TODAY IN HISTORY

The James Webb Space Telescope—designed and built by U.S., Canadian, and European space agencies as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope—was launched into space. Compare photos taken by the Webb and Hubble telescopes

American singer and songwriter James Brown, known as “the Godfather of Soul,” died at the age of 73. Test your knowledge of music

Mikhail Gorbachev resigned the presidency of the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist at the end of the year. Why did the Soviet Union collapse?

Charlie Chaplin, a comedic actor and director who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in motion-picture history, died in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.

The film adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird premiered and became a classic, especially noted for Gregory Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch. Test your knowledge of To Kill a Mockingbird

As an important step in the U.S.S.R.'s efforts to build a nuclear weapon, the first Soviet chain reaction took place in Moscow using an experimental graphite-moderated natural uranium pile. The Soviets successfully tested their first nuclear device about two and a half years later.

Bing Crosby debuted Irving Berlin's “White Christmas” on The Kraft Music Hall radio program. Crosby later recorded the song for the film Holiday Inn (1942), and it won an Oscar, becoming one of the most popular songs in American history. Learn more about the people, places, and events that shaped the 1940s

Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, was born in Oxford, Massachusetts.

During the American Revolution, General George Washington crossed the Delaware River and surprised the British at Trenton, New Jersey. Read our timeline of the American Revolution

William I was crowned king of England, formally completing the Norman Conquest. How much do you know about the kings of England?

Charlemagne, king of the Franks, became the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Sort fact from fiction in our Charlemagne quiz