December 23rd

Today's Highlight in History:
On December 23rd, 1893, the Engelbert Humperdinck opera "Haensel und Gretel" was first performed, in Weimar, Germany.

On this date:
In 1783, George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the Army and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

In 1823, the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore was published in the "Troy (New York) Sentinel."

In 1928, the National Broadcasting Company set up a permanent, coast-to-coast network.

In 1941, during World War Two, American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese.

In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo (hee-day-kee toh-joh) and six other Japanese war leaders were executed in Tokyo.

In 1968, 82 crew members of the US intelligence ship "Pueblo" were released by North Korea, eleven months after they had been captured.

In 1980, a state funeral was held in Moscow for former Premier Alexei N. Kosygin, who had died December 18th at age 76.

In 1986, the experimental airplane "Voyager," piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, round-the-world flight without refueling as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1995, a fire in Dabwali, India, killed 540 people, including 170 children, during a year-end party being held near the children's school.

In 1997, a jury in Denver convicted Terry Nichols of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing, declining to find him guilty of murder.

Ten years ago: Ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were captured as they were attempting to flee their country.

Five years ago: Bosnian Serbs and the Muslim-led government agreed to a weeklong truce beginning the next day as they worked on details of a four-month cease-fire. Baseball owners imposed a salary cap that was fiercely opposed by players.

One year ago: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat freed Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin from house arrest, a move denounced by Israel. Lebanese guerrillas attacked Israel's northern border with rockets, in retaliation for an Israeli air raid a day earlier.

"Christmas is the season when you buy this year's gifts with next year's money."

-- Anonymous.