The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan; Charles Darwin sets out on a round-the-world voyage; Radio City Music Hall opens in New York; James Barrie's play "Peter Pan:
Ceremonies in New Orleans formally mark the completion of the Louisiana Purchase; SC becomes the first state to secede from the Union; Vermont's Supreme Court rules in favor of homosexual couples; "It's A Wonderful Life" premieres in New York
Martin Luther King, Junior accepts Nobel Peace Prize; Women get the right to vote in Wyoming Territory; America's first domestic passenger jet flight takes off; Soul singer Otis Redding, General Augusto Pinochet die.
Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana announce they are separating; The Charge of the Light Brigade is published in Britain; Solidarity union leader Lech Walesa is elected president in Poland; Actor Kirk Douglas is born. (Dec. 9)