World War II Dec 9, 1940: Brits launch offensive against Italians in North Africa

On this day, two British divisions, half of them composed of Indian troops, attack seven Italian divisions in Egypt. Overwhelmed, the Italian position in Egypt collapsed. Italy had declared war on Great Britain in June. At that time, Italian General Rodolfo Graziani had almost 10 times the number of men in Libya than the British forces in Egypt under General Archibald Wavell, which were commissioned to protect the North African approaches to the Suez Canal. A vast western desert stretched between the antagonists, who sat for months without confrontation. In the meantime, Italian forces had passed into Egypt—but Britain had also reinforced its own numbers. British cryptographers were also able to break the Italian military code, enabling British commanders to anticipate Italian troop movements, size, and points of vulnerability. British command decided to make a first strike. On December 7, armored car patrols surreptitiously set out to determine gaps in the minefield the Italians had laid. On December 9, Major General Richard Nugent O'Connor from Mersa Matruh in Egypt launched a westward offensive. Thirty thousand Brits warred against 80,000 Italians—but the British brought with them 275 tanks against the Italians' 120. As O'Connor cut through a gap in the chain of forts the Italians had established, the British 7th Armored Division swept along the western coast to cut off any hope of an Italian retreat. Within three days, 40,000 Italian prisoners were taken. The end of the Italian occupation of North Africa had begun.(History.com 2014)(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brits-launch-offensive-against-italians-in-north-africa)

World War I Dec 9, 1917: Jerusalem surrenders to British troops

On the morning of this day in 1917, after Turkish troops move out of the region after only a single day s fighting, officials of the Holy City of Jerusalem offer the keys to the city to encroaching British troops. The British, led by General Edmund Allenby, who had arrived from the Western Front the previous June to take over the command in Egypt, entered the Holy City two days later under strict instructions from London on how not to appear disrespectful to the city, its people, or its traditions. Allenby entered Jerusalem on foot—in deliberate contrast to Kaiser Wilhelm s more flamboyant entrance on horseback in 1898—and no Allied flags were flown over the city, while Muslim troops from India were dispatched to guard the religious landmark the Dome of the Rock. In a proclamation declaring martial law that was read aloud to the city s people in English, French, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian and Greek, Allenby assured them that the occupying power would not inflict further harm on Jerusalem, its inhabitants, or its holy places. "Since your city is regarded with affection by the adherents of three of the great religions of mankind and its soil has been consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages of multitudes of devout people, I make it known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayerwill be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred." Church bells in Rome and London rang to celebrate the peaceful British arrival in Jerusalem. Allenby s success, after so much discouragement on the Western Front, elated and inspired Allied supporters everywhere.(history.com 2014) (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jerusalem-surrenders-to-british-troops)

Vietnam War Dec 9, 1971: Paris peace talks break down

For the first time since the Paris peace talks began in May 1968, both sides refuse to set another meeting date for continuation of the negotiations. The refusal to continue came during the 138th session of the peace talks. U.S. delegate William Porter angered the communist negotiators by asking for a postponement of the next scheduled session of the conference until December 30, to give Hanoi and the Viet Cong an opportunity to develop a "more constructive approach" at the talks. The U.S. side was displeased with the North Vietnamese, who repeatedly demanded that South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resign as a prerequisite for any meaningful discussions. Although both sides returned to the official talks in January 1972, the real negotiations were being conducted between Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho, the lead North Vietnamese negotiator, in a private villa outside Paris. These secret talks did not result in a peace agreement until January 1973, after the massive 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive had been blunted and Nixon had ordered the "Christmas bombing" of Hanoi and Haiphong to convince North Vietnam to rejoin the peace negotiations.(History.com 2014) (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paris-peace-talks-break-down)

Vietnam War Dec 9, 1965: Newspaper reports on bombing over North Vietnam

An article in the New York Times asserts that the U.S. bombing campaign has neither destabilized North Vietnam's economy nor appreciably reduced the flow of its forces into South Vietnam. These observations were strikingly similar to an earlier Defense Intelligence Agency analysis, which concluded that "the idea that destroying, or threatening to destroy, North Vietnam's industry would pressure Hanoi into calling it quits seems, in retrospect, a colossal misjudgement." The first air strikes against North Vietnam were flown in the fall of 1964, in retaliation for two attacks on American warships in the Gulf of Tonkin (although the second reported attack has never been verified). Additional strikes, carried out under the name Operation Flaming Dart, were ordered in February 1965 in response to Viet Cong attacks on a U.S. Army barracks at Pleiku and a nearby helicopter base, which resulted in the deaths of nine Americans. When the Viet Cong attacked other U.S. facilities in South Vietnam, President Johnson initiated Operation Rolling Thunder in March 1965, an intensified air campaign against North Vietnam. He hoped that this campaign would relieve some of the pressure on South Vietnam, where the situation was rapidly deteriorating. Unfortunately, the bombing campaign did not have the desired results and Johnson had to commit U.S. ground troops to stabilize the situation.(History.com 2014) (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/newspaper-reports-on-bombing-over-north-vietnam)

Dec 9, 1965: Reds trade Frank Robinson to Orioles

On this day in 1965, the Cincinnati Reds trade outfielder Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles, in exchange for the pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and the outfielder Dick Simpson. The trade is widely regarded as one of the worst in major league baseball history. In 1956, Robinson made his professional debut with the Reds, and was voted the National League Rookie of the Year. Of nine solid years with the team, his best was 1961, when Cincinnati won the National League pennant and Robinson won his first Most Valuable Player award. The Reds lost that World Series to the New York Yankees. After the 1965 season ended, General Manager Bill Dewitt made the decision to trade Robinson to the Orioles for Baltimore’s ace pitcher, Pappas, as well as Baldschun and Simpson. Responding to the outrage of many fans, Dewitt famously claimed that Robinson was "an old 30." Controversy over the decision clouded Pappas’ arrival in Cincinnati, and he ended up pitching for the Reds for just two-and-a-half seasons, leaving with a 30-9 record. Baldschun and Simpson both left after only two seasons, Baldschun with a 1-5 record and Simpson with batting averages of .238 and .259. In contrast, Robinson dazzled during his first season in Baltimore, winning the Triple Crown--most home runs (49), most runs batted in (122), and best batting average (.316)--and leading the Orioles to their first World Series win, an upset victory over Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Capturing the American League and World Series MVP that year, Robinson became the first player to win MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues. Robinson remained with the Orioles until 1971, winning another World Series in 1970--over the Reds. During his time in Baltimore, he became an outspoken advocate for African-American civil rights. After short-lived stints with the Dodgers and the California Angels, he landed in Cleveland in 1974. During his last seasons as a player, Robinson also managed the Indians, becoming the first African-American to manage a major league baseball team. He retired in 1976 with 586 career home runs, the fourth-highest total at that time. Robinson became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Baltimore Oriole in 1982. Both the Reds and the Orioles retired his number, 20. He managed the Indians and the San Francisco Giants before returning to Baltimore in 1988 to manage his old Orioles. He left after three seasons and worked for the MLB organization until in 2002 he was offered the chance to manage the Montreal Expos (later the Washington Nationals). By the time he left the Nationals at the end of the 2006 season, Robinson had compiled a 1,065-1,176 overall record as a manager.(History.com 2014) (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/reds-trade-frank-robinson-to-orioles)

Dec 9, 1967: Johnson discusses daughters

On this day in 1967, CBS broadcasts an interview with President Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, in which they spoke candidly about their daughters. The same day, their daughter Lynda Johnson was married at the White House. In the interview, recorded on December 8, Johnson, who was commonly thought of as a bold, tough-talking swaggering Texan, revealed his softer side and his tender feelings toward his wife and two daughters, Lynda and Luci. Calling his "three girls" the "great pluses" in his life, Johnson admitted that the White House would feel emptier now that both daughters would be married and gone. When asked if he had a "favorite" daughter, Johnson replied that he had never known any parents who had a "favorite" and that he loved each child equally, though he recognized their differences. While Lynda was ambitious, studious and intelligent, Luci was creative, "very gay and not concerned with being Phi Beta Kappa or leading the class or making the honor society," he said. He compared Luci to his mother who was "one of my very special favorites...she was creative, literary and [appreciated] nature." Lynda, he said, was more like his wife: conservative, prudent and business-oriented. "After all," he quipped, "Mrs. Johnson is the only one in our family that has ever met a payroll, you know." When asked for his assessment of his future son-in-law, Charles "Chuck" Robb, Johnson expressed admiration for the young man's deft handling of a press conference the week before regarding his and Lynda's impending marriage and said that he liked him "very much." Johnson was also asked how he felt about the fact that Robb, a Marine captain, would be heading off to the war in Vietnam soon after the wedding. Johnson stated that he was grateful and appreciative that any young man was willing to give his life to serve his country, but did not elaborate. The reporter then changed the subject. On the morning of December 9, Johnson gave away his daughter in a private ceremony held in the White House East Room. Chuck Robb served with distinction in the Vietnam War and returned home safely in 1972. He went on to serve as governor of Virginia (1982-1986) and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1989. In 2004, he chaired the Iraq Intelligence Commission appointed by President George Bush to investigate intelligence failures leading up to the war in Iraq. Lynda Johnson Robb is a contributing editor for Ladies Home Journal and advocates for children's literacy programs.(History.com 2014) (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnson-discusses-daughters)

Dec 9, 1835: The Texan Army captures San Antonio

Inspired by the spirited leadership of Benjamin Rush Milam, the newly created Texan Army takes possession of the city of San Antonio, an important victory for the Republic of Texas in its war for independence from Mexico. Milam was born in 1788 in Frankfort, Kentucky. He became a citizen and soldier of Mexico in 1824, when newly independent Mexico was still under a republican constitution. Like many Americans who immigrated to the Mexican state of Texas, Milam found that the government both welcomed and feared the growing numbers of Americans, and treated them with uneven fairness. When Milam heard in 1835 that Santa Ana had overthrown the Mexican republic and established himself as dictator, Milam renounced his Mexican citizenship and joined the rag-tag army of the newly proclaimed independent Republic of Texas. After helping the Texas Army capture the city of Goliad, Milam went on a reconnaissance mission to the southwest but returned to join the army for its planned attack on San Antonio-only to learn that the generals were postponing the attack on San Antonio for the winter. Aware that Santa Ana's forces were racing toward Texas to suppress the rebellion, Milam worried that any hesitation would spell the end of the revolution. Milam made an impassioned call for volunteers, asking: "Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?" Inspired by Milam's bold challenge, three hundred men did volunteer, and the Texas Army began its attack on San Antonio at dawn on December 5. By December 9, the defending forces of the Mexican army were badly beaten, and the commanding general surrendered the city. Milam, however, was not there to witness the results of his leadership--he was killed instantly by a sniper bullet on December 7. If Milam had survived, he might well have been among the doomed defenders of the Alamo that were wiped out by Santa Ana's troops the following March.(History.com 2014) (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-texan-army-captures-san-antonio)