Today, December 23, in history includes President Truman grants amnesty, earthquake in Nicaragua and Voyager lands, according to history.com.

An amnesty board is appointed in 1946 by President Harry S. Truman. They were to review cases of jailed conscientious objectors imprisoned after refusing to serve during the second World War. Franklin Roosevelt, predecessor of Truman, offered civil service programs to draft dodgers of the first world war. Of the 25,000 men, 15,000 were imprisoned.

Out of the 15,000 in 1947, Truman granted 1,500 amnesty due to membership in religious sects of Quakers and Mennonites. The others lost voting rights and were prevented from holding a public office or obtaining certain jobs.

Managua, Nicaragua, is hit with a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in 1972. More than 10,000 people were killed and 250,000 were left homeless. Electricity, gas, water, sewer and telephone lines were destroyed. Fires throughout the city were the only source of light.

Eviction orders were ignored. Hospitals were destroyed. Costa Rica did provide some relief efforts. Roberto Clemente, future Baseball Hall of Famer, organized a private relief effort; however, the plane crashed killing him and four others. Weeks after the earthquake the city was bulldozed.

Managua has four parallel faults running underneath the city. Quakes with similar magnitude hit in 1885 and 1931.

In 1986, Voyager, piloted by Americans Jeana Yeager and Vietnam veteran pilot Dick Rutan, took flight around the globe at 8:02AM PST on December 14 and landed safely nine days later to the minute on one load of fuel.

Voyager had a wingspan of 111 feet and was built by Rutan's brother Burt. Voyager took off form Edward Air Force Base and headed west and ran into turbulence by two Pacific Ocean's tropical storms.

The flight was 25,012 miles. The engine went out over the coast of Baja California with 450 miles to go. Voyager dropped to 5,000 feet before it restarted. When they landed, five gallons of fuel were left.

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