Historical Events
Itō Hirobumi First PM
Dec 22 Samurai Itō Hirobumi, becomes the first Prime Minister of Japan
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 1 Guy de Lioncourt, French composer, born in Caen, France (d. 1961)
- Dec 2 George Minot, American physician (Nobel 1934 - introduction of a raw-liver diet in the treatment of pernicious anemia), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1950)
- Dec 6 Albrecht Schaeffer, German writer (The General), born in Elbląg, Poland (d. 1950)
- Dec 10 János Hammerschlag, Hungarian composer, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1954)
- Dec 10 Marios Varvoglis, Greek composer (Behind the Barbed Wire Fence), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1967)
- Dec 19 F. S. Flint, English translator and poet (imagist movement), born in London, England (d. 1960)
- Dec 21 Frank Patrick, Canadian Hockey HOF pioneer (Stanley Cup 1915 Vancouver Millionaires; introduced uniform numbers, blue line, penalty shots) and coach (Boston Bruins 1934-36), born in Ottawa, Ontario (d. 1960)
- Dec 22 (Joseph) Deems Taylor, American music critic (New York World), composer (Through The Looking Glass; Peter Ibbetson), and promoter of classical music (Fantasia), born in New York City (d. 1966)
- Dec 23 Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964)
- Dec 24 Arthur Dolphin, English cricketer (Yorkshire & England keeper, later Test ump), born in Wilsden, United Kingdom (d. 1942)
- Dec 31 Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein, born in Province of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1970)
Famous Deaths
- Dec 8 William Henry Vanderbilt, American businessman, member of the Vanderbilt family, dies at 64
- Dec 15 Ferdinand II, German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry and King of Portugal (1837-53), dies at 69
- Dec 15 Robert Toombs, American lawyer and 1st Confederate States Secretary of State, dies at 75
- Dec 24 Louis-Prosper Gachard, Belgian historian National Archives of Belgium), dies at 85
