Birth of Everett Dirksen
Statesman Everett McKinley Dirksen was born on January 4, 1896, in Pekin, Illinois. He later emerged as a central figure in shaping bipartisan legislation in the US Senate.
Army
-
-
Battle of Princeton
On January 3, 1777, General George Washington earned one of the most important victories of the American Revolutionary War at the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey. Although small in size compared to later battles, the victory came at a critical moment when the Continental Army was struggling, and it helped change the course of the war by restoring American confidence and weakening British control in the region.
-
Battle of Stones River
On December 31, 1862, the Battle of Stones River (also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro) began in Middle Tennessee. What followed would become one of the bloodiest and most hard-fought clashes of the Civil War, with the fate of the region hanging in the balance.
-
West Point’s Eggnog Riot
On the cold night of December 24, 1826, a group of cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point launched an eggnog-fueled riot that shocked the school and embarrassed the young nation. What began as a forbidden holiday celebration quickly spiraled into violence, gunfire, and destruction. By the following morning, order was restored—but the incident, later known as the Eggnog Riot, left a lasting mark on West Point’s history.
-
Latvia’s First Stamps Printed on Maps!
On December 18, 1918, war-torn and recently independent Latvia issued its first stamps, printed on the back of German military maps.
-
Battle of Nashville
On December 15, 1864, Union forces launched the decisive Battle of Nashville, delivering one of the most crushing Union victories of the Civil War. The battle ended the last major Confederate offensive in the West and broke the already-weakened Army of Tennessee beyond repair.
-
Birth of Alvin York
World War I hero Alvin Cullum York was born on December 13, 1887, in Pall Mall, Tennessee. One of America’s most decorated soldiers of World War I, York earned the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross, among others.
-
Honorable Discharge
On November 29, 1944, the War Department officially adopted the Honorable Discharge Emblem, a small but meaningful symbol worn by millions of service members returning home from World War II. For many veterans, it represented not only their service, but also their safe return after years of sacrifice.
-
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
On November 27, 1950, the Korean War Battle of Chosin Reservoir began—a fighting withdrawal carried out in brutal subzero cold. What followed was a 17-day struggle for survival, where frozen weapons, relentless attacks, and unbroken determination turned a retreat into one of the Marine Corps’ most storied feats.
