Today is the 352nd day of 2012 and the 87th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1903, Orville Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight in a power-driven airplane.

In 1989, the first episode of "The Simpsons" aired.

In 1992, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed by the leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In 2010, street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest of government mistreatment in Tunisia, becoming a catalyst for Arab Spring protests in the region.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), poet; Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939), novelist; William Safire (1929-2009), columnist; Eugene Levy (1946- ), actor/comedian; Bill Pullman (1953- ), actor; Peter Farrelly (1956- ), director; Paula Radcliffe (1973- ), long-distance runner; Sarah Paulson (1974- ), actress; Manny Pacquiao (1978- ), boxer; Chase Utley (1978- ), baseball player.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1933, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 to win the first NFL Championship game.

TODAY'S FACT: An attempt to recreate the Wright brothers' inaugural flight on North Carolina's Outer Banks failed to take off in 2003, on the first flight's 100-year anniversary.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I think we all have a need to know what we do not need to know." -- William Safire

TODAY'S NUMBER: 27 -- Emmy Awards won by "The Simpsons" as of 2012.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Dec. 13) and first quarter moon (Dec. 20).

Today is the 351st day of 2012 and the 86th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1773, patriots in Massachusetts held the infamous "Boston Tea Party."

In 1835, a huge fire destroyed nearly 700 buildings in New York City.

In 2000, President George W. Bush selected Colin Powell as the first African-American secretary of state.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), composer; Jane Austen (1775-1817), novelist; Noel Coward (1899-1973), playwright; Margaret Mead (1901-1978), anthropologist; Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), writer; Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), writer; Lesley Stahl (1941- ), journalist; William "The Refrigerator" Perry (1962- ), football player; Benjamin Bratt (1963- ), actor; Krysten Ritter (1981- ), actress.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1973, O.J. Simpson, playing for the Buffalo Bills, became the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

TODAY'S FACT: Margaret Mead was named "Mother of the World" by Time magazine in 1969.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." -- Arthur C. Clarke

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1 -- opera written by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was called "Fidelio."

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Dec. 13) and first quarter moon (Dec. 20).

Today is the 350th day of 2012 and the 85th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1791, the Bill of Rights took effect after ratification by Virginia.

In 1939, the film "Gone With the Wind" premiered in Atlanta.

In 1961, Adolf Eichmann, considered the architect of the Nazis' "final solution," was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by an Israeli court.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter announced his intention to grant diplomatic recognition to Communist China, severing ties with Taiwan, on Jan. 1, 1979.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), engineer/architect; Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959), playwright; J. Paul Getty (1892-1976), oil tycoon/philanthropist; Tim Conway (1933- ), actor/comedian; Dave Clark (1942- ), musician; Don Johnson (1949- ), actor; Julie Taymor (1952- ), director; Adam Brody (1979- ), actor.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1982, Bill Parcells became the coach of the NFL's New York Giants.

TODAY'S FACT: "Gone With the Wind" author Margaret Mitchell died in 1949 at age 48 from injuries sustained when she was struck by a drunken driver on Peachtree Street in Atlanta.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The meek shall inherit the earth, but not its mineral rights." -- J. Paul Getty

TODAY'S NUMBER: 11 -- points on the maple leaf on the Canadian flag. The number holds no particular symbolism or significance.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Dec. 13) and first quarter moon (Dec. 20).