, tennis star (US Open 1992)

1859Georges Seurat, Paris France, post-impressionist painter (Grande Jatte), (d. 1891)

1946Gianni Versace, Reggio Calabria, Italy, fashion designer (Versace), (d. 1997)

1981Britney Spears, Kentwood, Louisiana, singer and popstar ("Baby One More Time," "Oops! ...I did it again" and "I'm A Slave 4 U")

1965Comedian Tony Hancock (40) weds publicist Freddie Ross (35)

1926Film director/producer Alfred Hitchcock (27) weds director Alma Reville (27) at Brompton Oratory in London

1859John Brown, US abolitionist (Harpers Ferry), hanged at 59

1993Pablo Escobar Gaviria, Colombian drug baron, shot to death at 44

1547Hernán Cortés, Spanish Conquistador who defeated the Aztec Empire, dies of pleurisy at 61/62

1814Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and writer (Justine), dies at 74. The words sadism and sadist are derived from his name.

1990Aaron Copland, American composer (Billy the Kid, Fanfare for Common Man), dies at 90

1986Desi Arnaz, actor (Ricky Ricardo-I Love Lucy), dies at 69 of lung cancer