On December 19...

... 2003, in "a surprise announcement," Libya said it would "destroy its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction," and allow immediate and unconditional oversight by weapons inspectors. A few months later the country would report to the United Nations on its prior program, admitting that it had had "a 20-ton stockpile of deadly mustard gas, as well as large amounts of chemical agents used in the manufacture of sarin and other toxins." Libya's move led to restorations of diplomatic relations and summit conferences. The most recent was last week's controversy-ridden meeting between French President Nicholas Sarkozy with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi -- the latter's 1st visit to Paris in 34 years. LeMonde's recap: a week in "Calvary" for Sarkozy.
... 1848, at age 30, "as she stood with one hand on the mantlepiece of the living room in the Haworth parsonage" in Yorkshire, England, Emily Brontë died of tuberculosis just 1 year after publishing the romantic tragedy, Wuthering Heights. Still a classic, that novel has been translated into 30 languages. (The portrait of Emily Brontë at right is by her brother, Branwell Brontë.)