{{Short description|354th day of the year}} {{pp-move}} {{pp-pc}} {{calendar}} {{This date in recent years}} {{Day}}
==Events== ===Pre-1600=== *AD 69 – Antonius Primus enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor for Nero's former general Vespasian.<ref>{{cite book |author=Alexander Fraser Tytler (lord Woodhouselee.) |title=Elements of general history. Ed. by B. Turner |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xYQBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA210 |year=1858 |page=210}}</ref> *944 – Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos is arrested by two of his sons, forced to abdicate and to live as a monk for the rest of his life.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Chronology of the Byzantine Empire |date=2006 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=Basingstoke [England] ; New York |isbn=978-1-4039-1774-4 |page=308}}</ref> *1046 – Emperor Henry III convenes the synod of Sutri to mediate between different claimants to the papacy.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Chronology of the Byzantine Empire |date=2006 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=Basingstoke [England] ; New York |isbn=978-1-4039-1774-4 |page=371}}</ref> *1192 – Richard I of England is captured and imprisoned by Leopold V of Austria on his way home to England after the Third Crusade.<ref>{{cite book |author=Chronicle Books |title=Chronicle of the Royal Family |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ivo9okUs30wC |date=1 March 1993 |publisher=Chronicle Communications |isbn=978-1-872031-20-0 |page=51}}</ref> *1334 – Cardinal Jacques Fournier, a Cistercian monk, is elected Pope Benedict XII.<ref>{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Partner |title=The Lands of St. Peter: The Papal State in the Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bZ6eJuZfTAEC&pg=PA327 |year=1972 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-02181-5 |pages=327}}</ref>
===1601–1900=== *1803 – The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=A |title=Making America, making American literature: Franklin to Cooper |publisher=Rodopi |location=Amsterdam Atlanta, GA |year=1996 |isbn=9789051839098 |page=347}}</ref> *1808 – Peninsular War: The Siege of Zaragoza begins. *1832 – HMS ''Clio'' under the command of Captain Onslow arrives at Port Egmont under orders to take possession of the Falkland Islands.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown |first=David |title=The Royal Navy and the Falklands War |publisher=L. Cooper |location=London |year=1987 |isbn=9780850520590 |page=28}}</ref> *1848 – French presidential election: Having won the popular vote in a landslide, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is inaugurated in the chamber of the National Assembly as the first (and only) president of the French Second Republic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=De Luna |first=Frederick A. |title=The French Republic Under Cavaignac, 1848. |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1969 |publication-place=Princeton, New Jersey |pages=365–395}}</ref> *1860 – South Carolina becomes the first state to attempt to secede from the United States with the South Carolina Declaration of Secession.<ref>{{cite book |first=Cole Blease |last=Graham |title=The South Carolina State Constitution: A Reference Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MMqpKirVOzMC&pg=PA16 |year=2007 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-29299-6 |page=16}}</ref>
===1901–present=== *1915 – World War I: The last Australian troops are evacuated from Gallipoli. *1917 – Cheka, the first Soviet secret police force, is founded. *1924 – Adolf Hitler is released from Landsberg Prison.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adolph Hitler Leaving Landsberg Prison |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/285709 |website=www.metmuseum.org |date=20 December 1924 |access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref> *1940 – ''Captain America Comics'' #1, containing the first appearance of the superhero Captain America, is published.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rizzo |first1=Marco |last2=Licari |first2=Fabio |title=Marvel's Captain America: The First 80 Years |date=2021 |publisher=Titan Publishing Group |page=20 |isbn=978-1787737174}}</ref> *1941 – World War II: First battle of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the "Flying Tigers", in Kunming, China. *1942 – World War II: Japanese air forces bomb Calcutta, India. *1946 – ''It's a Wonderful Life'' premieres at the Globe Theatre in New York to mixed reviews. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130119035038/http://www.eeweems.com/capra/_wonderful_life.html <nowiki>[1]</nowiki>] * 1946 – An earthquake in Nankaidō, Japan causes a tsunami which kills at least one thousand people and destroys 36,000 homes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Walker |first1=Brett L. |title=A Concise History of Japan |date=26 February 2015 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-00418-4 |page=292 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NGt2BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA292 |language=en}}</ref> *1948 – Indonesian National Revolution: The Dutch military captures Yogyakarta, the temporary capital of the newly formed Republic of Indonesia. *1951 – The EBR-1 in Arco, Idaho becomes the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity. The electricity powered four light bulbs. *1952 – A United States Air Force C-124 crashes and burns in Moses Lake, Washington, killing 87 of the 115 people on board.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_d49b70f6-4bc1-11e2-81ab-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Washington State C-124 Crash Remembered |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313221017/http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_d49b70f6-4bc1-11e2-81ab-001a4bcf887a.html |archive-date=2017-03-13}}</ref> *1955 – Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales, United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |author=David Williams |title=About Cardiff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dpfspxo6OBMC&pg=PA21 |year=2005 |publisher=Graffeg |isbn=978-0-9544334-2-0 |pages=21}}</ref> *1957 – The initial production version of the Boeing 707 makes its first flight. *1960 – Vietnam War: The National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, popularly known as the Viet Cong, is formally established in Tân Lập village, present day Tây Ninh province.<ref>{{cite book |first=Cheng Guan |last=Ang |title=The Vietnam War from the Other Side |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OgLBUXHikIC |year=2002 |publisher=RoutledgeCurzon |isbn=0-7007-1615-7 |page=55}}</ref> *1968 – The Zodiac Killer murders his first two officially confirmed victims, David Arthur Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, on Lake Herman Road in Benicia, California, United States.<ref>{{cite book |last=Graysmith |first=Robert |title=Zodiac |publisher=Berkley |year=1976 |page=1 |isbn=978-0-425-09808-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/zodiac00gray_0/page/14}}</ref> *1970 – Koza riot: After a series of hit-and-runs and other vehicular incidents involving American service personnel, roughly 5,000 Okinawans take to the streets, clashing with American law enforcement in protest against the U.S. occupation of Okinawa.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Inoue |first=Masamichi S. |title=Okinawa and the U.S. Military: Identity Making in the Age of Globalization |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0231138918 |location=New York City |page=53 |language=en}}</ref> *1973 – Assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco: A car bomb planted by ETA in Madrid kills three people, including the Prime Minister of Spain, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Luis R. Aizpeolea |title=The day ETA struck a lethal blow to the Franco regime |url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2013/12/18/inenglish/1387374599_382537.html |website=El País |date=18 December 2013}}</ref> *1977 – With the approval of the State Council, China's two largest newspapers, the ''People's Daily'' and the ''Guangming Daily'', publish in full for the first time the Second Chinese Character Simplification Scheme.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Zhao |first1=Shouhui |title=Planning Chinese Characters: Reaction, Evolution or Revolution? |last2=Baldauf |first2=Richard B. Jr. |publisher=Springer Publishing |year=2008 |isbn=9780387485768 |location=Dordrecht |page=62 |language=en}}</ref> *1984 – The Summit Tunnel fire, one of the largest transportation tunnel fires in history, burns after a freight train carrying over one million liters of gasoline derails near the town of Todmorden, England, in the Pennines. * 1984 – Disappearance of Jonelle Matthews from Greeley, Colorado. Her remains were discovered on July 23, 2019, located about {{convert|15|mi|abbr=on|order=flip}} southeast of Jonelle's home.<ref>{{cite web |title=Remains Found in Weld County Identified |publisher=Greeley Police Department |first=Detective Robert |last=Cash |date=July 25, 2019 |url=https://greeleypd.com/recovery-of-jonelle-matthews/ |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Remains of Jonelle Matthews dug up by work crew 34 years after she vanished, Greeley police say—Then 12-year-old disappeared after middle school Christmas concert |first=Kieran |last=Nicholson |publisher=The Denver Post |date=July 25, 2019 |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/25/jonelle-matthews-remains-found-greeley-police/ |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> The cause of death "was a gunshot wound to the head."<ref name="Pietsch">{{cite news |title=Man Charged With Murder in 1984 Killing of Colorado Girl Taken From Home |work=The New York Times |first=Bryan |last=Pietsch |date=October 13, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/us/steven-pankey-murder-kidnapping.html |access-date=24 October 2020}}</ref> *1985 – Pope John Paul II announces the creation of World Youth Day. *1987 – In the worst peacetime sea disaster, the passenger ferry ''Doña Paz'' sinks after colliding with the oil tanker MT ''Vector'' in the Tablas Strait of the Philippines, killing an estimated 4,000 people (1,749 official). *1988 – War on drugs: The United Nations agrees upon and promulgates the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, one of three major drug control treaties currently in force.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gilmore |first=William C. |date=1991 |title=The 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances |journal=Marine Policy |volume=15 |issue=3 |page=2 |via=Elsevier Science Direct}}</ref> *1989 – The United States invasion of Panama deposes Manuel Noriega. *1991 – A Missouri court sentences the Palestinian militant Zein Isa and his wife Maria to death for the honor killing of their daughter Palestina. * 1995 – American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757, crashes into a mountain 50 km north of Cali, Colombia, killing 159 of the 163 people on board.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 21, 1995 |title=American Airlines jet crashes in the Andes |work=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9512/colombia_crash/10am_update/index.html |access-date=May 6, 2009}}</ref> *1999 – Macau is handed over to China by Portugal. *2004 – A gang of thieves steal £26.5 million worth of currency from the Donegall Square West headquarters of Northern Bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, one of the largest bank robberies in British history. *2007 – Elizabeth II becomes the oldest monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years and 243 days.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Witchell |first1=Nicholas |title=The Queen: A constant amid gale-force changes |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34172529 |work=BBC News |access-date=27 April 2020 |date=8 September 2015}}</ref> * 2007 – The ''Portrait of Suzanne Bloch'' (1904), by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, and ''O Lavrador de Café'' by Brazilian modernist painter Cândido Portinari, are stolen from the São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil. Both will be recovered a few weeks later.<ref>{{cite news |author=MacSwan |first=Angus |date=2007-12-21 |title=Security questioned in Picasso theft in Brazil |url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071221/ten-uk-brazil-picasso-d3877cb_1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230164038/http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071221/ten-uk-brazil-picasso-d3877cb_1.html |archive-date=2007-12-30 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref> * 2016 – Aerosucre Flight 157 crashes during takeoff from Germán Olano Airport in Puerto Carreño, Colombia, killing five people.<ref name="AVherald">{{cite news |last=Hradecky |first=Simon |date=29 August 2018 |title=Crash: Aerosucre B722 at Puerto Carreno on Dec 20th 2016, overran runway on takeoff |url=http://avherald.com/h?article=4a25fb25&opt=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002170210/http://avherald.com/h?article=4a25fb25&opt=0 |archive-date=2 October 2018 |accessdate=27 October 2018 |work=The Aviation Herald}}</ref> *2019 – The United States Space Force becomes the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces since 1947.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/20/politics/trump-creates-space-force/index.html |title=With a signature, Trump brings Space Force into being |date=December 20, 2019 |first=Ryan |last=Browne |publisher=CNN}}</ref> *2022 – A Vega C rocket carrying two Pléiades Neo satellites fails after liftoff.<ref name="Clark 2022">{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Stephen |date=21 December 2022 |title=Two Pléiades Neo Earth-imaging satellites lost in failure of Europe's Vega C rocket |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/12/21/two-pleiades-neo-earth-imaging-satellites-lost-in-failure-of-europes-vega-c-rocket/ |access-date=21 December 2022 |work=Spaceflight Now}}</ref> *2024 – Six people are killed and over 200 are injured when an anti-Islam activist drives a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/world/europe/germany-christmas-market-crash.html |title=Driver Rams Christmas Market in Germany, Injuring Dozens |date=20 December 2024 |last=Schuetze |first=Christopher |work=The New York Times}}</ref> *2024 – A mass stabbing occurs in a primary school in Zagreb, Croatia, in which a 7-year-old pupil is killed and six more are injured by a knife-wielding 19-year-old male.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-20 |title=Zagreb: Child, 7, dies in stabbing at Croatian primary school |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6znexl7ljo| website=BBC News |language=en-gb}}</ref>
==Births== ===Pre-1600=== *1494 – Oronce Finé, French mathematician and cartographer (died 1555) *1496 – Joseph ha-Kohen, historian and physician (died 1575) *1537 – John III, king of Sweden (died 1592)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://runeberg.org/nfbl/0780.html |title=Nordisk familjebok |page=1432 |website=Project Runeberg |access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> *1576 – John Sarkander, Moravian priest and saint (died 1620)
===1601–1900=== *1626 – Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff, German scholar and politician (died 1692) *1629 – Pieter de Hooch, Dutch painter (died 1684)<ref>{{cite book |author=Haldane Macfall |title=A History of Painting: The Dutch genius |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-z5pK_TOJ4MC |year=1973 |publisher=Dana Estes and Co |page=178}}</ref> *1641 – Urban Hjärne, Swedish chemist, geologist, and physician (died 1724)<ref>{{cite book |title=Swedish Poets of the Seventeenth Century: Some Gleanings from the Swedish Parnassus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FzdDAAAAIAAJ |year=1932 |publisher=Parker printing Company |page=77}}</ref> *1740 – Arthur Lee, American physician and diplomat (died 1792) *1786 – Pietro Raimondi, Italian composer (died 1853) *1792 – Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, French painter and educator (died 1845) *1806 – Martín Carrera, Mexican general and president (1855) (died 1871)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://calderon.presidencia.gob.mx/mexico/gobernantes/mexico-1821-actualidad/martin-carrera/ |publisher=Presidencia de la Republica de Mexico |title=MARTÍN CARRERA |language=es |access-date=May 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528043200/http://calderon.presidencia.gob.mx/mexico/gobernantes/mexico-1821-actualidad/martin-carrera/ |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> *1812 – Laura M. Hawley Thurston, American poet and educator (died 1842)<ref name="Frisbee1926">{{cite book |last=Frisbee |first=Edward Selah |title=The Frisbee-Frisbie genealogy: Edward Frisbye of Branford, Connicticut, and his descendants, with appendix containing brief lineages of Fiskes, Haskells, Mabies and Parkes, and bibliography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_otMAAAAMAAJ |year=1926 |publisher=The Tuttle Company |page=188}}</ref> *1838 – Edwin Abbott Abbott, English theologian, author, and educator (died 1926) *1841 – Ferdinand Buisson, French academic and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1932) *1851 – Knut Wicksell, Swedish economist (died 1926)<ref>{{cite magazine |first1=Diana W. |last1=Thomas |title=Knut Wicksell: A Consistent Marginalist |date=Fall 2023 |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=203–211 |magazine=The Independent Review |issn=1086-1653 |url=https://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?id=1879 |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref> *1861 – Ferdinand Bonn, German actor (died 1933) * 1861 – Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter (died 1926) *1865 – Elsie de Wolfe, American actress and interior decorator (died 1950) *1868 – Harvey Samuel Firestone, American businessman, founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (died 1938)<ref>{{cite book |author=((Editors of Chase's)) |title=Chase's Calendar of Events 2020: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dKpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA605 |date=24 September 2019 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-64143-316-7 |pages=605}}</ref> *1869 – Charley Grapewin, American actor (died 1956)<ref>{{cite book |author=James Robert Parish |title=Hollywood Character Actors |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P3JZAAAAMAAJ |year=1978 |publisher=Arlington House |isbn=978-0-87000-384-4 |page=236}}</ref> *1871 – Henry Kimball Hadley, American composer and conductor (died 1937)<ref>{{cite book |author=Albert Ernest Wier |title=The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians: In One Volume |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nx8KAQAAMAAJ |year=1938 |publisher=Macmillan |page=741}}</ref> *1873 – Kan'ichi Asakawa, Japanese historian, author, and academic (died 1948) * 1873 – Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Turkish poet, academic, and politician (died 1936) *1874 – Mary Ann Bevan, English nurse who, after developing acromegaly, toured the circus sideshow circuit as "the ugliest woman in the world" <ref name=nfa>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/history/worlds_fair/extracts/1931–1940.html#fleetwood|title=National Fairground Archive – Extracts from ''World's Fair'', 1931–1940|last=|first=|date=2007|website=The University of Sheffield|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091933/http://www.nfa.dept.shef.ac.uk/history/worlds_fair/extracts/1931-1940.html#fleetwood|archive-date=18 May 2015|access-date=16 June 2019}}</ref> (died 1933) *1881 – Branch Rickey, American baseball player and manager (died 1965) *1884 – Ruhana Kuddus, Indonesian activist and journalist (died 1972)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Janti |first1=Nur |title=Mengenal Rohana Kudus, Wartawan Perempuan Pertama yang Jadi Pahlawan Nasional |url=https://historia.id/kultur/articles/mengenal-rohana-kudus-wartawan-perempuan-pertama-yang-jadi-pahlawan-nasional-Db2lQ |website=historia.id |date=8 November 2019 |publisher=Historia |access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref> *1886 – Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, American tennis player and businessman (died 1974)<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Tennis Hall of Fame |url=https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/hazel-hotchkiss-wightman |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=www.tennisfame.com}}</ref> *1888 – Yitzhak Baer, German-Israeli historian and academic (died 1980) * 1888 – Fred Merkle, American baseball player and manager (died 1956) *1890 – Yvonne Arnaud, French pianist, actress and singer (died 1958) * 1890 – Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1967) *1891 – Erik Almlöf, Swedish triple jumper (died 1971) *1894 – Robert Menzies, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1978) *1898 – Konstantinos Dovas, Greek general and politician, 156th Prime Minister of Greece (died 1973) * 1898 – Irene Dunne, American actress and singer (died 1990) *1899 – Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Welsh preacher and physician (died 1981) *1900 – Lissy Arna, German actress (died 1964) * 1900 – Gabby Hartnett, American baseball player and manager (died 1972)<ref>{{cite web |title=Gabby Hartnett |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/gabby-hartnett-115572 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref>
===1901–present=== *1901 – Robert J. Van de Graaff, American physicist and academic, invented the Van de Graaff generator (died 1967)<ref>{{cite book |author1=Ray Eldon Hiebert |author2=Roselyn Hiebert |title=Atomic Pioneers: From the late 19th to the mid-20th century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M01IAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA88 |year=1970 |publisher=U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Division of Technical Information |pages=88}}</ref> *1902 – Prince George, Duke of Kent (died 1942) * 1902 – Sidney Hook, American philosopher and author (died 1989) *1904 – Spud Davis, American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 1984) * 1904 – Yevgenia Ginzburg, Russian author (died 1977) *1905 – Bill O'Reilly, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (died 1992) *1907 – Paul Francis Webster, American soldier and songwriter (died 1984) *1908 – Dennis Morgan, American actor and singer (died 1994) *1909 – Vakkom Majeed, Indian journalist and politician (died 2000) *1911 – Hortense Calisher, American author (died 2009) *1914 – Harry F. Byrd Jr., American lieutenant, publisher, and politician (died 2013) *1915 – Aziz Nesin, Turkish author and poet (died 1995) *1916 – Michel Chartrand, Canadian trade union leader and activist (died 2010) *1917 – David Bohm, American-English physicist, neuropsychologist, and philosopher (died 1992) * 1917 – Cahit Külebi, Turkish poet and author (died 1997) * 1917 – Audrey Totter, American actress (died 2013) *1918 – Jean Marchand, Canadian trade union leader and politician, 43rd Secretary of State for Canada (died 1988) *1920 – Väinö Linna, Finnish author (died 1992)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000004151933.html |title=Mielipide: Suomen suurin kirjailija ansaitsee liputuspäivän |work=Helsingin Sanomat |date=July 7, 2003 |access-date=December 20, 2021 |language=fi}}</ref> *1921 – George Roy Hill, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2002)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E6DB1F3CF93BA15751C1A9649C8B63 |title=New York Times, December 28, 2002 |work=The New York Times |date=December 28, 2002 |access-date=May 3, 2010 |first=Lawrence |last=Van Gelder}}</ref> *1922 – Beverly Pepper, American sculptor and painter (died 2020) * 1922 – William Soeryadjaya, Chinese-Indonesian businessman and co-founder of Astra International (died 2010)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Faizi |first1=Luthfan |title=Profil William Soeryadjaya, Pengusaha Indonesia Pendiri Astra International |url=https://ekbis.sindonews.com/read/973453/36/profil-william-soeryadjaya-pengusaha-indonesia-pendiri-astra-international-1671444761 |website=ekbis.sindonews.com |publisher=Sindo News |access-date=18 May 2023}}</ref> *1924 – Charlie Callas, American actor and comedian (died 2011) * 1924 – Judy LaMarsh, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Secretary of State for Canada (died 1980)<ref>{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=3583}}</ref> *1925 – Benito Lorenzi, Italian footballer (died 2007) *1926 – Marcel Douzima, Central African lawyer and politician (died 2012)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Richard |last2=Rius |first2=Juan Fandos |title=Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic (Historical Dictionaries of Africa) |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham|page=235}}</ref> *1926 – Geoffrey Howe, Welsh lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 2015) * 1926 – Otto Graf Lambsdorff, German lawyer and politician, German Federal Minister of Economics (died 2009) *1927 – Michael Beaumont, 22nd Seigneur of Sark, English engineer and politician (died 2016) * 1927 – Jim Simpson, American sportscaster (died 2016)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/jim-simpson-versatile-sportscaster-who-helped-launch-espn-dies-at-88/2016/01/13/3f79fb90-ba2d-11e5-b682-4bb4dd403c7d_story.html |title=Jim Simpson, versatile sportscaster who helped launch ESPN, dies at 88 - The Washington Post |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> * 1927 – Kim Young-sam, South Korean soldier and politician, 7th President of South Korea (died 2015) * 1927 – James Lawrence King, American jurist (died 2026)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weaver |first1=Jay |title=‘We have lost a legend.’ Judge James Lawrence King dies at 98 in Pinecrest |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article315614058.html |access-date=3 May 2026 |publisher=Miami Herald |date=2 May 2026}}</ref> *1928 – John Menkes, Austrian-American pediatric and writer (died 2008)<ref name="WorldNeurology">{{Citation |title=John Menkes (1928-2008) |first=S. Robert |last=Snodgrass |work=World Neurology |volume=30 |number=3 |page=14 |date=June 2009 |url=http://www.wfneurology.org/private/downloads/aiCLirG2FuedshzLRg_7tw/wn_jun09_row.pdf}}</ref> *1929 – Don Sunderlage, American basketball player (died 1961)<ref>{{cite web |title=Don Sunderlage |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/78278/career |publisher=National Basketball Association |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> *1931 – Mala Powers, American actress (died 2007) * 1931 – Hristina Obradović, Serbian hegumenia and abbess (died 2026)<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=18 January 2026|title=Упокојила се у Господу игуманија Љубостиње мати Христина|url=https://www.tvhram.rs/vesti/vesti-iz-crkve/10602/upokojila-gospodu-igumanija-ljubostinje-mati-hristina|trans-title= |work=TV Hram|language=Serbian|location= |publisher= |access-date=22 January 2026}}</ref> *1932 – Antoine Mbary-Daba, Central African politician, bureaucrat, and diplomat (died {{circa|1997}}).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Richard |last2=Rius |first2=Juan Fandos |title=Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic (Historical Dictionaries of Africa) |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham|page=437}}</ref> *1932 – John Hillerman, American actor (died 2017)<ref name="UPI">{{cite web |title=Famous birthdays for Dec. 20: Jonah Hill, Alan Parsons |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/12/20/Famous-birthdays-for-Dec-20-Jonah-Hill-Alan-Parsons/4861671493463/ |publisher=UPI |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=20 December 2022}}</ref> *1933 – Olavi Salonen, Finnish runner (died 2025)<ref>{{cite news |title=Juoksijasuuruus Olavi Salonen on kuollut |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20148023 |access-date=20 December 2025 |publisher=YLE |date=6 March 2025}}</ref> * 1933 – Rik Van Looy, Belgian cyclist (died 2024) *1935 – Khalid Ibadulla, Pakistani cricketer and sportscaster (died 2024) *1939 – Kathryn Joosten, American actress (died 2012) * 1939 – Kim Weston, American soul singer *1942 – Rana Bhagwandas, Pakistani lawyer and judge, Chief Justice of Pakistan (died 2015) * 1942 – Bob Hayes, American sprinter and football player (died 2002)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympic.org/bob-hayes |title=Bob Hayes |website=IOC |access-date=27 November 2020}}</ref> * 1942 – Jean-Claude Trichet, French banker and economist * 1942 – Roger Woodward, Australian classical pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and human rights activist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gill |first=Dominic |year=2001 |title=Woodward, Roger |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000030558 |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Grove Music Online |language=en |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.30558 |isbn=9781561592630 |editor-first1=Cyrus |editor-first2=Paul |editor-last1=Meher-Homji |editor-last2=Ellison}}</ref> *1944 – Ray Martin, Australian television host and journalist *1945 – Peter Criss, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer<ref name="AP">{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Mike |title=Today's famous birthdays list for December 20, 2022 includes celebrities Jonah Hill, Dick Wolf |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/12/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-december-20-2022-includes-celebrities-jonah-hill-dick-wolf.html |website=The Plain Dealer |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=20 December 2022}}</ref> * 1945 – Sivakant Tiwari, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and author (died 2010) *1946 – Uri Geller, Israeli-English magician and psychic<ref name="AP"/> * 1946 – Bill Hosket Jr., American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Wilmer Hosket |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/77061/career |publisher=National Basketball Association |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> * 1946 – Sonny Perdue, American politician, 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture, 81st Governor of Georgia<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://sonnyperdue.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0%2C2096%2C78006749_98067483%2C00.html |publisher=Georgia.gov |access-date=9 February 2023}}</ref> * 1946 – Dick Wolf, American director, producer, and screenwriter<ref name="AP"/> *1947 – Gigliola Cinquetti, Italian singer-songwriter<ref>{{cite book |author=Robert H. Blissmer |title=Who's Who in Italy, 1988 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5KhmAAAAMAAJ |date=August 1988 |publisher=Bernan Assoc |isbn=978-88-85246-08-9}}</ref> *1948 – Alan Parsons, English keyboard player and producer<ref>{{cite book |author1=Jean-Michel Guesdon |author2=Philippe Margotin |title=Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CRcUDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT338 |date=24 October 2017 |publisher=Running Press |isbn=978-0-316-43923-7 |pages=338}}</ref> * 1948 – Mitsuko Uchida, Japanese pianist<ref>{{cite book |author=Charles Moritz |title=Current Biography Yearbook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DWftWR1VGIEC |year=1992 |publisher=H. W. Wilson Company |pages=576–7 |isbn=9780824201289}}</ref> *1949 – Soumaïla Cissé, Malian engineer and politician (died 2020) * 1949 – Cecil Cooper, American baseball player and manager<ref>{{cite web |title=Cecil Cooper |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/cecil-cooper-112651 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> *1950 – Arturo Márquez, Mexican-American composer *1951 – Nuala O'Loan, Baroness O'Loan, Northern Irish academic and police ombudsman * 1951 – Marta Russell, American author and activist (died 2013) *1952 – Jenny Agutter, English actress<ref name="AP"/> *1954 – Michael Badalucco, American actor<ref name="AP"/> * 1954 – Sandra Cisneros, American author and poet *1955 – Martin Schulz, German politician * 1955 – Binali Yıldırım, Turkish lawyer and politician, Turkish Minister of Transport *1956 – Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Mauritanian general and politician, President of Mauritania * 1956 – Guy Babylon, American keyboard player and songwriter (died 2009) * 1956 – Blanche Baker, American actress and screenwriter<ref name="AP"/> * 1956 – Junji Hirata, Japanese wrestler * 1956 – Andrew Mackenzie, Scottish geologist and businessman * 1956 – Anita Ward, American disco/R&B singer *1957 – Billy Bragg, English singer-songwriter and guitarist<ref name="AP"/> * 1957 – Anna Vissi, Cypriot singer-songwriter and actress * 1957 – Mike Watt, American singer-songwriter and bass player<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sutherland |first=Sam |title=Mike Watt on What's Watt |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mike_watt_on_what |magazine=Exclaim! |date=March 24, 2007 |access-date=March 18, 2019}}</ref> *1958 – Doug Nordquist, American high jumper * 1958 – James Thomson, American biologist and academic *1959 – George Coupland, Scottish scientist * 1959 – Hildegard Körner, German runner * 1959 – Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, Polish physicist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Poland *1960 – Nalo Hopkinson, Jamaican-Canadian author and educator * 1960 – Kim Ki-duk, South Korean director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2020)<ref>{{cite news |title=Controversial South Korean director Kim Ki-duk dies of Covid aged 59 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/11/south-korea-director-kim-ki-duk-dies-of-covid |access-date=11 December 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=11 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> *1961 – Mohammad Fouad, Egyptian singer-songwriter and actor *1963 – Joel Gretsch, American actor<ref name="AP"/> *1966 – Veronica Pershina, Russian-American figure skater and coach * 1966 – Chris Robinson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist<ref name="AP"/> *1968 – Karl Wendlinger, Austrian racing driver *1969 – Alain de Botton, Swiss-English philosopher and author * 1969 – Zahra Ouaziz, Moroccan runner *1970 – Nicole de Boer, Canadian actress<ref name="AP"/> * 1970 – Grant Flower, Zimbabwean cricketer and coach * 1970 – Jörg Schmidt, German footballer *1972 – Jan Čaloun, Czech ice hockey player<ref>{{cite web |title=Jan Caloun |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/jan-caloun-8459011 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> * 1972 – Anders Odden, Norwegian guitarist, songwriter, and producer *1974 – Die, Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and producer *1975 – Bartosz Bosacki, Polish footballer *1976 – Nenad Vučković, Croatian footballer *1978 – Yoon Kye-sang, South Korean singer * 1978 – Andrei Markov, Russian-Canadian ice hockey player * 1978 – Geremi Njitap, Cameroon footballer<ref>{{FIFA|id=176652}}</ref> * 1978 – Bouabdellah Tahri, French runner<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14187746 |title=Bouabdallah Tahri |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref> *1979 – Michael Rogers, Australian cyclist<ref>{{cite web |title=Michael Rogers profile |url=http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/riders/team-saxo-tinkoff/rogers-michael.html?xtmc=michael+rogers&xtcr=1 |access-date=27 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227092114/http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/riders/team-saxo-tinkoff/rogers-michael.html?xtmc=michael+rogers&xtcr=1 |archive-date=27 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> *1980 – Israel Castro, Mexican footballer * 1980 – Ashley Cole, English footballer * 1980 – Anthony da Silva, French-Portuguese footballer * 1980 – Martín Demichelis, Argentine footballer *1981 – Royal Ivey, American basketball player and coach<ref>{{cite web |title=Royal Ivey |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/2767/career |publisher=National Basketball Association |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> * 1981 – James Shields, American baseball player<ref>{{cite web |title=James Shields |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/james-shields-448306 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> *1982 – Mohammad Asif, Pakistani cricketer * 1982 – David Cook, American singer-songwriter<ref name="AP"/> * 1982 – Kasper Klausen, Danish footballer * 1982 – David Wright, American baseball player<ref>{{cite web |title=David Wright |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/david-wright-431151 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=14 December 2022}}</ref> *1983 – Jonah Hill, American actor, producer, and screenwriter<ref name="AP"/> *1984 – Bob Morley, Australian actor<ref name="AP"/> * 1984 – David Tavaré, Spanish singer and DJ<ref name=primary_bio>{{cite web |url=http://www.davidtavare.com/index.php?id=6&L=1 |title=David Tavaré: biography |publisher=David Tavaré |accessdate=October 29, 2008}}</ref> *1986 – Chay Genoway, Canadian ice hockey player<ref>{{cite web |title=Chay Genoway |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/chay-genoway-8476224 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> *1987 – Malcolm Jenkins, American football player<ref>{{cite web |title=Malcolm Jenkins |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/12426/malcolm-jenkins |publisher=ESPN |access-date=14 December 2022}}</ref> *1990 – JoJo, American singer and actress<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roth |first1=Madeline |title=JoJo Just Rerecorded 'Leave (Get Out)' and 'Baby It's You' for Our Nostalgic Thrill |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3107552/jojo-rerecords-debut-album-snippets/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221081447/http://www.mtv.com/news/3107552/jojo-rerecords-debut-album-snippets/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 21, 2018 |website=MTV.com |access-date=November 20, 2019 |date=December 20, 2018}}</ref> * 1990 – Marta Xargay, Spanish basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Marta Xargay |url=https://www.wnba.com/player/204300/marta-xargay |publisher=WNBA |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> *1991 – Rachael Boyle, Scottish footballer<ref>{{cite web |title=Rachael Boyle - Player Profile - Football |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/rachael-boyle_prs544338/person.shtml |website=Eurosport UK |access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref> * 1991 – Jorginho, Brazilian footballer<ref name=ChelseaProfile>{{cite web |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/first-team/jorginho?pageTab=biography |title=Jorginho |publisher=Chelsea F.C. |access-date=5 October 2018}}</ref> * 1991 – Jillian Rose Reed, American actress<ref name="UPI" /> * 1991 – Fabian Schär, Swiss footballer<ref>{{Cite web |title=Premier League Website |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/5220/Fabian-Sch%C3%A4r/overview |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816060856/https://www.premierleague.com/players/5220/Fabian-Sch%C3%A4r/overview |archive-date=2018-08-16}}</ref> *1992 – Ksenia Makarova, Russian-American figure skater *1993 – Andrea Belotti, Italian footballer<ref>{{cite web |title=Andrea Belotti |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/andrea-belotti/228719/ |website=Soccerway |access-date=20 December 2024}}</ref> * 1993 – Robeisy Ramírez, Cuban boxer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/123508 |title=Robeisy Ramírez |website=Olympedia |publisher=OlyMADMen |access-date=20 October 2021}}</ref> *1994 – Calvin Ridley, American football player<ref>{{cite web |title=Calvin Ridley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RidlCa00.htm |website=football-reference.com |access-date=20 April 2023}}</ref> *1995 – Anžejs Pasečņiks, Latvian basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Anzejs Pasecniks |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628394/career |publisher=National Basketball Association |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> *1996 – Jarrod Bowen, English football player<ref>{{cite web |title=Jarrod Bowen |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/201089/jarrod-bowen}}</ref> *1997 – De'Aaron Fox, American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=De'Aaron Fox |url=https://www.nba.com/players/de'aaron/fox/1628368 |website=NBA.com |access-date=14 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> * 1997 – Suzuka Nakamoto, Japanese singer *1998 – Kylian Mbappé, French footballer<ref>{{cite web |title=Kylian Mbappé |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/231388/kylian-mbappe}}</ref> *2000 – Gaboro, Assyrian Swedish rapper and songwriter (died 2024)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blanco |first1=Quetzala Mikko |title=Allt om rapparen Gaboro: Död, mask, gäng och Norrköping |url=https://nyheter24.se/noje/musik/1369197-allt-om-rapparen-gaboro-dod-mask-gang-och-norrkoping |website=nyheter24.se |date=20 December 2024 |publisher=Nyheter 24 |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref> *2001 – Facundo Pellistri, Uruguayan footballer<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/108972/Facundo-Pellistri/overview |title=Facundo Pellistri |website=Premier League |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>
==Deaths== ===Pre-1600=== * 69 – Titus Flavius Sabinus, a Roman politician and soldier<ref>Suetonius, "The Life of Vespasian", 1, "The Life of Vitellius", 15.</ref> * 217 – Zephyrinus, pope of the Catholic Church * 910 – Alfonso III, king of Asturias * 977 – Fujiwara no Kanemichi, Japanese statesman (born 925) *1295 – Margaret of Provence, French queen (born 1221) *1326 – Peter of Moscow, Russian metropolitan bishop *1340 – John I, duke of Bavaria (born 1329) *1355 – Stefan Dušan, emperor of Serbia (born 1308) *1539 – Johannes Lupi, Flemish composer (born 1506) *1552 – Katharina von Bora, wife of Martin Luther (born 1499) *1590 – Ambroise Paré, French physician and surgeon (born 1510)
===1601–1900=== *1658 – Jean Jannon, French designer and typefounder (born 1580) *1722 – Kangxi, emperor of the Qing Dynasty (born 1654) *1723 – Augustus Quirinus Rivinus, German physician and botanist (born 1652) *1740 – Richard Boyle, 2nd Viscount Shannon, English field marshal and politician, Governor of Portsmouth (born 1675) *1765 – Louis-Ferdinand, Dauphin of France (born 1729) *1768 – Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni, Italian poet and academic (born 1692) *1783 – Antonio Soler, Spanish priest and composer (born 1729) *1812 – Sacagawea, American explorer (born 1788) *1820 – John Bell, American farmer (born 1750) *1849 – Kyai Maja, Javanese ulama and commander of Java War (born 1792)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Raditya |first1=Iswara N |title=Pecah Kongsi Pangeran Diponegoro dan Kyai Mojo |url=https://tirto.id/pecah-kongsi-pangeran-diponegoro-dan-kyai-mojo-cwyp |website=tirto.id |publisher=Tirto |access-date=28 March 2025}}</ref> *1856 – Francesco Bentivegna, Italian activist (born 1820) *1862 – Robert Knox, Scottish surgeon and zoologist (born 1791)<ref>{{cite ODNB |title=Knox, Robert (1791–1862), anatomist and ethnologist |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-15787 |year=2004 |access-date=20 December 2021 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/15787 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |last1=Taylor |first1=Clare L.}}</ref> *1880 – Gaspar Tochman, Polish-American colonel and lawyer (born 1797) *1889 – George F. Durand, Canadian architect (born 1850)<ref>{{cite book |title=Victorian Architecture in London and Southwestern Ontario: Symbols of Aspiration |last1=Tausky |first1=Nancy Z. |last2=Distefano |first2=Lynne D. |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4875-8257-9 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |page=234 |doi=10.3138/j.ctvfrxbbj }}</ref> *1893 – George C. Magoun, American businessman (born 1840)
===1901–present=== *1915 – Upendrakishore Ray, Indian painter and composer (born 1863) *1916 – Arthur Morgan, Australian politician, 16th Premier of Queensland (born 1856) *1917 – Lucien Petit-Breton, French-Argentinian cyclist (born 1882) *1919 – Philip Fysh, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Tasmania (born 1835)<ref>{{cite book |title=The Australian Encyclopaedia: Ferns to Ley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rtEiAAAAMAAJ |year=1977 |publisher=Grolier Society of Australia |isbn=978-0-9596604-0-1 |page=130}}</ref> *1920 – Linton Hope, English sailor and architect (born 1863) *1921 – Julius Richard Petri, German microbiologist (born 1852)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/10090954/Julius-Richard-Petri-inventor-of-the-Petri-dish-celebrated-in-Google-Doodle.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/10090954/Julius-Richard-Petri-inventor-of-the-Petri-dish-celebrated-in-Google-Doodle.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Julius Richard Petri, inventor of the Petri dish, celebrated in Google Doodle |date=31 May 2013 |website=The Telegraph |access-date=12 November 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> *1925 – João Ferreira Sardo, the founder of Gafanha da Nazaré, also known as Prior Sardo (born 1873).<ref name="Monografia da Gafanha, Gráfica Ilhavense">{{cite book |last=Rezende |first=João Vieira |title=Monografia da Gafanha |publisher=Gráfica Ilhavense |year=1936 |location=Ílhavo |language=pt}}</ref> *1927 – Frederick Semple, American golfer and tennis player (born 1872)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – Fred Semple |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/2789 |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=www.olympedia.org}}</ref> *1929 – Émile Loubet, French lawyer and politician, 8th President of France (born 1838) *1935 – Martin O'Meara, Irish-Australian sergeant, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1882) *1937 – Erich Ludendorff, German general (born 1865) *1938 – Annie Armstrong, American missionary (born 1850) * 1938 – Lida Howell, American archer (born 1859) *1939 – Hans Langsdorff, German captain (born 1894) *1940 – Sarita Colonia, Peruvian folk saint (born 1914)<ref>{{cite book |last=Graziano |first=Frank |title=Cultures of Devotion |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2006-12-21 |isbn=978-0-19-517130-3 |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171303.003.0003 |url=http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171303.001.0001/acprof-9780195171303 |access-date=2026-01-09 |page=142}}</ref> *1941 – Igor Severyanin, Russian-Estonian poet and author (born 1887) *1950 – Enrico Mizzi, Maltese lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Malta (born 1885) *1954 – James Hilton, English-American author and screenwriter (born 1900) *1956 – Ramón Carrillo, Argentinian neurologist and physician (born 1906) *1959 – Juhan Simm, Estonian composer and conductor (born 1885) *1961 – Moss Hart, American director and playwright (born 1904) * 1961 – Earle Page, Australian soldier and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1880) *1968 – John Steinbeck, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902) *1971 – Roy O. Disney, American banker and businessman, co-founded The Walt Disney Company (born 1893) *1972 – Adolfo Orsi, Italian businessman (born 1888) *1973 – Luis Carrero Blanco, Spanish admiral and politician, 69th President of the Government of Spain (born 1904; assassinated)<ref>{{cite book |title=Operation Ogro: The Execution of Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco |author=Julen Agirre, translated by Barbara Probst Solomon |publisher=Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Company |isbn=0-8129-0552-0 |year=1975 |url=https://archive.org/details/operationogroexe00fore}}</ref> * 1973 – Bobby Darin, American singer-songwriter and actor (born 1936)<ref>{{cite book |author=Brock Helander |title=The Rock Who's who |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TLszAQAAIAAJ |year=1996 |publisher=Schirmer Books |isbn=978-0-02-871031-0 |pages=156–158}}</ref> *1974 – Rajani Palme Dutt, English journalist and politician (born 1896) * 1974 – André Jolivet, French composer and conductor (born 1905) *1976 – Richard J. Daley, American lawyer and politician, 48th Mayor of Chicago (born 1902) *1976 – Soetardjo Kartohadikusumo, Indonesian politician, 1st Governor of West Java (born 1890)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Setyaningrum |first1=Puspasari |title=Biografi Sutardjo Kartohadikusumo, Gubernur Pertama Jawa Barat |url=https://bandung.kompas.com/read/2022/11/02/224147478/biografi-sutardjo-kartohadikusumo-gubernur-pertama-jawa-barat?page=all |website=bandung.kompas.com |date=2 November 2022 |publisher=Kompas |access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref> *1981 – Dimitris Rontiris, Greek actor and director (born 1899) *1982 – Arthur Rubinstein, Polish-American pianist and composer (born 1887) *1984 – Stanley Milgram, American psychologist and academic (born 1933) * 1984 – Dmitry Ustinov, Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union (1976–84) (born 1908)<ref>''New York Times'', December 22, 1994, pg. A1</ref> *1986 – Joe DeSa, American baseball player (born 1959) *1991 – Simone Beck, French chef and author (born 1904)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/21/nyregion/simone-beck-a-cook-dies-at-87-co-wrote-book-with-julia-child.html |title=Simone Beck, a Cook, Dies at 87; Co-Wrote Book With Julia Child |date=21 December 1996 |website=New York Times |access-date=18 March 2019}}</ref> * 1991 – Sam Rabin, English wrestler, singer, and sculptor (born 1903) * 1991 – Albert Van Vlierberghe, Belgian cyclist (born 1942) *1993 – W. Edwards Deming, American statistician, author, and academic (born 1900) * 1993 – Nazife Güran, Turkish composer and educator (born 1921) *1994 – Dean Rusk, American lawyer, and politician, 54th United States Secretary of State (born 1909) *1995 – Madge Sinclair, Jamaican-American actress (born 1938) *1996 – Carl Sagan, American astronomer, astrophysicist, and cosmologist (born 1934)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/21/us/carl-sagan-an-astronomer-who-excelled-at-popularizing-science-is-dead-at-62.html |title=Carl Sagan, an Astronomer Who Excelled at Popularizing Science, Is Dead at 62 |date=21 December 1996 |website=New York Times |access-date=18 March 2019}}</ref> *1997 – Denise Levertov, English-American poet and translator (born 1923) * 1997 – Dick Spooner, English cricketer (born 1919) * 1997 – Dawn Steel, American film producer (born 1946) *1998 – Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, English physiologist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1916) *1999 – Riccardo Freda, Egyptian-Italian director and screenwriter (born 1909) * 1999 – Hank Snow, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1914) *2001 – Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegalese poet and politician, 1st President of Senegal (born 1906) *2005 – Raoul Bott, Hungarian-American mathematician and academic (born 1923) *2006 – Anne Rogers Clark, American dog breeder and trainer (born 1929) *2008 – Adrian Mitchell, English author, poet, and playwright (born 1932) * 2008 – Robert Mulligan, American director and producer (born 1925)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/movies/23mulligan.html |title=The New York Times |access-date=26 February 2015 |first=Margalit |last=Fox |date=23 December 2008}}</ref> * 2008 – Igor Troubetzkoy, Russian aristocrat and racing driver (born 1912) *2009 – Brittany Murphy, American actress and singer (born 1977) * 2009 – Arnold Stang, American actor (born 1918) *2010 – K. P. Ratnam, Sri Lankan academic and politician (born 1914) *2011 – Barry Reckord, Jamaican playwright and screenwriter (born 1926) *2012 – Stan Charlton, English footballer and manager (born 1929) * 2012 – Robert Juniper, Australian painter and sculptor (born 1929) * 2012 – Victor Merzhanov, Russian pianist and educator (born 1919) *2013 – Pyotr Bolotnikov, Russian runner (born 1930) *2014 – Per-Ingvar Brånemark, Swedish surgeon and academic (born 1929) * 2014 – John Freeman, English lawyer, politician, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States (born 1915) *2020 – Fanny Waterman, British pianist (born 1920)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Millington |first=Barry |date=2020-12-21 |title=Dame Fanny Waterman obituary |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/dec/21/dame-fanny-waterman-obituary |access-date=2020-12-24 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> * 2020 – Ezra Vogel, American sociologist (born 1930)<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/ezra-vogel-dead/2020/12/21/fc66a080-43a0-11eb-a277-49a6d1f9dff1_story.html Ezra Vogel, Harvard scholar who bridged U.S. and East Asia, dies at 90] The Washington Post. December 22, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.</ref> *2022 – Franco Harris, American football player (born 1950)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Graves |first1=Will |title=Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris dies at 72 |url=https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-steelers-nfl-college-football-sports-efc7c3e417ad04594ae32a3fbc0a693a |website=AP |date=21 December 2022 |access-date=December 21, 2022}}</ref> *2024 – Casey Chaos, American singer (born 1965)<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 26, 2024 |title=Casey Chaos: Official Cause Of Death Revealed |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/casey-chaos-official-cause-of-death-revealed |access-date=December 27, 2024 |website=Blabbermouth.net |language=en}}</ref> *2024 – George Eastham, English footballer (born 1936)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glanville |first=Brian |date=December 23, 2024 |title=George Eastham obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/23/george-eastham-obituary |access-date=December 27, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> *2024 – Rickey Henderson, American baseball player (born 1958)<ref>{{cite news |last=Passan |first=Jeff |date=December 21, 2024 |title=Rickey Henderson, 'greatest of all time,' dies at 65 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43090305/rickey-henderson-greatest-all-dies-65 |access-date=December 21, 2024 |work=ESPN}}</ref>
==Holidays and observances== *Abolition of Slavery Day, also known as ''Fête des Cafres'' (Réunion, French Guiana) *Bo Aung Kyaw Day (Myanmar) *Christian feast day: **Dominic of Silos<ref name="Martyrologium Romanum">{{cite book |title=Martyrologium Romanum (2004) |date=2004 |publisher=Administrationem Patrimonii Sedis Apostolicae in Civitate Vaticana |page=679-680 |url=https://archive.org/details/MartRom2004/page/678/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=12 December 2025}}</ref> **Blessed Michał Piaszczyński<ref name="Martyrologium Romanum" /> **O Clavis **Philogonius<ref name="Martyrologium Romanum" /> **Ursicinus of Saint-Ursanne<ref name="Martyrologium Romanum" /> **Katharina von Bora (Lutheran) **December 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *Earliest date for Winter solstice's eve (Northern Hemisphere), and its related observances: **Yaldā (Iran) *International Human Solidarity Day (International)<ref>{{cite web |title=International Days |url=https://www.un.org/en/sections/observances/international-days/ |website=United Nations |access-date=2 January 2021 |language=en |date=6 January 2015}}</ref> *Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (Macau)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons}} * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/20 BBC: On This Day] * {{NYT On this day|month=12|day=20}} * [https://www.onthisday.com/events/december/20 Historical Events on December 20]
{{months}}
Category:Days of December