On this date in history…

(2015) Two gunmen connected to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a Yemeni-based militant group, stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people in retribution for the satirical magazine’s portrayals of the Prophet Muhammad; the attackers were later killed by police. (2003) By presidential decree, Christmas—this day on the Coptic Orthodox calendar—was celebrated for the first time as a national holiday in Egypt, an almost ntirely Muslim country. (1979) Vietnamese forces took control of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, ousting the Khmer Rouge and its leader, Pol Pot. (1968) Uncrewed U.S. space probe Surveyor 7 was launched and, a few days later, made a soft landing on the Moon. (1957) American broadcast journalist Katie Couric, who was the first solo female anchor of a major network (CBS) evening news program, was born. (1955) American contralto Marian Anderson first performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. (1844) St. Bernadette, the French girl whose visions of the Virgin Mary led to the founding of the shrine of Lourdes, was born in that town. (1800) Millard Fillmore, the 13th U.S. president, was born. (1610) During this month in 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo made the earthshaking discoveries that four moons revolve around Jupiter and that the telescope reveals many more stars than are visible to the naked eye.