What Happened in December 1995

Historical Events

Dec 2 17th ACE Cable Awards: TLC wins the Golden CableACE for "KnowTV: Changing What, Why and How You Watch"
Dec 2 4th SEC Championship Game: #2 Florida beats #23 Arkansas, 34-3

Patrick Roy

Dec 2 Montreal Canadiens coach Mario Tremblay leaves goaltender Patrick Roy in the game too long, allowing an embarrassing 9 goals in 11-1 rout by Detroit Red Wings; Roy demands trade; moves to Colorado Avalanche and wins Stanley Cup that season

Dec 3 "Holiday" opens at Circle in Square Theater, NYC; runs for 49 performances

US Defeats Russia

Dec 3 Davis Cup Tennis, Moscow: Pete Sampras beats Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 to give US a winning 3-1 lead (ends 3-2); record 31st US title

Dec 3 England cricket wicket keeper Jack Russell dismisses Clive Eksteen with his record 11th catch in 2nd Test v South Africa in Johannesburg
Dec 3 Naeem Akhtar takes 10-28 for Rawalpindi B against Peshawar
Dec 3 Northwestern South Carolina begins using new area code 864
Dec 3 Revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company" closes at Criterion Theater, NYC, after 68 performances
Dec 4 Atherton (185*) bats for 643 minutes to save Johannesburg Test
Dec 5 The Sri Lankan government announces the conquest of Tamil stronghold of Jaffna.
Dec 6 6th Billboard Music Awards: TLC & Hootie & The Blowfish win

Michael Jackson Collapses

Dec 6 Michael Jackson collapses while rehearsing for an HBO special

The Grateful Dead Break Up

Dec 7 American rock band The Grateful Dead break up after the death of Jerry Garcia

Seamus Heaney Awarded Nobel

Dec 7 Irish poet Seamus Heaney receives the Novel Prize for Literature at a ceremony in Stockholm [1] [2]

Dec 7 NBA settles strike of referees, refs to return on Dec 12
Dec 7 US space probe Galileo begins orbiting Jupiter

Penderecki's Symphony No, 3

Dec 8 Krzysztof Penderecki conducts the Munich Philharmonic in premiere of his Symphony No. 3

Dec 9 61st Heisman Trophy Award: Eddie George, Ohio State (RB)
Dec 9 The Messel Pit in Germany inscribed on UNECO's World Heritage List as the world richest fossil site for Eocene period (57-36 million years ago) [1]
Dec 10 1st meeting of NBA expansion teams, Raptors beat Grizzlies 93-81
Dec 10 Australian cricket opening batsman Michael Slater scores career high 219 (15 x 4, 5 x 6) in innings and 36 run, 1st Test win v Sri Lanka in Perth
Dec 10 Muralitharan takes 2-224 in Australian innings of 5-617
Dec 10 Ricky Ponting makes 96 on Test Cricket debut (Aust v Sri Lanka, WACA)
Dec 10 Worst snowstorm in Buffalo history, 37.9" in 24 hours (Starting Dec 9 at 7 PM, breaks previous record of 25.3" in 1982
Dec 11 Thomas O Hicks buys NHL Dallas Stars for $84 million
Dec 12 Amendment to make it illegal to physically desecrate the flag turned down by senate 63-36 (need 2/3 vote)
Dec 12 CBC announces Radio Canada International service to end on March 31

Peres Addresses US Congress

Dec 12 Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres addresses both houses of the US Congress

Dec 12 NBA referees return to work after striking

Reeve's Rehab Release

Dec 13 Christopher Reeve released from physical rehab center after his fall from his horse in a riding competition

Dec 13 US Federal Court votes that Cable companies must carry local stations
Dec 14 AIDS patient Jeff Getty receives baboon bone marrow transplant

The Dayton Agreement

Dec 14 The Dayton Agreement is signed in Paris by leaders of various governments ending the conflict in the former Yugoslavia including Slobodan Milošević, Alija Izetbegović, Franjo Tuđman and Bill Clinton

Dec 15 Playboy goes back on sale after 36 year ban in Ireland
Dec 15 The European Communities Court of Justice hands down the "Bosman ruling", giving EU footballers the right to a free transfer at the end of their contracts, with the provision that they are transferring from one UEFA Federation to another.
Dec 16 The official adoption of the name "Euro"
Dec 17 "School after Scandal" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 23 performances

René Préval Elected

Dec 17 René Préval wins the Haiti presidential elections for the Fanmi Lavalas party

Dec 20 American Flight 965 crashes into a mountain in Buga, Colombia, 159 die, 5 survive
Dec 20 NATO begins peacekeeping in Bosnia

Music History

Dec 20 Revival of Phillip Hayes Dean's drama "Paul Robeson" opens at Longacre Theater, NYC; runs for 14 performances

Dec 21 Martina Ertl of Germany wins her 3rd giant slalom world cup
Dec 21 SF Giants announce plans to build a new stadium to open in 2000
Dec 21 The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.

Contract of Interest

Dec 22 David Cone signs $19.5 million 3 year contract with NY Yankees

Dec 24 Ballon d'Or: PSG/Milan's Liberian striker George Weah is named Europe's best football player; first edition where players born outside Europe permitted to receive votes

Emmitt Smiths 25th Touchdown

Dec 25 Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith scores NFL record 25th touchdown of the season in 37-13 win against Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe AZ

Dec 26 Muttiah Muralitharan no-balled for throwing (SL v Aust, MCG)
Dec 26 Paul Adams becomes South Africa's youngest Test Cricket player at 18 yrs 340 days

Boons' 21st Test Century

Dec 27 Australian cricketer David Boon completes his 21st Test Cricket century (110 v SL, MCG)

Dec 30 Carquest Bowl 6: North Carolina beats Arkansas, 20-10
Dec 30 Lowest ever UK temperature recorded of -27.2°C iat Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands, equaling the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982
Dec 31 "Having Our Say" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 308 performances
Dec 31 "Heiress" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 340 performances
Dec 31 "Paul Roebson" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 14 performances
Dec 31 "Racing Demon" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC after 48 performances
Dec 31 "Tempest" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 71 performances
Dec 31 62nd Sugar Bowl: #13 Virginia Tech beats #9 Texas, 28-10
Dec 31 Cartoonist Bill Watterson ends his "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip after 10 years, believing he had achieved all he could in the medium
Dec 31 Matthew Elliott scores separate cricket century same day for Victoria

Events in 1995

Famous Birthdays

Dec 3 Angèle [Van Laeken], Belgian singer-songwriter (Brol), born in Uccle, Belgium

A Boogie wit da Hoodie (28 years old)

Dec 6 American rapper (Hoodie SZN), born in The Bronx, New York

Dec 6 Joy Gruttmann, German child singer, born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany

McKayla Maroney (28 years old)

Dec 9 American artistic gymnast (Olympic gold and silver medals 2012) famous for her "not impressed" expression that became a meme, born in Aliso Viejo, California

Dec 13 Emma Corrin, English actor (Princess Diana in The Crown), born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England
Dec 14 Princess Olimpia Preslavska of Bulgaria, born in London
Dec 18 Barbora Krejčíková, Czech tennis player (French Open singles 2021; French Open doubles 2018, 21; Wimbledon 2018, 22; US Open & Australian Open 2022; 3 x Australian Open mixed doubles), born in Brno, Czech Republic
Dec 24 Anett Kontaveit, Estonian tennis player (world #8 2021; WTA finals 2021 runner-up), born in Tallinn, Estonia
Dec 26 Zach Mills, American actor, born in Lakewood, Ohio

Timothée Chalamet (28 years old)

Dec 27 French-American actor (Call Me By Your Name; Dune; Bones and All), born in New York City

Dec 29 Ross Lynch, American singer-songwriter (R5, The Driver Era) and actor (Teen Beach Movie), born in Littleton, Colorado
Dec 30 Dominic Fike, American rock singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist ("3 Nights"), born in Naples, Florida

Kim Tae-hyung (28 years old)

Dec 30 born in Daegu, South Korea

Gabby Douglas (28 years old)

Dec 31 American gymnast (Olympic gold all around, team 2012; team 2016), born in Newport News, Virginia

Born in 1995

Famous Divorces

Charles & Diana

Dec 19 Queen Elizabeth asks Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, to divorce

Famous Deaths

Deaths 1 - 100 of 101

Dec 1 Koos Schuur, Dutch writer, poet (Novemberland), translator, and editor (Het Woord), dies at 79
Dec 1 Maxwell Thurman, American US Army General and chemical engineer, dies of leukemia at 64
Dec 2 Francis Joseph Quinn, academic, dies at 90
Dec 2 Mária Telkes, Hungarian-American biophysicist ('the Sun Queen' who invented solar energy technologies), dies at 94 [1]
Dec 2 Robertson Davies, Canadian novelist essayist and dramatist, dies at 82
Dec 2 Roxie Roker, Bahamian-American actress (The Jeffersons- Helen Willis), dies of breast cancer at 66
Dec 2 Stanley Devon, British photographer (British press photographer of the year 1948, 50), dies at 88
Dec 3 Jimmy Jewel [James Jewel Marsh], British comedic actor (The Avengers, Thicker Than Water), dies at 82
Dec 4 Adrianne Jones, killed by David Graham & Diane Zamora, at 16
Dec 5 Bill Bruton, American baseball outfielder (NL stolen bases leader 1953-55 Milwaukee Braves), dies of a heart attack at 70
Dec 5 Charles Evans, British mountaineer and surgeon (deputy leader 1953 British Everest expedition, led 1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition), dies at 77
Dec 5 Gwen Harwood, Australian poet (The Lion's Bride), dies at 75
Dec 5 Lisa McPherson, former Scientologist (b. 1959)
Dec 5 Reiner Bredemeyer, German composer, dies at 66
Dec 5 Robert Parrish, American film director editor and actor (Casino Royale), dies at 79
Dec 5 Stanley Keith Runcorn, British geophysicist (reversals of earth's magnetic field), dies at 73

Dec 5 Victor Collin Matthews, British businessman, dies on 76th birthday
Dec 6 Claire Polin (Schaff), American contemporary classical, composer flautist, and musicologist, dies at 69
Dec 6 Dmitri Volkogonov, Russian historian (biographies of Stalin and Lenin) and colonel general, dies at 67
Dec 6 James Reston, American journalist (New York Times), dies at 86
Dec 6 Kathleen Harrison, English actress (Fast Lady, Big Money), dies at 103
Dec 7 Larry Bartlett, photographer, dies at 42
Dec 7 Tom Burns, British-Chilean publisher and editor, dies at 89
Dec 8 Carl Marsden, bodyguard, dies at 36
Dec 8 Ernest L. Boyer, American educator and chancellor (NY's State Universities-SUNY), dies at 67
Dec 8 George J. Lewis, Mexican actor (Don-Zorro), dies at 91
Dec 8 John Gillett, British film critic and researcher, dies at 70
Dec 8 Mikki Doyle, journalist, dies at 79
Dec 9 Benny Lee, Scottish singer and actor (Are You Being Served), dies at 79
Dec 9 Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan, American aviator, dies at 88
Dec 9 Hugh Armstrong Clegg, English industrial relations academic, dies at 75

Dec 9 Toni Cade Bambara, filmmaker, dies at 56
Dec 9 Vitali Viktorovich Savitsky, biologist/politician, dies at 40
Dec 9 Vivian Blaine, American actress (Guys & Dolls, Skirts Ahoy), dies of heart failure at 74
Dec 10 Darren Robinson [Human Beatbox], American rapper and actor (Fat Boys-Jail House Rock), dies of a heart attack at 28
Dec 10 Gillian Rose, English philosopher and writer, dies of cancer at 48
Dec 10 Mary Madge Lascelles, literary critic/poet, dies at 95
Dec 10 Phillip Piratin, British communist MP, dies at 88
Dec 11 Arthur Mullard, English actor, comedian and singer (Romany Jones), dies at 82
Dec 11 John Heawood, Canadian actor, singer and choreographer (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), dies at 75
Dec 11 Robert Shelton [Shapiro], American born music and film critic, dies at 69
Dec 12 Andrew Olle, broadcaster, dies at 48
Dec 12 David Lincoln Lightbown, politician, dies at 63
Dec 12 David Marshall, Singaporean politician (Chief Minister of Singapore 1955-56, pushed self-governance for Singapore), dies at 97
Dec 12 James Altgens, JFK assassination photographer, dies at 76
Dec 12 Lindsay Oliver John Boynton, furniture historian, dies at 61

Dec 12 Mary Bruce, American tap dance teacher, dies at 95
Dec 12 Mohyedin Alempour, tajik artist/journalist, dies at 50
Dec 13 Evangeline Bruce, American society hostess and writer, dies at 81
Dec 13 Nancy LaMott, American singer, dies of cancer at 43
Dec 14 Rob Harris, American sky surfer (World Champion 1994, 95), dies skydiving at 28
Dec 15 Charles Fletcher, British pioneering physician and TV presenter (wrote the 1st report into the dangers of smoking), dies at 84
Dec 15 Jim [James Geoffrey Cutcliffe] Hepburn, English tap-dancer and socialist, dies at 88
Dec 15 Johnny Lytle, American jazz drummer and vibraphonist, known as "Fast Hands", dies of kidney failure at 63
Dec 15 Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, Deputy Prime Minister of Spain (1976-81) and Minister of Defense (1977-79), dies at 83
Dec 16 Johnny Moss, American poker player (b. 1907)
Dec 16 Nina Verchinina, Russian-Brazilian ballet dancer and choreographer, dies at 85 [1]
Dec 17 Lila Clark Knapp, publisher, dies at 63
Dec 18 Brian Brockless, English organist and composer, dies at 69
Dec 18 Chaim Pearl, rabbi, dies at 76
Dec 18 Georgio Fini, restaurateur, dies at 70
Dec 18 Konrad Zuse, German engineer and computing pioneer (b. 1910)
Dec 18 Ross Thomas, author, dies at 69
Dec 19 Harold Watkinson, British politician/businessman, dies at 85
Dec 19 Janet Wilder, stuntwoman, dies at 29

Dec 19 Ruth Nita Barrow, 1st female Governor-General of Barbados (1990-95), dies at 79
Dec 20 Adone Zecchi, Italian composer and conductor (Corale Euridice; Orchestra Bolognese de Camera), dies at 91
Dec 20 John Henry Jacques, English co-operative retailer, and politician, dies at 90
Dec 20 Madge Sinclair (née Walters), Jamaican-American actress (Conrack; Roots - "Bell"; Trapper John, M.D. - "Ernestine"; The Lion King), dies of leukemia at 55
Dec 21 Robert Heuston, Irish legal scholar, dies at 72
Dec 21 Trenchard Cox, British museum director, dies at 90
Dec 22 (Thelma) "Butterfly" McQueen, American actress (Gone With the Wind; Flame of Barbary Coast), dies in a fire at 84
Dec 22 James Meade, English economist, Bank of Sweden Prize winner (b. 1907)
Dec 23 David Land, impresario and theatre producer, dies at 77
Dec 23 Gabrielle Keiller, Scottish art collector, golfer, archaeological photographer, dies at 87
Dec 23 Patric Knowles [Reginald Lawrence Knowles], British actor (Chisum, Arnold, Mutiny), dies from a brain hemorrhage at 84
Dec 24 Harry McLevy, Scottish trade unionist, dies at 59

Dean Martin (1917-1995)

Dec 25 American singer ("That's Amore"; "Everybody Loves Somebody"; "Sway"), comedian and actor (Martin and Lewis, The Dean Martin Show), dies of throat cancer at 78

Dec 25 Emmanuel Levinas, Lithuanian-French Jewish philosopher, dies at 89
Dec 25 Jimmy Boucher, Irish cricket all-rounder (28 first-class matches for Ireland; secretary Irish Cricket Union 1954-73), dies at 85
Dec 25 Marijan Lipovsek, Slovenian pianist, composer, and teacher, dies at 85
Dec 25 Nicolas Slonimsky, Russian-American pianist, conductor, musicologist (Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns; Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians), and composer, dies at 101
Dec 27 Al Barlick, American Baseball Hall of Fame umpire (7 x World Series; 7 x MLB All Star games), dies at 80
Dec 27 Jeremy John Beadle, British critic, writer and broadcaster, dies of AIDS at 39
Dec 27 Peter Refn, Danish journalist/director (Violets are Blue), dies at 54
Dec 27 Shura Cherkassky, American classical pianist, dies at 86
Dec 28 Harold Collison, British trade unionist (agriculture workers), dies at 86
Dec 28 Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis [Charles Thompson], American blues musician (Cold Hands), dies of a heart attack at 70

Lita Grey (1908-1995)

Dec 29 American actress and second wife of Charlie Chaplin, dies of cancer at 87

Dec 29 Madeleine Barot, French activist and theologian, dies at 86
Dec 29 Nello Celio, President of Switzerland (1972), dies at 81
Dec 29 Philip Idenburg, Dutch statistician, dies at 94
Dec 29 Schlomo Joffe, Polish-Israeli folk and classical musician and composer, dies at 86
Dec 30 Aleksi Machavariani, Soviet Georgian conductor, and composer (Den moei Rodini (Day of My Motherland); Five Monologues), dies at 82
Dec 30 Clarence Satchell, American funk saxophonist (Ohio Players - "Fire";"Love Rollercoaster"), dies of a brain aneurysm at 55
Dec 30 Doris Grau, American script supervisor, actress and voice artist (Point Blank, King Kong), dies from respiratory failure at 71
Dec 30 Heiner Müller, German dramatist (Ten Days That Shook The World; The Battle), and theater director, dies of throat cancer at 66
Dec 30 Ralph Flanagan, American orchestra leader (Let's Dance), dies at 76
Dec 30 Roger W Suddards, solicitor, dies at 65
Dec 31 Calvin/Hobbes, (comic strip), dies

On This Day