- 1990 – After 30 years in exile, ANC president Oliver Tambo returned to South Africa.
- 1990 – After 30 years in exile, ANC president Oliver Tambo returned to South Africa.
- 1993 – A judge in Colorado struck down the state’s voter-approved Amendment Two prohibiting gay rights laws, calling it unconstitutional.
- 1993 – The United Mine Workers approved a five-year contract that ended a strike that had reached seven states and involved some of the nation’s biggest coal operators.
- 1995 – The presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia signed the Dayton Accords to end fighting in Bosnia.
- 1995 – AIDS patient Jeff Getty received the first-ever bone-marrow transplant from a baboon.
- 1997 – Iran’s newest president, Mohammad Khatami, called for a dialogue with the people of the United States. The preceding Iranian leaders had reviled the U.S. as “The Great Satan.”
- 1997 – Mike Gartner (Phoenix Coyotes) became only the fifth player in National Hockey League (NHL) history to score 700 career goals.
- 1997 – Cuban President Fidel Castro declared Christmas 1997 an official holiday to ensure the success of Pope John Paul II’s upcoming visit to Cuba.
- 1998 – Hundreds of Palestinian leaders renounced a call for the destruction of Israel.
- 1999 – U.S. and German negotiators agreed to establish a $5.2 billion fund for Nazi-era slave and forced laborers.
- 1999 – Charles M. Schulz announced he was retiring the “Peanuts” comic strip. The last original “Peanuts” comic strip was published on February 13, 2000.
- 2000 – It was announced that American businessman Edmond Pope would be released from a Russian prison for humanitarian reasons. Pope had been sentenced to 20 years in prison after his conviction on espionage charges.
- 2001 – European Union leaders agreed to dispatch 3,000-4,000 troops to join an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.
- 2001 – The first commercial export, since 1963, of U.S. food to Cuba began. The 24,000 metric tons for corn were being sent to replenish what was lost when Hurricane Michelle struck on November 4.
- 2013 – The Chinese spacecraft Chang’e 3 became the first spacecraft to “soft”-land on the Moon since 1976. It was only the third robotic rover to land on the moon.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Rebecca Jarvis, American journalist
- 1981 – Johnny Jeter, American wrestler
- 1981 – Liam Lawrence, Irish footballer
- 1981 – Shaun Marcum, American baseball player
- 1982 – Josh Fields, American baseball player
- 1982 – Steve Sidwell, English footballer
- 1982 – Anthony Way, English singer and actor
- 1983 – Leanne Mitchell, English singer-songwriter
- 1984 – Chris Brunt, Northern Irish footballer
- 1984 – Rana Daggubati, Indian actor and producer
- 1984 – Ed Rainsford, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1985 – Jakub Błaszczykowski, Polish footballer
- 1985 – Alex Pennie, Welsh keyboard player
- 1985 – Paul Rabil, American lacrosse player
- 1985 – Tom Smith, English-Welsh rugby player
- 1985 – Nonami Takizawa, Japanese actress and singer
- 1987 – Kenneth Medwood, Belizean-American hurdler
- 1988 – Nicolas Batum, French basketball player
- 1988 – Nate Ebner, American football player
- 1988 – Vanessa Hudgens, American actress and singer
- 1988 – Hayato Sakamoto, Japanese baseball player
- 1989 – Sam Burgess, English rugby league player
- 1989 – Pedro Roberto Silva Botelho, Brazilian footballer
- 1989 – Onew, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1991 – Ben Henry, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1991 – Offset, American rapper
- 1992 – Tori Kelly, American singer-songwriter
- 1992 – Ryo Miyaichi, Japanese footballer
- 1993 – Antonio Giovinazzi, Italian race car driver
- 1995 – Calvyn Justus, South African swimmer
- 1996 – Li Zijun, Chinese figure skater