This Day in History

On Dec. 20, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

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In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on a vote of delegates at a secession convention, emboldening other Southern states to follow suit and helping to trigger the American Civil War.

In 1946, the classic holiday film "It's a Wonderful Life" premiered at the Globe Theater in New York City.

In 1986, three Black men were attacked by a group of white youths in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, resulting in the death of one of the men, Michael Griffith.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Doña Paz (DOHN'-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 from Miami to Cali, Colombia, crashed into a mountain near Buga, Colombia, at night while descending into the Cali area, killing all but four of the 163 passengers and crew aboard.

In 2019, the United States Space Force was established when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020.

In 2024, a car slammed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, killing six people and injuring more than 200. The suspect, who was arrested, was a doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had expressed anti-Muslim views and support on social media for a far-right party.

Today's Birthdays: Rock drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 80. Producer Dick Wolf ("Law & Order") is 79. Musician Alan Parsons is 77. Author Sandra Cisneros is 71. Actor Michael Badalucco is 71. Rock singer Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 59. Filmmaker Todd Phillips is 55. Actor Jonah Hill is 42. Soccer player Kylian Mbappé is 27.