Unix Timestamp: 1229299200
Monday, December 15. 2008, 12:00:00 AM UTC

The United States formally declares an end to the Iraq War. While this ends the insurgency it begins another.

The United States flag is lowered in Baghdad marking the end of U.S. military operations in Iraq after nearly nine years of the Iraq War. //www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16192105 (BBC)

At least twenty-seven asylum seekers, mostly from Iraq and Iran, are feared dead after a boat carrying 70 people crashes into cliffs on the coast of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. //news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8183497/deaths-feared-after-asylum-seeker-crash (AAP via NineMSN), //www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/15/3093766.htm (ABC News), //news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/dozens-of-asylum-seekers-feared-drowned-in-australia-20101215-18xon.html (AFP via "Melbourne Age"), //www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11997231 (BBC)

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scores the fastest overtime goal in the history of the NHL in 6 seconds against the Atlanta Thrashers.

The king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicates in favor of his son, two years before he had initially planned to do so. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6184349.stm (BBC)

IT security company Symantec Corp signs a definitive agreement to merge with Veritas Software Corp, valued at $13.5 billion, in an all-stock transaction.

The South Korean high-speed rail system, Korea Train Express, opens between Seoul and Busan.

Albanian terrorists take a bus and its passengers hostage in Athens, Greece and demand 1 million euros in ransom money.

The House of Lords rules that the British Government breaches human rights legislation, by detaining without trial foreign nationals suspected of being terrorists.

Reactor 3, the last reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is shut down due to Western political pressure. Disney's "Emperor's New Groove" is released in movie theatres.

The Whitewater scandal investigation begins in Washington, DC.

A planned exchange rate correction of the Mexican Peso to the USDollar, becomes a massive financial meltdown in Mexico, unleashing the 'Tequila' effect on global financial markets. This prompts a US$ 50 billion 'bailout' by the Clinton Administration.

The first version of web browserNetscape Navigator is released.

Civil unions between homosexuals are legalized in Sweden.

The Egyptian ferry "Salem Express" sinks in the Red Sea, killing more than 450.

Brazil holds the second round of its first free election in 29 years Fernando Collor de Mello wins.

The first full-length episode of "The Simpsons", Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, is shown on Fox.

The Romanian Revolution begins in Timişoara when rioters break into the Committee Building and cause extensive vandalism. Their attempts to set the buildings on fire are foiled by military units.

Drug baron José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha is killed by Colombian police.

A car bomb destroys the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 61 people Syrian intelligence is blamed.

The Academia de la Llingua Asturiana (Academy of the Asturian Language) is created.

Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first major American city to go into default since the Great Depression, under Mayor Dennis Kucinich.

Gay rights: The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its DSM-II.

The Silver Bridge over the Ohio River in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, collapses, killing 46 people. It has been linked to the so-called "Mothman" mystery.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are adopted by the General Assembly, as Resolution 2200 A (XXI).

The U.N. Security Council approves an oil embargo against Rhodesia.

Walt Disney dies while producing "The Jungle Book", the last animated feature under his personal supervision.

In the wake of deadly riots in January over control of the Panama Canal, the U.S. offers to negotiate a new canal treaty.

"The Washington Post" publishes an article about James Hton, who had built a glittering religious throne out of recycled materials.

The deadly Christmas flood of 1964 begins It becomes one of the most destructive weather events to affect Oregon in the 20th century.

Storm over North Sea. Belgian pirate radio station Radio Uylenspiegel is knocked off the airwaves, never to operate again.

An Israeli war crimes tribunal sentences Adolf Eichmann to die for his part in The Holocaust.

Arthur L. Schawlow and Charles H. Townes of Bell Laboratories publish a paper in "Physical Review Letters" setting out the principles of the optical laser.

A typhoon strikes a fishing fleet off Korea, killing several thousand.

The United States Department of Justice indicts Alger Hiss on two counts of perjury

A private airplane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller disappears in heavy fog over the English Channel while flying to Paris.

The film "Gone with the Wind", starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard, premieres at Loew\'s Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. It is based on Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel. It is the longest American film made up to that time (nearly four hours).

Newfoundland returns to Crown Colony status following financial collapse.ref name=CBH/

The US 21st Amendment officially goes into effect, alcohol becomes legal in the US.

The British Plastics Federation (the oldest in the world) is founded.

Marion Parker, 12, is kidnapped in Los Angeles. Her dismembered body is found on December 19, prompting the largest manhunt to date on the West Coast for her killer, William Edward Hickman, who is arrested on December 22 in Oregon.

December 22 ndash The Brussels Conference establishes a timetable for German war reparations intended to extend for over 42 years.

A gas explosion at the Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine, Kyūshū, Japan, kills 687 (the worst coal mine disaster in Japanese history).

Women of Fredonia, New York, march against the retail liquor dealers in town to inaugurate the Woman's Crusade of 1873–74. This leads to the creation of the Woman\'s Christian Temperance Union (December 23) in Hillsboro, Ohio.

Brazil invades Uruguay in support of Venancio Flores. Paraguay attacks Brazil and loses terribly.

Asa Shinn Mercer travels from Seattle to the U.S. East Coast and recruits 11 "Mercer Girls", potential wives for men on the West Coast.

John Wisden publishes the first edition of "Wisden Cricketer's Almanack". It goes on to become the major annual cricket publication.

The Korean government executes the founder of the Tonghak movement.

December 16 ndash American Civil War ndash Battle of Nashville: Union forces decisively defeat the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

Imperial forces assault the Taiping capital of Nanking in the last great battle of the civil war.

The Dutch conquer southern Sumatra.

The first Quanjude roast duck restaurant opened in Beijing Qianmen Street.

The corpse of Napoleon is placed in the Hotel des Invalides in Paris.

The United States Patent Office burns in Washington, D.C.

The Hartford Convention is convened by members of the American Federalist Party.

The first American ship reaches Japan.

A slave rebellion begins in Haiti see Haitian Revolution.

The metric system is adopted in France.

An ordinance is written barring the game of baseball within 80 yards of the Meeting House in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (first known reference to the game of baseball in North America).

Ratification by the states of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution is completed, creating the United States Bill of Rights. Two additional amendments remain pending, and one of these is finally ratified in 1992, becoming the Twenty-seventh Amendment.

Simon Marius, is first to observe Andromeda Galaxy through a telescope.

Johannes Kepler writes a letter to Tycho about his book, "Mysterium Cosmographicum".

Stephen Báthory becomes king of Poland.

The Japanese Kenchō era ends, and the Kōgen era begins.

Hulagu Khan establishes the Ilkhanate dynasty of Persia, which will become one of four main divisions of the Mongol Empire.

Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran.

Construction of the Dome of the Rock is started in Jerusalem.

Pope Sergius I succeeds Pope Conon as the 84th pope.

Battle of Tricamarum: Gelimer assembles an army of about 50,000 men at Bulla Regia (Numidia), and advances towards Carthage. Belisarius moves out to meet the Vandals, he leads the Byzantine cavalry (5,000 men) into battle. Without waiting for his infantry to come up, he charges, despite odds of almost 10-to-1, and throws Gelimer in confusion. Belisarius captures the Vandal c by storm. Tzazo is killed in an all-cavalry fight, and Gelimer is forced to seek refuge in the mountains of Tunis with the Berbers.

King Hilderic is deposed by his cousin Gelimer after a 7-year reign. He restores arianism as the official religion of the Vandal Kingdom and puts his uncle along with supporters in prison.

Emperor Xiao Zhuang Di is arrested and imprisoned in a Buddhist temple at Jinyang (Shanxi). He is succeeded by Chang Guang Wang and becomes the new ruler of Northern Wei.

Spring ndash Battle of Dara: Belisarius and Hermogenes ("magister officiorum") defeat a combined Persian-Arab army of 50,000 men at Dara (modern Turkey). By entrenching his infantry in a refused position in the centre line, then carrying out a cavalry envelopment to culminate a classic defensive-offensive battleplan.

Vishnu Temple at Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh (India), is built. Post-Gupta period (approximate date).

Tribonian becomes "quaestor sacri palatii" and chief editor of the compilation of the old Roman lawyers writings.

Emperor Justinian I selects a second commission to excerpt and codify the writings of the jurists on Roman law. This becomes the "Digest" (Pandects).

Justinian I sends an embassy to Carthage to negotiate with Hilderic. He replies: “nothing is more desirable than that a monarch should mind his own business.”

Summer ndash Battle of Satala: A Byzantine cavalry force (30,000 men) under command of Sittas defeats a major Persian invasion into Roman Armenia.

Mosaic synagogue floor, from Maon (Judea) is made. It is now kept at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (approximate date).