On this day...

1534 Quito, Ecuador founded by Spanish
1631 First predicted transit of Venus (Kepler) is observed
1732 First play in American colonies acted by professional players, New York City
1768 First edition of "Encyclopedia Brittanica" published (Scotland)
1790 Congress meets in Philadelphia, new temporary US capital
1825 President John Adams suggests establishment of a US observatory
1849 Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery in Maryland
1866 Chicago water supply tunnel 3,227 m into Lake Michigan completed
1870 Joseph H. Rainey, first black in the House of Representatives (SC)
1873 First international football game in US: Yale 2, Eton (England) 1
1875 44th Congress (1875-77) convenes
1876 First crematorium in US begins operation, Washington, Pennsylvania
1876 City of Anaheim incorporated for secnd time
1877 Washington Post publishes first edition
1884 Aluminum capstone set atop Washington Monument, Wash, DC
1907 Mine explosion kills 362 at Monongah WV
1917 1,600 die as 2 munitions ships collide at Halifax, Nova Scotia
1917 Finland declares independence from Russia (National Day)
1921 Irish Free State gains independence from Britain
1922 First constitution of Irish Free State comes into operation
1922 First electric power line commercial carrier in US, Utica, NY
1923 First presidential address broadcast on radio (President Calvin Coolidge)
1925 Record 73,000 pay to watch Chicago Bears beat NY Giants 19-7
1941 NYC Council agrees to build Idlewild (Kennedy) Airport in Queens
1955 NY psychologist Joyce Brothers won "$64,000 Question" on boxing
1956 Nelson Mandela & 156 others arrested for political activities in South Africa
1957 First US attempt to launch a satellite fails-Vanguard rocket blows up
1957 AFL-CIO votes to expel Teamsters (readmitted in October 1987)
1960 AL grants Gene Autry a franchise, LA Angels
1962 US abandons Skybolt ballistic missile program
1968 Baseball dismisses Commissioner William Eckert after 3 years
1969 300,000 attend the Altamont California rock concert feature Rolling Stones
1971 Lewis Franklin Powell confirmed as Supreme Court justice
1973 Gerald Ford sworn-in as first un-elected VP, succeeds Spiro T. Agnew
1973 NL votes to move San Diego Padres to Washington DC (doesn't happen)
1975 Sen. Robert Dole & Elizabeth Hanford marry
1977 South Africa grants Bophuthatswana independence
1981 Rob de Castella of Australia sets Marathon record at 2:08:18
1982 Sen. Ted & Joan Kennedy divorce
1985 UK joins US Star Wars project
1986 Vinny Testaverde of Miami wins the Heisman Trophy
1987 ThreeSatanist Missouri teenagers bludgeon comrade to death for "fun"
1988 Agnes Neil Williams purchases the Baltimore Orioles for $70 million
1988 Arafat meets prominent American Jews in Stockholm, Sweden
1988 Milwaukee Bucks win their 1,000th NBA game (second fastest)
1988 Nelson Mandela is transferred to Victor Vester Prison, Capetown
1990 NHL grants conditional membership to Tampa Bay Lightning
1992 Riots follow Hindu attack on Ayodha Mosque in India

Birthdays which occurred on December 6th:

1421 Henry VI, King of England (1422-61, 1470-71)
1732 Warren Hastings, England, first Governor-General of India (1773-84)
1822 John Eberhard, built first large-scale pencil factory in US
1833 John Singleton Mosby, US, lawyer (confederate)
1870 William S. Hart, actor, silent Westerns (Wild Bill Hickock, Tumbleweeds)
1886 Joyce Kilmer, US, poet (Trees)
1887 Lynn Fontanne, Broadway actress (Dulcy, Arms & the Man)
1892 Osbert Sitwell, London, poet/writer (Out of the Flame)
1893 Lou Little, college football hall of fame coach (elected 1960)
1896 George Trafton, NFL center (Chicago Bears)
1896 Ira Gershwin, lyricist ('S Wonderful, I Got Rhythm)
1898 Gunnar Myrdal, Sweden, sociologist/economist (Nobel 1974)
1898 Herman Shumlin, actor (Watch on the Rhine)
1906 Agnes Moorehead, Clinton Massachusetts, actress (Endora-Bewitched)
1913 Eleanor Holm, US, 100m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold-1932)
1920 Dave Brubeck, jazz pianist (Take 5)
1924 Wally Cox, Detroit, actor (Mr. Peepers, Hollywood Squares)
1925 Andy Robustelli, NFL defensive end (LA Rams, NY Giants)
1938 David Ossman, comedian (Firesign Theater)
1940 Steve Alaimo, Rochester NY, rocker (Mashed Potatoes)
1941 Helen Cornelius, Hannibal Missouri, country singer (Nashville on the Road)
1941 Richard Speck, mass murderer (killed 8 student nurses in 1966)
1943 Mike Smith, London, rocker/pianist (Dave Clark 5-Glad All Over)
1945 James Naughton, Middletown CT, actor (Trauma Center, Making the Grade)
1945 Larry Bowa, All Star second baseman (Phillies)
1948 Jonathan King, London, singer (Everyone's Gone to the Moon)
1952 Terence Knox, Richland Washington, actor (Peter-St Elsewhere)
1953 Kin Shriner, Indiana, actor (Scott-General Hospital, Rituals)
1953 Thomas Hulce, Plymouth MI, actor (Amadeus, Equus, Echo Park)
1954 Miles Chapin, New York, actor (French Postcards, Get Crazy, Funhouse)
1955 Steven Wright, comedian
1963 Janine Turner, Lincoln Nebraska, actress (Maggie-Northern Exposure)
1966 Joe Little, Austin TX, attorney
1967 Spanky Marcus, Hollywood, actor (Jimmy Joe-Mary Hartman)
1971 Ryan Wayne White, born with hemophilia, later to contract Aids from blood-clotting products.

Deaths which occurred on December 6th:

1889 Jefferson Davis, President of Confederate States of America (1861-5)
1959 Len Doyle, actor (Harrington-Mr. District Attorney), dies at 66
1984 Ruth Cummings, actress, dies at 90
1985 Burr Tillstrom, puppeteer (Kukla-Fran & Ollie), dies at 68
1988 Roy Orbison, US Rock singer, dies of a massive heart attack at 52
1989 Frances Beauvier, actress (Aunt Bee, Mayberry), dies at 86
1989 John Paine, actor (Miracle on 34th St), dies at 77
1989 Sammy Fain, composer, dies at 87