What Happened in December 1952

Historical Events

  • Dec 1 The New York Daily News reports the first successful sexual reassignment operation
  • Dec 2 18th Heisman Trophy Award: Billy Vessels, Oklahoma (HB)
  • Dec 2 First human birth televised to public on KOA-TV Denver, Colorado
  • Dec 3 1st TV broadcast in Hawaii
  • Dec 3 Marcos Perez Jiménez elected president of Venezuela
  • Dec 4 Walter P. Reuther chosen chairman of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the US
  • Dec 5 Great Smog of London (England): Killer fog creeps in, as still winds and cold temperatures cause pollution fueled by coal smoke to stagnate; lasting 4 days, over 8,000 deaths attributed to conditions [1] [2]
  • Dec 6 Czech government tells Israeli ambassador that he is persona non grata
  • Dec 7 KKTV TV channel 11 in Colorado Spgs-Pueblo, CO (CBS) 1st broadcast
  • Dec 8 1st TV acknowledgement of pregnancy (I Love Lucy)
  • Dec 8 French troops shoot at anti-colonial demonstrators in Casablanca, Morocco, killing 50
  • Dec 8 Isaak Ben-Zwi elected President of Israel
  • Dec 9 Great Smog of London (England): Wind resumes, lifting city's worst smog after 4 days; over 8,000 deaths attributed to conditions; clean air legislation enacted in its wake [1] [2]
  • Dec 10 Izhak Ben-Zvi elected 2nd president of Israel
  • Dec 10 WSLS TV channel 10 in Roanoke, VA (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • Dec 13 NFL Dallas Texans (former NY Yanks) play final game, losing 41-6 to the Lions in Detroit; finish with record of 1-11
  • Dec 14 KROD (now KDBC) TV channel 4 in El Paso, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • Dec 14 R H Shodhan scores 110 on Test Cricket debut v Pakistan, Calcutta
  • Dec 14 UN Troops kill 82 North Korean POWs during a prison camp riot in Pongam-do, South Korea
  • Dec 15 Christine Jorgenson is the first known American to undergo a sex-change operation
  • Dec 15 KHON TV channel 2 in Honolulu, HI (NBC) begins broadcasting

Orientales Ecclesias

Dec 15 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Orientales Ecclesias

Two's Company

Dec 15 Vernon Duke, Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn's musical revue "Two's Company", starring Bette Davis, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 90 performances

  • Dec 18 Ellis W. Ryan resigns as Cleveland Indians president

Event of Interest

Dec 19 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands unveils statue "Docker" ("Dokwerker"), memorializing the February Strike of 1941 over the arrest of 450 Jews for the killing of a Nazi sympathizer; designed by Mari Andriessen, it was relocated in 1970 from Amsterdam's Waterlooplein Market to Jonas Daniel Meijerplein (Square)

  • Dec 20 KHQ TV channel 6 in Spokane, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • Dec 21 Broadway Tunnel opens in San Francisco
  • Dec 21 WSBT TV channel 22 in South Bend, IN (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • Dec 22 French government of Pinay, resigns
  • Dec 22 WSBA (now WPMT) TV channel 43 in York, PA (IND) begins broadcasting
  • Dec 23 Alain Bombard arrives in Barbados after 65 days at sea proving his theory that a shipwrecked person could survive with almost no provisions, despite having lost 25 kg (65 lbs) in weight
  • Dec 28 National Football League Championship, Cleveland Municipal Stadium: Detroit Lions beat Cleveland Browns, 17-7
  • Dec 29 1st transistorized hearing aid offered for sale (Elmsford NY)
  • Dec 30 Tuskegee Inst reports 1952 as 1st yr in 71 with no lynchings in US

Nardico vs. LaMotta

Dec 31 Danny Nardico stops former world middleweight champion Jake LaMotta in 7 rounds in a light heavyweight non-title bout in Coral Gables, Florida; LaMotta is knocked down for the only time in his career, his corner stopping fight after the round

Australia Retains Title

Dec 31 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Memorial Drive, Adelaide: Vic Seixas beats Ken McGregor in 4 sets but Australia retains title for third straight year; beats US, 4-1 in Adelaide


1952 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Dec 1 Les Dyl, English rugby league utility back (11 caps Great Britain, 13 England; Leeds RLFC, Bramley RLFC), born in Castleford, England (d. 2022)
  • Dec 1 Rick Scott, American politician (Senator-R-Florida 2019-, Governor of Florida 2011-19), born in Bloomington, Illinois
  • Dec 2 Carol Shea-Porter, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire), born in New York City
  • Dec 2 Keith Szarabajka, American actor (The Equalizer), born in Oak Park, Illinois
  • Dec 2 Rob Mounsey, American session pianist, composer, and arranger, born in Berea, Ohio
  • Dec 3 Benny Hinn, American televangelist
  • Dec 3 David Hixon, American Basketball HOF coach (Amherst College 1978-2019; NCAA Div III National C'ship 2007, 13), born in Andover, Massachusetts
  • Dec 3 Don Barnes, American rock guitarist (38 Special - "Teacher, Teacher"), born in Jacksonville, Florida
  • Dec 3 Duane Roland, American southern-rock guitarist (Molly Hatchet - "Flirtin' With Disaster"), born in Jeffersonville, Indiana (d. 2006)
  • Dec 3 Mel Smith, author, actor, and comedian (Morons From Outer Space), (d. 2013)
  • Dec 4 Ronald M. Sega, American professor of systems engineering and astronaut (STS 60, 76), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Dec 5 Bobby Barth, American rocker vocalist and guitarist (Axe), born in Coffeyville, Kansas
  • Dec 6 Craig Newmark, American entrepreneur and founder of the website Craigslist, born in Morristown, New Jersey
  • Dec 7 Georges Corraface, Greek-French actor and president of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, born in Paris, France
  • Dec 7 Susan Collins, American politician (U.S. Senator from Maine), born in Caribou, Maine
  • Dec 8 Javier Cárdenas, Mexican soccer midfielder (12 caps; CD Guadalajara 215 games), born in Mexico City (d. 2022)
  • Dec 8 Khaw Boon Wan, Singapore Health Minister, born in Penang, Malaysia
  • Dec 8 Ric Sanders, British folk-rock, jazz violinist (Fairport Convention; Stomu Yamash'ta; Soft Machine), born in Birmingham, England
  • Dec 8 Richie Morales, American jazz-fusion drummer (Spyro Gyra. 1983-90 - "Morning Dance"), and college professor (SUNY, 2000-21), born in New York City
  • Dec 9 Michael Dorn, American actor (Worf-Star Trek Next Generation), born in Luling, Texas
  • Dec 10 Susan Dey, American actress (1st Love, Partridge Family, LA Law), born in Pekin, Illinois
  • Dec 11 Susan Seidelman, American film director (Desperately Seeking Susan), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Dec 12 Ajit De Silva, Sri Lankan cricket spin bowler (4 Tests), born in Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka
  • Dec 12 Cathy Rigby (McCoy), American gymnast (Olympics, 1968 & 1972), stage actress (Peter Pan), and sports commentator, born in Long Beach, California
  • Dec 12 Herb Dhaliwal, Canadian politician, born in Chiheru, Punjab, India
  • Dec 12 Sarah Douglas, British actress (Conan; Superman II; Falcon Crest), born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
  • Dec 13 John Francome, English jockey, born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England
  • Dec 13 Sylvester Ritter (Junkyard Dog), American professional wrestler, born in Wadesboro, North Carolina (d. 1998)
  • Dec 14 Germain Houde, French Canadian actor, born in Petit-Saguenay, Quebec
  • Dec 14 John Lurie, American jazz saxophonist (Lounge Lizards), composer and actor (Down By Law; Stranger Than Paradise), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Dec 14 Tamara Danz, German singer (Silly), born in Breitungen, Thuringia (d. 1996)
  • Dec 15 Allan Simonsen, Danish soccer forward (55 caps; Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Barcelona, Vejle BK) and manager (Vejle BK, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg), born in Vejle, Denmark
  • Dec 15 Guy Laporte, French rugby union fly-half (16 Tests, Grand Slam 1986; SC Rieumois, SC Graulhet), born in Beaufort, France (d. 2022)
  • Dec 15 Julie Taymor, American film and stage director (The Lion Kong, Frida), born in Newton, Massachusetts
  • Dec 16 Francesco Graziani, Italian footballer
  • Dec 16 Joel Garner, Christ Church, Barbados, West Indian cricketer (two-metre West Indian pace bowler 1977-87)
  • Dec 17 Hans Alders, Dutch minister of environment (PvdA)
  • Dec 18 David Hentschel, British recording engineer, producer, and film score composer, born in Sussex, England
  • Dec 18 Rosie Vela, American model and singer-songwriter (Zazu, Fool's Paradise), born in Galveston, Texas
  • Dec 20 Jenny Agutter, English actress (Logan's Run, Equus, Amy), born in Taunton England
  • Dec 20 Sergio Vastano, Italian actor (Nightclub, Prete Bello), born in Rome, Italy
  • Dec 21 Dennis Boutsikaris, American actor (Batteries Not Included), born in Newark, New Jersey
  • Dec 21 Joaquín Andújar, Dominican baseball pitcher (4 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1982; Gold Glove Award 1984; Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals), born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic (d. 2015)
  • Dec 21 Steve Furniss, American swimmer (WR men's 200m IM 2:06.32 1974; Olympic bronze 1972), born in Madison, Wisconsin
  • Dec 23 Hans Abrahamsen, Danish classical music composer (Let Me Tell You; Left, Alone; Schnee), born in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
  • Dec 23 William Kristol, American political commentator, born in New York City
  • Dec 24 Chucho Merchán, Colombian session and touring jazz and rock double bassist, and charity organizer (FONEVA), born in Bogotá, Colombia
  • Dec 25 CCH Pounder, Guyanese-American actress (ER. The Shield), born in Georgetown, British Guiana
  • Dec 25 Desireless [Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop], French singer (Voyage, Voyage), born in Paris, France
  • Dec 26 Andre-Michel Schub, French pianist (Van Cliburn-1981), born in Paris, France
  • Dec 27 Craig Reynolds, American baseball shortstop who was MLB All Star 1978, 79; Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, born in Houston, Texas
  • Dec 27 David Knopfler, British singer-songwriter (Dire Straits - 1977-80 - "Sultans of Swing"), born in Glasgow, Scotland
  • Dec 27 Jay Hill, Canadian politician
  • Dec 27 Tovah Feldshuh, American actress (Idolmaker, Terror out of the Sky), born in New York City
  • Dec 28 Arun Jaitley, Indian Politician
  • Dec 28 Ray Knight, American baseball 3rd baseman (MLB All-Star 1980, 82; World Series MVP 1986 NY Mets; Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros), born in Albany, Georgia
  • Dec 29 Gelsey Kirkland, American ballerina (Nutcracker), born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
  • Dec 29 Joe Lovano, American jazz saxophonist, born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Dec 29 Nikolai Andrianov, Soviet/Russian gymnast (Olympic gold 1972, 76, 80), born in Vladimir, Russia (d. 2011)
  • Dec 30 June Anderson, American coloratura soprano, born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Dec 30 Larry Bartlett, photographic printer
  • Dec 30 Somtow Sucharitkul [S. P. Somtow], Thai composer and sci-fi author (Utopia Hunters), born in Bangkok, Thailand
  • Dec 31 Charles Ogletree, American civil rights attorney and educator (Harvard Law School, 1985-2015), born in Merce, California (d. 2023)
Born in 1952

Famous Weddings

Jean-Paul Belmondo

Dec 4 Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo marries first wife Élodie Constantin (divorced 1968)

Famous Deaths

  • Dec 1 Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Prime Minister of Italy (1917-19) who represented Italy at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, dies at 92
  • Dec 4 James E. Norris, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame team owner (Detroit Red Wings), dies at 72
  • Dec 4 Karen Horney, German-American neo freudian psycho analyst, dies at 67
  • Dec 6 Louis Lapicque, French neuroscientist, dies at 86
  • Dec 8 Charles Lightoller, British mariner (Second Officer of HMS Titanic), WWI Royal Navy officer, WWII Small Vessels Pool volunteer, dies of heart disease at 78
  • Dec 11 Charles Kortright, English cricketer described at the time of his death as "probably the fastest bowler in the history of the game", dies at 81
  • Dec 12 Bedřich Hrozný, Czech orientalist and linguist (development of Hittitology), dies at 73
  • Dec 14 (Olav) Fartein Valen, Norwegian composer, pianist, polyglot, and rosarian, dies at 65
  • Dec 15 Potti Sreeramulu, Indian revolutionary known as the Father of Andhra for conducting a 56 day hunger strike in support of a separate Telugu-speaking state, fasts to death at 51, sparking rioting and 3 days later Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to declare an intention to form Andhra Pradesh state
  • Dec 19 Harry Makepeace, English cricket batsman (4 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 117; Lancashire CCC) and soccer midfielder (4 caps; FA Cup 1906 Everton), dies at 71
  • Dec 24 Hans Kramers, Dutch theoretical physicist (worked with Niels Bohr on electromagnetic waves), dies at 58
  • Dec 26 Pietro Pancrazi, Italian critic (Pegaso), dies at 59
  • Dec 27 Henri G Winkelman, Dutch supreme commander army/navy 1940, dies at 76
  • Dec 27 Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian Roman Catholic priest, dies at 74
  • Dec 29 Beryl Rubinstein, American pianist and composer, dies at 54

Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)

Dec 29 American pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger (Benny Goodman Orchestra), dies at 55 [1]

  • Dec 30 Ivan Olbracht, writer, dies