ON THIS DAY

The French government established the very first pawn shop on this date in 1777.

On this date in 1884, roller skates with ball bearings were patented.

In 1941, China declared war against Italy, Germany and Japan.

On this date in 1979, the heaviest turkey on record weighed in at 77.25 pounds.

It's a day for "Desperate" birthdays: Felicity Huffman turns 47 and Jesse Metcalfe (the former gardener Gabrielle was sleeping with) turns 31.

Donny Osmond turns 52, and Golfer Tom Kite is shooting a 60 today.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Amy Adams and her fiance Darren Legallo are expecting their first child together.
• Billboard has named Daniel Powter as the "One-Hit Wonder of the Past Decade."
• CBS is canceling the soap opera "As the World Turns" after more than a half-century on the air. CBS says the final episode will air next September, in its 54th year.
• Madonna says she's considering another adoption.
• 2,881 shows later, Diane Sawyer is saying goodbye to "Good Morning, America" this Friday. She gets a week off before taking over for Charles Gibson on the ABC Evening News.
• Men, drink coffee. Lots of coffee. It appears that coffee lowers the risk of developing the deadliest form of prostate cancer, according to a large study from the Harvard Medical School.
• Apple has bought Lala, a streaming music company.
• At one time, he was Alex Keaton's little bowl-haired brother on "Family Ties." This week, 28-year-old Brian Bonsall is known by police as the guy being suspected of assault, using a wooden bar stool to allegedly hit a friend.
• Britney Spears is set to undergo a psychiatric evaluation in a bid to determine whether she is fit to regain control of her affairs. The singer's father, Jamie, was made conservator of her estate after the 2008 meltdown which saw her hospitalised on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
• Brooke White from "American Idol" is going to be one of the judges for the next found of Miss America at the end of January.
• Bryant Gumbel is battling lung cancer. The 61-year-old had a tumor removed last month.
• Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Jill McCormick.

A list of the most watched television episodes in the last decade has been released.

1. Friends (Airdate: May 6, 2004) Viewers: 52.5 million
2. Survivor: Borneo (Airdate: Aug. 23, 2000) Viewers: 51.7 million
3. Joe Millionaire (Airdate: Feb. 17, 2003) Viewers: 40 million
4. ER (Airdate: Feb. 17, 2000) Viewers: 39.4 million
5. American Idol (Airdate: Jan. 16, 2007) Viewers: 38.1 million
6. Grey's Anatomy post-Super Bowl (Airdate: Feb. 5, 2006) Viewers: 38 million
7. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Airdate: May 3, 2000) Viewers: 36 million
8. Frasier (Airdate: May 18, 2000) Viewers: 33.7 million
9. Everybody Loves Raymond (Airdate: May 16, 2005) Viewers: 32.9 million
10. Spin City (Airdate: May 24, 2000) Viewers: 32.8 million

Get this! Playboy magazine says according Psychology Today, 40% of women deliberately provoke jealousy in a partner to get a reading on the strength of their bond.

Sexual equality has hit a new milestone gals are now giving "mangagement" rings to their fiances. The trend is picking up steam, with jewelers introducing lines made of macho materials like cobalt, steel and tungsten. Women say what's good for the goose should be good for the gander. "Otherwise, you're the only one marked," notes Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, who gave her now hubby Tyler a ring after he popped the question. "If I can't be sneaky, neither can he." And Tyler was all for it, saying: "It makes sense for both parties to have an engagement ring." New etiquette calls for the man to wear it on the ring finger of his left hand until declaring: "I do," at which point he shifts it to the other hand to make room for his wedding band. "It's a new way for people to commemorate their relationships and show their love," says Brides.com's Elayne Fluker. "I'd say the man's engagement ring is definitely having its moment." (National Examiner)

A recent Entertainment Weekly online poll asked, "What's your favorite holiday TV special?"

• "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," 33%
• "A Charlie Brown Christmas," 28%
• "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," 23%
• "The Year Without a Santa Claus," 9%
• "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," 4%
• "Frosty the Snowman," 3%

As Santa makes his list this holiday season, he may want to consider paper or plastic as an option as 52.1% say they would rather receive a gift card or cash, according to a recent American Pulse Survey. Why? It seems consumers do not like gifts that were chosen for them (45.4%), while others (46.3%) say they hate to return gifts because it is a hassle. Want more?

• 69.4% say they would rather give than receive.
• 70.9% like it when employees wish them a "Merry Christmas" while shopping
• 92.6% feel malls, stores and parks should be allowed to display the Christian Nativity Scene during the Christmas season.
• 82.4% say gift cards are a smart gift alternative for people they don't know well
• 10.5% have "re-gifted" gift cards received, while 22.5% have "re-gifted" gifts received
• 22.7% like to exchange gifts for things they would rather have
• 13.5% have received gift cards that they've never redeemed
• 16.1% have received gift cards that they've only partially redeemed

7 years is the average age that we stopped believing in Santa Claus, according to Women's Health. How did Saint Nick get outed? We caught Mom and Dad with the presents.

Government officials in Malaysia have launched a campaign aimed at lowering divorce rates by telling couples to bathe together. Husbands are being urged to wear fresh pajamas and reduce body odor, while wives are encouraged to spritz on perfume and slip into lingerie. (Sun)