December 25th, 2009

Today in History

1991:
Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day).

1974:
Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Northern Territory Australia

1973:
The ARPANET crashes when a programming bug causes all ARPANET traffic to be routed through the server at Harvard University, causing the server to freeze.

1939:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is introduced by Montgomery Ward stores

1818:
The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria).