Today is Saturday, Dec. 14, the 349th day of 2024. There are 17 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Dec. 14, 2012, a tragic event occurred when a gunman opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The senseless act claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators before the gunman took his own life. Prior to the school shooting, the 20-year-old had also fatally shot his mother at their home.
Also on this date:
In 1799, the nation mourned the passing of its first president, George Washington, who died at his Mount Vernon, Virginia, home at the age of 67.
In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first men to reach the South Pole, surpassing a British expedition led by Robert F. Scott.
In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, upholding Congress’s authority to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against racial discrimination by private businesses.
In 1995, the Dayton Accords were signed in Paris, officially bringing an end to the Bosnian War.
In 2020, Joe Biden was confirmed as the next president of the United States by the Electoral College, solidifying his victory over incumbent President Donald Trump. The same year marked the beginning of the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, as health workers received the COVID-19 vaccine amidst a rising death toll.
In 2021, NBA star Stephen Curry set a new career 3-point record by hitting his 2,974th shot against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Tennis Hall of Famer Stan Smith turns 78 today.
- Actor Dee Wallace celebrates her 76th birthday.
- Rock musician Cliff Williams of AC/DC is 74 years old.
- Former FBI Director James Comey marks his 64th birthday.
- Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio is 59 today.
- Actor Natascha McElhone turns 53.
- Actor Jackson Rathbone celebrates his 40th birthday.
- Actor Vanessa Hudgens is 36 today.
- Rapper Offset turns 33.
- Singer Tori Kelly celebrates her 32nd birthday.
- NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf is 27 today.
