On this day:
1643 Christmas Island discovered
1809 First abdominal surgery performed by American physician Ephraim McDowell
1979 USSR invades Afghanistan
Born on this day:
1642 Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, theologian
1876 Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Indian/Pakistani lawyer, politician, founder of Pakistan
Gone on this day:
1977 Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, composer
