#Middlebury
On Dec. 10, 1915, the one-millionth Model T car rolls off the assembly line at Ford’s River Rouge plant in Detroit. Ford would go on to sell more than 15 million Model Ts, and toward the end of their run in 1927, had cut the price to just $300 (about $3,700 today).- On Dec. 14, 1939, the League of Nations, the international peacekeeping organization formed at the end of World War I, expels the Soviet Union in response to its invasion of Finland on Oct. 30.
- On Dec. 15, 1944, legendary bandleader Glenn Miller’s aircraft disappears over the English Channel while en route to France. Miller had set aside his music career at its peak in 1942 to serve his country as leader of the USAAF dance band.
- On Dec. 12, 1963, a vinyl LP record, “John Fitzgerald Kennedy: A Memorial Album,” sets a record for album sales. Some 4 million copies sold in the first six days of its release. The album included recordings of some of the late president’s most memorable speeches.
- On Dec. 16, 1977, “Saturday Night Fever,” a movie that ignites the disco dance craze across America – along with the movie career of its star, John Travolta – opens in theaters. Travolta earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as 19-year-old dancer Tony Manero.
- On Dec. 11, 1981, Jamaican boxer Trevor Berbick beats former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in a unanimous 10-round decision in Nassau, the Bahamas. At the age of 39, Ali (born Cassius Clay) was attempting his second comeback from retirement.
- On Dec. 13, 2000, Vice President Al Gore reluctantly concedes defeat to Texas Gov. George W. Bush in his bid for the presidency, following five weeks of complex legal battles over the recounting of votes in Florida. Gore narrowly lost the state.
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