Thursday Headlines: Virginia City rents, Tech dino book, Senior stockings

Here's a quick look at our top stories for Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025:

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TOP HEADLINES:

Virginia City business owners say state lease increases could force historic operations to close

Bozeman businesses report persistent mail delivery issues

Montana DOT improves winter staffing but still needs rotating crews for Bozeman roads

Montana Tech publishes new dinosaur book featuring renowned paleontologist Jack Horner

Bozeman healthcare worker expands senior stocking drive to help homebound residents during holidays

THAT’S INTERESTING:

Highlights that happened on December 11 throughout history:

Events

• 220 — Emperor Xian of Han is forced to abdicate in favor of Cao Pi, marking the end of the Han dynasty and the start of the Three Kingdoms period in China.
• 1816 — Indiana is admitted to the United States as the 19th state.
• 1941 — In World War II, Germany and Italy declare war on the United States; the U.S. responds by declaring war on Germany and Italy.
• 1946 — The United Nations establishes UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund).
• 1985 — The Unabomber’s first fatal attack: a parcel bomb explodes in Sacramento, killing Hugh Scrutton.
• 2008 — Bernard L. Madoff is arrested in New York and later charged with running the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history.
• 2019 — Greta Thunberg is named Time magazine’s Person of the Year (youngest recipient to date).

Notable births

• 1803 — Hector Berlioz, French composer and conductor (known for Symphonie fantastique).
• 1882 — Fiorello H. La Guardia, three-term mayor of New York City.
• 1918 — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist and Nobel laureate.
• 1931 — Rita Moreno, Oscar- and EGOT-winning actress and singer.
• 1944 — Brenda Lee, singer known for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
• 1996 — Hailee Steinfeld, actress and singer.

Notable deaths

• 1964 — Sam Cooke, influential American singer-songwriter, shot and killed at a Los Angeles motel.
• 2021 — Anne Rice, bestselling author known for The Vampire Chronicles.

Quick notable facts

• December 11 has been the date for several major wartime actions and diplomatic moves (e.g., 1941 declarations).
• It’s also the anniversary of the founding of UNICEF, linking the date to a major long-term humanitarian institution.

Source: Events

• 220 — Last Han emperor abdicates; Cao Pi proclaims the state of Cao Wei, marking the end of the Han dynasty and start of the Three Kingdoms period. (Wikipedia summary / Chinese Text Project)
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Xian_of_Han
  https://ctext.org/datawiki.pl?if=en&res=66962
• 1816 — Indiana admitted to the United States as the 19th state. (Britannica)
  https://www.britannica.com/place/Indiana
• 1941 — Germany and Italy declare war on the United States (four days after Pearl Harbor); U.S. Congress responds with declarations of war. (U.S. House history / Britannica)
  https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/36390
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_declaration_of_war_against_the_United_States
• 1946 — United Nations General Assembly establishes UNICEF. (UN / UNICEF official page)
  https://www.un.org/en/ccoi/unicef-united-nations-childrens-fund
  https://www.unicef.org/documents/un-resolution-establishing-unicef
• 1985 — First fatal attack attributed to the Unabomber: parcel bomb kills Hugh Scrutton in Sacramento. (U.S. Department of Justice / LA Times)
  https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/1996/Jun96/283crm.htm
  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-25-mn-58748-story.html
• 2008 — Bernard L. Madoff arrested and charged in the massive Ponzi scheme. (History / U.S. DOJ / SDNY)
  https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/December-11/billionaire-conman-bernard-madoff-arrested
  https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/programs/victim-witness-services/united-states-v-bernard-l-madoff-and-related-cases
• 2019 — Greta Thunberg named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. (Time / History)
  https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2019-greta-thunberg/
  https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-11/climate-activist-greta-thunberg-named-time-person-of-the-year

Notable births

• 1803 — Hector Berlioz, French Romantic composer (born Dec. 11, 1803). (Britannica)
  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hector-Berlioz
• 1882 — Fiorello H. La Guardia, U.S. congressman and three-term mayor of New York City (born Dec. 11, 1882). (Wikipedia / biographical sources)
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiorello_La_Guardia
• 1918 — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist and Nobel laureate (born Dec. 11, 1918). (Nobel Prize / Britannica)
  https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1970/solzhenitsyn/biographical/
  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aleksandr-Solzhenitsyn
• 1931 — Rita Moreno, EGOT-winning actress and singer (born Dec. 11, 1931). (Britannica)
  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rita-Moreno
• 1944 — Brenda Lee, singer known for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (born Dec. 11, 1944). (New Georgia Encyclopedia)
  https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/brenda-lee-b-1944/
• 1996 — Hailee Steinfeld, actress and singer (born Dec. 11, 1996). (Wikipedia/IMDb)
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hailee_Steinfeld

Notable deaths

• 1964 — Sam Cooke, influential American singer-songwriter, shot and killed (Dec. 11, 1964). (NYTimes / History)
  https://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/12/archives/sam-cooke-slain-in-coast-motel-singing-star-shot-to-death-in-los.html
  https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-11/sam-cooke-dies-under-suspicious-circumstances-in-la
• 2021 — Anne Rice, bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles (died Dec. 11, 2021). (Britannica / CNN)
  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anne-Rice
  https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/12/entertainment/anne-rice-obit

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