ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC
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Today is the 361st day of 2024 and the sixth day of winter.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1776, after staging a surprise attack, George Washington and the Continental Army scored a major upset victory over the British in the Battle of Trenton.
In 1908, boxer Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns, becoming the first African American heavyweight champion.
In 1966, the pan-African holiday Kwanzaa, founded by professor Maulana Karenga, was celebrated for the first time.
In 2004, a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a massive tsunami that claimed the lives of at least 226,000 in Southeast Asia and east Africa.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Thomas Gray (1716-1771), poet; Charles Babbage (1791-1871), mathematician/inventor; Mao Zedong (1893-1976), Chinese leader; Richard Widmark (1914-2008), actor; Steve Allen (1921-2000), entertainer; Alan King (1927-2004), actor/comedian; John Walsh (1945- ), TV personality/activist; David Sedaris (1956- ), writer; Lars Ulrich (1963- ), musician; Jared Leto (1971- ), actor/musician; Chris Daughtry (1979- ), singer-songwriter; Kit Harington (1986- ), actor.
TODAY'S FACT: Despite its impact in the Colonies, the Battle of Trenton was fought by relatively small numbers on both sides -- an estimated 2,400 Continental Army soldiers defeated the 1,500-strong British/Hessian garrison.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1919, Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth's contract to the New York Yankees.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Notewise, whenever I read a passage that moves me, I transcribe it in my diary, hoping my fingers might learn what excellence feels like." -- David Sedaris
TODAY'S NUMBER: 27,960 -- length (in miles) of China's high-speed rail system, the longest network of its kind in the world. The 175-mile section connecting Beijing to Shijiazhuang opened on this day in 2012.
TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Dec. 22) and new moon (Dec. 30).