Today in History - History - December 17th

2013Cat Stevens, Hall & Oates, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt, and Nirvana are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

1941German troops led by Rommel begin retreating in North Africa

1927Bradman scores 118 on 1st-class cricket debut, 188 mins 8 fours

1965Astrodome opens, 1st event is Judy Garland & Supremes concert

1946Bradman & Barnes complete 405 run 5th wkt stand, score 234 ea

1538Pope Paul III excommunicates England's King Henry VIII

1398Timur (Tamerlane) captures and sacks Delhi, defeating Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies which include elephants

1832HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin sails in Strait Le Maire

1989The longest-running American sitcom the simpsons had its debut.

1903At 10:35 AM, 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight (Orville Wright)

1908Willard Frank Libby, Grand Valley Colorado, American chemist (carbon-14 "atomic clock" - Nobel 1960)

1929William Safire, political columnist (NY Times)/speech writer (Nixon), (d. 2009)

1874William Lyon Mackenzie King, (L), 10th Canadian PM (1921-30, 1935-48)

1930Bob Guccione, [Robert C J Edwa], US publisher (Penthouse, Omni), (d. 2010)

1986Actor Harry Morgan (71) weds Barbara Bushman

1994Queen of Pop Celine Dion (26) weds her manager Rene Angelil (52) at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada

1918Philippine Senator (and later 2nd President) Manuel L. Quezon (40) weds first cousin Aurora Aragon (30) in Hong Kong

1994Actress Heather Locklear (33) weds Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora (35) at The American Cathedral in Paris, France

1915Journalist Benito Mussolini marries Rachele Guidi in Treviglio Lombardy

1955Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (47) weds Cecilia Suyat

2008Sammy Baugh, American football player, dies at 94

2003Otto Graham, NFL Quarterback, dies of a heart aneurysm at 82