DECEMBER 21 -- 1988 News about Libyan terrorist attack on PanAm flight hits American newspapers;\ 1891 First basketball game played at Springfield College; 1941 Japan sink two American oil ships near San Francisco; 1968 Apollo 8 crew sees Santa Claus; 1997 Barry Sanders becomes NFL's 3rd best rusher; 1994 Tom Shales, Washington Post, cuts down Kathie Lee Gifford's Christmas special.