Today is Tuesday, Dec. 19, the 353rd day of 2006. There are 12 days left in the year. On this date in 1843, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, is first published in England.

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 19, the 353rd day of 2006. There are 12 days left in the year. On this date in 1843, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, is first published in England.
In 1777, Gen. George Washington leads his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pa., to camp for the winter. In 1813, British forces capture Fort Niagara during the War of 1812. In 1907, 239 workers die in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pa. In 1932, the British Broadcasting Corporation begins transmitting overseas with its Empire Service to Australia. In 1946, war breaks out in Indochina as troops under Ho Chi Minh launch widespread attacks against the French. In 1972, Apollo 17 splashes down in the Pacific, winding up the Apollo program of manned lunar landings. In 1974, Nelson A. Rockefeller is sworn in as the 41st vice president of the United States. In 1986, Lawrence E. Walsh is appointed independent counsel to investigate the Iran-Contra affair. In 1986, the Soviet Union announces it has freed dissident Andrei Sakharov from internal exile, and pardoned his wife, Yelena Bonner. In 1996, the television industry unveils a plan to rate programs using tags such as "TV-G," "TV-Y" and "TV-M."; the school board of Oakland, Calif., votes to recognize Black English, also known as "Ebonics," in a decision that sets off a firestorm of controversy (the board later modifies its stance); actor Marcello Mastroianni dies in Paris at age 72. In 1998, President Clinton is impeached by the Republican-controlled House for perjury and obstruction of justice (he is later acquitted by the Senate).
December 19, 1981: Warren Municipal Court Judge-elect William B. Jobe spent more than 42,000 to win his judicial seat, campaign reports show, making his race one of the most costly ever recorded for a local candidate.
December 19, 1966: Vandals disabled 35 of the Austintown School District's 42 buses, deflating tires and removing distributor caps. All schools remained open, though some students were late because of the shortage of buses.
Robert Flick, 18, a ticket seller at the Sky-Hi Drive-In Theater on McCartney Road, is beaten by a carload of six youths he caught trying to sneak into the theater through the exit. He was treated and released at South Side Hospital.
Ohio is expected to sell 270 million worth of liquor in 1966, producing a profit of between 73 million and 75 million for the state's general fund, where it is used for schools and mental hospitals.
December 19, 1956: Mahoning Medical Society members vote to raise their rates for office calls to 5, an increase of 1. House calls will increase from 5 to 7 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. , and to 10 at other times.
The Youngstown Post Office reaches the peak of its Christmas rush, with special delivery mail increasing five-fold and soaring over all previous records.
Common Pleas Judge Harold B. Doyle calls for peaceful picketing at WKBN Broadcasting Corp. and limits the number of pickets to six at the station on Sunset Blvd.
December 19, 1931: Negotiations are underway to merge Butler, Beadling & amp; Co. and Wick & amp; Co., Youngstown's two largest brokerage firms. Each firm has a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.
Miss Mary Cheesman of Youngstown, a teacher in the Middletown schools, is killed and two other teachers injured when their automobile skidded on wet payment near Xenia. The teachers were going to Bellaire for Christmas vacation.