^B{^#!16!28 December^N! Feast day of the Holy Innocents, St Antony of LΘrins, and St Theodore the Sanctified.
^B{1065^B} Westminster Abbey was consecrated under Edward the Confessor. ^B{1836^B} Mexico's independence was recognized by Spain. ^B{1879^B} The central portion of the Tay Bridge collapsed as a train was passing over it, killing 75 people. ^B{1908^B} An earthquake killed over 75,000 at Messina in Sicily. ^B{1926^B} The highest recorded cricket innings score of 1107 runs was hit by Victoria, against New South Wales, in Melbourne. ^B{1937^B} The Irish Free State became the Republic of Ireland when a new constitution established the country as a sovereign state under the name of Eire. ^B{1950^B} The Peak District became Britain's first designated National Park. ^B{1989^B} Alexander Dubcek, who had been expelled from the Communist Party in 1970,^B} was elected speaker of the Czech parliament.
^B{^I{^#!14!Born ^N}Woodrow Wilson, 28th US president, ^B{1856^B}; Arthur Stanley Eddington, English astronomer, ^B{1882^B}; Earl Hines, US jazz pianist, ^B{1905^B}; Lew Ayres, US film actor, ^B{1908,^B} Maggie Smith, English actress, ^B{1934^B}; Nigel Kennedy, English violinist, ^B{1956^B}.
^B{^I{^#!14!Died ^N}Queen Mary II, ^B{1694^B}; Rob Roy, Scottish clan chief, ^B{1734^B}; Gustave Eiffel, French engineer, ^B{1923^B}; Maurice Ravel, French composer, ^B{1937^B}; Max Steiner, US film music composer, ^B{1971^B}; Sam Peckinpah, US film director, ^B{1984^B}.
