In History, Today on December 19

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Northern California, causing widespread damage, power outages, and two fatalities.

The United States announced it would withdraw its troops from Syria, a decision that sparked widespread debate and concern over the future of the region.

A truck was deliberately driven into a Christmas market in Berlin, resulting in 12 deaths and 56 injuries. The attack was later claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Park Geun-hye is elected as the first female president of South Korea.

Kim Jong-il, Supreme Leader of North Korea, passed away, leading to the succession by his son Kim Jong-un.

United States President George W. Bush announced the final lifting of tariffs on imported steel, ending a trade dispute and mitigating a potential escalation in trade tensions with the European Union.

Libya announces its decision to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programs, marking a significant step in international diplomacy and non-proliferation efforts.

The Argentine economic crisis reached a critical point as President Fernando de la Rúa declared a state of emergency amid widespread protests and riots. The crisis was characterized by a severe recession, high unemployment, and a banking freeze.

The United States House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, agreeing to the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.

Nelson Rockefeller is confirmed as Vice President of the United States under President Gerald Ford after a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives. This confirmation came during a period of political transition following the Watergate scandal and President Nixon's resignation.

Apollo 17, the final mission of NASA's Apollo program, returned to Earth after the last manned moon landing.

The French Fourth Republic was established as General Charles de Gaulle resigned as a head of government, a crucial moment in post-World War II French history.

Adolf Hitler became Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the German Army, consolidating his control over the military during World War II.

The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost produced. The Rolls-Royce 40/50 model, known as the Silver Ghost, entered production in 1906 and ended with this final unit, marking it as one of the most celebrated cars in automotive history.

The first successful transatlantic radio broadcast from the United States to the United Kingdom was made by Reginald Fessenden.

Robert Browning's poem 'Love Among the Ruins' is published posthumously.

The Theosophical Society is formed in New York City.

Vice President of the United States, John C. Calhoun, drafted the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, a document in opposition to the Tariff of 1828.

George Washington's Continental Army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge during the American Revolutionary War.

Thomas Paine published the first of his American Crisis pamphlets, which began with the famous line, 'These are the times that try men's souls.'

Benjamin Franklin began publication of 'Poor Richard's Almanack', an annual publication that became very popular in the American colonies.

The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery set sail from England to establish the Jamestown Colony in Virginia.

Anna of Brittany is married to Maximilian I of Austria by proxy, for the second time, at Rennes, Brittany. This strategic alliance aimed to strengthen the position of Brittany against French encroachment.

Construction of the Bastille began in Paris, France, ordered by King Charles V of France to defend the eastern approach to the city from the English and to act as a fortress and a piece of royal power.

Henry II was crowned King of England, marking the beginning of the Plantagenet dynasty.

Pope John IV is consecrated as the 72nd pope of the Catholic Church, succeeding Pope Severinus.

Pope Innocent I is elected as the Bishop of Rome. His papacy is marked by efforts to maintain the authority of the Roman See and his involvement in the Pelagian controversy.

Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor following his defeat by Constantine the Great at the Battle of Chrysopolis earlier in the year. This marks the consolidation of power under Constantine, leading to the eventual establishment of Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire.