the Jambeli, an overcrowded ferryboat, sank on Christmas Eve in shark-infested waters off of the coast of Ecuador. Over 300 people were on the 160-person capacity boat when it capsized in the Gulf of Guayaquil off of the island of Puna; 142 people were rescued by other ships or were able to swim ashore. The Jambeli had departed Puerto Bolívar the night before en route to Guayaquil." Mohammad Mohammadullah became the acting president of Bangladesh upon the resignation of President Abu Sayeed Chowdhury. Mohammadullah would be elected president one month later and serve until January 25, 1975. Henck Arron became the Prime Minister of Suriname, at the time a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in advance of the South American nation's independence on November 25, 1975. An annular solar eclipse occurred over Central America and the northern nations of South America. Lasting 12 minutes and 2 seconds, it was shorter than the record 12 minute, 9 second eclipse of December 14, 1955, but still longer than any eclipse to occur before January 14, 3080. Born: Stephenie Meyer, American novelist known for the Twilight series of seven fantasy novels; in Hartford, Connecticut Matt Tebbutt, British chef and TV host; in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Died: Periyar (Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy), 94, Indian social activist and founder of the Dravidian movement Sergei Chakhotin, 90, Turkish-born Soviet Russian surgeon and organizational theorist December 25, 1973 (Tuesday) Meeting on Christmas Day in Kuwait, the Arab OPEC nations announced that they would end monthly production cuts to all but two world nations, with the flow of oil to be increased by 10% for Japan, as well as the UK, France, Belgium and other European nations. The embargo continued, however, against the United States and the Netherlands. Born: Eruani Azibapu Godbless, Nigerian physician, entrepreneur and billionaire; in Epibu, Bayelsa State Died: İsmet İnönü, 89, Turkish Army General, former Prime Minister and President of Turkey Gabriel Voisin, 93, French aviation pioneer Maurício Grabois, 61, Brazilian politician and co-founder of the Communist Party of Brazil, was shot and killed along with several other anti-government Araguaia guerrillas. December 26, 1973 (Wednesday) U.S. President Nixon became the only incumbent American president to fly on a commercial airliner, as he, wife Pat and daughter Tricia Nixon Cox boarded United Air Lines Flight 55 at Washington's Dulles International Airport and traveled across the country to the Los Angeles International Airport. During