Historical Events
First US Presidential Radio Address
Dec 6 1st US Presidential address broadcast on radio by President Calvin Coolidge
- Dec 8 German-US friendship treaty signed
- Dec 8 Labour/Liberals win British parliament
- Dec 8 Salary & price freeze in Germany
- Dec 10 Polish government of Grabski forms
- Dec 16 National Football League Championship: undefeated Canton Bulldogs (11-0-1) repeat as champions
- Dec 18 International zone of Tangier set up in Morocco
- Dec 19 King George II of Greece moves in exile to Romania while the National Assembly deliberates over future of government
- Dec 21 Nepal changes from British protectorate to independent nation
Highest Australian Partnership
Dec 22 Bill Ponsford and Edgar Mayne make record 456 opening stand for Victoria against Queensland - highest first wicket partnership by an Australian pair
"Saint Joan"
Dec 28 George Bernard Shaw's play "Saint Joan" premieres at Garrick Theatre in NYC
- Dec 31 1st transatlantic radio broadcast of a voice, Pittsburgh-Manchester
- Dec 31 BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID
- Dec 31 Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy's musical "Kid Boots," premieres in New York City
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 1 Morris [Maurice De Bevere], Belgian cartoonist (Lucky Luke), born in Kortrijk, Belgium (d. 2001)
- Dec 1 Stansfield Turner, American admiral and CIA director (1977-81), born in Highland Park, Illinois (d. 2018)
- Dec 2 Meshulam Riklis, Turkish-born Israeli businessman and husband of Pia Zadora, born in Istanbul, Turkey (d. 2019)
- Dec 3 Tom Fears, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and coach (NFL champion 1951; First-team All-Pro, NFL receiving yards leader 1950; LA Rams), born in Guadalajara, Mexico (d. 2000)
- Dec 3 Trevor Bailey, English cricket all-rounder, writer and broadcaster (61 Tests, 1 x 100, 10 x 50, HS 134no, 132 wickets; BBC), born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England (d. 2011)
- Dec 4 Charles Keating, American district attorney (Los Angeles California), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2014)
- Dec 4 Eagle Keys, American Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker and coach (Grey Cup champion 1949, 54-56, 66; Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan R'riders), born in Tompkinsville, Kentucky (d. 2012)
- Dec 4 John Krish, British documentary filmmaker (Let My People Go), born in London (d. 2016)
- Dec 5 Johnny Pate, American jazz bassist (Stuff Smith, James Moody), pop, soul and R&B arranger and producer (The Impressions, Peabo Bryson), born in Chicago Heights, Illinois
- Dec 5 Vladimir Tendryakov, Russian writer (Three, Seven, Ace), born in Makarovskaya, Vologda Oblast (d. 1984)
- Dec 7 Alan Ford, American swimmer (world 100m freestyle record 55.4; Olympic silver 1948), born in Panama Canal Zone, Panama (d. 2008)
- Dec 7 Ted Knight [Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka], American actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Ted Baxter"; Too Close for Comfort), born in Terryville, Connecticut (d. 1986)
- Dec 8 Joe Burke, American baseball executive (president KC Royals 1981-92), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1992)
- Dec 8 Rudolph Pariser, American physical and polymer chemist (molecular orbital computation), born in Harbin, China (d. 2021)
- Dec 10 Abelardo Quinteros, Chilean composer (Horizon carré; Cantos al espejo), born in Valparaiso, Chile
- Dec 10 Harold Gould, American character actor (The Sting, The Golden Girls, Rhoda, Big Bus), born in Schenectady, New York (d. 2010)
- Dec 10 Jorge Semprún, Spanish-French writer (2nd mort de R Mercader, Z), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2011)
- Dec 10 Linda Hayes [Bertha Williams], American R&B singer (Yes I Know), born in Linden, New Jersey (d. 1998)
- Dec 11 Betsy Blair [Elizabeth Boger], American actress (Marty, A Double Life), born in Cliffside Park, New Jersey (d. 2009)
Bob Barker (1923-2023)
Dec 12 American TV game show host (The Price is Right, 1972-2007; Truth or Consequences, 1956-75), actor (Happy Gilmore), and animal rights activist, born in Darrington, Washington [1]
- Dec 12 Bob Dorough, American jazz vocalist, pianist, composer, songwriter, arranger, and producer (Schoolhouse Rock!; Too Much Coffee Man), born in Cherry Hill, Arkansas (d. 2018)
- Dec 12 David Leon Kaplan, American-Canadian music professor (University of Saskatchewan, 1960-82), conductor (Saskatoon Symphony, 1962-72), and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2015)
- Dec 12 Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam [Yewubdar Guèbrou], Ethiopian nun, pianist, and composer ("The Homeless Wanderer"), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (d. 2023)
- Dec 12 John Pulman, English snooker player (World Champion 1957-68; News of the World Snooker Tournament 1954, 57, 58), born in Teignmouth, England (d. 1998)
- Dec 12 Ken Kavanagh, Australian motorcycle road racer (5 x GP wins; first Australian to win a Grand Prix race), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2019)
- Dec 13 Antoni Tapies, Spanish painter, sculptor and theorist (Dau al Set), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2012)
- Dec 13 Frankie Fraser, English gangster who spent 42 years in jail, born in London, England (d. 2014)
- Dec 13 Fred van der Spek, Dutch 2nd chamber member (PSP), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2017)
- Dec 14 Gerard Reve, Dutch writer (Evenings, Dear Guys), born in Amsterdam (d. 2006)
- Dec 14 Irving "Sully" Boyar, American actor (Dog Day Afternoon, Car Wash), born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (d. 2001)
- Dec 15 Freeman Dyson, American physicist (known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering), born in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England (d. 2020)
- Dec 15 Uziel Gal, Israeli firearm designer (Uzi submachine gun), born in Weimar, Germany (d. 2002)
- Dec 15 Valentin Varennikov, Soviet-Russian general and statesman, born in Krasnodar, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (d. 2009)
- Dec 16 (Silvio) "Tip" Marugg, Antillian poet and writer (Weekend Pilgrimage), born in Willemstad, Curaçao (d. 2006)
- Dec 16 Menahem Pressler, Israeli-American classical pianist (Beaux Arts Trio, 1955-2008), and educator (Indian University, 1955-2023), born in Magdeburg, Germany (d. 2023)
- Dec 16 Werner Haentjes, German conductor and composer of operas and film scores, born in Bocholt, Germany (d. 2001)
- Dec 17 Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian (d. 2006)
- Dec 18 Lotti van der Gaag, Dutch sculptor and painter, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1999)
- Dec 19 Gordon Jackson, Scottish actor (Upstairs, Downstairs, The Professionals, The Great Escape), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1990)
- Dec 19 Luigi Innocenti, Italian motorbike and auto tycoon (Lambretta), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1995)
- Dec 21 Intizar Hussain, Urdu writer and columnist, born in Dibai, Bulandshahr (d. 2016) (approx. date)
- Dec 21 Wataru Misaka, American basketball point guard (first non-white player, first player of Asian descent in BAA [later known NBA]; NY Knicks), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 2019)
- Dec 22 Heinz Bernhard [Löwenstein], German-born British actor and director (Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof), born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1994)
- Dec 22 Joseph Muhler, American biochemist and dentist (developed Crest - 1st fluoride toothpaste), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana (d. 1996) [1]
- Dec 23 Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist and radio host, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2008)
- Dec 23 James Stockdale, American admiral (Vietnam) andRoss Perot's 1992 running mate, born in Abingdon, Illinois (d. 2005)
- Dec 23 Kenneth Lamb, English broadcaster, born in Croydon, England (d. 1995)
- Dec 23 Leonard B. Stern, American television screenwriter (The Honeymooners; The Phil Silvers Show: Get Smart), and producer, born in New York City (d. 2011)
- Dec 23 Lucas Mangope, 1st president of Bophuthatswana (1977-94) (d. 2018)
- Dec 23 Milt Okun, American music producer, conductor, and arranger (John Denver; Peter, Paul and Mary), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
- Dec 23 Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver, born in Zárate, Argentina (d. 1954)
- Dec 23 Ruth Roman, American actress (Strangers on a Train, Knots Landing, Dallas), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1999)
- Dec 24 George Patton IV, American general in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2004)
- Dec 24 Iron Mike DiBiase, American wrestler, born in New York City (d. 1969)
- Dec 24 Wilton S Mkwayi, South African ANC leader, born in Middledrift, Eastern Cape (d. 2004)
- Dec 25 Louis Lane, American conductor (Akron, 1959-83; Lake Erie Opera, 1964-72), and educator (Cleveland Institute, 1982-2004), born in Eagle Pass, Texas (d. 2016)
- Dec 27 Serge Collot, French violist (Paris Opera, 1957-86; Le Trio à Cordes Français, 1960-92), and music educator (Conservatoire de Paris, 1969-89), born in Paris, France (d. 2015)
- Dec 28 Andrew Duggan, American character actor (Secret War of Harry Frigg, Winds of War), born in Franklin, Indiana (d. 1988)
- Dec 29 (Myron) "Mike" Nussbaum, American stage and screen character actor (David Mamet works), and director, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023)
- Dec 30 Frank Motley, American R&B and jazz double-trumpeter and bandleader (The Motley Crew), born in Cheraw, South Carolina (d. 1998)
- Dec 30 Sara Lidman, Swedish author (Jag Och Min Son, Samtal in Hanoi), born in Missenträsk, Sweden (d. 2004)
Famous Divorces
Louis Armstrong
Dec 18 Jazz musician Louis Armstrong (22) divorces Daisy Parker after 5 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Dec 1 Virginie Loveling, Flemish writer (Sophie) and poet, dies at 87
- Dec 2 Tomás Bretón, Spanish conductor and composer (La Dolores; La verbena de la Paloma), dies at 72
- Dec 8 Dom Joseph Pothier, French monk and musicologist, dies at 88
- Dec 12 Raymond Radiguet, French journalist and writer (Ball du Comte), dies of typhoid at 20
- Dec 14 Giuseppe Gallignani, Italian composer and conductor, takes his own life at 72
- Dec 16 Kacsóh Pongrác, Hungarian composer, dies at 50
- Dec 22 Arthur H. Bird, American composer, dies at 67
- Dec 26 Dietrich Eckart, German Nazi politician (b. 1868)
Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923)
Dec 27 French engineer and architect who designed and built the Eiffel Tower, dies at 91
- Dec 27 Michael J. Owens, American glassmaker and inventor (glass bottle-making machine), dies at 64
