Shimla, Dec. 17 Keekli Bureau
2014
The United States and Cuba reestablished diplomatic relations that had been in abeyance for more than 50 years.
2011
North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il died; he was succeeded by his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un.
2010
Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after being harassed by municipal officials, giving rise to Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution and helping inspire the Arab Spring; he died from his injuries the following month.
1992
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed by the leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the United States; it was replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement in 2020.
1989
After appearing as a cartoon short, the animated television series The Simpsons debuted as a Christmas special; it became a weekly series in 1990.
1910
American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan.
1853
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, one of the great figures of the English theatre and the most successful actor-manager of his time, was born in London.
1807
With Napoleon’s decree of Milan, all neutral countries and allies of France were forbidden to trade with Britain.
1760
American Revolutionary soldier Deborah Sampson, who assumed a man’s identity in order to join the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, was born.
