Bellefontaine

December 31, 1891 - Bellefontaine has the dubious distinction of having the oldest concrete street in the U.S., which is Court Street at the Logan County Courthouse. It was poured on this day. The town also has the shortest concrete street, McKinley Street, which is eight-feet long and was poured in front of the courthouse hitching posts. Happy New Years Bellefontaine!
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LeBron James

December 30, 1984 – LeBron James, nicknamed King James, is born in Akron. He is drafted out of high school to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers and will eventually sign a $90 million endorsement deal with Nike. His biggest achievement: a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic games.

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DAILY DOUBLE

DAILY DOUBLE December 29, 1876 – Only 87 of 159 passengers survive the Ashtabula train disaster when a bridge over Ashtabula creek collapses. Dozens die from the coal stove fire. Railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt dies within a week from the horror of it all.
December 29, 1925 - Paul B. "Pete" Dye is born in Urbana. He would help tend his father's 9-hole course and then go on to become the world's greatest designer of golf courses.
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DAILY DOUBLE

DAILY DOUBLE December 28, 1869 – William Finley Semple of Mount Vernon patents chewing gum and American high school girls have never been the same since. December 28, 1978 – Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes steps out onto the field and punches Clemson defensive lineman Charlie Bauman after the middle guard intercepts a pass and heads down the sideline near the Buckeye bench. Hayes is fired.
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World’s Largest Rocking Chair

Only a Buckeye would build a chair this big. What must be the World’s Largest Rocking Chair with a seat at 8-feet high beckons weary, Bunyanesque travelers at 1933 Hwy 45, Austinburg.
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Miami University

The campus at Miami University, known as the Cradle of Coaches and alma mater of Paul Brown, is quiet today with all the students home for the holiday break.
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Fascinating Ohio

December 25, 1995 – The long road from Steubenville to global icon ends on Christmas Day for Dino Crocetti, aka Dean Martin, a teenager who once worked in the steel forges of Youngstown. Dean moves to Cleveland then to New Jersey and fame as an actor/singer/comedian with pals like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. Nobody will ever again sing Let it Snow with the style of Dean Martin. Merry Christmas, Dino.
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