Today in History - History - December 23rd

1783General George Washington resigns his military commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to Congress

19707,511th performance of Agatha Christie's play "The Mousetrap" (record)

1776Thomas Paine writes "These are the times that try men's souls"

1913President Woodrow Wilson signs Federal Reserve Act into law

1933Howie Morenz takes over NHL career goal lead at 251

1921Gangster Carlo Gambino enters the United States as an illegal immigrant on the SS Vincenzo Florio

1994Fearing arrest by the FBI, Whitey Bulger flees Boston, and successfully hides from law enforcement for the next 16 years

1987Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, serving a life sentence for attempted assassination of Pres Gerald R Ford escapes from Alderson Prison

1793Thomas Jefferson warned of slave revolts in West Indies

1997Colorado Avalanche Jari Kurri is 8th NHLer to score 600 career goals

1805Joseph Smith Jr, Sharon Vermont, founder (Mormon Church), (d. 1844)

1867Madame C. J. Walker, Louisiana, cosmetic mogul (Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company), (d. 1919)

1891Cy Denneny, Farran's Point Ontario, Canadian ice hockey hall of famer

245Zenobia, Palmyra, Syria, Queen of Palmyra, (d. 274)

1981Astronaut Chris Hadfield (22) weds high-school girlfriend Helene Walter

1997Woody Allen, 62 weds Soon-Yi Previn 27, adopted daughter of Mia Farrow

1979Stevie Ray Vaughan (25) weds Lenora "Lenny" Bailey (div. 1988)

1951MLB centerfielder Mickey Mantle (20) weds author Merlyn Mantle (19) in Commerce, Oklahoma

1961Actor Martin Sheen (21) weds Janet Templeton

1847Prime Minister of Canada Mackenzie Bowell (24) weds Harriet Moore