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–
