This Day In History, Odd News and Facts For December 31, 2012

Display bottle of Grande Cuvée, Krug’s non-vintage brut. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AMERICAN REVOLUTION Patriots are defeated at Quebec, 1775

AUTOMOTIVE Henry Ford publishes the last issue of the Dearborn Independent,1927

CIVIL WAR Confederate General Forrest escapes capture at Parker’s Crossroads,1862

COLD WAR United States ends official relations with Nationalist China, 1978

CRIME Subway vigilante turns himself in, 1984

DISASTER Baseball star dies in plane crash, 1972

GENERAL INTEREST Charter granted to the East India Company, 1600

Patriots defeated at Quebec, 1775

Edison demonstrates incandescent light, 1879

Soviets test supersonic airliner, 1968

HOLLYWOOD Anthony Hopkins born,1937

LITERARY Pete Hamill quits drinking, 1972

MUSIC Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash, 1985

OLD WEST John Denver born in New Mexico, 1943

PRESIDENTIAL Kennedy and Khrushchev exchange holiday greetings, 1961

SPORTS Plane carrying Roberto Clemente crashes, 1972

VIETNAM WAR Bloodiest year of the war ends, 1968

U.S. annual casualty figures down, 1971

U.S. and communist negotiators prepare to return to the Paris talks,1972

WORLD WAR I American general and diplomat George C. Marshall is born, 1880

WORLD WAR II Hungary declares war on Germany, 1944

This Day in Wisconsin History

1862 – (Civil War) Battle of Stones River, Tennessee, begins

1967 – Green Bay Packers Triumph in “Ice Bowl”

Today is National Champagne Day and New Year’s Eve

Your Daily Horoscope UPI horoscopes for Monday, Dec. 31, 2012.

The almanac UPI Almanac for Monday, Dec. 31, 2012.

And Now From The UPI News Desk;

2013 names predicted: Kindle, Pearl, Roy AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 30 (UPI) — A baby-naming website says it predicts next year popular U.S. infant names will include: Hashtag, Tweet, Android and Pearl, Florence, Nellie and Eleanor.

Survey: Italians stay home for New Year’s ROME, Dec. 30 (UPI) — An Italian business association says its survey indicates more than eight in 10 Italians will stay home on New Year’s Eve for financial or other reasons.

17-foot python spotted, killed in Florida ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 30 (UPI) — A 17-foot Burmese python shocked a family when it slithered into a picnic area in Florida.

Dog crate thieves halt pet adoptionsATLANTA, Dec. 30 (UPI) — Thieves halted efforts to get some 40 homeless dogs new homes for the holidays in the Atlanta-area, pet rescue officials said.

Swearing woman freed from jail NILES, Mich., Dec. 30 (UPI) — A Michigan woman jailed over the Christmas holiday for swearing as she left a court clerk’s office has been released on bond, officials said.

Orphaned orangutan dies in Milwaukee zoo MILWAUKEE, Dec. 30 (UPI) — Zookeepers are mourning the loss of Muhal, a 5-year-old orangutan so popular the red-haired ape had his own Facebook page.