Today In History

In 1765: Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act before Virginia’s House of Burgesses, saying, “If this be treason, make the most of it!”

In 1932: World War I veterans began arriving in Washington, D.C., to demand cash bonuses they weren’t scheduled to receive for another 13 years.

In 1942: Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra recorded Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” in Los Angeles for Decca Records.

In 1953: Mount Everest was conquered as Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tensing Norkay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit.