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What happened in history on this day: December 8?
On December 8 in ...
- 644 - Omar I, second kalief of Islam, murdered.
- 899 - Arnulf of Carinthia, last emperor of Austria-France, dies.
- 1292 - John Peckham English archbishop of Canterbury, dies at age 62.
- 1326 - Daitokuji temple, Rinzai line, established in Kyoto by Daito Kokushi.
- 1508 - Birth of Gemma Frisius [Jemme Reinersz] Frisian geographer/astronomer.
- 1587 - Mary Queen of Scots (1560-1587), executed.
- 1596 - Luis de Carabajal first Jewish author in America, executed in México.
- 1626 - In Stockholm, Kristina is born to King Gustav Adolf and Maria Eleonora.
- 1643 - John Pym, English House of Commons member, dies at about age 59.
- 1644 - Kristina, daughter of the late Swedish King Gustav Adolf, is proclaimed of age on her 18th birthday, and becomes ruling Queen of Sweden.
- 1652 - Adriaan W "Joris" van Geel Flemish missionary, murdered at age 35.
- 1670 - A fleet of 36 ships and 1800 men sets sail under English captain Henry Morgan for a raid on Panama.
- 1672 - Death of Johann Christian Baron von Boyneburg in Mainz; diplomat of the archbishop-elector of Mainz, principal negotiator of the League of the Rhine (1658).
- 1704 - Birth of Anton de Haen medical expert (Ratio Medendi).
- 1708 - Birth of Francis I Holy Roman emperor (1745-1765).
- 1710 - Battle at Brihuega: English General Stanhope captured.
- 1715 - Birth of John Althuysen Frisian vicar/poet (Frisianche rymlery).
- 1722 - Elisabeth C "Liselotte" van Palts German/French duchess, dies at age 70.
- 1730 - Birth of John Ingen Housz Dutch/English personal physician of Maria Theresia.
- 1741 - Birth of Maximilian JLP Gardel French dancer/choreographer (Menuet Reine).
- 1751 - Jozef LD von Königsegg minister of Austrian Netherlands, dies at age 78.
- 1765 - Birth of Eli Whitney inventor (Cotton Gin).
- 1776 - George Washington's retreating army crosses Delaware River from New Jersey.
- 1777 - Captain Cook leaves Society Islands.
- 1792 - First cremation in US, Henry Laurens.
- 1812 - In Southern California, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurs, destroying the San Juan Capistrano Church and damaging several mission buildings. Forty people attending church services are killed.
- 1822 - Birth of Luther Prentice Bradley; US Brigadier-General (Union volunteers) (dies 1910).
- 1828 - Birth of Clinton Bowen Fisk; US Brevet Major General (US volunteers) (dies 1890).
- 1828 - Birth of Robert Bullock; Brigadier-General (Confederate Army) (dies 1905).
- 1831 - James Hoban, architect who designed the White House, dies.
- 1832 - Birth of Björnstjerne Björnson in Norway; novelist (Pa Guds Veje, Nobel Prize-1903).
- 1854 - Pope Pius IX proclaims Immaculate Conception, makes Mary free of Original Sin.
- 1861 - Birth of Aristide Maillol in France; painter/sculptor (Seated Woman).
- 1861 - Birth of Georges Méliès in Paris, France; magician, first to film a fictional story.
- 1861 - Birth of William Crapo Durant; founded General Motors.
- 1862 - Birth of Georges Feydeau; French playwright (La Dame de Chez Maxim's).
- 1862 - Hong Kong issues its first postage stamps, denominated 2,8,12,18,24,48,96 cents.
- 1863 - Jesuit Church of La Compana in Santiago, Chile, catches fire; 2,500 die in panic.
- 1863 - US President Abraham Lincoln announces plan for Reconstruction of South.
- 1864 - Pope Pius IX publishes encyclical Quanta cura ("Syllabus errorum").
- 1865 - Birth of Jacques Hadamard; French mathematician (Taylor series).
- 1865 - Birth of Jean Sibelius in Tavastehus, Finland; composer (Valse Triste, Finlandia).
- 1869 - 20th Roman Catholic ecumenical council, Vatican I, opens in Rome.
- 1874 - Jesse James gang takes a train at Muncie, Kansas.
- 1876 - Suriname begins compulsory education for 7-12 year-olds.
- 1879 - Birth of Paul Klee; Swiss/German painter/tutor (Bauhaus).
- 1880 - 5,000 armed Boers gather in Paardekraal, South Africa.
- 1881 - Birth of Padraic Colum; Irish poet/novelist (Collected Poems).
- 1881 - Vienna's Ring Theater destroyed by fire, kills between 640-850.
- 1882 - Birth of Manuel María Ponce in Fresnillo, México; composer (Estrellita).
- 1886 - American Federation of Labor (AFL) is formed by 26 craft unions; Samuel Gompers is elected first president.
- 1886 - Birth of Diego Rivera [Lenin of México] in México; painter/wife of Frida Kahlo.
- 1888 - Birth of Paul Cavanagh in Chislehurst, England; actor (Tarzan and his Mate).
- 1889 - Birth of W Hervey Allen; US writer/poet (Anthony Adverse).
- 1890 - Birth of Bohuslav Jan Martinu in Policka, Bohemia; composer (Hry o Marti).
- 1894 - Birth of James (Grover) Thurber in Columbus, Ohio, USA; humorist (Men, Women and Dogs).
- 1894 - Willem JF Nuyens, Dutch physician/Roman Catholic historian, dies at age 71.
- 1895 - Battle at Amba Alagi: Ethiopian emperor Menelik II drives Italian General Baratieri out.
- 1896 - Earnest Angel, German statistician (Law of Angel), dies at age 75.
- 1899 - Birth of John Qualen in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; character actor (Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers, The Odd Couple, Mister Ed, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Yancy Derringer).
- 1899 - Natal: British fall/burst out of beleagered Ladysmith.
- 1902 - Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior became Associate Justice on US Supreme Court.
- 1903 - Birth of Adele Simpson in New York City, New York, USA; fashion designer (Neiman-Marcus Award-1946).
- 1904 - Birth of Wilmer L Allison; tennis champion (US Open-1935).
- 1905 - Birth of Frank Faylen in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; character actor (Lost Weekend film, It's a Wonderful Life film, Herbert Gillis - Life and Loves of Dobie Gillis TV show, That Girl TV show).
- 1906 - Birth of Richard Llewellyn in Wales; novelist (How Green Was My Valley).
- 1907 - Birth of Frank Faylen in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; actor (Dobie Gillis).
- 1907 - Death of King Oskar II of Sweden (and Norway to 1905); Prince Gustav is proclaimed King Gustav V.
- 1908 - Birth of John Volpe; American politician (Governor-Massachusetts), US Secretary of Treasury (1969-73).
- 1911 - Birth of Leo Jacoby AKA Lee J. Cobb in New York City, New York, USA; character actor (The Virginian TV show, The Young Lawyers TV show, Death of a Salesman TV movie, 12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront).
- 1913 - Birth of Delmore Schwartz; US poet/short story writer/critic (Shenandoah).
- 1913 - Birth of Paul Félix; Flemish architect (Sun Song).
- 1914 - British and German fleets battle at Falkland Island.
- 1917 - Birth of Rufo I Wever; Aruban pianist/composer (Ca'i Organ).
- 1918 - Birth of Gérard Souzay in Angers, France; baritone (Le Nozze di Figaro).
- 1918 - Birth of Ian Johnson; cricket player (Australian Test captain between Hassett and Craig).
- 1920 - Birth of Emmanuel McDonald in Bailey, Trinidad; 100-metre runner (Olympics-bronze-1952).
- 1921 - Birth of Johnny Otis in California, USA; rhythm and blues talent scout (Cold Shot, Cuttin' Up).
- 1921 - Birth of Terence Morgan in London, England; actor (Adventures of Sir Francis Drake).
- 1921 - Eamon de Valera publicly repudiates Anglo-Irish Treaty.
- 1922 - Birth of George Fullerton; cricket player (South African keeper-batsman 1947-51).
- 1922 - Birth of John B (Jack) McKay; US test pilot (X-15).
- 1922 - Birth of Lucian Freud in Berlin, German; artist (Boy With a Rat).
- 1923 - German-US friendship treaty signed.
- 1923 - Labour/Liberals win British parliament.
- 1923 - Salary and price freeze in Germany.
- 1924 - Franz X Scharwenka, German pianist/composer ("Mataswintha"), dies at age 74.
- 1925 - Birth of James E "Jimmy" Smith; US jazz/organist ("Walk on the Wild Side").
- 1925 - Birth of Sammy Davis Junior in New York City, New York, USA; dancer, actor (Ocean's 11), singer ("Candy Man", "What Kind of Fool Am I", "Hey There", "Something's Gotta Give", "That Old Black Magic", "Mr. Wonderful", "Too Close for Comfort").
- 1927 - Birth of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shatalov in USSR; cosmonaut (Soyuz 4, 8, 10).
- 1929 - In Zvezvan, Yugoslavia, a falling meteorite kills one person in a bridal party.
- 1930 - Birth of John Morressy; American sci-fi author (Starbrat, Greymantle, Kingsbane).
- 1930 - Birth of Maximilian Schell in Austria; actor/director (The Odessa File, Julia, Wiseguy TV show, The Thorn Birds TV mini-series, Playhouse 90 TV show, Alcoa Theatre TV show).
- 1931 - Coaxial cable patented.
- 1931 - Carl Friedrich Goerdeler is appointed Reich Price Commissioner in Germany to enforce the deflationary policies of the Brüning government.
- 1932 - Birth of Michael Levin; actor (Ryan's Hope, All My Children, As The World Turns).
- 1933 - Death of King Faisal of Iraq; his son King Ghazi becomes head of state.
- 1933 - Birth of Clerow Wilson AKA Flip Wilson in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA; actor/comedian (Flip Wilson Show TV show (Emmy award), Laugh In TV show, Tonight Show TV show, Charlie and Company TV show, host - People Are Funny (1984)).
- 1936 - Anastasio Somoza elected President of Nicaragua.
- 1936 - Birth of David Carradine in Hollywood, California, USA; actor (Kung Fu, Mean Streets, Boxcar Bertha, Young Guns).
- 1936 - Birth of Peter Parfitt; cricket player (fine England batsman of the 1960s).
- 1936 - Birth of W S "Buster" Farrer; cricket player (South African Test batsman 1962-64).
- 1936 - NAACP files suit to equalize the salaries of black and white teachers.
- 1937 - Birth of James MacArthur in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Danny Williams - Hawaii Five-0).
- 1937 - Birth of Jan van Houwelingen; Dutch UnderSecretary of Defense (CDA).
- 1938 - LP Beria follows Nikolai Jezjov as head of Russian secret police.
- 1939 - Birth of James Galway in Belfast, Ireland; flutist (18k gold flute, Royal Philharmonic).
- 1939 - Birth of Jerry Butler in Sunflower, Mississippi, USA; rock vocalist ("Never Give You Up").
- 1940 - First NFL championship on national radio; Chicago Bears beat Washington Redskins 73-0.
- 1940 - Birth of Jenny Linden; English actress (Hedda, Dr Who and the Daleks).
- 1941 - (0800 hours) Japanese forces begin an assault on Hong Kong. Japanese aircraft attack the Kai Tak airport on Hong Kong, destroying or damaging all six Royal Air Force aircraft in the first few minutes.
- 1941 - Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, and China declare war on Japan.
- 1941 - Birth of Albert J Evenhuis; Dutch UnderSecretary of Economic (VVD).
- 1941 - Birth of Geoff Hurst; cricket player (Essex 1962, better known as soccer immortal).
- 1941 - Russian 16th army recaptures Krijukovo.
- 1941 - American President Franklin Roosevelt makes a speech in Congress, declaring December 7 "a date which will live in infamy". Congress declares war on Japan.
- 1941 - Japanese bombers and fighters attack Luzon in the Philippine Islands. They destroy many Curtiss P-40 fighters, B-17 bombers, and one of two operational radar stations.
- 1942 - 8th Heisman Trophy Award: Frank Sinkwich, Georgia (Half Back).
- 1942 - Birth of Bobby Elliot; rock drummer (The Hollies).
- 1942 - Birth of Hemant Kanitkar; cricket player (batted in two Tests India versus West Indies 1974).
- 1943 - Birth of James Douglas Morrison AKA Jim Morrison in Melbourne, Florida, USA; lead singer and lyricist (The Doors - "Light My Fire").
- 1943 - Birth of Mary Woronov in Brooklyn Heights, New York, USA; actress (Eating Raoul, Terror Vision).
- 1943 - Birth of Michael Unger; English editor-in-chief (Evening News, Manchester).
- 1944 - Birth of Neil Innes; musician (The Rutles).
- 1946 - Army rocket plane XS-1 makes first powered flight.
- 1946 - Birth of Graham Knight; rocker (Marmalade).
- 1946 - Birth of John Rubinstein in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor/composer (Family, The Boys from Brazil, Day Break, Crazy Like a Fox, Family).
- 1947 - Birth of Belinda Balaski in Inglewood, California, USA; actor (Cannonball, Proud Men, Howling).
- 1947 - Birth of Frans Leijnse; Dutch politician (PvdA second Chamber).
- 1947 - Birth of Gregg Allman in Nashville, Tennessee, USA; guitarist/vocalist (Allman Brothers Band).
- 1948 - 14th Heisman Trophy Award: Doak Walker, SMU (Half Back).
- 1948 - Jordan annexes Arabic Palestine.
- 1948 - Birth of Toots Hibbert; reggae singer (Toots and the Maytals).
- 1949 - Jule Styne's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes premieres at Ziegfeld Theater in New York City for 740 performances.
- 1950 - Birth of Dan Hartman in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA; singer ("Sometimes When We Touch").
- 1950 - Birth of Rick Baker in Binghamton, New York, USA; special effects makeup artist (The Exorcist).
- 1951 - American League alters its restrictions on night games, adopting National League's suspended game rule and lifting its ban on lights for Sunday games.
- 1952 - First TV acknowledgement of pregnancy (I Love Lucy).
- 1952 - Birth of Richie Morales; drummer (Spyro Gyra - "Morning Dance").
- 1952 - Birth of Sam Kinison in Yakima, Washington, USA; screaming comedian/actor (Back to School, Charlie Hoover).
- 1952 - French troops shoot on demonstrators at Casablanca, 50 die.
- 1952 - Isaak Ben-Zwi elected President of Israel.
- 1953 - 19th Heisman Trophy Award: John Lattner, Notre Dame (Half Back).
- 1953 - Birth of Kim Basinger in Athens, Georgia, USA; actress (9 1/2 Weeks, Batman, From Here to Eternity, Dog and Cat).
- 1953 - Birth of Roy Firestone; sportscaster (Life's Most Embarrassing Moments).
- 1954 - Gladys George, actress (Roaring Twenties), dies at age 50.
- 1955 - 21st Heisman Trophy Award: Howard Cassady, Ohio State (Half Back).
- 1955 - Birth of Ian Greig; cricket player (brother of Tony Two Tests for England 1982).
- 1955 - Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella wins his third Most Valuable Player Award.
- 1955 - Turkish government of Menderes forms.
- 1956 - Games of the XVI Olympiad close in Melbourne, Australia.
- 1956 - First test firing of the Vanguard satellite program, TV-0.
- 1956 - Birth of Warren Cuccurullo; rock guitarist (Missing Persons, Duran Duran).
- 1956 - Guy Mitchell's "Singing the Blues" single goes #1 for ten weeks.
- 1957 - Birth of Phil Collen; English rocker (Def Leppard - "Hysteria", "Rock of Ages").
- 1957 - Reginald Sheffield, actor (Second Chance), dies at age 55.
- 1958 - Birth of Billy Hufsey; actor (Christopher - Fame, Days of Our Lives).
- 1958 - Birth of Wayne Dickert in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA; slalom double canoe (Olympics-11th-1996).
- 1958 - Robert Henry Winborne Welch Junior begins the John Birch Society, named after US military intelligence officer John Morrison Birch, killed in North China in 1945 on spying mission. The Society is created in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, with a group of 11 conservative industrialists.
- 1959 - Birth of Marty Raybon in Sanford, Florida, USA; singer (Shenandoah - "Sunday in the South").
- 1959 - Birth of Paul Rutherford; vocalist (Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Relax").
- 1959 - Dom Mintoff demands independence for Malta.
- 1960 - Expansion Los Angeles Angels sign a four-year lease to use Dodger Stadium.
- 1961 - Larry Costello scores 32 consecutive points without a miss (NBA record).
- 1961 - South Africa versus New Zealand, Durban debuts for Eddie Barlow and Peter Pollock.
- 1961 - Wilt Chamberlain scores the second highest total in the NBA - 78.
- 1962 - 114-day newspaper strike begins in New York City, New York, USA.
- 1962 - Birth of Berry van Aerle; Dutch soccer star (PSV).
- 1962 - Birth of Stephen John Elkington in Inverell, Australia; PGA golfer (1990 Kmart).
- 1962 - Failed coup in Brunei.
- 1962 - Funeral for Queen Wilhelmina of Holland (New Kerk, Delft).
- 1963 - Three fuel tanks explode when jetliner is struck by lightning, crashing near Elkton Maryland; only case of lightning-caused crash, 81 die.
- 1963 - Mickey Wright/Dave Ragan Junior win LPGA Haig and Haig Scotch Mixed Golf.
- 1963 - Birth of Wendell Pierce; actor (The Wire, Brian Benben Show, Gregory Hines Show).
- 1964 - Birth of James Martinez in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1964 - Birth of Teri Hatcher in Sunnyvale, California, USA; actress (Desperate Housewives, Lois Lane - Lois and Clark).
- 1965 - Birth of Greg Truitt; NFL safety/linebacker (Cincinnati Bengals).
- 1965 - Birth of Teresa Weatherspoon; WNBA guard (New York Liberty).
- 1965 - Birth of Troy Sadowski; NFL tight end (Cincinnati Bengals).
- 1965 - Pope Paul VI signs second Vatican council.
- 1966 - A terrible New York Yankees trade: Roger Maris for Saint Louis Cardinals' Charlie Smith.
- 1966 - Birth of Douglas Allan Martin in Bluffton, Ohio, USA; PGA golfer (1995 Buick-second).
- 1966 - Birth of Joe Staysniak; NFL guard (Indianapolis Colts).
- 1966 - Birth of Matthew Laborteaux in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Albert - Little House on the Prairie).
- 1966 - Birth of Siñead O'Connor in Dublin, Ireland; singer ("Nothing Compares 2 U").
- 1966 - US and USSR sign treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons in outer space.
- 1966 - Birth of Bushwick Bill; rapper (The Geto Boys).
- 1967 - The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" album is released in United Kingdom.
- 1967 - Birth of Jeff George; NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders).
- 1967 - Birth of Ron George; linebacker (Minnesota Vikings).
- 1967 - Birth of Tony Mayberry; NFL center (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
- 1967 - NHL's California Seals change name to Oakland Seals.
- 1968 - Birth of Bill Johnson; defensive tackle (Saint Louis Rams).
- 1968 - Birth of Mike Mussina in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA; pitcher (Baltimore Orioles).
- 1969 - Birth of Antoon Kuil; soccer player (Veendam, SC Heerenveen).
- 1969 - Birth of Bobby Phillips; WLAF running back (Minnesota Vikings, Frankfurt Galaxy).
- 1969 - Birth of Darrin Shannon in Barrie, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Winnipeg Jets).
- 1969 - Birth of Lisa Marie Munzert in New Castle, Delaware, USA; Miss Delaware-America (1991).
- 1969 - Birth of Victor Green; NFL cornerback/safety (New York Jets).
- 1969 - Greek DC-6B crashes in storm at Athens, Greece; 93 killed.
- 1971 - Birth of Garvin Alston in Mount Vernon, New York, USA; pitcher (Colorado Rockies).
- 1971 - Birth of James Stewart, NFL running back (Minnesota Vikings).
- 1972 - George Collins, American politician (Representative-Illinois), dies at age 47, in airplane crash.
- 1972 - United Airlines airplane crashes at Chicago's Midway Airport killing 45.
- 1972 - Birth of Ryan Newell; rock musician (Sister Hazel).
- 1973 - 39th Heisman Trophy Award: John Cappelletti, Pennsylvania State (Running Back).
- 1973 - Birth of Mitch Jacoby; tight end (Saint Louis Rams).
- 1973 - Birth of Monty Montgomery; defensive back (Indianapolis Colts).
- 1974 - Birth of Paul Staight in Victoria, Australia; badminton player (Olympics-1996).
- 1974 - Greek monarchy rejected by referendum.
- 1974 - Irish Republican Socialist Party forms.
- 1974 - Sandra Post wins LPGA Colgate Far East Golf Open.
- 1974 - Soyuz 16 returns to Earth.
- 1976 - United Nations General Assembly re-elects Kurt Waldheim of Austria as Secretary-General.
- 1976 - In South Africa, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs, centered about 300 kilometers south of Johannesburg.
- 1976 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1976 - Birth of Dominic Monaghan; actor (Lost).
- 1977 - 43rd Heisman Trophy Award: Earl Campbell, Texas (Running Back).
- 1977 - Portugal's premier Soares resigns.
- 1978 - Death of Golda Mabovitch AKA Golda Meir AKA Golda Meyerson at age 80 in Jerusalem, Israel; Prime Minister of Israel (1969-74).
- 1978 - Birth of Kate Robinson in Peoria, Illinois; dance skater (and Peter Breen).
- 1978 - Commencement of the first day/night WSC cricket supertest at VFL Park.
- 1978 - Birth of Ian Somerhalder; American actor (Lost, Young Americans).
- 1980 - Death of John Lennon at age 40, shot dead outside his New York City home by Mark David Chapman; singer/songwriter/guitarist ("(Just Like) Starting Over", The Beatles, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988), Lifetime Achievement Grammy (1991)).
- 1980 - The Bravo network debuts on cable TV in the US.
- 1981 - The No. 21 Mine explosion in Whitwell, Tennessee kills 13.
- 1981 - Arthur Scargill became President-elect of the National Union of Mineworkers.
- 1981 - France performs nuclear test.
- 1981 - Walter "Shakey" Horton, harmonica stylist (Everybody's Fishin'), dies at age 64.
- 1982 - Suriname army leader Desi Bouterse murders 15 opponents, including Surendre Rambocus, Suriname army lieutenant; Leslie Rahman, Suriname journalist; Kenneth Goncalves, Deacon of Surinamese order of advocate; Jozef Slagveer, Suriname journalist; John Baboeram, Suriname lawyer; Harald Riedewald, Suriname attorney; Gerald Leckie, Suriname scholar; Cyrill Daal, Suriname worker's union leader; Bram Behr, Suriname revolutionary; André Kamperveen, Suriname minister; and Frank Wijngaarde, Suriname journalist.
- 1982 - Death of Marty Robbins at age 57 of heart failure; country singer ("A White Sport Coat").
- 1982 - Bertus de Harder, Dutch soccer star (Bordeaux), dies.
- 1982 - Clark Gilles fails in 7th New York Islanders' penalty shot.
- 1982 - Demanding an end to nuclear weapons, Norman Mayer holds the Washington Monument hostage; after ten hours, police kill him; he had no explosives.
- 1983 - 9th Space Shuttle Mission - Columbia 6 - lands at Edwards Air Force Base.
- 1983 - Richard Baker, Zen teacher, steps down from abbotship of San Francisco Zen Center.
- 1983 - Slim Pickins, American western actor (Blazing Saddles, The Wide Country, Nashville Palace, Filthy Rich, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Disneyland), dies after brain surgery at age 64 (born 1919).
- 1984 - 73rd Australian Men's Tennis: Mats Wilander beats K Curren (6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2).
- 1984 - Europe and 64 developing countries sign Lomé III treaty.
- 1984 - Death of Luther Adler at 81; actor/director (Dr Bernard Altman - The Psychiatrist, Playhouse 90 TV show, Hawaii 5-0 TV show, 77 Sunset Strip TV show, The Untouchables TV show).
- 1985 - 60th Australian Women's Tennis: M Navratilova beats C Evert (6-2, 4-6, 6-2).
- 1985 - Ken O'Brien's 96-yard touchdown pass (New York Jets record) to Wesley Walker.
- 1985 - Laurie Rinker/Larry Rinker win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic.
- 1986 - US House Democrats select majority leader Jim Wright as 48th speaker.
- 1986 - CBS airs the 100th episode of TV show Newhart.
- 1987 - Philadelphia Flyers' Ron Hextall becomes first goalie to actually score a goal.
- 1987 - US President President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles.
- 1987 - In Melbourne, Australia, 22-year-old Frank Vitkovic kills eight and injures another five in an Australia Post office building on Queen Street, before committing suicide by jumping from the 11th floor.
- 1987 - The first Palestinian uprising against Israel begins in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
- 1987 - A Peruvian Navy Fokker F27 crashes near Ventanilla, Peru, killing 43.
- 1988 - Death of Anne Seymour at age 79; actress (Misty, Chevy Mystery Show, Robert Montgomery Presents TV show, Studio One TV show, Follow Your Heart TV show, Empire TV show, Tim Conway Show TV show, Another World TV show, General Hospital TV show).
- 1988 - Death of Herbert "Tubo" Rhoad at age 44; US singer (Persuasions - "Good news").
- 1988 - New York Knicks set NBA record of eleven 3-pointers and sink Milwaukee Bucks, 113-109.
- 1989 - Great Britain performs nuclear test.
- 1990 - Galileo Earth-1 Flyby.
- 1990 - Cleveland Indians agree to a lease new ballpark in Gateway (Jacobs Field).
- 1990 - Martin Ritt, American director/actor (Norma Rae), dies at age 70.
- 1990 - CBS airs the last episode of the Wiseguy TV show.
- 1991 - Death of Buck Clayton AKA Wilbur Dorsey Clayton at age 80; jazz trumpeter (with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jazz At The Philharmonic), arranger (for Benny Goodman, Harry James, Count Basie).
- 1991 - Kris Tschetter/Billy Andrade win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic.
- 1991 - A referendum on the constitution of Romania is accepted as valid.
- 1991 - Leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine meet and sign an agreement ending the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve in Belarus.
- 1992 - Galileo's nearest approach to Jupiter (303 km).
- 1992 - William Shawn, US editor-in-chief (New Yorker, 1952-87), dies at age 85.
- 1992 - Barry Bonds signs the richest contract in major league history: US$43-million over the next six years with the San Francisco Giants.
- 1992 - The last blast is fired in the Falu Copper Mine in central Sweden. The mine operation is claimed to be the world's oldest industrial worksite, operating continuously for at least 1000 years. The site is now shutting down due to lack of workable ore.
- 1993 - Birth of Anna Sophia Robb; actress (Samantha: An American Girl Holiday).
- 1993 - 30 killed at religious rebellion in Algeria.
- 1993 - André Cerf, French actor/producer (Nana), dies at age 93.
- 1993 - Storm hits West Europe, 11 killed in England.
- 1994 - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Brazil composer (Girl From Ipanema), dies at age 67 (born 1927).
- 1994 - Fire in cinema in Karamay, China, 310 killed.
- 1994 - Jesús "Enrique" Líster, Spanish/Russian general (Civil War), dies at age 87.
- 1996 - Donna Andrews and Mike Hulbert win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic.
- 1996 - Death of Howard E Rollins Junior at age 46 of lymphoma; actor (In the Heat of the Night TV show, Wildside TV show, Ed Harding - Another World TV show, All My Children TV show, King TV show, Roots: The Next Generations TV show).
- 1997 - Death of Bob Bell at age 75; the first-ever Bozo the Clown at Chicago's WGN-TV.
- 1998 - Tadjena massacre in Algeria: 81 villagers are killed.
- 1999 - Circuit Court of Tennessee, Division 4, King Family vs. Jowers and Other Unknown Co-Conspirators: jury verdict that a conspiracy involving agencies of the US government was responsible for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.
- 2001 - Death of Betty Holberton, American programmer (ENIAC) (born 1917).
- 2002 - In Serbia, a general election fails to fill presidency due to insufficient voter turn-out.
- 2003 - Death of Rubén González, Cuban pianist (Buena Vista Social Club) (born 1919).
- 2004 - Nathan Gale shoots and kills guitarist Dimebag Darrell of DamagePlan onstage in Colombus, Ohio. Three others are also killed before a police officer shoots and kills Gale.
- 2004 - The biggest Chinese personal computer producer Lenovo announces its plan to purchase IBM's global personal computer business, which would make it the third largest world PC maker after Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
- 2005 - Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 overshoots the runway at Chicago Midway Airport, killing a 6-year-old boy and injuring 11 other people.
- 2005 - Hurricane Epsilon dies in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It becomes the longest-lived December hurricane on record and ties for second-place strongest December hurricane.
- 2005 - At Japanese trading company Mizuho Securities, a new employee mistakenly sells 610,000 shares for 1 yan each, instead of 1 share for 610,000 yen. It costs the company about 40 billion yen (US$340 million).
- 2006 - Death of Martha Tilton at age 91; singer (Benny Goodman's Orchestra, "I'll Walk Alone", "I Should Care", "How Are Things in Glocca Morra").
- 2007 - 2007 Africa - European Union Summit takes place as 27 European Union and 53 African Union leaders gather in Lisbon, Portugal, for their first joint summit in seven years, to discuss trade and economic ties. The British and Czech prime ministers boycott the event due to the presence of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
- 2008 - Greg Maddux announces his retirement from Major League Baseball after 23 seasons and 355 wins. Maddux pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and claimed four successive Cy Young Awards from 1992 as best pitcher in the National League.
- 2008 - In the USA, the Tribune Company files for bankruptcy.
- 2009 - A series of five car bombings kills at least 127 people and wounds 448 in the centre of Baghdad, Iraq.
- 2011 - Death of Sir Zelman Cowan, 19th Governor-General of Australia (born 1919).
- 2019 - A fire at a factory in Delhi, India, kills 43 people and injures at least 50 others.
- 2019 - Death of Carroll Spinney (born 1933); American puppeteer (Big Bird - Sesame Street TV show).
- 2019 - Death of Paul Volcker at age 92; American economist, chairman of the US Federal Reserve System (1979-1987).
- 2020 - The United Kingdom begins a mass inoculation campaign using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
- 2020 - Nepal and China officially agree on Mount Everest's actual height, which is 8,848.86m.
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