Arthur Wynne, a feature writer for the New York World newspaper devised a “Word-Cross” puzzle for the Sunday edition on December 21, 1913. The feature proved popular and a typesetting error a few weeks later reversed the title, making “crossword” puzzles an addition to many newspapers.

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William Bradford and the Pilgrims of the ‘Mayflower’ are believed to have landed at Plymouth Rock on December 21, 1620.

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General Sherman’s army entering Savannah, Georgia, December 21, 1864.

This event is known to be the conclusion of Sherman’s “March to the Sea.”

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Elvis meeting with Richard Nixon at The White House on December 21, 1970.

The spontaneous visit from Elvis included discussions on discouraging drug use among America’s youth.

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On December 21, 1624 Willem Usselinx of Antwerp was given a charter to establish colonies for the Kingdom of Sweden. “(King) Gustavus Adolphus was now (in the autumn of 1624) in Sweden and he had opportunity for thinking of internal affairs. About the time of Usselinx’s arrival at Gothenburg, the King was expected in the city also. Usselinx was persuaded by two friends (and we may feel sure that it was not hard to persuade him) to remain there until the King came and to apply for an audience with his majesty. The audience was obtained towards the end of October or in the beginning of November. It lasted for six hours and Usselinx found time to explain fully his schemes and the great advantages Sweden could reap from them. Memorials and expositions were later presented, setting forth in more definite and compact form the ideas that had been considered at the audience. Trading companies as we have seen were no new ideas to the King. The proposals therefore found in him a willing supporter and he made the great projector offers of service and of freedom to carry out his plans in Sweden. Usselinx, thinking that he had now found a field for his activities, accepted the offers and at once set about to launch his schemes. On November 4, his draft of the charter was ready, a few days later the prospectus of the company was issued, and on December 21, 1624, the King gave “commission to Willem Usselinx to establish a General Trading Company for Asia, Africa, America and Magellanica.” Usselinx, says the commission, proposed to found a trading company and he had presented such good reasons that the King was led to believe that it would be a great success and that it would bring large gains to the kingdom.” Fourteen years later (1638) the Swedes would establish their first colony in North America on the Delaware Bay (Fort Christina) – present day Wilmington, Delaware. Source: The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware, 1638-1664 by Amandus Johnson, published 1911. https://archive.org/details/swedishsettlem01john/page/n7

Frederic Remington’s
”Cowboys coming to town for Christmas”
which appeared in Harper’s Weekly that was published on December 21, 1889.

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Livestock hauler Joseph G. McCoy was born on December 21, 1837 in Sangamon County, Illinois.

. Seven years after the town of Abilene, Kansas was named, he purchased 250 acres of land near there in 1867 where he eventually established a hotel and stockyards for itinerant cattlemen.

His promotion for driving longhorn cattle from Texas to Abilene led to the Kansas town’s development as a major shipping hub for livestock.

He also had time to write a 427 page book titled
Historic Sketches of the Cattle Trade of the West and Southwest

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On December 21, 1919, the US government deported 248 aliens under the Anarchist Exclusion Act. The most prominent in the group was Emma Goldman, called “Red Emma.” Goldman, who had emigrated from Russia in 1885, was seen as a labor agitator who supported radical causes, advocated political violence and opposed the WW1 draft.

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Johnny Carson with Phil Donahue (right) in 1970

On December 21, 1935, the late Phil Donahue (TV talk show host), was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Liftoff of Apollo 8 on December 21, 1968 which was the first manned mission to orbit the moon.

Image by NASA via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On December 21, 1861, Abraham Lincoln signed Public Resolution 82 which introduced the Medal of Honor of the Department of The Navy.

Image of Abraham Lincoln in 1861 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Looking across train yards from Government Hill, Anchorage, Alaska, December 21, 1917

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On December 21, 1970, the F-14A Tomcat made its first flight.

The last American combat mission involving F-14 aircraft was in 2006.

Image of F-14A Tomcat flying over the USS America in 1984 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

American actor Samuel L. Jackson was born on December 21, 1948 in Washington, D.C.

Image of Actor Samuel L. Jackson with the first female fighter pilot of the U.S. Air Force, Gen. Jeannie Leavitt at Edwards AFB in 2019 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On December 21, 1937, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in Los Angeles, California.

Image from the trailer in 1937 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain