On this date in history:

On this date in history: (2019) President Donald Trump became the third U.S. president to be  impeached by the House of Representatives, which charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (2011) Czech playwright, poet, and political dissident Václav Havel—who served as president of Czechoslovakia (1989–92) and of the Czech Republic (1993–2003) and had been a prominent participant in the liberal reforms of 1968 (the Prague Spring)—died in Hrádeček, Czech Republic. (1866) The TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss‘s classic children’s book, aired for the first time and became a holiday staple. (1963) American actor Brad Pitt, known for his portrayal of unconventional characters, was born. (1946) American actor Brad Pitt, known for his portrayal of unconventional characters, was born. (1917) German General Erich Ludendorff ordered the consolidation of the country’s leading motion-picture studios to form UFA (Universum Film-Aktien Gesellschaft). (1892) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky‘s ballet The Nutcracker was first presented at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. (1886) American baseball player Ty Cobb, an excellent hitter and base runner, was born in Narrows, Georgia. (1865) By proclamation of the U.S. secretary of state, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, outlawing slavery, officially entered into force, having been ratified by the requisite states on December 6. (1787) New Jersey became the third state admitted to the United States when it ratified the U.S. Constitution.