December 3rd, 2008

Today in History

1818:
Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. state

1989:
Cold War: In a meeting off the coast of Malta, US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the cold war between their nations may be coming to an end (some commentators from both nations exaggerated the wording and independently declared the Cold War over).

1937:
The Dandy, the world's longest running comic, was first published.

1984:
Bhopal Disaster: A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, kills more than 3,800 people outright and injures anywhere from 150,000 to 600,000 others (some 6,000 of whom would later die from their injuries) in one of the worst industrial disasters in history.

1967:
The luxury train 20th Century Limited completes its last run from New York City, New York to Chicago, Illinois (the train was inaugurated on June 15, 1902).