proclaims the independence of Flanders. December 20 (N.S.) (December 7, O.S.) – The Cheka, a predecessor to the KGB, is established in Russia. December 23 (N.S.) (December 10, O.S.) – A local plebiscite supports transferring Narva and Ivangorod (Jaanilinn) from the Petrograd Governorate, to the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia. December 25 – Jesse Lynch Williams's Why Marry?, the first dramatic play to win a Pulitzer Prize, opens at the Astor Theatre, New York City. December 26 – United States President Woodrow Wilson uses the Federal Possession and Control Act to place most U.S. railroads under the United States Railroad Administration, hoping to transport troops and materials for the war effort more efficiently. December 30 – WWI: The Egyptian Expeditionary Force secures the victory at the Battle of Jerusalem, by successfully defending Jerusalem from numerous Yildirim Army Group counterattacks. Date unknown The first edition of the World Book Encyclopedia – simply known as The World Book – is published by the Hanson-Roach-Fowler Company, and is one of the first American encyclopedias to cover the major areas of knowledge to a mass audience. Women are permitted to stand in national elections in the Netherlands. The True Jesus Church is established in Beijing. Nakajima Aircraft Company, as predecessor of Subaru, a car manufacturing company in Japan, founded in Ota, Gunma Prefecture. Births January January 2 Vera Zorina, Norwegian dancer, actress (d. 2003) K. M. Mathew, Indian newspaper editor (d. 2010) January 3 Liu Zhonghua, Chinese military officer (d. 2018) D. J. Finney, British statistician (d. 2018) January 5 Adolfo Consolini, Italian discus thrower (d. 1969) Lucienne Day, British textile designer (d. 2010) Francis L. Kellogg, American diplomat, prominent socialite (d. 2006) Jane Wyman, American actress, philanthropist, and first wife of Ronald Reagan (d. 2007) January 6 – Koo Chen-fu, Nationalist Chinese negotiator (d. 2005) January 10 Saul Cherniack, Canadian politician, lawyer (d. 2018) Jerry Wexler, American record producer (d. 2008) January 12 – Jimmy Skinner, American hockey coach (d. 2007) January 15 – K. A. Thangavelu, Indian film actor, comedian (d. 1994) January 17 – M. G. Ramachandran, Tamil Nadu chief minister, actor (d. 1987) January 21 – Erling Persson, Swedish businessman, founder of H&M (d. 2002) January 24 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor (d. 2012) January 25 Ilya Prigogine, Russian-born physicist, chemist, and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (d. 2003) Jânio Quadros, 22nd President of Brazil (d. 1992) January 26