December 17th

Today's Highlight in History:
On December 17th, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright went on the first successful manned powered-airplane flights, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

On this date:
In 1777, France recognized American independence.

In 1830, South American patriot Simon Bolivar died in Colombia.

In 1925, Colonel William "Billy" Mitchell was convicted at his court-martial of insubordination.

In 1939, the German pocket battleship "Graf Spee" was scuttled by its crew, ending the World War Two Battle of the River Plate off Uruguay.

In 1944, the US Army announced it was ending its policy of excluding Japanese-Americans from the West Coast.

In 1957, the United States successfully test-fired the "Atlas" intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

In 1969, the US Air Force closed its Project "Blue Book" by concluding there was no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings.

In 1969, an estimated 50 million TV viewers watched singer Tiny Tim marry his fiancee, Miss Vicky, on NBC's "Tonight Show."

In 1975, Lynette Fromme was sentenced in federal court in Sacramento, California, to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Ford.

In 1979, in a case that aggravated racial tensions, Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance executive, was fatally beaten after a police chase in Miami. (Four white police officers were later acquitted of charges stemming from McDuffie's death.)

Ten years ago: More than 100,000 Soviet citizens turned out to honor the late human rights advocate Andrei D. Sakharov, a day before he was buried in Moscow.

Five years ago: North Korea shot down a US Army helicopter which had strayed north of the demilitarized zone -- the co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer David Hilemon, was killed; the pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall, was captured and held for nearly two weeks. Six shots were fired at the White House by an unidentified gunman.

One year ago: The United States hit Iraq with a second wave of punishing airstrikes. Republicans advanced the impeachment case against President Clinton to the House floor for a debate the following day. House Speaker-designate Bob Livingston shocked fellow Republicans by admitting he'd had extramarital affairs.

"He that's secure is not safe."

-- "Poor Richard's Almanac."