Events

Pre-1600

• 395 Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope.

• 757 The poet Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city during the An Lushan Rebellion.

• 877 Louis the Stammerer (son of Charles the Bald) is crowned king of the West Frankish Kingdom at Compiègne.

• 1504 Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah writes his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law requirements for the forcibly converted Muslims in Spain.

1601–1900

• 1660 A woman (either Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall) appears on an English public stage for the first time, in the role of Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's play Othello.

• 1851 Conservative Santiago-based government troops defeat rebels at the Battle of Loncomilla, signaling the end of the 1851 Chilean Revolution.

• 1854 In his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived free of Original Sin.

• 1863 Between two and three thousand churchgoers die in the Church of the Company Fire, possibly the largest single building fire by number of victims in modern history.

• 1864 Pope Pius IX promulgates the encyclical Quanta cura and its appendix, the Syllabus of Errors, outlining the authority of the Catholic Church and condemning various liberal ideas.

1901–present

• 1907 King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne.

• 1912 Leaders of the German Empire hold an Imperial War Council to discuss the possibility that war might break out.

• 1914 World War I: A squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeats the Imperial German East Asia Squadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

• 1922 Two days after coming into existence, the Irish Free State executes four leaders of the Irish Republican Army: Dick Barrett, Joe McKelvey, Liam Mellows and Rory O'Connor.

• 1933 Anarchist insurrection breaks out in Zaragoza, Spain.

• 1941 World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. declares war on Japan.

• 1941 World War II: Japanese forces simultaneously invade Shanghai International Settlement, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. (See December 7 for the concurrent attack on Pearl Harbor in the Western Hemisphere.)

• 1943 World War II: The German 117th Jäger Division destroys the monastery of Mega Spilaio in Greece and executes 22 monks and visitors as part of reprisals that culminated a few days later with the Massacre of Kalavryta.

• 1953 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, which leads to an American program to supply equipment and information on nuclear power to schools, hospitals, and research institutions around the world.

• 1955 The Flag of Europe is adopted by Council of Europe.

• 1962 Workers at four New York City newspapers (this later increases to nine) go on strike for 114 days.

• 1963 Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707, is struck by lightning and crashes near Elkton, Maryland, killing all 81 people on board.

• 1966 The Greek ship sinks in a storm in the Aegean Sea, killing over 200.

• 1969 Olympic Airways Flight 954 strikes a mountain outside of Keratea, Greece, killing 90 people in the worst crash of a Douglas DC-6 in history.

• 1971 Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

• 1972 United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737, crashes after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 45. This is the first-ever loss of a Boeing 737.

• 1974 A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece.

• 1980 John Lennon is murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota in New York City.

• 1985 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia, is established.

• 1987 Cold War: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House.

• 1987 An Israeli army tank transporter kills four Palestinian refugees and injures seven others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the Israel–Gaza Strip border, which has been cited as one of the events which sparked the First Intifada.

• 1988 A United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashes into an apartment complex in Remscheid, Germany, killing five people and injuring 50 others.

• 1991 The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.

• 1998 Eighty-one people are killed by armed groups in Algeria.

• 2001 A raid conducted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) of Singapore foils a Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) plot to bomb foreign embassies in Singapore.

• 2004 The Cusco Declaration is signed in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.

• 2004 Columbus nightclub shooting: Nathan Gale opens fire at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, killing former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others before being shot dead by a police officer.

• 2009 Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 people and injure 448 others.

• 2010 With the second launch of the Falcon 9, and the first launch of the Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft.

• 2010 The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus at a distance of about .

• 2013 Riots break out in Singapore, after a fatal accident in Little India.

• 2013 Metallica performs a show in Antarctica, making them the first musical act to perform on all seven continents.

• 2019 First confirmed case of COVID-19 in China.

• 2024 Damascus falls to rebels after Syrian troops withdraw and president Bashar al-Assad leaves the country as his government collapses. Israel as a result invaded into the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

• 2025 Singapore, under the government's approval, published its now-declassified Albatross file, comprising information relating to the Proclamation of Singapore dating back six decades ago.

Births

Pre-1600

• 65 BC Horace, Roman poet (died 8 BC)

• 1021 Wang Anshi, Chinese economist and chancellor (died 1086)

• 1412 Astorre II Manfredi, Italian lord (died 1468)

• 1418 Queen Jeonghui, Queen consort of Korea (died 1483)

• 1424 Anselm Adornes, Belgian merchant, politician and diplomat (died 1483)

• 1538 Miklós Istvánffy, Hungarian politician (died 1615)

• 1542 Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise (died 1587)

• 1558 François de La Rochefoucauld, Catholic cardinal (died 1645)

1601–1900

• 1678 Antonio de Benavides, colonial governor of Florida (died 1762)

• 1678 Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole, English politician and diplomat, British Ambassador to France (died 1757)

• 1699 Maria Josepha of Austria, Queen Consort of Poland (died 1757)

• 1708 Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1765)

• 1724 Claude Balbastre, French organist and composer (died 1799)

• 1730 Jan Ingenhousz, Dutch physician, physiologist, and botanist (died 1799)

• 1731 František Xaver Dušek, Czech pianist and composer (died 1799)

• 1756 Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria (died 1801)

• 1765 Eli Whitney, American engineer, invented the cotton gin (died 1825)

• 1795 Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish astronomer and mathematician (died 1874)

• 1807 Friedrich Traugott Kützing, German pharmacist, botanist and phycologist (died 1893)

• 1813 August Belmont, Prussian-American financier and diplomat, 16th United States Ambassador to the Netherlands (died 1890)

• 1815 Adolph Menzel, German painter and illustrator (died 1905)

• 1817 Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, Danish lawyer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Denmark (died 1896)

• 1818 Charles III, Prince of Monaco (died 1889)

• 1822 Jakov Ignjatović, Hungarian-Serbian author (died 1889)

• 1832 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Norwegian-French author and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1910)

• 1860 Amanda McKittrick Ros, Irish author and poet (died 1939)

• 1861 William C. Durant, American businessman, founded General Motors and Chevrolet (died 1947)

• 1861 Aristide Maillol, French sculptor and painter (died 1944)

• 1861 Georges Méliès, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1938)

• 1862 Georges Feydeau, French playwright (died 1921)

• 1863 Charles Lincoln Edwards, American zoologist (died 1937)

• 1864 Camille Claudel, French illustrator and sculptor (died 1943)

• 1864 Aleksander Meysztowicz, Polish politician and landowner (died 1943)

• 1865 Rüdiger von der Goltz, German general (died 1946)

• 1865 Jacques Hadamard, French mathematician and academic (died 1963)

• 1865 Jean Sibelius, Finnish violinist and composer (died 1957)

• 1874 Ernst Moro, Austrian physician and pediatrician (died 1951)

• 1875 Frederik Buch, Danish actor and screenwriter (died 1925)

• 1877 Paul Ladmirault, French pianist, violinist, and composer (died 1944)

• 1880 Johannes Aavik, Estonian linguist and philologist (died 1973)

• 1881 Tuomas Bryggari, Finnish politician (died 1964)

• 1881 Albert Gleizes, French painter (died 1953)

• 1884 Francis Balfour, English colonel and politician (died 1965)

• 1886 Diego Rivera, Mexican painter and educator (died 1957)

• 1887 Elizabeth Daryush, English poet (died 1977)

• 1890 Bohuslav Martinů, Czech-American pianist and composer (died 1959)

• 1892 Marcus Lee Hansen, American historian, author, and academic (died 1938)

• 1894 E. C. Segar, American cartoonist, created Popeye (died 1938)

• 1894 James Thurber, American humorist and cartoonist (died 1961)

• 1899 Arthur Leslie, English-Welsh actor and playwright (died 1970)

• 1899 John Qualen, Canadian-American actor (died 1987)

• 1900 Sun Li-jen, Chinese general and politician (died 1990)

• 1900 Ants Oras, Estonian-American author and academic (died 1982)

1901–present

• 1902 Wifredo Lam, Cuban-French painter (died 1982)

• 1903 Zelma Watson George, Black American opera singer (died 1994)

• 1908 Concha Piquer, Spanish singer and actress (died 1990)

• 1908 John A. Volpe, American soldier and politician, 61st Governor of Massachusetts (died 1994)

• 1911 Lee J. Cobb, American actor (died 1976)

• 1911 Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and songwriter (died 1992)

• 1913 Delmore Schwartz, American poet and short story writer (died 1966)

• 1914 Floyd Tillman, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2003)

• 1914 Ernie Toshack, Australian cricketer (died 2003)

• 1915 Ernest Lehman, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2005)

• 1916 Richard Fleischer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2006)

• 1917 Ian Johnson, Australian cricketer and administrator (died 1998)

• 1919 Peter Tali Coleman, Samoan-American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of American Samoa (died 1997)

• 1919 Julia Bowman Robinson, American mathematician and theorist (died 1985)

• 1919 Kateryna Yushchenko, Ukrainian computer scientist and academic (died 2001)

• 1920 McDonald Bailey, Trinidadian-English sprinter and rugby player (died 2013)

• 1922 Lucian Freud, German-English painter and illustrator (died 2011)

• 1922 Jean Ritchie, American singer-songwriter (died 2015)

• 1923 Dewey Martin, American actor (died 2018)

• 1923 Rudolph Pariser, Chinese-American soldier and chemist (died 2021)

• 1924 Lionel Gilbert, Australian historian, author, and academic (died 2015)

• 1925 Sammy Davis Jr., American actor, singer, and dancer (died 1990)

• 1925 Nasir Kazmi, Pakistani Urdu poet (died 1972)

• 1925 Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish author and poet (died 2000)

• 1925 Jimmy Smith, American organist (died 2005)

• 1926 Ralph Puckett, American Army officer (died 2024)

• 1927 Niklas Luhmann, German thinker and social theorist (died 1998)

• 1927 Vladimir Shatalov, Kazakhstani general, pilot, and astronaut (died 2021)

• 1928 Bill Hewitt, Canadian journalist and sportscaster (died 1996)

• 1928 Ulric Neisser, German-American psychologist, neuroscientist, and academic (died 2012)

• 1929 Victor Nosach, chronicler of the history of workers and trade union of Russia (died 2011)

• 1930 Julian Critchley, English journalist and politician (died 2000)

• 1930 Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2014)

• 1931 Bob Arum, American boxing promoter, founded Top Rank

• 1932 Claus Luthe, German automotive designer (died 2008)

• 1933 Johnny Green, American basketball player (died 2023)

• 1933 Flip Wilson, American actor and comedian (died 1998)

• 1935 Dharmendra, Indian actor, producer, and politician (died 2025)

• 1935 Tatiana Zatulovskaya, Russian-Israeli chess player (died 2017)

• 1936 David Carradine, American actor, director, and producer (died 2009)

• 1936 Michael Hobson, American publisher (died 2020)

• 1936 Peter Parfitt, English cricketer

• 1936 Juan Ricardo Faccio, Uruguayan football player and manager (died 2024)

• 1937 James MacArthur, American actor (died 2010)

• 1937 Arne Næss Jr., German-Norwegian mountaineer and businessman (died 2004)

• 1939 Red Berenson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

• 1939 Jerry Butler, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2025)

• 1939 James Galway, Irish flute player

• 1939 Felipe Gozon, Filipino lawyer and businessman

• 1939 Dariush Mehrjui, Iranian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2023)

• 1939 Soko Richardson, American drummer (died 2004)

• 1940 Brant Alyea, American baseball player (died 2024)

• 1941 Ed Brinkman, American baseball player and coach (died 2008)

• 1941 Bob Brown, American football player (died 2023)

• 1941 Duke Cunningham, American commander and politician (died 2025)

• 1941 Bobby Elliott, English drummer

• 1941 Geoff Hurst, English footballer and manager

• 1942 Bob Love, American basketball player (died 2024)

• 1943 Larry Martin, American paleontologist and ornithologist (died 2013)

• 1943 Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter and poet (died 1971)

• 1943 James Tate, American poet (died 2015)

• 1943 Bodo Tümmler, German runner

• 1943 Mary Woronov, American actress, director, and screenwriter

• 1944 George Baker, Dutch singer-songwriter

• 1944 Bertie Higgins, American singer-songwriter

• 1944 Ted Irvine, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1944 Vince MacLean, Canadian educator and politician

• 1945 John Banville, Irish novelist and screenwriter

• 1945 Julie Heldman, American tennis player

• 1946 Chava Alberstein, Polish-Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1946 John Rubinstein, American actor, director, and composer

• 1947 Gregg Allman, American musician (died 2017)

• 1947 Gérard Blanc, French singer, guitarist, and actor (died 2009)

• 1947 Thomas Cech, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

• 1947 Kati-Claudia Fofonoff, Finnish author and poet (died 2011)

• 1947 Margaret Geller, American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic

• 1948 Luis Caffarelli, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic

• 1948 John Waters, English-Australian actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist

• 1949 Mary Gordon, American author, critic, and academic

• 1949 Nancy Meyers, American director, producer, and screenwriter

• 1949 Robert Sternberg, American psychologist and academic

• 1950 Rick Baker, American actor and makeup artist

• 1950 Tim Foli, American baseball player, coach, and manager

• 1950 Dan Hartman, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 1994)

• 1951 Bill Bryson, American essayist, travel and science writer

• 1951 Richard Desmond, English publisher and businessman, founded Northern & Shell

• 1951 Jan Eggum, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1952 Steve Atkinson, English-Hong Kong cricketer

• 1952 Khaw Boon Wan, Malayan-Singaporean politician, Singaporean Minister of Health

• 1953 Kim Basinger, American actress

• 1953 Norman Finkelstein, American author, academic, and activist

• 1953 Roy Firestone, American sportscaster and journalist

• 1953 Sam Kinison, American comedian (died 1992)

• 1953 Władysław Kozakiewicz, Lithuanian-Polish pole vaulter and coach

• 1953 Steve Yates, English footballer

• 1954 Harold Hongju Koh, American lawyer, academic, and politician

• 1954 Frits Pirard, Dutch cyclist

• 1955 Milenko Zablaćanski, Serbian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2008)

• 1956 Warren Cuccurullo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1956 Andrius Kubilius, Lithuanian academic and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Lithuania

• 1956 Slick, American wrestler and manager

• 1957 Mike Buchanan, British men's rights advocate

• 1957 James Cama, American martial artist and educator (died 2014)

• 1957 Phil Collen, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1958 Rob Byrnes, American author and blogger

• 1958 Rob Curling, Malayan-English journalist

• 1958 Arlette Sombo-Dibélé, Central African lawyer and politician

• 1958 Michel Ferté, French race car driver (died 2023)

• 1958 Bob Greene, American physiologist and author

• 1958 Mirosław Okoński, Polish footballer

• 1958 George Rogers, American football player

• 1959 Stephen Jefferies, South African cricketer and coach

• 1959 Mark Steyn, Canadian-American author and critic

• 1960 Aaron Allston, American game designer and author (died 2014)

• 1960 Lim Guan Eng, Malaysian accountant and politician

• 1961 Mark Bugden, Australian rugby league player

• 1961 Ann Coulter, American political commentator and author

• 1961 Conceição Lima, São Toméan poet

• 1961 Mikey Robins, Australian comedian and television host

• 1962 Steve Elkington, Australian-American golfer

• 1962 Marty Friedman, American-Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and television host

• 1962 Nikos Karageorgiou, Greek footballer and manager

• 1962 Berry van Aerle, Dutch footballer

• 1963 Greg Howe, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

• 1963 Toshiaki Kawada, Japanese wrestler

• 1963 Wendell Pierce, American actor

• 1963 Ricky Walford, Australian rugby league player

• 1964 James Blundell, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1964 Teri Hatcher, American actress

• 1964 Chigusa Nagayo, Japanese wrestler

• 1964 Óscar Ramírez, Costa Rican footballer and coach

• 1965 David Harewood, English actor

• 1965 Theo Maassen, Dutch actor, producer, and screenwriter

• 1965 Teresa Weatherspoon, American basketball player and coach

• 1966 Bushwick Bill, Jamaican-American rapper (died 2019)

• 1966 Les Ferdinand, English footballer and coach

• 1966 Matthew Labyorteaux, American actor

• 1966 Tyler Mane, Canadian wrestler and actor

• 1966 Sinéad O'Connor, Irish singer-songwriter (died 2023)

• 1967 Jeff George, American football player

• 1967 Andy Kapp, German curler

• 1967 Kotono Mitsuishi, Japanese voice actress and singer

• 1967 Darren Sheridan, English footballer and manager

• 1968 Michael Cole, American sportscaster and journalist

• 1968 Mike Mussina, American baseball player and coach

• 1968 Doriano Romboni, Italian motorcycle racer (died 2013)

• 1969 Kristin Lauter, American mathematician and cryptographer

• 1971 Abdullah Ercan, Turkish footballer and manager

• 1972 Indrek Allmann, Estonian architect

• 1972 Janae Kroc, American powerlifter

• 1972 Édson Ribeiro, Brazilian sprinter

• 1973 Corey Taylor, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor

• 1974 Cristian Castro, Mexican singer

• 1974 Nick Zinner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

• 1975 Kevin Harvick, American race car driver

• 1976 Brettina, Bahamian-American singer-songwriter and actress

• 1976 Reed Johnson, American baseball player

• 1976 Zoe Konstantopoulou, Greek lawyer and politician

• 1976 Dominic Monaghan, German-British actor

• 1977 Ryan Newman, American race car driver

• 1977 Aleksandra Olsza, Polish tennis player

• 1977 Anita Weyermann, Swiss runner and journalist

• 1978 John Oster, English-Welsh footballer

• 1978 Frédéric Piquionne, French footballer

• 1978 Anwar Siraj, Ethiopian footballer

• 1978 Ian Somerhalder, American actor

• 1978 Vernon Wells, American baseball player

• 1979 Daniel Fitzhenry, Australian rugby player

• 1979 Johan Forssell, Swedish lawyer and politician

• 1979 Raymond Lam, Chinese actor and singer

• 1979 Ingrid Michaelson, American singer-songwriter and pianist

• 1979 Christian Wilhelmsson, Swedish footballer

• 1980 Yuliya Krevsun, Ukrainian runner

• 1980 Brandt Snedeker, American golfer

• 1981 Philip Rivers, American football player

• 1982 Alfredo Aceves, Mexican baseball player

• 1982 Halil Altıntop, Turkish footballer

• 1982 Hamit Altıntop, Turkish footballer

• 1982 Chrisette Michele, American singer-songwriter

• 1982 Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-American rapper and actress

• 1982 Serena Ryder, Canadian singer-songwriter

• 1983 Neel Jani, Swiss race car driver

• 1984 Emma Green Tregaro, Swedish high jumper

• 1984 Greg Halford, English footballer

• 1984 Sam Hunt, American singer-songwriter

• 1985 Josh Donaldson, American baseball player

• 1985 Meagan Duhamel, Canadian figure skater

• 1985 Dwight Howard, American basketball player

• 1985 Oleksiy Pecherov, Ukrainian basketball player

• 1986 Enzo Amore, American wrestler and rapper

• 1986 Amir Khan, English boxer

• 1986 Sam Tagataese, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player

• 1986 Kate Voegele, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress

• 1989 Drew Doughty, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1989 Jen Ledger, English musician and singer

• 1989 Andrew Nicholson, Canadian basketball player

• 1989 Jesse Sene-Lefao, New Zealand rugby league player

• 1991 Philip Holm, Swedish ice hockey player

• 1992 Mattias Janmark, Swedish ice hockey player

• 1992 Yui Yokoyama, Japanese idol, model, and actress

• 1993 Janari Jõesaar, Estonian basketball player

• 1993 Cara Mund, American model, Miss America 2018

• 1993 Jordan Obita, English footballer

• 1993 AnnaSophia Robb, American actress

• 1994 Cyriel Dessers, Belgian-Nigerian footballer

• 1994 Conseslus Kipruto, Kenyan runner

• 1994 Raheem Sterling, English footballer

• 1995 Thatcher Demko, American ice hockey player

• 1996 Scott McTominay, Scottish footballer

• 1997 Hakeem Adeniji, American football player

• 1997 Sam Hauser, American basketball player

• 1998 Josh Dunne, American ice hockey player

• 1998 Owen Teague, American actor

• 1999 Reece James, English footballer

• 1999 Tyrus Wheat, American football player

• 2000 DeMario Douglas, American football player

• 2000 Bayron Matos, Dominican American football player

• 2000 Andy Pages, Cuban baseball player

• 2001 Josh Christopher, American basketball player

• 2002 Sunghoon, South Korean singer

• 2004 Billie Starkz, American professional wrestler

• 2004 Momoe Mori, Japanese entertainer

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 855 Drogo of Metz, illegitimate son of Charlemagne (born 801)

• 899 Arnulf of Carinthia (born 850)

• 964 Zhou the Elder, Chinese queen consort

• 1186 Berthold IV, Duke of Zähringen (bornc 1125)

• 1292 John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury

• 1365 Nicholas II, Duke of Opava (born 1288)

• 1431 Hedwig Jagiellon, Polish and Lithuanian princess (born 1408)

• 1550 Gian Giorgio Trissino, Italian humanist, poet, dramatist and diplomat (born 1478)

• 1596 Luis de Carvajal the Younger, Marrano writer and martyr (born 1566/1567)

1601–1900

• 1626 John Davies, English poet, lawyer, and politician (born 1569)

• 1632 Philippe van Lansberge, Dutch astronomer and mathematician (born 1561)

• 1638 Ivan Gundulić, Croatian poet (born 1589)

• 1643 John Pym, English politician (born 1583)

• 1649 Noël Chabanel, French missionary and saint (born 1613)

• 1680 Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, English lawyer and politician (born 1606)

• 1691 Richard Baxter, English minister, poet, and hymn-writer (born 1615)

• 1695 Barthélemy d'Herbelot, French orientalist and academic (born 1625)

• 1709 Thomas Corneille, French playwright and philologist (born 1625)

• 1722 Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (born 1652)

• 1734 James Figg, English prizefighter

• 1744 Marie Anne de Mailly, French mistress of Louis XV (born 1717)

• 1745 Étienne Fourmont, French orientalist and academic (born 1683)

• 1746 Charles Radclyffe, English courtier and soldier (born 1693)

• 1756 William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, English politician and diplomat, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (born 1690)

• 1768 Jean Denis Attiret, French painter and missionary (born 1702)

• 1779 Nathan Alcock, English physician (born 1707)

• 1815 Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, Methodist preacher and philanthropist (born 1739)

• 1830 Benjamin Constant, Swiss-French philosopher and author (born 1767)

• 1856 Theobald Mathew, Irish social reformer and temperance movement leader (born 1790)

• 1859 Thomas De Quincey, English journalist and author (born 1785)

• 1864 George Boole, English mathematician and philosopher (born 1815)

• 1869 Narcisa de Jesús, Ecuadorian saint (born 1832)

• 1885 William Henry Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1821)

• 1886 Isaac Lea, American conchologist, geologist, and publisher (born 1792)

• 1894 Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician and theorist (born 1821)

1901–present

• 1903 Herbert Spencer, English biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and philosopher (born 1820)

• 1907 King Oscar II of Sweden (born 1829)

• 1913 Camille Jenatzy, Belgian race car driver (born 1868)

• 1914 Melchior Anderegg, Swiss mountain guide (born 1828)

• 1914 Maximilian von Spee, Danish-German admiral (born 1861)

• 1917 Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (born 1836)

• 1918 Josip Stadler, Bosnian Catholic archbishop (born 1843)

• 1919 J. Alden Weir, American painter (born 1852)

• 1922 Dick Barrett, executed Irish Republican Army leader (born 1889)

• 1922 - Joe McKelvey, executed Irish Republican Army leader (born 1898)

• 1922 - LIam Mellows, executed Irish Republican Army leader (born 1892)

• 1922 - Rory O'Connor, executed Irish Republican Army leader, (born 1883)

• 1929 José Vicente Concha, Colombian politician and 8th President of Colombia (born 1867)

• 1932 Gertrude Jekyll, British horticulturist and writer (born 1843)

• 1937 Hans Molisch, Czech-Austrian botanist and academic (born 1856)

• 1938 Friedrich Glauser, Swiss author (born 1896)

• 1940 George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (born 1861)

• 1941 Izidor Kürschner, Hungarian football player and coach (born 1885)

• 1942 Albert Kahn, American architect, Fisher Building, Packard Automotive Plant, Ford River Rouge Complex (born 1869)

• 1946 – Tex O'Reilly, American mercenary (born 1880)

• 1952 Charles Lightoller, English sailor (born 1874)

• 1954 Claude Cahun, French artist, photographer, and writer (born 1894)

• 1954 Gladys George, American actress (born 1904)

• 1954 Joseph B. Keenan, American lawyer and politician (born 1888)

• 1958 Tris Speaker, American baseball player and manager (born 1888)

• 1963 Sarit Thanarat, Thai field marshal and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Thailand (born 1908)

• 1966 Ward Morehouse, American playwright, author, and critic (born 1899)

• 1970 Cahir Healy, Irish Anti-Partitionist politician (born 1877)

• 1971 Ernst Krenkel, Russian geographer and explorer (born 1903)

• 1971 Eleni Ourani, Greek poet and critic (born 1896)

• 1975 Gary Thain, New Zealand bass player (born 1948)

• 1978 Golda Meir, Ukrainian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Israel (born 1898)

• 1980 John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1940)

• 1982 Bram Behr, Surinamese journalist and politician (born 1951)

• 1982 André Kamperveen, Surinamese footballer and manager (born 1924)

• 1982 Marty Robbins, American singer-songwriter and race car driver (born 1925)

• 1982 Haim Laskov, Israel Defense Forces fifth Chief of Staff (born 1919)

• 1983 Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1904)

• 1983 Slim Pickens, American actor (born 1919)

• 1984 Luther Adler, American actor (born 1903)

• 1984 Robert Jay Mathews, American militant leader, founded The Order (born 1953)

• 1984 Razzle, English drummer (born 1960)

• 1984 Semih Sancar, Turkish general (born 1911)

• 1991 Buck Clayton, American trumpet player and composer (born 1911)

• 1992 William Shawn, American journalist (born 1917)

• 1993 Yevgeny Minayev, Russian weightlifter (born 1933)

• 1994 Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1927)

• 1996 Howard Rollins, American actor (born 1950)

• 1996 Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 47th Yokozuna (born 1938)

• 1997 Bob Bell, American clown and actor (born 1922)

• 1999 Péter Kuczka, Hungarian poet and author (born 1923)

• 2001 Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player and coach (born 1954)

• 2001 Betty Holberton, American computer scientist and programmer (born 1917)

• 2003 Rubén González, Cuban pianist (born 1919)

• 2003 Pekka Siitoin, Finnish neo-Nazi and Satanist (b. 1944)

• 2004 Dimebag Darrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1966)

• 2005 Rose Heilbron, British barrister and judge (born 1914)

• 2006 Martha Tilton, American singer (born 1915)

• 2006 José Uribe, Dominican baseball player (born 1959)

• 2007 Gerardo García Pimentel, Mexican journalist (born 1983)

• 2008 Oliver Postgate, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1925)

• 2008 Robert Prosky, American actor (born 1930)

• 2009 Luis Días, Dominican singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1952)

• 2012 Jerry Brown, American football player (born 1987)

• 2012 John Gowans, Scottish-English 16th General of The Salvation Army (born 1934)

• 2012 Johnny Lira, American boxer (born 1951)

• 2013 John Cornforth, Australian-English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917)

• 2013 Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and academic (born 1931)

• 2013 Richard S. Williamson, American lawyer and diplomat (born 1949)

• 2014 Tom Gosnell, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1951)

• 2014 Russ Kemmerer, American baseball player and coach (born 1930)

• 2014 Knut Nystedt, Norwegian organist and composer (born 1915)

• 2015 Mattiwilda Dobbs, American soprano and actress (born 1925)

• 2015 Alan Hodgkinson, English footballer and coach (born 1936)

• 2015 Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (born 1943)

• 2015 John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (born 1946)

• 2015 Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (born 1913)

• 2016 John Glenn, American astronaut and senator, first American to go into orbit (born 1921)

• 2018 David Weatherall, English physician, geneticist, and academic (born 1933)

• 2019 René Auberjonois, American actor (born 1940)

• 2019 Juice Wrld, American rapper, singer and songwriter (born 1998)

• 2019 Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer and actor (born 1933)

• 2021 Robbie Shakespeare, Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer (born 1953)

• 2023 Ryan O'Neal, American actor (born 1941)

• 2024 Jill Jacobson, American actress (born 1954)

• 2024 Clarke Reed, American businessman and politician (born 1928)

Holidays and observances

• Battle Day (Falkland Islands)

• Bodhi Day (Japan)

• CARICOM–Cuba Day (Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba)

Christian feast day:

• Budoc (Beuzec) of Dol

Clement of Ohrid (Julian Calendar), and its related observances:

• Student's Day (Bulgaria)

• Eucharius

Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances:

• Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican Communion), lesser commemoration

• Festa da Conceição da Praia, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean in Umbanda (Salvador, Bahia)

• Festival of Lights (Lyon)

• Mother's Day (Panama)

• Lady of Camarin Day (Guam)

  Patapios of Thebes

• Pope Eutychian

• Richard Baxter (US Episcopal Church)

• Romaric

• Theobald of Marly

• December 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Constitution Day (Romania)

• Constitution Day (Uzbekistan)

• Liberation Day (Syria)

• Day of Finnish Music (Finland)

• Earliest day on which National Tree Planting Day can fall, while December 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in December. (Malawi)

• Hari-Kuyō (Kansai region, Japan)

• National Youth Day (Albania)

• Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day (Ethiopia)

References

External links

• BBC: On This Day

• Historical Events on December 8