December 19 Birthday
On December 19, 1843, A Christmas Carol was published in London. Dickens wrote it in six weeks, motivated partly by debt and partly by a visit to a ragged school for poor children. The book sold out by Christmas Eve. It popularized the phrase "Merry Christmas" and helped create the modern celebration of the holiday. The character of Scrooge gave English a new word for miser. Dickens gave public readings of the story for the rest of his life, always reducing audiences to tears. On December 19, 1998, the House of Representatives impeached President Clinton on two articles — perjury and obstruction of justice — arising from his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. The vote was largely along party lines. Clinton was acquitted by the Senate in February 1999. He is one of three presidents to be impeached (along with Andrew Johnson and Donald Trump) and the first to be impeached during a time of economic prosperity. People born on December 19 fall under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. The birthstone is Tanzanite and the birth flower is Holly. Historical events on December 19 include 1843: Charles Dickens publishes A Christmas Carol, 1998: Bill Clinton impeached by House of Representatives, 1972: Apollo 17 returns to Earth — last men to leave the Moon. Famous people born on December 19 include Edith Piaf (1915), Jennifer Beals (1963), Alyssa Milano (1972).