[Amnorix]

December 13

1636. The Massachusetts Bay Colony forms three regiments to defend the colony against Pequot Indians. Thus, today is recognized as the founding of the US National Guard.

1769. Dartmouth College is founded.

1809. A doctor performs the first ovariotomy (removal of ovaries), cutting out a 22 pound tumor.

1862. The Battle of Fredericksburg, a crushing defeat of the Union by the Confederates.

1939. In the first major naval battle of WWII, the German pocket battleship Graf Spee engages with three British cruisers. The British ships got the worst of the exchange, as one might expect, but then shadowed the GErman commerce raider into the neutral port of Montevideo, in South America. The British planted false information that an overwhelming fleet was assembling almost immediately outside of the port, which entirely fooled the Germans into thinking they couldn't fight their way out of the harbor. Such a force was assembling, of course, but would take some time to get there. After communicating iwth Germany, the German commanded decided to scuttle his ship, reportedly infuritating Hitler, and then committed suicide on December 19.

2003. Former Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein is captured.