Historical Events December 1, 1941: The American Civil Air Patrol was founded, a volunteer civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. December 3, 1967: The first successful heart transplant was performed on Louis Washkansky, who lived for 18 days. Today heart transplant recipients live for an average of just under 10 years. December 5, 1791: At the age of 35, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died a pauper, despite having created over 600 compositions and widely considered one of the finest composers who ever lived. December 7, 43 B.C.: Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero was killed by soldiers of Mark Antony. He is remembered for many famous quotes, including this month's inspirational quote. December 9, 1998: Ruth Dreyfuss is elected as the first Swiss woman to lead the Swiss government December 11, 1882: Fiorello H. LaGuardia was born. He went on to serve in the U.S. Congress and served three terms as Mayor of New York. December 14, 1799: The first president of the United States, George Washington, died at his home at Mount Vernon. December 15, 1890: Sioux leader Sitting Bull was killed by U.S. soldiers in South Dakota. December 15, 1995: The name "Euro" was announced as the new European currency. December 16, 1773: Colonial activists, disguised as Mohawk Indians, dumped more than 300 containers of tea into the waters of Boston Harbor. This act, the Boston Tea Party, was a pivotal event leading to the British Parliament passing the "Intolerable Acts" and ultimately to the American Revolutionary War. December 17, 1538: Pope Paul III excommunicated England's King Henry VIII after he declared himself the supreme head of the Church in England. December 19, 1732: Benjamin Franklin first published Poor Richard's Almanac. It became a huge success, eventually selling nearly 10,000 copies per year. December 20, 1699: Russian Czar Peter the Great reorganized the Russian calendar, moving the Russian New Year from September 1st to January 1st. December 21, 1988: Pan American Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland as the result of a terrorist bomb. December 22, 1858: Composer Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca, Tuscany. Best known for La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), and Madama Butterfly (1904), he is widely considered the greatest Italian opera composer. December 23, 1888: Artist Vincent Van Gogh, in a fit of depression, cut off part of his left ear. December 24, 1745: American patriot Benjamin Rush was born in Byberry, Pennsylvania. He went on to gain fame as a doctor and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was the first to describe alcoholism as a chronic disease. December 25, 336: The first recorded celebration of Christmas occurred in Rome. December 29, 1890: The U.S. 7th Cavalry massacred more than 200 Native American Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. December 31, 1879: Thomas Edison gave the first public demonstration of his new, electric light at Menlo Park, New Jersey. | 
