Harriet Tubman escapes slavery, the capstone is set on the Washington Monument, the TV special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" debuts, and Roy Orbison passes away, all on this day.
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NFL
1996: Former National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle dies of brain cancer at the age of 70 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Rozelle, who was NFL commissioner from January 1960 to November 1989, is credited with making the league into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world.