Today is Wednesday, Dec. 7, the 341st day of 2011. There are 24
days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 7,
1941, the Imperial Japanese navy launched a surprise attack on
the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as part of a plan
to preempt any American military response to Japan's planned
conquest of Southeast Asian territories; the raid, which claimed
some 2,400 American lives, prompted the United States to declare
war against Japan the next day. On this date: In 1787, Delaware
became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In 1796,
electors chose John Adams to be the second president of the
United States. In 1808, electors chose James Madison to be the
fourth president of the United States. In 1836, Martin Van Buren
was elected the eighth president of the United States. In 1909,
chemist Leo H. Baekeland received a U.S. patent for Bakelite,
the first synthetic plastic. In 1911, China abolished the
requirement that men wear their hair in a queue, or ponytail. In
1946, fire br