December 22 in History

Historical Events on December 22

609 Muhammad claims to receive his first revelation.

1894 The Dreyfus affair begins in France, when Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted of treason.

1937 The Lincoln Tunnel opens to traffic in New York City.

1942 World War II: Adolf Hitler signs the order to develop the V-2 rocket as a weapon.

1944 World War II: Battle of the Bulge: German troops demand the surrender of United States troops at Bastogne, Belgium, prompting the famous one word reply by General Anthony McAuliffe: "Nuts!"

1965 In the United Kingdom, a 70 mph speed limit is applied to all rural roads including motorways for the first time.

1968 Cultural Revolution: People's Daily posted the instructions of Mao Zedong that "The intellectual youth must go to the country, and will be educated from living in rural poverty."

1987 In Zimbabwe, the political parties ZANU and ZAPU reach an agreement that ends the violence in the Matabeleland region known as the Gukurahundi.

1989 Communist President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu is overthrown by Ion Iliescu after days of bloody confrontations. The deposed dictator and his wife flee Bucharest in a helicopter as protesters erupt in cheers.

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Famous Birthdays on December 22

1934 David Pearson (racing driver)

1970 Ted Cruz

1984 Basshunter

1993 Meghan Trainor

All Births

Famous Deaths on December 22

1942 Franz Boas

1943 Beatrix Potter

1989 Samuel Beckett

2002 Joe Strummer

All Deaths

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