On December 29

Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed at Muan International Airport while attempting to perform a belly-landing after losing engine thrust to a flock of Baikal teal.

Turkish Airlines Flight 278 crashed on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board.

Planted by unknown perpetrators, a bomb exploded (aftermath pictured) at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and seriously injuring 74 others.

American physicist Richard Feynman gave a speech entitled "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" at Caltech, anticipating the field of nanotechnology.

Second World War: The Luftwaffe began a major night bombing raid on the British capital as part of the Blitz, beginning what was later called the "Second Great Fire of London".

The Northern Expedition, a military campaign by the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang, ended with the complete control of the Republic of China.

First World War: The French parliament passed a law granting the land occupied by British war graves as "the free gift of the French people".

Cecil B. DeMille started filming Hollywood's first feature film, The Squaw Man (featured).

Sioux Wars: The United States Army killed 250 to 300 Lakota men, women and children at the Wounded Knee Massacre, beginning the Ghost Dance War.

A railway bridge collapsed over the Ashtabula River in Ohio, killing 92 people and injuring 64 others on a Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway train.

To counter the French Navy's Gloire, the world's first ironclad warship, the Royal Navy launched HMS Warrior, the world's first iron-hulled armoured warship.

The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming the 28th state to be admitted to the Union.

War of 1812: In a three-hour single-ship action, HMS Java (drawing shown) was captured by USS Constitution off the coast of Brazil.