Today in History - History - December 8th

1776George Washington's retreating army crosses Delaware River from NJ

1949"On the Town", the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen, is released

1966A terrible Yankee trade, Roger Maris for Card's Charlie Smith

1987Flyers' Ron Hextall becomes 1st goalie to actually score a goal

1955Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella wins his 3rd MVP Award

1914Connie Mack sells Eddie Collins to the White Sox

19934th Billboard Music Awards: Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard Soundtrack win

1987US President Reagan & Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev sign a treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles

1980Annie Leibovitz has a photo-shoot with John Lennon, the last person to professionally photograph him before his death

1994Darryl Strawberry indicted on tax evasion charges

1943Jim Morrison, American poet, singer (The Doors) (d. 1971)

1765Eli Whitney, Westborough Massachusetts, inventor (Cotton Gin)

1982Nicki Minaj, Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidadian-born American rapper and singer (Super Bass, Starships)

1962Steve Elkington, Inverell New South Wales, Australian golfer (1995 PGA Championship)

65 BCHorace, Venusia, Lucania, Roman Republian poet (Odes), (d. 8 BC)

1886Diego Rivera, [Lenin of Mexico], Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, painter/wife of Frida Kahlo (En el Arsenal ), (d. 1957)

1542Mary Stuart, Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, Queen of Scotland (1560-1587), (d. 1587)

1953Sam Kinison, Yakima, Washington, screaming comedian and actor (Back to School, Charlie Hoover)

1950NBA player Bob Cousy (22) weds his college sweetheart Missie Ritterbusch

1872Religious leader Brigham Young (71) weds his fifty-fifth wife Hannah Tapfield in Salt Lake City, Utah

1980John Lennon, shot and killed in NY by Mark David Chapman at 40

1942Albert Kahn, architect of Detroit, dies at 73