2 men rob Portland credit union

December 22, 2011 03:06 EST

Today is Thursday, Dec. 22, the 356th day of 2011. There are

nine days left in the year. Winter arrives at 12:30 a.m. Eastern

time.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 22, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

arrived in Washington for a wartime conference with President

Franklin D. Roosevelt.

On this date:

In 1775, Esek Hopkins was appointed the commander-in-chief of

the Continental Navy.

In 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op.

67, Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, and Piano Concerto No. 4 in

G major, Op. 58, had their world premieres in Vienna, Austria.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman

said in a message to President Abraham Lincoln: "I beg to present

you as a Christmas-gift the city of Savannah."

In 1894, French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of

treason in a court-martial that triggered worldwide charges of

anti-Semitism. (Dreyfus was eventually vindicated.)

In 1910, a fire lasting more than 26 hours broke out at the

Chicago Union Stock Yards; 21 firefighters were killed in the

collapse of a burning building.

In 1944, during the World War II Battle of the Bulge, U.S. Brig.

Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe rejected a German demand for surrender,

writing "Nuts!" in his official reply.

In 1968, Julie Nixon married David Eisenhower in a private

ceremony in New York.

In 1977, three dozen people were killed when a 250-foot-high

grain elevator at the Continental Grain Company plant in Westwego,

La., exploded.

In 1984, New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shot and wounded

four youths on a Manhattan subway, claiming they were about to rob

him.

In 1991, the body of Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, an

American hostage slain by his terrorist captors, was found dumped

along a highway in Lebanon.

Ten years ago: Richard C. Reid, a passenger on an American

Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, tried to ignite explosives in

his shoes, but was subdued by flight attendants and fellow

passengers. (Reid, who later pleaded guilty, is serving a life

sentence in federal prison.) Hamid Karzai (HAH'-mihd KAHR'-zeye)

was sworn in as prime minister of Afghanistan's interim government.

Five years ago: Rape charges were dropped against three Duke

University lacrosse players, but kidnapping and sexual offense

charges remained. (Those charges were later dropped as well.) Space

shuttle Discovery returned to Earth after a smooth, 13-day flight

to rewire the international space station.

One year ago: President Barack Obama signed a law allowing gays

for the first time in history to serve openly in America's

military. The Senate ratified the New START treaty with Russia

capping nuclear warheads for both nations and restarting on-site

weapons inspections. Auburn's Cam Newton was named AP Player of the

Year. "The Lone Ranger" announcer Fred Foy died in Woburn, Mass.,

at age 89.

Today's Birthdays: Former House Speaker Jim Wright is 89. Actor

Hector Elizondo is 75. Country singer Red Steagall is 73. Former

World Bank Group President Paul Wolfowitz is 68. Baseball

Hall-of-Famer Steve Carlton is 67. ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer is

66. Rock singer-musician Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) is 65. Rock

singer-musician Michael Bacon is 63. Baseball All-Star Steve Garvey

is 63. Singer Robin Gibb is 62. Golfer Jan Stephenson is 60.

Actress BernNadette Stanis is 58. Rapper Luther Campbell is 51.

Country singer-musician Chuck Mead is 51. Actor Ralph Fiennes (rayf

fynz) is 49. Actress Lauralee Bell is 43. Country singer Lori

McKenna is 43. Actress Dina Meyer is 43. Actress Heather Donahue is

38. Actor Chris Carmack is 31. Actor Logan Huffman is 22.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Jordin Sparks is 22.

Thought for Today: "Winter is not a season, it's an

occupation." -- Sinclair Lewis, American author (1885-1951).

Source: http://www.wgme.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.me/3eb85038-www.wgme.com.shtml

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