1939 - Erzincan earthquake; Erzincan, Turkey is hit by an earthquake, killing 30,000.
1966 - Cave of Swallows: the largest known cave shaft in the world, is discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
1968 - Apollo 8; splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital manned mission to the Moon.
1978 - The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in the South Pole recorded temperatures of 7.5 °F (−13.6 °C), making it the highest temperature to ever be recorded in the South Pole.
2004 - Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
