List of December 23rd Major News Events

1947 USA -- Transistor Radio

1947 : Bell Labs demonstrates the worlds first Transistor Radio, Bell had also created the first transistor just a few months earlier. Many companies have claimed and are attribeted as the worlds first including Texas Instruments, Sony and the German firm Intermetall but it depends on how you view the quality of the radios , so I will leave that to others to judge.

1957 Japan -- Leftist Opposition

The government of Japan was blasted by leftists in a specially convened session of parliament. Conflict erupted over the acceptance of American "sidewinders" air-to-air missiles for the Japanese air force.

1967 North Vietnam -- US Prisoners

The North Vietnam Postal system sent back 231 Christmas presents mailed by spouses and parents of U.S. soldiers to their relatives held captive by North Vietnam.

1972 Nicaragua -- Earthquake

1972 : Ten thousand people are feared dead after a two-hour earthquake wiped out as an estimated 80% of buildings in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.

1975 U.S.A. -- To Much Time Spent On TV For US Kids

Jim Winters, writing in The Capital Times , pointed out that the typical American child who had reached the age of 18 spent 25,000 hours watching television and had seen 350,000 advertisements.

1978 U.S.A. -- Drinking Age Raised

1978 : Michigan becomes one of the first states to raise its drinking age to 21 over concerns about high school students drinking and driving.

1986 U.S.A. -- Voyager Non Stop World Flight

The experimental airplane Voyager, completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California

1987 Germany -- Porsche

The luxury car company that made Porsches lost its president, 57 year old Peter W. Schulz, on 31st and replaced him with Heinz Branitzki. Sales of Porsches declined precipitously and drastic reductions in production of the cars were made. Sixty per cent of Porches were sold to the U.S. which evoked criticism within Porsche circles.

1995 India -- Fire

A fire in Dabwali, India, kills 540 people, including 170 children .

1997 Russia -- Space Program Funding

Russian scientists who were the brains behind Russia's military and space programs were not being funded anymore by their country. However, Western companies eager for their knowledge were supporting them financially.

2003 U.S.A. -- BSE Confirmed US

2003 : The first confirmed case of BSE is found in the United States, Only 3 cases are confirmed currently in the US compared with 180,000 in the United Kingdom

2005 South East Asia -- Earthquake

An earthquake killed 87,000 people and left millions without homes. This was followed by an outbreak of bird flu and a spill of benzene and other chemicals in China's Songhue River which poisoned the water supply of millions

2006 United Nations -- The U.N. sanctions on Iran

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously imposed sanctions against Iran over its failure to halt uranium enrichment with Resolution 1737. The sanctions ban the supply of nuclear-related technology and materials, and impose an asset freeze on key individuals and companies. The U.S. representative warned that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons would make it less, not more, secure. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes, and has vowed to continue.

2006 U.S.A. -- Arnold Schwarzenegger in a skiing accident

2006 : Arnold Schwarzenegger has broken his leg while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho. The California Governor was taken to a local hospital for X-rays, which revealed he had fractured his femur. An Austrian, Mr Schwarzenegger is an experienced skier and frequent visitor to Sun Valley, where a piste has been named Arnold's Run after him. Three days later, in Santa Monica, he underwent surgery to repair the break.

2007 Iraq -- Turkish planes bomb Iraq again

Turkish warplanes have again bombed Kurdish rebels along the border of northern Iraq. Jabbar Yawer, a spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish security forces has said that the raid lasted more than three hours, but that 'there was no damage or loss of life.' Turkey has now carried out three air strikes on northern Iraq in the past week, as well as a small ground incursion. The P.K.K., which is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the E.U. is thought to have about three thousand rebels based in Iraq. The Turkish government says that many of the rebels are holed up in the Qandil mountains.

2009 U.S.A. -- Hoax Balloon Boy’s parents given jail sentences

The man who triggered a major alert by falsely claiming that his son was adrift in a helium balloon has been sentenced to ninety days in jail, and his wife to twenty. Richard Heene, and his wife Mayumi, said in October that their son had been carried off by the balloon. The boy was eventually found hiding at home. Heene apologised to rescue workers and the community in the Colorado courtroom. The judge ordered four years of supervised probation for the couple and banned them from receiving any form of financial benefit from the case.

2011 China -- Chinese Writer Jailed for "Subversive" Writing

2011 : Chen Wei, a Chinese writer, was sentenced to nine years in jail after being convicted of "inciting subversion of state power". Chen Wei wrote many online essays in which he called for freedom of speech and a reform to the one-party system in China.

2012 Somalia -- Pirate Hostages Freed

Somalian troops were able to free twenty-two hostages that had been taken by pirates almost three years prior. Sources stated that troops were fighting with the pirates for two weeks before being able to rescue the hostages.

2013 Syria -- Russia Sends Trucks to Syria

2013 : Russia has sent seventy-five trucks to Syria with the intention of helping clear chemical weapons in the war-torn country. They were flown into Syria and will be used to transport the chemical weapons.