Today is Saturday, December 8th, the 342nd day of the year. There are 23 days until the end of the year.
On this day:
In 1886, the American Federation of Labor (A-F-L) was founded in Columbus, Ohio.
In 1931, coaxial cable was patented.
In 1941, Congress declared war on Japan one day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In 1962, nine New York City newspapers were shut down as workers of the International Typographical Union went on strike. The walkout lasted 114 days.
In 1963, 19-year-old Frank Sinatra, Jr. was kidnapped in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He was set free four days later.
In 1980, former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed by deranged fan Mark David Chapman outside Lennon's New York City apartment building. Howard Cosell announced the shooting during halftime of ABC's "Monday Night Football" game.
In 1982, Country Music Hall-of-Famer Marty Robbins died of a heart attack at the age of 57.
In 1983, Hall-of-Fame actor Slim Pickens died at the age of 64.
In 1995, after 30 years together, the Grateful Dead announced they would no longer be touring as a group. The announcement came four months after the death of Grateful Dead founder Jerry Garcia.
In 2004, Damageplan and Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbot was among four people killed when a gunman opened fire on a crowd at a Damageplan nightclub concert in Columbus, Ohio. Twenty-five-year-old Nathan Gale ran onto the stage and began shooting Abbott while the band was performing. Gale shot three others before an officer fatally shot him
In 2006, actor Wesley Snipes pled not guilty to charges he illegally claimed millions of dollars in tax refunds. An eight count indictment charged Snipes with conspiracy to defraud the IRS, failing to file tax returns, and presenting a fraudulent claim. Snipes was later convicted at trial and sentenced to three years in prison.
In 2015, The co-founder of The North Face clothing company, Doug Tompkins, died after a kayaking accident in Chile. Tompkins was one of six people pulled from a lake in the Patagonia region after their kayaks capsized. The 72-year-old suffered from severe hypothermia and later died at a hospital.