Today's Highlight in History:
On December fifth, 1933, national Prohibition¹ came to an end as Utah犹他州 became the 36th state to ratify批准 the 21st Amendment³ to the Constitution, repealing⁴ the 18th Amendment.

On this date:
In 1776, the first scholastic学术的 fraternity互助会，兄弟会 in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In 1782, the first native US president, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook, New York.

In 1791, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.

In 1792, George Washington was re-elected president; John Adams was re-elected vice⁶ president.

In 1848, President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of '49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.

In 1901, movie producer Walt Disney was born in Chicago.

In 1932, German physicist⁷ Albert Einstein was granted a visa签证, making it possible for him to travel to the United States.

In 1955, the American Federation⁸ of Labor⁹ and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged¹⁰ to form the AFL-CIO under its first president, George Meany.

In 1978, the American space probe "Pioneer Venus One," orbiting Venus, began beaming back its first information and picture of the planet.

In 1979, feminist¹¹ Sonia Johnson was formally excommunicated开除教籍 by the Mormon Church because of her outspoken直言无讳的，坦率的 support for the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.

Ten years ago: East Germany's former leaders, including ousted¹³ Communist Party chief Erich Honecker, were placed under house arrest.

Five years ago: Jubilant Republicans chose Newt Gingrich to be the first GOP speaker of the House in four decades. President Clinton, on a whirlwind visit to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Budapest, Hungary, urged European leaders to "prevent future Bosnias."

One year ago: James P. Hoffa claimed the Teamsters presidency¹⁴ after challenger Tom Leedham conceded defeat愿赌服输，承认失败 in the union's presidential election. Former Senator Albert Gore¹⁵ Sr., father of the vice president, died at his home in Carthage, Tennessee; he was 90.