English writer John le Carré, who was best known for suspenseful, realistic spy novels, died at age 89. [Take our quiz about the life and works of English authors.]

A landmark climate change agreement was reached at a UN conference in Paris as 195 countries agreed to limit greenhouse gas emissions; the accord effectively replaced the Kyoto Protocol. [What’s the difference between global warming and climate change?]

With the victory of Democratic politician Annise Parker, Houston became the then largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor. [Discover 10 other Democrats who made history.]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a fair recount of ballots in Florida could not be performed by the deadline for certifying the state’s electors, effectively ending the 2000 U.S. presidential election and awarding the presidency to George W. Bush.

American author Joseph Heller—the author of Catch-22 (1961), one of the most significant works of protest literature to appear after World War II—died at age 76. [Test your knowledge of famous writers.]

Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta, had its world premiere; the film was a huge hit, as was the accompanying disco sound track by the Bee Gees.

Kenya became a republic on the first anniversary of its independence from Britain. [Learn more stories of African independence.]

Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek was seized by one of his own generals, Chang Hsüeh-liang, beginning the Xi’an Incident. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about China.]

Game show host Bob Barker, who was best known for hosting The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, was born in Darrington, Washington.

Singer Frank Sinatra, who also achieved wide success as a film actor, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. [How much do you know about Frank Sinatra?]

New Granada (now Colombia and Panama) signed the Bidlack Treaty with the United States, granting U.S. right-of-way across the Isthmus of Panama in exchange for a guarantee of neutrality for the isthmus and the sovereignty of New Granada.

Gustave Flaubert—a leading figure in the realist school of French literature who is best known for his masterpiece, Madame Bovary—was born. [Test your knowledge of famous authors and poets.]