In History, Today on December 22

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the United States' decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, with 128 countries voting in favor of the resolution.

The repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' the policy barring openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from military service, was signed into law by President Barack Obama.

An ash leak at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee became one of the largest industrial disasters in U.S. history when a dike ruptured, releasing 1.1 billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry into the surrounding area.

Richard Reid, also known as the 'Shoe Bomber,' attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes on American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami. Passengers and crew subdued him, and the plane was diverted to Boston, where Reid was arrested.

Lech Wałęsa is sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Poland since the 1920s, marking a significant moment in the country's transition from communism to democracy.

Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu was overthrown following a revolution, marking the end of communist rule in Romania.

Bernhard Goetz shoots four young men on a New York City Subway train in an event that brings national attention to issues of crime and self-defense.

Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli vote in a referendum to form the Federal and Islamic Republic of Comoros, gaining independence from French colonial rule.

The United Nations General Assembly adopts the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

During World War II, the Battle of the Bulge saw German troops demand the surrender of American troops at Bastogne, Belgium, to which General Anthony McAuliffe famously replied, 'Nuts!'

During World War II, Adolf Hitler signed the commando order, ordering the Gestapo to execute all Allied commandos captured behind enemy lines.

The Lincoln Tunnel in New York City was opened to traffic, providing a crucial connection between Manhattan and New Jersey under the Hudson River.

The Dreyfus Affair began in France when Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army officer, was convicted of treason in a highly controversial trial.

Itō Hirobumi became the first Prime Minister of Japan.

Fyodor Dostoevsky was delivered a last-minute reprieve from execution in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and was instead sentenced to hard labor and exile in Siberia.

The Embargo Act of 1807 was passed by the United States Congress, prohibiting American ships from trading in all foreign ports.

James Stuart, the Old Pretender, landed at Petershead in Scotland to lead a Jacobite uprising, aiming to reclaim the British throne for the House of Stuart.

The Parliament of England passed the Act of Submission of the Clergy, part of King Henry VIII's efforts to assert control over the Church in England. This was a significant step in the English Reformation, curbing the powers of the clergy and increasing the authority of the monarchy over religious matters.

Pope Honorius III officially approved the Dominican Order, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic.

Stephen of Blois is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey, marking the beginning of the period of civil war known as The Anarchy.

The Battle of Lüneburg Heath took place, where the forces of Louis III of France defeated the Norse invaders, marking a significant event in the Carolingian efforts to repel Viking incursions.

The Visigoths, led by King Alaric I, crossed the Alps and entered Italy, marking a significant phase in the Gothic War against the Roman Empire.

Vitellius, the Roman emperor, was captured and killed in Rome by Vespasian's forces, effectively ending his rule and the Year of the Four Emperors.