On This Day in History

The left-wing Japanese novelist Wataru Kaji disappeared, leading to a government inquiry in which CIA involvement was investigated; Kaji stated he was kidnapped and held against his will by intelligence officers, which the United States denied.

Korean War: After 42 days of fighting, the Battle of Triangle Hill ended as American and South Korean units abandoned their attempt to capture the "Iron Triangle".

Three of the four Mirabal sisters, who opposed the dictatorship of military strongman Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, were beaten and strangled to death.

After failing to instigate a military coup to restore the powers of the Emperor of Japan, author Yukio Mishima and a member of his militia committed ritual suicide.

Upon Suriname's independence from the Netherlands, Johan Ferrier (pictured) became its first president.

A group of Conservative members of Parliament wrote a letter outlining their opposition to the economic policy of Margaret Thatcher, leading to speculation over a split from the party.

Band Aid, a supergroup consisting of more than 30 leading British and Irish pop musicians, recorded the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

English-Irish boy band One Direction released their third studio album Midnight Memories which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling album of 2013.