Today’s highlights

On Dec. 22, 1984, New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shot and wounded four young Black men on a Manhattan subway, alleging they were about to rob him. (Goetz was acquitted of attempted murder and assault charges but convicted on a weapons possession charge, ultimately serving eight months of a one-year sentence.)

On this date

1894: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial that triggered worldwide charges of antisemitism. (Dreyfus was eventually vindicated.)

1944: During the World War II Battle of the Bulge, U.S. Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe rejected a German demand for surrender, writing “Nuts!” in his official reply.

1990: Lech Walesa took the oath of office as Poland’s first popularly elected president.

2001: Richard C. Reid, a passenger on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, tried to ignite explosives in his shoes, but was subdued by flight attendants and fellow passengers. (Reid is serving a life sentence in federal prison.)

2010: President Barack Obama signed a law allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans to serve openly in the military for the first time in history, repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Today’s birthdays

Actor Hector Elizondo is 88. Baseball Hall of Famer Steve Carlton is 80. Broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer is 79. Golf Hall of Famer Jan Stephenson is 73. Rapper Luther “Luke” Campbell is 64. Actor Ralph Fiennes is 62. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is 54. Singer-actor Jordin Sparks is 35. Racing driver Josef Newgarden is 34. Rapper DaBaby is 33. Pop singer Meghan Trainor is 31