Charles Darwin embarks on the HMS Beagle, "Howdy Doody" makes its TV debut, Apollo 8 splashes down after orbiting the Moon, and the Soviet Union occupies Afghanistan, all on this day.
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Volkan Yuksel/Wikimedia Commons
1947: The children's television program "Howdy Doody" makes its debut. The show, hosted by "Buffalo" Bob Smith, was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows.