Events

• 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic of John the Baptist.
• 1493 - Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle is published.
• 1783 - George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
• 1793 - The Battle of Savenay, decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in Revolt in the Vendée during the French Revolution.
• 1893 - The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck was first performed.
• 1913 - The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve.
• 1914 - World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt.
• 1916 - World War I: Battle of Magdhaba - Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.
• 1921 - Visva-Bharati University is inaugurated.
• 1936 - Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
• 1937 - First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber.
• 1938 - Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa.
• 1940 - World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (?-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
• 1941 - World War II: Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.
• 1947 - The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
• 1948 - Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo.
• 1954 - The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
• 1958 - Dedication of Tokyo Tower, world's highest self-supporting iron tower.
• 1968 - The United States won the release of 82 sailors by issuing a written apology to North Korea for spying on the Communist country.
• 1972 - The Nicaraguan capital of Managua is struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 10,000.
• 1972 - The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
• 1979 - Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.
• 1982 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.
• 1986 - Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world.
• 1990 - History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia.
• 2002 - A MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, making it the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat.
• 2003 - PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
• 2004 - Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean is hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake.
• 2005 - Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan crashes shortly after takeoff killing 23 people.
• 2005 - Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.

Births

• 245- Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra
• 1173 - Louis I, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1231)
• 1513 - Thomas Smith, English diplomat and scholar (d. 1577)
• 1537 - King John III of Sweden (d. 1592)
• 1582 - Severo Bonini, Italian composer (d. 1663)
• 1597 - Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)
• 1613 - Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish soldier (d. 1676)
• 1621 - Edmund Berry Godfrey, English magistrate (d. 1678)
• 1621 - Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682)
• 1689 - Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755)
• 1732 - Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)
• 1743 - Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian poet (d. 1803)
• 1750 - King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827)
• 1758 - Nathan Wilson U.S. Representative from New York
• 1777 - Tsar Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)
• 1790 - Jean François Champollion, French Egyptologist (d. 1832)
• 1804 - Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (d. 1869)
• 1805 - Joseph Smith, Jr., American religious leader (d. 1844)
• 1819 - Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889)
• 1822 - Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875)
• 1843 - Richard Conner, American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (d. 1924)
• 1854 - Henry B. Guppy, British botanist (d. 1926)
• 1864 - Zorka of Montenegro, Princess of Serbia (d. 1890)
• 1867 - Madam C.J. Walker, American philanthropist and tycoon (d. 1919)
• 1878 - Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (d. 1972)
• 1885 - Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964)
• 1891 - Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)
• 1900 - Otto Soglow, American comics artist (d. 1975)
• 1902 - Norman Maclean, American author (d. 1990)
• 1907 - Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean writer and poet (d. 2005)
• 1907 - Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942)
• 1908 - Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. 2002)
• 1910 - Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (d. 1961)
• 1911 - Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994)
• 1911 - James Gregory, American actor (d. 2002)
• 1916 - Dino Risi, Italian film director and screenwriter
• 1918 - Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
• 1918 - José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)
• 1918 - Kumar Pallana, Indian-born American actor
• 1919 - Kenneth M. Taylor, American pilot (d. 2006)
• 1921 - Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
• 1922 - Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician (d. 2001)
• 1923 - Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist
• 1923 - Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor
• 1923 - James Stockdale, American admiral (d. 2005)
• 1923 - Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver (d. 1954)
• 1925 - Duncan Hallas, prominent member of the Trotskyist movement in Great Britain.
• 1926 - Robert Bly, American poet
• 1928 - Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer
• 1929 - Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988)
• 1929 - Dick Weber, American professional tenpin bowler (d. 2005)
• 1931 - Ronnie Schell, American actor
• 1933 - Akihito, Emperor of Japan
• 1935 - Paul Hornung, American football player
• 1935 - Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)
• 1936 - Frederic Forrest, American actor
• 1937 - Edward Irving Wortis, American author
• 1937 - Barney Rosenzweig, American television producer
• 1938 - Bob Kahn, American Internet pioneer
• 1940 - Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
• 1940 - Robert Labine, French-Canadian politician
• 1940 - Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005)
• 1941 - Ron Bushy, American musician
• 1941 - Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)
• 1941 - Serge Reding, Belgian weightlifter (d. 1975)
• 1942 - John Peterman, American fashion designer
• 1943 - Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician
• 1943 - Harry Shearer, American actor
• 1943 - Ron Allen, American baseball player
• 1943 - Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987)
• 1943 - Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden
• 1944 - Wesley Clark, American military officer
• 1945 - Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly)
• 1946 - Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano
• 1946 - Susan Lucci, American actress
• 1948 - Jack Ham, American football player
• 1948 - Leslie Moonves, American television executive
• 1949 - Adrian Belew, American musician
• 1950 - Michael C. Burgess, American politician
• 1950 - Ilchi Lee, Korean educator and author
• 1951 - Anthony Phillips, British musician (Genesis)
• 1952 - William Kristol, American political commentator
• 1953 - Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
• 1956 - Michele Alboreto, Italian Formula one driver (d. 2001)
• 1957 - Dan Bigras, Canadian singer
• 1957 - Trisha Goddard, English television presenter
• 1958 - Victoria Williams, American singer
• 1958 - Joan Severance, American actress
• 1958 - Dave Murray, English musician (Iron Maiden)
• 1959 - Geoff Willis, British engineer
• 1961 - Carol Smillie, British television personality
• 1962 - Bertrand Gachot, Belgian racing driver
• 1962 - Kang Je-gyu, South Korean film director
• 1962 - Keiji Muto, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1963 - Jim Harbaugh, American football player
• 1963 - Donna Tartt, American author
• 1964 - Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)
• 1967 - Carla Bruni, Italian-French model and singer
• 1967 - Tim Fountain, British playwright
• 1968 - Quincy Jones III, Swedish-American musician
• 1969 - Greg Biffle, American racecar driver
• 1969 - Martha Byrne, American actress
• 1969 - Rob Pelinka, American sports agent
• 1970 - Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater
• 1970 - Raymont Harris, American football player
• 1971 - Corey Haim, Canadian actor
• 1971 - Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter
• 1971 - Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer
• 1971 - Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite
• 1971 - Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist
• 1974 - Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer
• 1975 - Sky Lopez, American actress
• 1975 - Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1976 - Brad Lidge, American baseball player
• 1976 - Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Greek footballer
• 1976 - Jamie Noble, American professional wrestler
• 1977 - Alge Crumpler, American football player
• 1977 - Jari Mäenpää, Finnish guitarist and singer
• 1977 - Paul Shirley, American basketball player
• 1978 - Andra Davis, American football player
• 1978 - Esthero, Canadian musician and singer
• 1978 - Jodie Marsh, British glamour model
• 1978 - Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1978 - Estella Warren, Canadian model and actress
• 1979 - Summer Altice, American model and actress
• 1979 - Scott Gomez, American ice hockey player
• 1979 - Holly Madison, American model
• 1979 - Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
• 1980 - Cody Ross, American baseball player
• 1981 - Beth, Spanish singer
• 1981 - Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuban boxer
• 1983 - Michael Chopra, English footballer
• 1983 - Hanley Ramírez, Dominican baseball player
• 1985 - Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly)
• 1985 - Luke O'Loughlin, Australian actor
• 1988 - Eri Kamei, Japanese singer
• 1990 - Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer

Deaths

• 679 - Dagobert II, King of Austrasia (b. c 650).(murdered)
• 910 - Naum of Preslav, Bulgarian scholar
• 913 - Conrad of Franconia
• 918 - Conrad I of Germany
• 1230 - Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
• 1556 - Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504)
• 1568 - Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England
• 1575 - Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531)
• 1588 - Henry I, Duke of Guise, French Catholic leader (b. 1550)
• 1631 - Michael Drayton, English poet (b. 1563)
• 1646 - François Maynard, French poet (b. 1582)
• 1652 - John Cotton, English-born founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. 1585)
• 1675 - Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)
• 1722 - Pierre Varignon, French mathematician (b. 1654)
• 1771 - Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)
• 1761 - Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish Jacobite spy
• 1779 - Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, British admiral and politician (b. 1724)
• 1789 - Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French philanthropist (b. 1712)
• 1793 - Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (b. 1699)
• 1793 - Antoine François Prévost, French author and novelist (b. 1697)
• 1795 - Henry Clinton, British general (b. 1730)
• 1805 - Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. 1723)
• 1834 - Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766)
• 1846 - Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)
• 1902 - Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1821)
• 1912 - Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (b. 1850)
• 1931 - Wilson Bentley, American scientist (b. 1865)
• 1939 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890)
• 1946 - John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873)
• 1948 - Akira Muto, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. 1883)
• 1948 - Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884)
• 1953 - Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899)
• 1954 - René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897)
• 1961 - Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (b. 1910)
• 1970 - Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)
• 1972 - Andrei Tupolev, Soviet aircraft designer (b. 1888)
• 1973 - Charles Atlas, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. 1892)
• 1973 - Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901)
• 1979 - Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
• 1982 - Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920)
• 1983 - Colin Middleton, Northern Irish artist (b. 1910)
• 1984 - Joan Lindsay, Australian author (b. 1896)
• 1992 - Vincent Fourcade, French American interior designer and socialite (b. 1934)
• 1992 - Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950)
• 1994 - Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905)
• 1997 - Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908)
• 1998 - Michelle Thomas, American actress (b. 1968)
• 2000 - Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)
• 2000 - Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)
• 2000 - Noor Jehan, Indian singer and actress (b. 1926)
• 2001 - Bola Ige, Nigerian politician (b. 1930)
• 2004 - P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)
• 2005 - Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1914)
• 2005 - Norman D. Vaughan, American polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905)
• 2006 - Charlie Drake, English comedian (b. 1925)
• 2006 - Timothy J. Tobias, American composer and musician (b. 1952)
• 2006 - Marilyn Waltz, American actress and Playboy Playmate (b. 1931)
• 2006 - Johnny Vincent, English footballer for Birmingham City and Middlesbrough (b. 1947)
• 2007 - William Francis Ganong, American physiologist (b. 1924)
• 2007 - Michael Kidd, American film and stage choreographer (b. 1915)
• 2007 - Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances

• Roman festivals - Larentalia, a festival in honour of Larenta
• R.C. Saints - O Emmanuel, John Cantius ; Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland
• Japan - The Emperor's Birthday - Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan
• Ancient Latvia - Ziemassv?tki held
• Sweden - Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day
• Oaxaca - Night of the Radishes
• Secular humanism (American) - HumanLight observed
• Saint Abassad, in the Coptic Church
• Saint Psote, in the Coptic Church
• Festivus, a holiday made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld.

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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