In History, Today on December 28

The United Nations General Assembly voted to approve a $5.4 billion budget for 2018-2019, which included cuts to the funding of peacekeeping operations.

Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore, killing all 162 people on board.

A suicide bomber kills seven CIA officers and contractors at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost Province, Afghanistan. The attack is one of the deadliest against the CIA in its history.

The Argentine government completed a successful swap of sovereign debt bonds, which helped resolve one of the world's largest recorded sovereign defaults that began in 2001.

The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's President, Aslan Maskhadov, declared a unilateral ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Russia, aiming to initiate peace talks.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Newcastle, New South Wales, causing extensive damage and resulting in 13 fatalities. It was one of Australia's most damaging earthquakes.

The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, was born in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Endangered Species Act was signed into law in the United States, providing for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened.

The DC-3 airliner NC16002 disappears in the Bermuda Triangle with 32 people on board, contributing to the mystery surrounding the area.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II.

The Bolsheviks sign a treaty with the Armenian Republic in Yerevan, ending hostilities.

A major earthquake struck Messina, Italy, and the surrounding region, resulting in the deaths of approximately 100,000 people.

The Lumière brothers held the first commercial public screening of films at Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris, marking the birth of cinema.

The Tay Bridge Disaster occurred when the Tay Rail Bridge collapsed during a storm as a train was crossing it, resulting in numerous fatalities.

Iowa was admitted as the 29th state of the United States.

John C. Calhoun became the first Vice President of the United States to resign, due to political differences with President Andrew Jackson.

The Russian Empire and Austria partitioned the lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Third Partition of Poland, effectively dissolving the state and sovereign status of Poland.

King Taksin the Great founded the city of Thonburi as the capital of Siam (now Thailand) after the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese, marking a significant moment in Thai history.

Galileo Galilei became the first astronomer to observe the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly cataloged it as a fixed star.

The Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, is made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. His appointment is part of the broader English efforts to quell unrest in Ireland during the Nine Years' War.

The Prince of Orange, William the Silent, suffers a significant defeat at the Battle of Oosterweel during the struggle against Spanish rule in the Dutch Revolt.

The Ottomans defeat Ahmad Gragn's forces in the Battle of Shimbra Kure in Ethiopia, marking a significant event during the Ethiopian-Adal War.

The Order of the Temple, also known as the Templars, was formally disbanded by Pope Clement V through the papal bull "Fasti concrepati buccineas" issued on this date. It marked the end of one of the most powerful and wealthiest Christian military orders of the Middle Ages, which had been under scrutiny and persecution primarily due to accusations by King Philip IV of France.

Westminster Abbey, a Gothic monastery church in London, was consecrated. It has since become one of the most notable religious buildings in the United Kingdom and the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and later British monarchs.

An earthquake strikes the Dvin region, causing significant damage and loss of life.

Pope Boniface I is elected as the new pope, succeeding Pope Zosimus.