George Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia, with no inkling that he would be drafted to President 6 years later –
A Visit From St. Nicholas, attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, first published –
Part of Vincent Van Gogh’s left ear was cut off –
Reginald Fessenden became the first person to transmit voice over a wireless radio –
Transistor first demonstrated –
Jeanne Sauvé was appointed governor-general of Canada –
U.S. pilots, Dick Rutan and Jeanna Yeager, landed the experimental aircraft Voyager in California after a record 9-day 4-minute nonstop flight around the world without refueling –
Weather
Ships were lost in a storm on Long Island Sound –
Strong northerly winds generated a windchill of -100 degrees F in North Dakota –
Williston, North Dakota, recorded a temperature of -50 degrees F –
9.6 inches of snow fell in Wilmington, North Carolina –
