1931 (TUESDAY)
UNITED STATES: The National Broadcasting Company's (NBC's) experimental TV station W2XBS, begins experimental TV transmissions from their new transmitter atop the Empire State Building in New York City.
1934 (SATURDAY)
SAAR: International troops from the Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. arrive in the Saar pending an upcoming plebiscite to determine whether or not this region would revert to German control or remain under French control. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles ending World War I placed the Saar under the administration of the League of Nations and the coal mines were assigned to France.
1935 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Samuel Hoare is replaced by Anthony Eden as the British Foreign Secretary. Hoare is forced to resign after the infamous agreement he made with French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval becomes public knowledge. The Hoare-Laval Agreement, which would have granted Italy considerable territorial concessions in Ethiopia, and put the rump of Ethiopia under Italian hegemony, caused a public uproar against this apparent sell-out of the Ethiopians.
1936 (TUESDAY)
SWITZERLAND: The League of Nations Non-Intervention Committee agrees to study questions of volunteers and financial intervention relating to the Spanish Civil War.
1938 (THURSDAY)
JAPAN: The Government states that the extermination of the Kuomintang regime in China and a new order in East Asia are basic policy for adjusting relations between China and Japan stating, ". . . in order that their intentions may be thoroughly understood at home and abroad."
December 22nd, 1939 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The government states that it has seized 870,000 tons of goods destined for Germany since the war began.Minesweeping trawler HMS Dromio sunk in collision off Whitby.
NORWAY: Norway's Defence Minister, Christian Frederik Monson is replaced by Colonel Birger Ljundberg. (Greg Kelley)
FINLAND: The Finns caught the Russian 44th Motorised Division as it approached Suomussalmi to attempt the relief of the trapped 163rd Division.
The Finns blocked the road in front of and behind the Russians and used their 'motti' tactics using Suomi sub-machine guns, very effective weapons for close range forest work, then going in with grenades and knives.
ROMANIA: Bucharest: Romania signs a trade convention with Germany.
INDIA: Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow recognises the Muslim League. Jinnah celebrates by declaring today a "day of deliverance and thanksgiving" to be observed by all Muslims in gratitude for their release from the "tyranny, oppression and injustice" of Congress Raj in the provinces.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-61 damaged SS Gryfevale.
The USN destroyer USS Philip (DD-76) relieves the destroyer USS Twiggs (DD-127) of neutrality patrol duty trailing British Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Patella off the east coast of Florida. While en route to Fort Lauderdale, USS Twiggs observes the British light cruiser HMS Orion (85) off Port Everglades and anchors to keep an eye on the British warship as the latter prowls the coast.