On This Day: December 18

8 verified moments happened on December 18. Here they are in the order they actually happened — the same kind of puzzle you solve in Whensly every day.

1. 1892🎄 Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker premieres at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.History · Source: Wikipedia; Britannica, The Nutcracker premiere (Dec 18 1892)
2. 1932 The Chicago Bears beat the Portsmouth Spartans in the NFL's first playoff game, played indoors at Chicago Stadium.Pro Football · Source: History.com, 'First NFL playoff game is played indoors' (Dec 18 1932)
3. 1949 Steve Van Buren rushes for nearly two hundred yards in driving rain as the Eagles shut out the Rams to repeat.Pro Football · Source: Wikipedia, '1949 NFL Championship Game'; Pro Football Hall of Fame (Dec 18 1949)
4. 1956🥇 Stanley Matthews of Blackpool receives the first Ballon d'Or, the 41-year-old winger beating Alfredo Di Stefano.Soccer · Source: Wikipedia, '1956 Ballon d'Or' (Dec 18 1956)
5. 1987⚔️ Square releases the first Final Fantasy on the Famicom in Japan, launching its landmark role-playing series.Technology · Source: Wikipedia, 'Final Fantasy (video game)' (Dec 18 1987)
6. 2009🌌 James Cameron's Avatar opens nationwide, its lush 3D world dethroning Titanic as the top-grossing film.Movies & TV · Source: Wikipedia, 'Avatar (2009 film)' US release (Dec 18 2009)
7. 2022 Lionel Messi leads Argentina past France in penalties after a 3-3 final to win the World CupSports · Source: Wikipedia: 2022 FIFA World Cup final (18 December 2022); ESPN match report
8. 2022👑 Lionel Messi finally lifts the World Cup as Argentina outlasts Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick and beats France on penalties.Soccer · Source: Wikipedia, '2022 FIFA World Cup final' (Dec 18 2022)