December 20, 1988 marks a sad day for 258 families. On this day, a Pan Am flight exploded over Scotland, at the hands of a Libyan bomber. Not only did this occur on December 20th, much more did as well, as explained by the This Day in History video. This video tells how on December 21, in 1970, Elvis Presley met President Nixon, and in 1991, eleven former Soviet Union states formed independent countries. For NBA lovers, December 21st is a very important date because James Naismith, in 1891, invented the game of basketball at Springfield College, where the first game was played. What many do not know however, is that Naismith also invented the football helmet, thus creating and revolutionizing two sports.
This Day In History: December 21
