Today is Thursday, Dec. 8, the 342nd day of 2022. There are 23 days left in the year.
Today in history
On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Imperial Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Also on this date:
In 1765, Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, was born in Westborough, Mass.
In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.
In 1949, the Chinese Nationalist government moved from the Chinese mainland to Formosa as the Communists pressed their attacks.
In 1980, rock star and former Beatle John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty at the White House calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
In 2001, the U.S. Capitol was reopened to tourists after a two-month security shutdown.
In 2008, in a startling about-face, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal he would confess to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks; four other men also abandoned their defenses.
Fun fact
The most common wild bird in the world, in terms of its sheer abundance, is the Red-billed Quelea, with about 1.5 billion of them on the planet.
Record setters
On Dec. 4, the oldest known land animal, Johnathon the tortoise, celebrated his 190th birthday.
— CBS News
Trending words
“Perceptible:” adjective; (per-SEP-tuh-bul). Definition: Able to be seen or noticed.
— Merriam-Webster
Today’s birthdays
Flutist James Galway is 83. Singer Jerry Butler is 83. Pop musician Bobby Elliott (The Hollies) is 81. Actor Mary Woronov is 79. Actor John Rubinstein is 76. Actor Kim Basinger is 69. Rock musician Warren Cuccurullo is 66. Rock musician Phil Collen (Def Leppard) is 65. Country singer Marty Raybon is 63. Political commentator Ann Coulter is 61. Rock musician Marty Friedman is 60. Actor Wendell Pierce is 59. Actor Teri Hatcher is 58. Actor David Harewood is 57. Singer Sinead O’Connor (AKA Shuhada’ Davitt) is 56. Actor Matthew Laborteaux is 56. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Mussina is 54. Rock musician Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel) is 50. Actor Dominic Monaghan is 46. Actor Ian Somerhalder is 44. Rock singer Ingrid Michaelson is 43. R&B singer Chrisette Michele is 40. Actor Hannah Ware is 40. Country singer Sam Hunt is 38. MLB All-Star infielder Josh Donaldson is 37. Rock singer-actor Kate Voegele is 36. Christian rock musician Jen Ledger (Skillet) is 33. NHL defenseman Drew Doughty is 33. Actor Wallis Currie-Wood is 31. Actor AnnaSophia Robb is 29.
The Edge is compiled by Dallas Marshall. She can be contacted at dmarshall@lmtribune.com.
