Some neat stuff that happened on my birthdate (from Wikipedia):

December 19

Events
1777 - American Revolutionary War: George Washington's Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
1941 - Hitler becomes Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the German Army
1997 - The film Titanic is released.

Births
1915 - Edith Piaf, French singer and actress
1980 - Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor

Deaths
1848 - Emily Bronte, British author