today in history

CIA interrogation tactics

In 2014, U.S. Senate investigators concluded the United States had brutalized scores of terror suspects with interrogation tactics that turned secret CIA prisons into chambers of suffering and did nothing to make Americans safer after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Deadly coal mine disaster

In 1911, an explosion inside the Cross Mountain coal mine near Briceville, Tennessee, killed 84 workers. (Five were rescued.)

Solidarity victory

In 1990, Solidarity founder Lech Walesa won Poland’s presidential runoff by a landslide.

Vote recount in Florida

In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt in the Florida vote count on which Al Gore pinned his best hopes of winning the White House.

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ debuts

In 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the first animated TV special featuring characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, premiered on CBS.

Royals separate

In 1992, Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation. (The couple’s divorce became final in August 1996.)

Rover discovery

In 2013, scientists revealed that the NASA rover Curiosity had uncovered signs of an ancient freshwater lake on Mars.

2016 election season cyberattacks

Barack Obama ordered intelligence officials to conduct a broad review of election-season cyberattacks, including the email hacks that rattled the presidential campaign and raised fresh concerns about Russia’s meddling in U.S. elections.

Artemis astronauts

Last year, NASA named the 18 astronauts – including two from Washington, Anne McClain, above left, and Kayla Barron – set to train for its Artemis moon-landing program.