In History, Today on December 28

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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.