Historical Events
- Dec 1 2 people killed and 127 injured when 2 car bombs explode in the centre of Dublin, Ireland
- Dec 1 Wings release "Hi, Hi, Hi" in UK
- Dec 2 "December Giant" largest sinkhole in US collapses (Alabama)
- Dec 2 37th Iron Bowl: Auburn beats Alabama 17-16 in Birmingham, Alabama
- Dec 2 Galt MacDermot and Christopher Gore's futuristic rock musical "Via Galactica" closes at Uris Theater, NYC, after 7 performances
Ilie Năstase
Dec 2 Romanian tennis star Ilie Năstase successfully defends his ATP Masters Grand Prix title with a 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3 win over American Stan Smith in Barcelona, Spain
- Dec 2 USC tailback Anthony Davis becomes first to score 6 touchdowns against Notre Dame; in a 45-23 victory over the Fighting Irish Davis at the LA Coliseum he scores on runs of 1, 4, 5 & 8 yards and 2 kickoff returns
- Dec 3 CFL Grey Cup, Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat Saskatchewan Roughriders, 13-10; Tiger-Cats first team in CFL's modern era to win Grey Cup at home
- Dec 3 Convair 990A charter crashes in Tenerife Canary Island, 155 die
- Dec 5 38th Heisman Trophy Award: Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (FL)
- Dec 5 Australia Labour party wins parliamentary election
- Dec 5 Joseph A Walker's "River Niger" premieres in NYC
The Blue Marble
Dec 7 Apollo 17 launched, the final manned lunar landing mission where the crew takes the famous "blue marble" photo of the entire Earth
Imelda Marcos Stabbed
Dec 7 Philippine's first lady Imelda Marcos stabbed & wounded by an assailant
- Dec 8 United Airlines crashes at Chicago's Midway Airport killing 45
- Dec 10 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Dec 11 American Astronauts Eugene Cernan & Harrison 'Jack" Schmitt, a become 11th & 12th people on the Moon
- Dec 11 New York Jets' Don Maynard becomes all time pro reception leader (632)
The Poseidon Adventure
Dec 12 "The Poseidon Adventure", starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Jack Albertson premieres in NYC
- Dec 14 Eugene Cernan & Harrison Schmitt leave the Moon
- Dec 16 Bangladesh Constitution goes into effect
- Dec 16 Miami Dolphins become 1st undefeated NFL team (14-0-0)
- Dec 17 New line of control agreed to in Kashmir between India & Pakistan
- Dec 17 WGVC (now WUCX) TV channel 35 in Grand Rapids, MI (PBS) 1st broadcast
America’s Agony Is Over: Vietnam War Ends
Dec 18 US launches Operation Linebacker II, its heaviest bombing of North Vietnam, as negotiations to end the Vietnam War collapse
- Dec 19 Apollo 17 (last of Apollo Moon landing series) returns to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, southeast of Samoa
"The Effect of Gamma Rays"
Dec 20 "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds" film directed by Paul Newman and starring his wife Joanna Woodward, premieres in NYC
- Dec 20 Five civilians (four Catholics, one Protestant) killed in gun attack on the Top of the Hill Bar in Derry, North Ireland
"The Sunshine Boys"
Dec 20 Neil Simon's play "The Sunshine Boys" starring Jack Albertson and Sam Levene, and directed by Alan Arkin, opens at Broadhurst Theater (later transferring Shubert, then the Lunt-Fontanne), NYC; runs for 538 performances, winning 2 Tony Awards
- Dec 21 Soviet Union signs a separate peace with East Germany
- Dec 22 6.25 earthquake strikes Managua Nicaragua, 12,000+ killed
- Dec 23 "Immaculate Reception" Steelers turns around a 7-6 defeat with a last second touchdown reception against Raiders to win 13-7 [1]
- Dec 23 16 plane crash survivors rescued from Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 after 72 days on the Andean Mountains, after only surviving through cannibalism
- Dec 23 2nd Fiesta Bowl: #15 Arizona State beats Missouri, 49-35
- Dec 23 6.25 Earthquake destroys central Managua Nicaragua, 10,000 die
- Dec 23 B. S. Chandrasekhar takes 8-79 India v England at Delhi
- Dec 23 New York Islanders end 15 games winless streak
Franz Beckenbauer Gets Award
Dec 26 Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich defender Franz Beckenbauer wins award for best European football player ahead of tied fellow German duo of Gerd Müller and Günter Netzer
- Dec 27 Belgium recognizes German DR
- Dec 27 LA Kings start Islanders on 12 game losing streak
- Dec 27 New North Korean constitution comes into effect
- Dec 27 Revival of Gary Geld and Peter Udell's musical "Purlie", based on Ossie Davis' "Purlie Victorious", opens at Billy Rose Theater, NYC; runs for 14 performances
- Dec 28 2 people are killed in a Loyalist bomb attack on the village of Belturbet, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland
- Dec 28 Kim Il-song becomes president of North Korea
Nazi Leader Remains Found
Dec 28 Nazi leader Martin Bormann's skeleton and remains are found in Berlin
- Dec 28 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Dec 29 "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" film written and directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski premieres in West Germany
- Dec 29 Eastern Tristar Jumbo Jet crashes near Everglades killing 101
- Dec 29 Life magazine ceases publication
- Dec 29 President of Sinn Féin Ruairi O Bradaigh is arrested and held under new legislation in Republic of Ireland
- Dec 29 Test Cricket debut of Jeff Thomson and Max Walker v Pakistan at MCG
Nixon Announces Peace Talks
Dec 30 US President Richard Nixon halts bombing of North Vietnam & announces peace talks
- Dec 31 39th Sugar Bowl: #2 Oklahoma beats #5 Penn State, 14-0
- Dec 31 AFC Championship, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh: Miami Dolphins beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-7
Court Defeats Goolagong
Dec 31 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Margaret Court beats Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6-4, 7-5 for her record 11th and final Australian singles crown
- Dec 31 Leap second day; also in 1973-79, 1987
Martin McGuinness Arrested
Dec 31 Martin McGuinness is arrested and held under the new Republic of Ireland legislation
- Dec 31 NFC Championship, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.: Washington Redskins beat Dallas Cowboys 26-3
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 1 Norbert Wójtowicz, Polish historian and theologian
- Dec 2 Alan Henderson, American basketball forward (NBA Most Improved Player 1998; Atlanta Hawks), born in Morgantown, West Virginia
- Dec 3 Bucky Lasek, American skateboarder (10 x Summer X Games gold), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Dec 3 Eva Němcová, Czech basketball forward (WNBA record 66 consecutive free throws 2000; Cleveland Rockers), born in Prague, Czech Republic
- Dec 4 Justin Welch, English rock drummer (Elastica, Lush. Jesus and Mary Chain), born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
- Dec 4 Ted Johnson, American NFL inside linebacker (Super Bowl 2001, 03-04; New England Patriots), born in Alameda, California
- Dec 5 Angela Shelton, American actress and screenwriter (Tumbleweeds), born in Asheville, North Carolina
- Dec 5 Cliff Floyd, MLB outfielder and 1st base (Montreal Expos), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 5 Mike Mahoney, American baseball player, born in Des Moines, Iowa
- Dec 5 Randolph Ross, American 110m hurdler, born in Shelby, North Carolina
- Dec 5 Roderick Mullen, American NFL defensive back (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31), born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Dec 6 Gary Bandy, American NFL defensive end (Atlanta Falcons), born in Kansas City, Missouri
- Dec 6 James Logan, American NFL linebacker (Seattle Seahawks), born in Opp, Alabama
- Dec 6 Mike Gruttadauri, American football center (St Louis Rams), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Sarah Rafferty (51 years old)
Dec 6 American actress (Donna-Suits; Chicago Med), born in New Canaan, Connecticut
- Dec 7 'Sunny' Tammy Lynn Sytch, American professional wrestler (WWF), born in Matawan, New Jersey
- Dec 7 Bobby Schoonens, Dutch soccer player (RKC), born in Den Bosch, Netherlands
- Dec 7 Clay Shiver, American NFL center (Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers), born in Tifton, Georgia
- Dec 7 Hermann Maier, Austrian skier (2 x Olympic gold Super-G, Giant slalom 1998; 3 x World C'ship gold; 4 x overall World Cup titles), born in Altenmarkt im Pongau, Austria
- Dec 7 Jordi Buritlo, Spanish tennis player, born in Barcelona, Spain
- Dec 7 Kevin Dogins, American NFL player (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Eagle Lake, Texas
- Dec 8 Frank Shamrock, American mixed martial artist, born in Santa Monica, California
- Dec 8 Marco Abreu, Angolan footballer, born in Lubango, Angola
- Dec 9 Fabrice Santoro, Tahitian tennis star, born in Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Dec 9 Reiko Aylesworth, American actress, born in Evanston, Illinois
- Dec 9 Tré Cool [Frank Wright], German-born American drummer (Green Day - "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"), born in Frankfurt, Germany
- Dec 10 Brian Molko, Belgian-born singer and songwriter (Placebo - "Nancy Boy"), born in Brussels, Belgium
- Dec 10 Dimitri Tikovoi, French pop, rock, and dance musician and record producer, born in Paris
- Dec 10 Donavon Frankenreiter, American singer-songwriter, guitarist (Pass It Around), and surfer, born in Downey, California
- Dec 11 Dana Macsim, Romanian television news reporter, born in Piatra Neamt, Romania
- Dec 11 Daniel Alfredsson, Swedish NHL right wing (Ottawa Senators), born in Gothenburg, Sweden
- Dec 11 Francisco Rodriguez, American pitcher (Minnesota Twins), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 11 Robert Robinson, Canadian CFL defensive linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), born in Toronto, Ontario
- Dec 12 Abubacarr Tambadou, Gambian human rights lawyer (International Court of Justice case against Myanmar persecution of Rohingya)
- Dec 12 Brandon Teena, American trans man and hate crime victim, born in Lincoln, Nebraska (d. 1993)
- Dec 12 Greg Randolph, American road cyclist (Olympics-74th-96), born in Denver, Colorado
- Dec 12 Kevin Parent, French Canadian singer and songwriter, born in Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada
- Dec 12 Missy Francis, American actress (Little House on the Prairie), born in Los Angeles, California
- Dec 12 Nicky Eaden, English footballer, born in Sheffield, England
- Dec 12 Wilson Kipketer, Kenyan-born Danish middle-distance runner, born in Kapchemoiywo, Nandi County, Kenya
- Dec 12 Yeoryios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter, born in Athens
- Dec 14 Eric Anderson, American musical theatre actor, born in Newport Beach, California
- Dec 14 Johnny Mcwilliams, American football tight end (Arizona Cardinals), born in Pomona, California
- Dec 14 Marcus Jensen, American baseball player, born in Oakland, California
- Dec 14 Miranda Hart [Miranda Hart Dyke], English comedian and actress (Miranda), born in London, England
- Dec 15 Lee Jung-jae, South Korean actor (Squid Game), born in Seoul, South Korea
- Dec 15 Rodney Harrison, American football safety (Super Bowl 2003, 04 NE Patriots; Pro Bowl 1998, 2001; First team All-Pro 1998, 2003; SD Chargers), born in Markham, Illinois
- Dec 15 Stuart Townsend, Irish actor (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), born in Howth, Ireland
- Dec 16 Angela Bloomfield, New Zealand actress
- Dec 16 Charles Gipson, American baseball player
- Dec 16 Pavlo Shkapenko, Ukrainian midfielder/striker (10 caps; FC Dynamo Kyiv, FC Torpedo Moscow), born in Zaporizhia, Ukraine (d. 2023)
- Dec 16 Željko Kalac, Australian soccer player (AC Milan) and coach, born in Sydney, New South Wales
- Dec 17 Brian Williams, NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31)
- Dec 17 Dewayne Washington, cornerback (Minnesota Vikings)
- Dec 17 Don Davis, linebacker (New Orleans Saints)
- Dec 17 Ivan Pedroso, Cuba, long jumper (Olympic 4th 1992)
- Dec 17 John Abraham, Indian actor
- Dec 17 Laurie Holden, American actress (The Walking Dead), born in Los Angeles, California
- Dec 18 DJ Lethal, Latvian-born American DJ (House of Pain, Limp Bizkit)
- Dec 18 Jeff Nelson, Prince Albert, NHL center (Washington Capitals)
- Dec 18 Raymond Herrera, American heavy metal drummer (Fear Factory), video game composer, and businessman, born in Los Angeles, California
- Dec 18 Trevor Chowning, American Pop Artist
Alyssa Milano (51 years old)
Dec 19 American actress (Who's the Boss?; Charmed) and activist, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 19 Rosa Blasi, American stage and screen actress (Strong Medicine), and family therapist, born in Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 19 Warren Sapp, American Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (Super Bowl XXXVII; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1999; 4 × First-team All-Pro; 7 × Pro Bowl; TB Buccaneers; Oakland Raiders), born in Orlando, Florida
- Dec 20 Anders Odden, Norwegian musician, born in Stavanger, Norway
- Dec 20 Jan Caloun, Czech hockey forward (Team Czech Olympic gold 1998), born in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
- Dec 20 Jonathan Wyatt, New Zealand runner (6 x World Mountain Running Trophy; 8 x world mountain running GP Series champion), born in Wellington, New Zealand
- Dec 21 Dustin Hermanson, American baseball player, born in Springfield, Ohio
- Dec 21 Erwin Schrott, Uruguayan opera singer, born in Montevideo, Uruguay
- Dec 21 Latroy Hawkins, American baseball player, born in Gary, Indiana
- Dec 22 Big Tigger [Darian Morgan], American television host and radio personality, born in Co-op City, New York
- Dec 22 Kirk Maltby, Canadian NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Guelph, Canada
- Dec 22 Mike Thompson, NFL defensive tackle (Jacksonville Jaguars), born in Portage, Wisconsin
- Dec 22 Vanessa Paradis, French model (Channel)/actress (White Wedding), born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France
- Dec 24 Alvaro Mesen, Costa Rican footballer, born in Alajuela, Costa Rica
- Dec 25 Fantasia [Tonya Manley], American dancer and actress (Pump it Up), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Dec 25 Josh Freese, American session and touring rock drummer (Devo; Sting; Nine Inch Nails; Kelly Clarkson), born in Orlando, Florida
- Dec 26 Esteban Fuertes, Argentine footballer, born in Coronel Dorrego Partido, Argentina
- Dec 26 Robert Muchamore, English children's author, born in Islington, London
- Dec 27 Charles Way, NFL fullback (NY Giants)
- Dec 27 Dewayne Washington, NFL cornerback (Minnesota Vikings)
- Dec 27 Matt Slocum, American rock guitarist, cello player, and songwriter (Sixpence None the Richer - "Kiss Me"), born in Bristol, Rhode Island
- Dec 27 Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor (Jason-Knots Landing), born in Lusk, Wyoming
- Dec 28 Adam Clawson, US slalom canoeist (Olympic-19th-96), born in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Dec 28 Adam Vinatieri, US NFL placekicker (Amsterdam Admirals, NE Patriots), born in Yankton, South Dakota
- Dec 28 Jean-Francois Jomphe, Canadian professional ice hockey player (Anaheim), born in Havre-Saint-Pierre, Canada
- Dec 28 Jim Kitts, US NFL running back (Frankfurt Galaxy, Miami Dolphins), born in Portsmouth, Virginia
- Dec 28 Kevin Stitt, American politician, Governor of Oklahoma (2019-), born in Milton, Florida
- Dec 28 Patrick Rafter, Australian tennis player (US Open 1997-98), born in Mount Isa, Australia
- Dec 28 Roberto Palacios, Peruvian footballer, born in Lima, Peru
- Dec 29 Evan Seinfeld, American heavy metal singer and bassist (Biohazard) and actor (Oz), born in Brooklyn, New York
Jude Law (51 years old)
Dec 29 English actor (The Talented Mr. Ripley; The Grand Budapest Hotel), born in London
- Dec 30 Kerry Collins, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Penn State Uni; Pro Bowl 1996, 2008; Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans), born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
- Dec 30 Loren Meyer, NBA center (Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks)
- Dec 30 Maureen Flannigan, actress (Evie-Out of This World)
- Dec 30 Paul Keegan, Irish footballer
- Dec 31 Joey McIntyre, American singer-songwriter (New Kids On The Block - "Lovin' You Forever"), born in Needham, Massachusetts
Famous Weddings
Billy Dee Williams
Dec 27 American actor Billy Dee Williams (35) weds Teruko Nakagami, his third marriage, her second
Famous Deaths
Antonio Segni (1891-1972)
Dec 1 Italian politician, Prime Minister of Italy (1955-57, 59-60, 62-64), dies at 81
- Dec 2 Ip Man, Chinese martial artist, and a master teacher of Wing Chun, dies at 79
- Dec 2 José Limón, Mexican-American dancer and choreographer (The Moor's Pavane; I, Odysseus), dies of cancer at 64
- Dec 3 Bill Johnson, American musician (b. 1872)
- Dec 3 Friedrich Christian Christiansen, German Luftwaffe officer (WWII - Chief Military Commander in the Netherlands; WWI - flying ace), and war criminal, dies at 92
- Dec 3 Mike Brady, American golfer (US Open 1911, 19 runner-up; 9 PGA Tour titles), dies at 85
- Dec 5 Kenny Dorham [McKinley], American jazz trumpeter, dies at 48
- Dec 6 Janet Munro [Horsburgh], British actress (The Crawling Eye; Swiss Family Robinson), dies of congenital heart failure at 38
- Dec 8 George Collins, (Rep-Ill), dies at 47, in airplane crash
- Dec 9 Louella Parsons, American gossip columnist, dies at 91
- Dec 10 Mark van Doren, American poet and author (Happy Critic, Transients), dies at 78
- Dec 11 John Mills, New Zealand cricket batsman (7 Tests, 241 runs, 1 x 100), dies at 67
- Dec 11 Semjon I. Kirsanov, Ukrainian poet (Zolushka), dies at 66
- Dec 15 Edward Earle, Canadian actor (Charlie Chan-Meeting at Midnight), dies at 90
- Dec 15 Herbert Eimert, German composer and musicologist (Glockenspiel), dies at 75
- Dec 17 Erwin Dressel, German composer, dies at 63
- Dec 18 Neilia Biden, Joe Biden's first wife and their 13-month-old daughter Naomi, are killed in an automobile accident a few days before he takes office as the newly elected Senator for Delaware
- Dec 20 Gabby Hartnett, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (MLB All Star 1933–38; NL MVP 1935; Chicago Cubs) and manager (Chicago Cubs), dies of cirrhosis on his 72nd birthday
- Dec 21 Horace Mann Bond, American educator, administrator (President of Lincoln University (Pa), 1945-57), and historian, dies at 68
- Dec 23 Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish-born Jewish American rabbi and theologian dies in New York aged 65
- Dec 23 Andrej Tupolev, Russian aircraft builder, dies at 84
- Dec 24 Charles Atlas [Angelo Siciliano], Italian-American bodybuilder, dies at 79
- Dec 24 Ernst Kreuder, German writer (The Attic Pretenders), dies at 69
- Dec 24 Melville Ruick, American actor (Sun Valley Serenade, City Hospital), dies at 74
- Dec 25 C. Rajagopalachari, India's freedom fighter and the first Governor General of independent India, dies at 94
Harry Truman (1884-1972)
Dec 26 33rd US President (Democrat: 1945-53), dies in Kansas City Mo at 88
Lester B. Pearson (1897-1972)
Dec 27 Canadian diplomat (Nobel Peace Prize, 1957) and politician (Prime Minister, 1963-68), and WWI aviator commonly known as "Mike", dies of cancer at 75
Roberto Clemente (1934-1972)
Dec 31 Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (15 x MLB All Star; World Series 1960, 71 [MVP]; Pittsburgh Pirates), dies in a plane crash at 38
