On This Day in History

Korean War: UN forces began a retreat from North Korea following defeat at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River.

The United States Senate voted of 67 to 22 to approve a resolution condemning Senator Joseph McCarthy who continued to serve in the Senate until his death two and a half years later.

Cuban Revolution: The yacht Granma, carrying Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement, reached the shores of Cuba.

Returning from a fact-finding mission, U.S. senator Mike Mansfield became the first American official to comment adversely on the progress of the Vietnam War.

Benazir Bhutto (pictured) took office as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.

The Malayan Communist Party and the Malaysian government signed a peace accord to end a 21-year communist insurgency.

Less than two months after disclosing accounting violations, the Texas-based energy firm Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, evaporating nearly $11 billion in shareholder wealth.

In San Bernardino, California, a married couple carried out a mass shooting at a Christmas party before fleeing and dying in a shootout with police.

Thirty-six people died when a fire broke out at an illegally converted warehouse in Oakland, California, the deadliest U.S. building fire since 2003.