(1860) South Carolina is first state to secede from the Union |
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In a unanimous vote, the South Carolina legislature enacts an ordinance of secession after Abraham Lincoln is elected president, declaring that in Lincoln they detect a perceived “hostility…to the institution of slavery.” Within months, other slave-holding states will also secede, forming the Confederacy and precipitating the Civil War. |
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(1957) Rock ‘n’ roll star Elvis Presley receives draft notice |
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The 22-year-old refuses special treatment, despite thousands of fans writing letters asking for this national treasure to be spared. Presley will serve two years and reach the rank of sergeant. An Army pal will introduce him to 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he will later marry. |
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(1987) Overcrowded ferry and oil tanker collide near Manila |
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A ferry carrying approximately 4,000 people home for the Christmas holiday collides with an oil tanker in the Tablas Strait at about 10 PM. After a huge explosion, both ships sink quickly. Only 24 people will survive. The accident ranks as history’s deadliest maritime disaster in peacetime. |
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(1989) United States invades Panama to topple military dictator |
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The US launches Operation Just Cause to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power after he had been indicted on drug trafficking charges. Noriega’s regime will fall in just days, and Noriega himself will be arrested and later sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. |
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DIH v2.11.d16 |