On Christmas Eve, 1923 President Calvin Coolidge was the first to hold a ceremony lighting the National Christmas tree which was decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green electric lights. There were musical groups that performed including a church choir, the U.S. Marine* Band, and an elaborate Nativity pageant. Every year since (except During World War II) the president has lit the tree or at least the top ornament. In 1954 the ceremony was expanded into the "Christmas Pageant of Peace." General Electric has been designing and donating the lighting since 1963, including LED lights starting in 2007. In 1974 the first living tree was planted, the third of which stood for 32 years.
There are several National Flood Insurance Program changes that went into effect Nov. 1, including the revision of the non-residential building occupancy category and required questionnaires for every new and renewed non-residential flood policy. Click here to review a list of pertinent changes published by Selective.
In 1981 French intelligence learned the Soviets were trying to obtain gas pipeline software to run the new massive natural gas pipeline they were building into Western Europe. The pipeline would provide desperately needed hard currency and could also be used as a wedge against NATO. The CIA slipped deliberate flaws into software which the Soviets were then duped into stealing from a Canadian company. The software worked perfectly in tests and was put into use. Suddenly pump speeds reset and valves opened or closed to build up massive pressure resulting in the "largest non-nuclear explosion ever seen from space" in 1982.
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