Historical Events
Krog Nobel Prize
Dec 10 August Krogh is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the regulation mechanisms of capillaries in skeletal muscle
La Valse
Dec 12 Maurice Ravel's ballet "La Valse" premieres in Paris
- Dec 13 Francis G. Pease's interferometer at Mount Wilson Observatory is the first to measure the diameter of a star - the Betelgeuse
- Dec 13 Hans Riegel founds sweet company HARIBO (HAns RIegel BOnn) in Bonn, Germany [1]
- Dec 13 League of Nations establishes the International Court of Justice in The Hague
- Dec 13 Netherland breaks contact with Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia and Slavia
Dempsey vs. Brennan
Dec 14 Jack Dempsey KOs Bill Brennan in 12 for heavyweight boxing title in NYC
- Dec 16 8.5 earthquake rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000
- Dec 17 AL votes to let spitball pitchers to continue using it
- Dec 17 British Empire receives League of Nations mandate over Nauru
- Dec 17 Japan receives League of Nations mandate over Pacific islands
- Dec 17 South Africa receives League of Nations mandate over SW Africa
- Dec 18 1st US postage stamps printed without the words United States or US
- Dec 19 1st US indoor curling rink opens (Brookline, Mass)
Constantine I Restored
Dec 19 King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander I of Greece and a plebiscite.
- Dec 20 Bert Collins scores 104 on Test Cricket debut v England SCG
"Sally"
Dec 21 Jerome Kern and Buddy DeSylva's musical "Sally" premieres in NYC
- Dec 23 Government of Ireland Act / Home Rule Act passed partitioning Ireland
Caruso's Last Performance
Dec 24 Enrico Caruso gives his last public performance, with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC
- Dec 29 The Netherlands and Venezuela recover diplomatic relations
- Dec 29 Yugoslav government bans communist party
US Beats Australasia
Dec 31 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Auckland, NZ: Bill Johnson & Bill Tilden (US) beat Norman Brookes & Gerald Patterson (Australasia) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 for an unassailable 3-0 lead; ends 5-0
- Dec 31 Victorian all-rounder Roy Park makes Test cricket debut for Australia v England in 2nd Test in Melbourne; bowled by Harry Howell for a first ball 'golden duck' in his first and only Test innings
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 2 Robert Moevs, American composer, born in La Crosse, Wisconsin (d. 2007)
- Dec 4 Jeanne Manford, American gay rights activist, born in Flushing, New York (d. 2013)
- Dec 4 Michael Bates, English actor (Clockwork Orange, Patton), born in Jhansi, British India (d. 1978)
- Dec 4 Nadir Afonso, Portuguese geometric abstractionist painter, born in Chaves, Portugal (d. 2013)
- Dec 4 Ray Robinson, American magazine editor and biographer (Lou Gehrig), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2017)
- Dec 6 Dave Brubeck, American jazz pianist ("Take Five") and composer (Gates of Justice), born in Concord, California (d. 2012)
- Dec 6 George Porter, British chemist (Nobel 1967), born in Stainforth, South Yorkshire, England (d. 2002)
- Dec 7 Fiorenzo Magni, Italian road cyclist (Giro d'Italia 1948, 51, 55; Tour of Flanders 1949, 50, 51), born in Vaiano, Italy (d. 2012)
- Dec 7 Tatamkhulu Afrika, South African poet and writer, born in As Sallum, Egypt (d. 2002)
- Dec 8 McDonald Bailey, British-Trinidadian athlete (Olympic bronze 100m 1952; 100m WR 10.2s 1951-56), born in Williamsville, Trinidad (d. 2013)
- Dec 8 Ronald Gulliford, English educationalist (Dean of the Faculty of Education, Birmingham University 1979-81), born in Manchester (d. 1997)
- Dec 9 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Italian President (1999-2006) and Prime Minister (1993-94), born in Livorno (d. 2016)
- Dec 10 Clarice Lispector, Ukrainian-Brazilian writer (Laços de Família), born in Chechelnyk, Ukrainian People's Republic (d. 1977)
- Dec 10 Ragnhild Hveger, Danish swimmer (Olympic silver 400m freestyle 1936; 44 world records 1938-56), born in Nyborg, Denmark (d. 2011)
- Dec 10 Stanko Todorov, Bulgarian communist politician, Prime Minister of Bulgaria (1971-81), born in Klenovik (d. 1996)
- Dec 11 Eddy Firestone, American radio, television, and film actor (Mixed Doubles), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2007)
- Dec 12 Dick James [Leon Vapnick], British dance band vocalist and Beatles' music publisher (Northern Songs), born in London, England (d. 1986)
- Dec 12 Fred Kida, Japanese-American comics artist, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2014)
- Dec 13 Donald "Don" Taylor, American director and actor (Father's Little Dividend; Escape from the Planet of the Apes), born in Freeport, Pennsylvania (d. 1998)
- Dec 13 Frits Noske, Dutch musicologist (Signifier & the Signified), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1993)
George P. Shultz (1920-2021)
Dec 13 American economist, and statesman (Secretary of State, 1982-89; Secretary of the Treasury, 1972-74), born in New York City [1]
- Dec 13 Kaysone Phomvihane, President of Laos (Pathet Lao) (1991-92), born in Na Seng village, Khanthabouli district (d. 1992)
- Dec 14 Albertus Louis Meintser, Dutch office clerk and resistance fighter, born in Amsterdam (d. 1944)
- Dec 14 Clark Terry, American jazz trumpeter, born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 2015)
- Dec 15 Eddie Robinson, American baseball first baseman (MLB All Star 1949, 51–53; Washington Sens, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia A's) and executive (GM Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves), born in Paris, Texas (d. 2021)
- Dec 15 Howard Cable, Canadian conductor, arranger, and composer, born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2016)
- Dec 15 Kurt Schaffenberger, American comics artist (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane), born in Thuringian Forest, Germany (d. 2002)
- Dec 17 Kenneth E. Iverson, Canadian computer scientist (d. 2004)
- Dec 18 Rita Streich, Russian-German soprano, born in Barnaul, southern Siberia (d. 1987)
- Dec 18 Willis Conover, American broadcaster (Voice of America), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1996)
- Dec 19 "Little" Jimmy Dickens, American country singer (Grand Ole Opry), born in Bolt, West Virginia (d. 2015)
- Dec 19 David Susskind, American TV host (Open End, David Susskind Show), born in New York City (d. 1987)
- Dec 21 Bob Bindig, American cartoonist (d. 2006)
- Dec 21 Kel Nagle, Australian golfer (British Open 1960), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2015)
- Dec 24 Evgeniya Rudneva, Russian World War II heroine, born in Berdyansk, Ukraine (d. 1944)
- Dec 24 John Barron, British actor (Emergency - Ward 10; The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin), born in Marllebone, England (d. 2004)
- Dec 24 Stormé DeLarverie, American gay rights leader (Stonewall protests), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2014) [date disputed]
- Dec 25 Henry Charnock, English oceanographer, born in Blackburn, England (d. 1997)
- Dec 25 Jerome Richardson, American jazz musician, born in Oakland, California (d. 2000)
- Dec 26 Gote Carlid, Swedish composer, born in Hogbo near Sandviken (d. 1953)
- Dec 27 Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (youngest to ride winner of English Grand National on Battleship 1938), born in Long Island, New York (d. 2005)
- Dec 28 Bruce McCarty, South Bend, Indiana, architect (1982 World Fair), (d. 2013)
- Dec 28 Steve Van Buren, NFL halfback (Philadelphia Eagles), (d. 2012)
- Dec 29 Irving Ashby, American jazz and session guitarist (Lionel Hampton - "Flying Home"; Nat King Cole Trio; Oscar Peterson Trio), born in Somerville, Massachusetts (d. 1987)
- Dec 29 Syd Dernley, British hangman (1949-54), born in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire (d. 1994)
- Dec 29 Viveca Lindfors, Swedish actress (Way We Were, Life Goes On), born in Uppsala, Sweden (d. 1995)
- Dec 30 Aad de Haas, Dutch religious painter, graphic artist and cartoonist, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1972)
- Dec 30 Jack Lord, American actor (Steve McGarrett in Hawaii FIVE-O, God's Little Acre), born in New York City (d. 1998)
- Dec 30 Michael Allinson, British-American stage and film actor (Man of the Century; Syriana), born in London (d. 2010)
- Dec 31 Rex Allen, American actor and singer-songwriter known as the "the Arizona Cowboy" (Dr Baxter-Frontier Doctor), born in Willcox, Arizona (d. 1999)
Famous Deaths
- Dec 1 Theo Molkenboer, Dutch painter ("The Toilette"), and graphic designer of book covers and posters, dies of tuberculosis at 49
- Dec 6 Karel Kovařovic, Czech harpist, conductor (Prague National Theatre, 1900-20), and composer (The Dogheads), dies at 57
- Dec 10 Horace Elgin Dodge, American automobile manufacturing pioneer (co-founder of Dodge Brothers Company), dies at 52
- Dec 12 Olive Schreiner, South African writer (Healing Imagination), dies at 75
- Dec 12 Paul Lacôme, French composer, dies at 82
- Dec 14 George "The Gipper" Gipp, American football player (Notre Dame), dies of a streptococcal throat infection and pneumonia at 25
- Dec 16 Ma Yuanzhang, Chinese Muslim rebel and Sufi master, crushed to death during the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake at an unknown age
- Dec 21 Claude Tozer, Australian doctor and cricketer (dashing NSW batsman), shot to death by a patient at 30
- Dec 31 Albert Roelofs, Dutch painter/etcher, dies at 43
