Today in History - History - December 19th

1843"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens published, 6,000 copies sold

1941Hitler takes complete command of German Army

1732Benjamin Franklin under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of "Poor Richard's Almanack"

1984Scotty Bowman wins his 691st regular season game, the most wins by any coach in NHL history

1984China PR Premier Zhao Ziyang & British PM Margaret Thatcher sign Hong Kong Treaty

1984Wayne Gretzky, 23, is 18th & youngest NHL-er to score 1,000 points

1971Stanley Kubrick's X-rated "A Clockwork Orange" premieres

1931Bradman scores 112 Australia v South Africa at cricket SCG

1998Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives forwards articles I and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate.

1835HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin approaches NZ

1980Jake Gyllenhaal, Los Angeles, California, actor (Donnie Darko, Jarhead)

1902Ralph Richardson, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, actor (Anna Karenina, Dr Zhivago), (d. 1983)

1961Reggie White, Chattanooga Tennessee, NFL defensive end (Green Bay Packers - Super Bowl 31)

1924Doug Harvey, Montreal Quebec, Canadian ice hockey player

1975Astronaut Buzz Aldrin (45) weds Beverly Zile

1895Poet Robert Frost (21) weds Elinor Miriam White in Lawrence, Massachusetts

1987Retired baseball catcher Johnny Bench (40) weds Laura Cwikowski

1931Propagandist Joseph Goebbels (34) weds Magda Ritschel (30) at Günther Quandt's farm in Mecklenburg, Germany

1953Robert A. Millikan, American physicist (Nobel 1923), dies at 85

1848Emily Jane Bronte, English novelist, dies at 30