How Many Days Until December 21?

This day in history: December 21

1. 1968

   Apollo 8 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a trajectory to the Moon; its crew became the first humans to visit another celestial body.

2. 1988

   The world's heaviest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, made its first flight.

3. 1988

   A bomb on board Pan Am Flight 103 detonated over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.

4. 1994

   Mexico's Popocatépetl volcano, dormant for 47 years, began erupting, and is now one of the nation's most active volcanoes.

5. 1995

   In accordance with the Oslo II Accord, Israeli troops withdrew from Bethlehem in preparation for the transfer of control to the Palestinian National Authority.

6. 2012

   Countries that were part of the Maya civilization celebrated the end-date of a 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar.

7. 2018

   Operatives of the British Special Boat Service boarded the container ship Grande Tema in the Thames Estuary to detain four stowaways who had threatened the crew.

Source: Wikipedia, text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.