What Happened in December 1943

Historical Events

Tehran Conference Decision

Dec 1 At the end of the Tehran Conference, the Big Three (Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt) agree that the invasion of Normandy should take place in May 1944

Dec 2 First RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt - Nazi Reich Security Head Office) transport out of Vienna reaches Birkenau camp
Dec 3 9th Heisman Trophy Award: Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame (QB)

Requiem

Dec 3 Howard Hanson conducts premiere of his 4th Symphony ("Requiem") with the Boston Symphony; wins Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1944

Dec 3 World War II: Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy begins

Clubs May Sign Negros

Dec 4 MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announces any baseball club may sign Negroes

1st MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis

Second Cairo Conference

Dec 4 Second Cairo Conference: FDR, Winston Churchill and Turkish President İsmet İnönü meet (till Dec 6)

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Dec 4 Yugoslavian resistance forms provisionary government under Dr Ribar
Dec 5 NFL Philadelphia Eagle-Pitts Steeler merger dissolves

Voice of the Turtle

Dec 8 John Van Druten's comedic play "Voice of the Turtle" premieres in NYC

Dec 10 British 8th Army (1st Canadian Infantry Division) occupies Orsogna/Ortona Italy
Dec 13 150 US Marauders bomb Schiphol
Dec 16 "Tamiami Champion" (New York to Florida) trains collide, kills 73 & injures 200
Dec 17 Transport 63 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany
Dec 19 Military coup in Bolivia
Dec 20 "Internationale" is no longer used as USSR National Anthem
Dec 22 Manufacturers get permission to use synthetic rubber for baseball core
Dec 23 Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel & Gretel" becomes 1st complete opera to be telecast (WGRB, Schenectady, New York)

Montgomery D-day Command

Dec 23 General Bernard Montgomery told he is appointed commandant for D-day

British WWII Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery

"While the Sun Shines"

Dec 24 Terence Rattigan's comedy play "While the Sun Shines" premieres in London

Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander

Dec 24 US President FDR appoints General Eisenhower Supreme Commander of the Allied forces

34th US President and WWII General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dec 26 British sink German battle cruiser Scharnhorst
Dec 26 National Football League Championship, Wrigley Field, Chicago: Chicago Bears beat Washington Redskins, 41-21; Bears 6th title
Dec 27 France transfers most of her powers in Lebanon to Lebanese government
Dec 27 German warship "Scharnhorst" sinks in Barents Sea
Dec 27 Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower & Bedell Smith
Dec 28 All Kalmyk inhabitants of the Republic of Kalmukkie deported by the Soviet Union to Central Asia and Siberia. Many die en route.
Dec 30 Phillies trade Babe Dahlgren to Pitts for Babe Phelps & cash
Dec 30 Subhash Chandra Bose raises the flag of Indian independence at Port Blair

Events in 1943

Famous Birthdays

Dec 1 Nicholas Peter Negroponte, American founder/director (Media Lab at MIT), born in New York City
Dec 1 Orton Enderlein, German [GDR] luger (Olympic gold women's singles 1964; World C'ships gold 1965, 67)), born in Trünzig, Sachsen, Germany
Dec 2 Dave Munden, British rock drummer (Brian Poole & The Tremeloes), born in Dagenham, Essex, England
Dec 2 Wayne Allard, American politician (U.S. Senator from Colorado 1997-2009), born in Fort Collins, Colorado
Dec 4 Gary Sabourin, Canadian ice hockey right wing (NHL All Star 1970-71; St. Louis Blues), born in Parry Sound, Ontario
Dec 5 Eva Joly, Norwegian-French magistrate and politician (Europe Écologie–The Greens), born in Grünerløkka, Oslo, Norway
Dec 6 Mike Smith, British rock singer and keyboardist (Dave Clark Five - "Glad All Over"), born in London, England (d. 2008)
Dec 7 Bernard C. Parks, American politician and Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, born in Beaumont, Texas
Dec 7 Göran Lennmarker, Swedish politician, born in Norberg, Västmanland County, Sweden
Dec 7 James Tate, American poet (Pulitzer Prize 1992), born in Kansas City Missouri (d. 2015)

Jim Morrison (1943-1971)

Dec 8 American singer-songwriter (The Doors) and poet, born in Melbourne, Florida

Dec 8 Mary Woronov, American actress (Eating Raoul, Terror Vision), born in Brooklyn Heights, New York
Dec 8 Michael Unger, English editor-in-chief (Evening News, Manchester)
Dec 8 Patti Chandler, American actress (Bikini Beach), born in Culver City, California
Dec 9 Kenny Vance [Rosenberg], American musician (Jay and the Americans - "Come a Little Bit Closer"; "This Magic Moment"; The Planotones), and producer (Beaver Bown), born in Brooklyn, NYC
Dec 10 Lajos Szűcs, Hungarian soccer defender (37 caps; Ferencváros, Honvéd FC; Hungarian Footballer of the Year 1976; Olympic gold 1968), born in Apatin, Hungary (d. 2020)
Dec 10 Theodore Wilson, American actor (That's My Mama, Sanford Arms), born in New York City

John Kerry (80 years old)

Dec 11 US Secretary of State (2013-17) and 2004 presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, born in Aurora, Colorado

Dec 11 Michael McCaskey, American football executive (Chicago Bears president 1983-98; chairman 1999-2011), born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (d. 2020)
Dec 12 Dickey Betts, American rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer (The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"; "Jessica"), born in West Palm Beach, Florida (d. 2024) [1]
Dec 12 Grover Washington Jr., American jazz saxophonist (Mr Magic), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1999)
Dec 12 Pete Livesey, English rock climber, born in Huddersfield, England (d. 1998)
Dec 13 (Margaret) "Marti" Webb, British actress and singer (Evita; Tell Me on a Sunday), born in Hampstead, London
Dec 13 Arturo Ripstein, Mexican film director (El Lugar Sin Limites, Foxtrot), born in Mexico City
Dec 13 Maurice Hines, American tap-dancer, choreographer, actor, and theater director, born in New York City (d. 2023) [1]
Dec 14 Britt Allcroft, British film and television producer and writer who created the children's TV series "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends", born in Worthing, West Sussex, England
Dec 14 Dandy Livingstone (Robert Livingstone Thompson), Jamaican-British reggae musician and record producer, ("Suzanne Beware of the Devil"; "Rudy, A Message to You"), born in Kingston, Jamaica
Dec 14 Frank Allen, English rock vocalist (Searchers - "Needles & Pins"), born in Hayes, Middlesex, England
Dec 15 Kathleen Blanco, American politician, 1st female Governor of Louisiana (2004-08), born in New Iberia, Louisiana (d. 2019)
Dec 15 Lucien den Arend, Dutch geometric abstract sculptor, born in Dordrecht, Netherlands
Dec 15 Mihály Hesz, Hungarian sprint canoeist (Olympic gold K-1 1000 1968; World C'ship gold K-1 10000 1966; K-1 4x500 1971), born in Nógrád, Hungary
Dec 16 Steven Bochco, American TV producer and co-creator of Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, born in New York City (d. 2018)
Dec 17 Ron Geesin, Scottish musician and avant-garde, symphonic rock, and film score composer, born in Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland
Dec 17 William Brooks, American composer, educator, and musicologist, born in the USA
Dec 18 Alan Rudolph, American actor and director (Endangers Species, Love at Large, Made in Heaven), born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 18 Bobby Keys, American session and touring rock saxophonist (Rolling Stones; Harry Nilsson; John Lennon), born in Slaton, Texas (d. 2014)

Keith Richards (80 years old)

Dec 18 English guitarist and songwriter (The Rolling Stones), born in Dartford, Kent

Dec 19 Mulatu Astatke, Ethiopian jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, composer, and arranger, born in Jimma, Ethiopian Empire
Dec 19 Ross M. Lence, American political scientist (d. 2006)
Dec 19 Sam Kelly [Roger Michael Kelly], English actor ('Allo 'Allo!, Porridge), born in Manchester, England (d. 2014)
Dec 19 William DeVries, American cardiothoracic surgeon (artificial heart), born in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 20 Angel Tompkins, American actress (Gloria-Search), born in Albany, California
Dec 20 Walter "Wolfman" Washington, American funk, R&B, and blues guitarist (Johnny Adams; The Roadmasters), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2022)
Dec 21 (Marvin John) "Jack" Nance, American stage and screen actor (Eraserhead; Twin Peaks), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1996)
Dec 21 Albert Lee, English guitarist, born in Lingen, Herefordshire
Dec 21 André Arthur, Canadian radio host and politician, born in Quebec City, Canada
Dec 21 Walter Spanghero, French rugby union #8, lock, flanker (51 caps; RC Narbonne RFC, Stade Toulouse RFC), born in Payra-sur-l'Hers, France
Dec 22 Paul Wolfowitz, American political scientist and diplomat, born in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 23 Derek Small, British fictional heavy metal bassist (Spinal Tap), born in Nilford-on-Null, West Midlands, England
Dec 23 Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (A Patch of Blue, Beguilled), born in Youngstown, Ohio (d. 1987)
Dec 23 Harry Shearer, American screenwriter, actor (SNL, 1975-85; The Simpsons; This Is Spinal Tap), radio host (Le Show), and musician, born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 23 Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician, born in Boksitogorsk, Russia
Dec 23 Roelof den Ambtman, Dutch actor and director (One Evening at Eva), born in Maurik, Netherlands
Dec 23 Ross Edwards, Australian composer (Dawn Mantras), born in Sydney, Australia
Dec 23 Silvia Sommerlath, German wife of King Carl XVI of Sweden, born in Heidelberg, Germany
Dec 23 Stephen Wallace, Australian director (For Love Affair, Hunger, Mail Order Bride), born in New South Wales, Australia
Dec 24 Christiane Schmidtmer, German actress (Ship of Fools), born in Mannheim, Germany (d. 2003)
Dec 24 Suzy Menkes, British fashion journalist (International Herald Tribune, Vogue), born in Beaconsfield, England
Dec 24 Tarja Halonen, Finnish politician, 1st female President of Finland (2000-12), born in Helsinki, Finland
Dec 25 Arthur Adams, American session, funk, soul, and blues guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, born in Medon, Tennessee
Dec 25 Hanna Schygulla, Katowice Silesia, actress (Love is Colder than Death)
Dec 25 Hedley Howarth, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (30 Tests, 86 wickets; Auckland CA), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2008)
Dec 25 Jacqui McShee, English folk-jazz singer (Pentangle), born in Catford, England
Dec 25 Ravish Malhotra, India cosmonaut (Soyuz T-11 backup)
Dec 25 Trevor Lucas, Australian folk singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Fairport Convention), born in Bungaree, Victoria (d. 1989)
Dec 25 Wilson Fittipaldi Jr, Brazilian auto racer (38 x F1 GP) and team owner (Fittipaldi F1 team), born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 2024)
Dec 27 Corrine "Cokie" Roberts, American journalist, pioneering newscaster (ABC; NPR; PBS), and author, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2019)
Dec 27 Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish pop, rock and nueva canción singer-songwriter, born in Barcelona, Spain
Dec 27 Peter Sinfield, British lyricist (King Crimson; Emerson, Lake, & Palmer; Celine Dion), and haiku poet, born in Fulham, London, England
Dec 28 Bobby Comstock, American pop-rock singer (The Counts - "Let's Stomp"), born in Ithaca, New York (d. 2020)
Dec 28 Charles "Chas" Hodges, English musician (Chas & Dave), born in London (d. 2018)
Dec 28 David Peterson, premier of Ontario Canada (L) (1982- ), born in Toronto, Ontario
Dec 28 Keith Floyd, English celebrity cook and restaurateur (Floyd on Fish), born in Reading, Berkshire, England (d. 2009)
Dec 28 Oscar D Dhlomo, South African sect-gen of Inkatha (1978-90)
Dec 28 Richard Whiteley, British television game show host (Countdown), and broadcast journalist (Calendar), born in Bradford, England (d. 2005)
Dec 29 JHR Maij-Wegge, Dutch politician, born in Drenthe, Netherlands
Dec 29 Rick Danko, Canadian rock bassist and singer (The Band - "Stage Fright"), born in Blayney, Ontario (d. 1999)
Dec 30 Gösta Winbergh, Swedish tenor, born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 2002)
Dec 30 Rolf Gehlhaar, German-American electronic and avant-garde composer, born in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland) (d. 2019)

Ben Kingsley (80 years old)

Dec 31 English actor (Gandhi, Betrayal), born in Scarborough, England

John Denver (1943-1997)

Dec 31 American pop songwriter ("Leaving On A Jet Plane"), country-pop singer ("Sunshine On My Shoulders"; "Calypso"; "Thank God I'm A Country Boy"), and actor (Oh, God!), born in Roswell, New Mexico

Dec 31 Pete Quaife, British rock bassist (The Kinks, 1963-69 -"Sunny Afternoon"), and cartoonist, born in Tavistock, Devonshire, England (d. 2010)

Born in 1943

Famous Weddings

Dinah Shore

Dec 5 Singer and actress Dinah Shore (27) weds actor George Montgomery (27)

Carl Reiner

Dec 24 American comic actor and writer Carl Reiner (21) weds singer Estelle Lebost (29)

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai prince, son of King Mongkut and brother of King Chulalongkorn and historian, dies at 81
Dec 2 Nordahl Grieg, Norwegian poet, dramatist and novelist (The Defeat), dies at 41
Dec 4 Carlo Mierendorff, German politician and anti-fascist, dies at 46
Dec 6 Firmin Baes, Flemish painter, dies at 69
Dec 6 Hermann Löhr, British composer, dies at 72
Dec 14 John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon and nutritionist, inspired flaked cereal industry, dies at 91

Fats Waller (1904-1943)

Dec 15 American jazz organist, piano player, singer and composer ("Ain't Misbehavin'"; "Honeysuckle Rose"; "Hot Chocolate"), dies of pneumonia at 39 [1]

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

Dec 22 English children's author and illustrator (The Tale of Peter Rabbit), dies at 77

Dec 23 Theo Thijssen, Dutch writer (Kees the boy), dies at 64
Dec 25 Ilona Durigo, Hungarian contralto singer, dies at 62
Dec 25 Raymond Huntington Woodman, composer, dies at 82
Dec 29 William Henry Singer, American painter and collector (Singer Museum, Laren), dies at 75
Dec 30 Hobart Bosworth, American actor (Woman of Affairs, Big Parade), dies at 76

On This Day