What Happened in December 2016

Historical Events

Dec 1 Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is declared King of Thailand, succeeding his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Francois Hollande

Dec 1 French President Francois Hollande announces he will not seek a 2nd term - 1st modern French leader not to do so

Yahya Jammeh's Rule Ends

Dec 1 Gambia presidential election: dictator Yahya Jammeh is defeated by Adama Barrow after 22 years in power

Dictator and President of Gambia Yahya Jammeh

Dec 1 Joel Embiid is named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for NBA games played in October and November
Dec 1 UN admits its peacekeepers were responsible for the cholera epidemic in Haiti in 2010 that killed 30,000

Trump Breaks "One China" Policy

Dec 2 Donald Trump takes a call with Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen, in a break from America's long standing "One China" policy

45th US President, Businessman and TV Personality Donald Trump

7th President of the Republic of China Tsai Ing-wen

Dec 2 Fire during a dance party at an illegally re=purposed warehouse in Oakland< California kills 36
Dec 2 For 6th time in 7 years, Cincinnati Reds 1st baseman Joey Votto wins Tip O'Neill Award as best Canadian MLB player; hit .326 with NL-leading .434 OBP, 29 HRs & 97 RBIs in an outstanding all-around season for last-place club
Dec 3 US army decides it will not allow an oil pipeline to be built in North Dakota, after months of protests by The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Dec 4 Austria elects liberal independent Alexander Van der Bellen as President, after original vote in May annulled

John Key Resigns

Dec 4 New Zealand Prime Minister John Key resigns after 8 years in office

Dec 4 Tens of thousands march throughout Brazil against a vote to undermine anti-corruption investigations
Dec 4 Venezuela issues new higher-value notes after currency falls 60% in 1 months against the US dollar
Dec 5 Malta becomes the 1st country in Europe to outlaw conversion therapy
Dec 7 6.5 earthquake in Aceh province, Indonesia kills at least 97 people
Dec 7 Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigns 3 days after losing a referendum to reform the constitution
Dec 7 Pakistan International Airways plane crashes north of Islamabad, killing all 48 on board, including singer turned preacher Junaid Jamshed
Dec 9 Ghanaian Presidential election won by Nana Akufo-Addo of the opposition New Patriotic Party
Dec 9 Mosconi Cup nine-ball pool, London, England: Europe wins 7th consecutive title convincingly beating US, 11-3; MVP: Albin Ouschan (Austria)

Park Geun-hye Impeached

Dec 9 South Korean MPs vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye

1st Female President of South Korea Park Geun-hye

Rogue One

Dec 10 "Rogue One", 1st of the Star Wars Anthology films, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Felicity Jones, premieres in Los Angeles

Jackson Youngest Winner

Dec 10 82nd Heisman Trophy Award: Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals (QB), youngest player to win at 19

Dylan Awarded Nobel

Dec 10 Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden; he does not attend

Dec 10 Terrorist bomb attacks outside a stadium in Istanbul kill 38 and injure 166
Dec 11 Bombing at a chapel in Cairo, Egypt, kills 25 and wounds 45
Dec 11 Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh says he will contest his election defeat in court, after his 1st election loss in 22 years
Dec 11 Kyrgyzstan votes in a referendum to change the constitution to give the government more power

Ronaldo Fourth Title

Dec 12 Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo claims award for the 4th time; record winning margin of 429 from Lionel Messi

Dec 12 Bill English is sworn in as New Zealand Prime Minister, succeeding John Key
Dec 12 Paolo Gentiloni is sworn in as Prime Minister of Italy, succeeding Matteo Renzi

Duterte's Killer Boast

Dec 12 Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte boasts he killed susected criminals personally when mayor of Davao City

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte

Dec 13 UN claims 82 civilians have been summary executed in Aleppo by pro-government forces
Dec 14 Amazon announces its 1st delivery by drone 2 km from their warehouse in the UK

Rock for the Rainforest Benefit

Dec 14 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Ronnie Spector, Idina Menzal, Darlene Love, and Jennifer Nettles

Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist James Taylor

Dec 14 University of Toronto scientists present findings of the world's oldest water - 2 billion years old from a mine in Canada
Dec 15 Ceasefire declared in Aleppo to allow hundreds to be evacutated from last rebel held area
Dec 15 White supremacist Dylann Roof is found guilty of the Charleston Church Massacre which killed 9
Dec 16 5 day pollution red alert declared in Beijing and 21 other Chinese cities, classified by officials as a “meteorological disaster”

$25 Million for Islamic State Leader

Dec 16 US State Department increases reward for information on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to $25 million

Leader of Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Dec 19 Alex Puccio ascends Terre De Sienne V13 (8B) at Hueco Tanks, six months after spinal surgery
Dec 19 At least 48 people die after drinking bath lotion in Irkutsk, Siberia, thinking it contained alcohol
Dec 19 Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead at an art gallery in Ankara by Turkish gunman
Dec 19 Truck driven into a Christmas market in Berlin kills 12, injures 48
Dec 19 US electoral collage votes 304 to 227 to nominate Donald Trump for President over the objections of seven faithless electors

Carl Icahn Special Advisor

Dec 21 Carl Icahn is announced as Special Advisor to the President on Regulatory Reform, under President Donald Trump

Investor and business magnate Carl Icahn

"Dangal"

Dec 21 Indian sports drama film "Dangal" directed by Nitesh Tiwari and starring Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra premieres - first Indian film to earn $300 million worldwide

Dec 22 Ebola vaccine VSV-EBOV is found to be 70-100% effective in a study published in The Lancet, becoming the world's first proven vaccine against Ebola
Dec 23 United Nations Security Council adopts a landmark resolution demanding a halt to all Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. Resolution 2334 was moved by New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela and passed 14-0 with a US abstention.
Dec 25 Russian military defence plane crashes into the Black Sea after takeoff from Sochi airport, killing all 92 on board

Obama Punishes Russia

Dec 29 US President Barack Obama retaliates against Russia for hacking American computer systems and trying to influence the 2016 presidential election by ejecting 35 Russian spies and imposing sanctions

Dec 30 83rd Orange Bowl: #10 Florida State beats #6 Michigan, 33-32
Dec 30 A ceasefire organised by Russia, Iran and Turkey between Syria's government and opposition groups takes effect

Ray Davis Honored

Dec 30 British singer-songwriter Ray Davies, of The Kinks, is awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II

Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II

Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Ray Davies

Dec 30 Last day Indians are able to deposit in banks 500 and 1,000 rupee notes which were scrapped only 50 days earlier in an anti-corruption measure

Chris Ofili Honored

Dec 31 Chris Ofili is appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to art

Events in 2016

Famous Weddings

Patrick J. Adams

Dec 10 Actress Troian Bellisario (31) weds actor and director Patrick J. Adams (35) in Santa Barbara, California

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Elisabeth Carron, American soprano ("The Saint of Bleecker Street"; New York City Opera, 1958-73), dies at 94
Dec 1 Ousmane Sow, Senegalese sculptor, dies at 81
Dec 2 Paul de Wispelaere, Flemish writer and critic, dies at 88
Dec 2 Sammy Lee, American diver (Olympic Gold 10m platform 1948, 52), dies from pneumonia at 96
Dec 3 Antonio Membrado, Spanish-French classical guitarist and composer, dies at 81
Dec 3 Gigliola Frazzoni, Italian operatic soprano, dies at 93
Dec 3 S. Newman Darby, American inventor of the sailboard, dies at 88
Dec 4 Julia Gomelskaya, Ukrainian composer, dies in a car crash at 52
Dec 4 Margaret Whitton, American actress (Good & Evil, Major League), dies of cancer at 67
Dec 4 Radim Hladík, Czech guitarist (The Blue Effect), dies from lung illness at 69
Dec 5 E. R. Braithwaite, Guyanese diplomat and writer (To Sir with Love), dies at 104
Dec 5 Jayaram Jayalalitha, Indian actress and politician, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, dies of a heart attack at 68
Dec 5 Mogens Camre, Danish politician (Folketing (Danish Parliament), 1968-1987, 3 days in 2007; European Parliament, 1999-2009, dies at 80
Dec 5 Rashaan Salaam, American College Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1994, U of Colorado; NFL: Chicago Bears), dies at 42
Dec 5 Robert Sumner, American evangelist and author, dies at 94
Dec 5 Shirley Hazzard, Australian-born author (Transit of Venus), dies at 85

Dec 6 Peter Vaughan, British actor (Porridge, Game of Thrones), dies at 93
Dec 7 Greg Lake, British rock vocalist and bassist (King Crimson, 1968-70 - "I Talk To The Wind"; Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "Lucky Man"), dies of cancer at 69
Dec 7 Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, German politician, dies at 95
Dec 7 Junaid Jamshed, Pakistani singer (Vital Signs 1), dies in a plane crash at 52
Dec 7 Paul Elvstrøm, Danish yachtsman (4 Olympic gold, Finn class 1948, 52, 56, 60), dies at 88
Dec 8 Florence Finch, Filipino-American war hero who fought against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, dies at 101 [1]

John Glenn (1921-2016)

Dec 8 American astronaut who was the 1st American to orbit the earth and politician (Senator D-Ohio), dies at 95

Dec 8 Joseph Mascolo, American actor (Days of Our Lives), dies at 87
Dec 8 Sheila Quinn, British nurse and adviser (British Red Cross), dies at 96
Dec 10 A. A. [Adrian Anthony] Gill, British critic (The Sunday Times), dies of cancer at 62
Dec 11 Sid O'Linn, South African cricketer (soccer for South Africa 1947, cricket 1960), dies at 89
Dec 12 Jim Lowe, American DJ (WNEW) "King of Trivia", dies at 93
Dec 12 Walter Swinburn, English jockey (Epsom Derby 1981, 86, 95; Irish Derby 1983, 86; Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 1983), dies after falling from a window at 55
Dec 13 Alan Thicke, Canadian actor (Growing Pains), host (Thicke of the Night), and theme song composer (Diff'rent Strokes; The Facts of Life), dies of an aortic dissection at 69
Dec 13 Thomas Schelling, American economist, (Nobel Prize 2005 - game-theory analysis), dies at 95
Dec 14 Garrett K. Gomez, American jockey (US Champion Jockey by earnings 2006-09; Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey 2007-08), dies of a drug overdose at 44
Dec 14 Karel Husa, Czech-American Pulitzer prize winning composer (Trojan Women), dies at 95
Dec 17 Henry Heimlich, American surgeon and inventor of the Heimlich maneuver, dies at 96
Dec 18 China Machado, Chinese-born model, 1st non-Caucasian super model, dies at 86

Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917-2016)

Dec 18 Hungarian-born American actress (Queen of Outer Space), dies at 99

Dec 20 Michèle Morgan, French actress (Passage to Marseille), dies at 96
Dec 21 Weston Noble, American music educator and conductor (Luther College, 1948-2005), dies at 94
Dec 22 Bill Price, British audio engineer (Tom Jones; Wings: Sparks; Elton John), and record producer (The Clash; Sex Pistols; Waterboys), dies of cancer at 72
Dec 22 Margaret Pereira, English forensic scientist (Nicholls and Pereira method), dies at 88
Dec 22 Miruts Yifter 'Yifter the Shifter', Ethiopian runner (Olympic golds 1980), dies at 72
Dec 23 Heinrich Schiff, Austrian cellist and conductor, dies at 65
Dec 23 Piers J Sellers, English astronaut and climate scientist, dies of cancer at 61
Dec 24 Jack Philip Cannon, British composer, dies at 87
Dec 24 Liz Smith [Betty Gleadle] British BAFTA Award-winning character actress (A Private Function; 2point4 Children -"Belle" and "Bette"), dies at 95
Dec 24 Richard Adams, English author (Watership Down), dies at 96
Dec 24 Rick Parfitt, British pop guitarist and singer (Status Quo - "Wanderer"; "Pictures of Matchstick Men"), dies at 68
Dec 24 Vera Rubin, American astronomer who discovered dark matter, dies at 88
Dec 25 Alphonse Mouzon, American jazz musician (Weather Report, Tenacious Records), dies from cancer at 68

George Michael (1963-2016)

Dec 25 English singer-songwriter and pop superstar (Wham! - "Careless Whisper"; "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"; solo - " I Want Your Sex"; "Faith"), dies of suspected heart failure at 53

Dec 25 Valery Khalilov, Russian military conductor and composer, dies in a plane crash in the Black Sea, near Sochi, at 64
Dec 26 George S. Irving [Shelasky], American broadway singer and actor (Dumplings), dies at 94

Dec 29 Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player, dies at 78
Dec 29 Ferdi Kübler, Swiss cyclist (Tour de France 1950, Points classification 1954; World C'ship gold Elite Men's Road Race 1951), dies at 97
Dec 31 William Christopher, American comedian and actor (M*A*S*H & AfterMASH - "Father Mulcahy"), dies at 84