“Reinforced by recruits, General Washington determined to return and occupy Trenton, where he found comfortable quarters in “The True American Inn.” Owing to heavy ice, the recrossing of the Delaware was dangerous and tedious, occupying two days. The General proudly said: “It was safely effected with the troops that were with me on the morning of the 26th.”
This arduous movement marked Washington’s third crossing of the Delaware in a single week, completed on December 30, 1776.
From Washington Day by Day published in 1895
“The surveys were completed in 1804, and the first lot, containing half an acre, was sold for $135. The young village throve, was duly incorporated April 2, 1813, and, on December 30th, the same year, was destroyed by British troops and their Indian allies, who crossed the river at Black Rock. Only two houses escaped the flames, and they served as a nucleus around which grew up a colony which, in
1832, from a village, became the city of Buffalo.”
From: Buffalo greets the South with a synopsis of her history…by Richmond C. Hill
Published in 1895
https://archive.org/details/buffalogreetssou00hill/page/4
Source says not in copyright
The second Church of San Augustine in Tucson, Arizona c. late 1800s after it became a hotel.
On December 30, 1853, the first draft of a treaty was signed between Mexico and The United States. Tucson, Arizona (and other portions of Arizona and New Mexico) became part of the U.S. through the Gadsden purchase.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Photo of Pinkerton Detective James McParland who was able to get a confession in the assassination of Frank Steunenberg, the 4th Governor of Idaho, after a bomb detonated outside the late Governor’s home on December 30, 1905.
The perpetrator, Harry Orchard, was a disgruntled miner who McParland grilled until the bomber admitted to the crime.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Snowplow at U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Image created or published on December 30, 1935
via LOC, no known restrictions
December 30, 1950 — a family gathered for a portrait at the turn of a new decade. The war that had defined the 1940s was over, even as new tensions emerged abroad, and families across the country were finding their footing in a changing world.
Ellas McDaniel was born on December 30, 1928 but he made his mark on the music world as Bo Diddley. Originally a carpenter who played blues on street corners with friends Bo’s 60-year career produced two dozen albums. He’s shown here with his “Twang Machine”, a unique rectangular guitar.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
On December 30, 1967, USMC Colonel Edwin Reed, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 16 practiced with his M-16 rifle Vietnam’s Marble Mountain Air Facility. Col. Reed’s unit was stationed at a helicopter base near Da Nang on the South China Sea.
Image from Archives Branch, USMC, CCA 2.0 Generic via Wikimedia Commons.
Born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James grew into one of the most accomplished athletes in American history. A three‑time Olympic gold medalist and the NBA’s all‑time leading scorer, he built a career defined by longevity, discipline, and an unmatched ability to rise to every moment. His birthday marks not just the rise of a basketball legend, but the beginning of a story that reshaped American sports, inspired millions, and proved that greatness can come from anywhere.
Image of LeBron elevating with purpose for Team USA in London in 2012 from Christopher Johnson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Born December 30, 1914, Bert Parks made the transition from radio announcer to television as the host of various game shows, including the 1965 pilot for “Hollywood Squares.” Parks also hosted the Miss America pageant from 1955 to 1979, ending each telecast by singing “There She Is, Miss America . . .”
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright, public domain in the US.
A heart-wrenching drawing of a father sitting with his only living child during the holidays after the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago that took place on December 30, 1903 and claimed more than 600 lives.
The empty chairs imply that others in the family were victims in the tragedy.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
“Let’s Make a Deal” debuted on NBC on December 30, 1963. The popular show was hosted by Monty Hall for almost 30 years and inspired imitators around the world. Some crazily-costumed “traders” won big while others received a “zonk” prize, like a llama.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright.
Automobiles travel down the Arroyo Seco on dedication day in Los Angeles on December 30, 1940.
The Arroyo Seco is considered to be California’s first freeway.
Image from Los Angeles Daily News via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Band members of The Monkees in 1967
Davy Jones (on the far left) and Michael Nesmith (on the far right) were both born on December 30th, just three years apart.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions
She Came. She Saw. She Conquered.
An advertisement for the American silent drama film The Woman Conquers that appeared in a publication on December 30, 1922.
The hour long movie also featured Boris Karloff.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions
On December 30, 1899, AT&T absorbed American Bell and became the parent company of the Bell System.
For the next 75 years, it redefined communication in America as a near-total monopoly—a status that remained largely unchallenged until the U.S. government filed suit in 1974, ultimately leading to the company’s dismantling in 1984. The breakup, finalized by the Modification of Final Judgment (MFJ) consent decree, forced AT&T to spin off its local telephone operations into seven independent Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs), widely known as the “Baby Bells”. AT&T itself was left with its long-distance services, equipment manufacturing arm (Western Electric), and Bell Labs research division.
Ironically, through subsequent deregulation and a series of mergers over the following decades, several of these “Baby Bells” consolidated and one (Southwestern Bell) eventually acquired the original AT&T Corp. and adopted the iconic AT&T name.
