This Day in History for December 22 — Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and More

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1807: At the urging of President Thomas Jefferson, Congress passes the Embargo Act, forbidding trade with all foreign countries (more info)

1941: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives in Washington, D.C., for a series of meetings with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on a unified Anglo-American war strategy (more info)

1984: Bernhard Goetz shoots four would-be muggers on a New York City subway, sparking a nationwide debate on vigilante justice (more info)

2001: Richard Reid tries to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes (more info)

2010: The repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the 17-year-old policy banning gays from serving openly in the United States military, is signed into law by President Barack Obama (more info)