On this day: December 18

POSTED: 10:51 PM PST Dec 17, 2012    UPDATED: 11:00 PM PST Dec 17, 2012 

America celebrates its first official day of thanksgiving, "The Nutcracker" debuts, the first "Pink Panther" short premieres, the first nuclear power plant in America goes online, all on this day.

OTD December 18 - Operation Linebacker II
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U.S. Air Force

1972: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States was engaging North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of bombings that would last through Dec. 29, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on Dec. 13. The operation would turn out to be the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II.

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