What Happened in December 2021

Historical Events

Kennedy Center Honors

Dec 5 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony held for singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, singer-actress Bette Midler, record mogul Berry Gordy, producer Lorne Michaels and opera singer Justino Diaz, with President Biden attending,in Washington D.C.

Founder of Motown Records and Songwriter Berry Gordy

Aung San Suu Kyi Sentenced

Dec 6 Former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to four years (later reduced to two) for inciting public unrest and breaching Covid-19 protocols [1]

Dec 6 New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announces a COVID-19 mandate for all private employers effective December 27, to combat Omicron, 1st in the country
Dec 7 3,500 year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet goes on display in Iraq for the first time in 30 years after looted during Gulf War. Part of the Epic Gilgamesh, one of oldest known pieces of literature. [1]
Dec 7 Chile becomes the 31st nation to legalize same-sex marriage [1]

Biden Warns Putin over Ukraine

Dec 7 US President Joe Biden warns Russian President Vladimir Putin of economic consequences if Russia continues a military build-up in Ukraine, during a virtual meeting

46th US President, Vice President and Senator Joe Biden

Olaf Scholz Sworn In

Dec 8 Olaf Scholz is sworn as the new Chancellor of Germany, replacing Angela Merkel after 16 years

Dec 9 Actor Jussie Smollett found guilty of falsely reporting a hate crime in 2019, in a Chicago court
Dec 9 Chicago Black Hawks Marc-Andre Fleury becomes 3rd NHL goaltender to reach 500 career wins in 2-0 shut-out over the Canadiens at Montreal
Dec 9 More than 40 camels disqualified from the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival beauty contest after Botox injections and other cosmetic enhancements were discovered [1]
Dec 9 Truck with a trailer carrying 150 migrants crashes in Chiapas, Mexico, killing 54 [1]
Dec 10 Mosconi Cup nine-ball pool, London, England: Europe retains trophy with an 11-6 win over US; MVP: Jayson Shaw (Scotland)
Dec 10 Rare December tornadoes strike four American states, with a 'Quad-State Tornado' across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky, completely destroying some towns and leaving at least 70 dead
Dec 11 87th Heisman Trophy Award: Bryce Young, Alabama (QB)

UK “Tidal Wave of Omicron”

Dec 12 British PM Boris Johnson announces a emergency COVID-19 booster program to protect the NHS and stem a possible incoming “tidal wave of Omicron” [1]

Max Verstappen Wins

Dec 12 Dutchman Max Verstappen wins Formula 1 Drivers' C'ship for Red Bull with a controversial last lap win over Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP

Dec 13 1 in a 100 Americans aged over 65 has now died of COVID-19, or 75% of total deaths, according to the CDC [1]
Dec 13 70th Miss Universe Contest won by Miss India's Harnaaz Sandhu in Eilat, Israel

Elon Musk 'Person of the Year'

Dec 13 Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, named Time's Person of the Year

Dec 13 First COVID-19 Omicron death in the UK reported by PM Boris Johnson

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Dec 13 Marvel superhero film "Spider-Man: No Way Home" starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Benedict Cumberbatch, directed by Jon Watts, premieres in Los Angeles

Dec 14 American Covid-19 death toll passes 800,000, with more deaths recorded in 2021 than 2020
Dec 14 Fuel tanker explosion after an accident leaves at least 90 dead in city of Cap-Haitien, Haiti [1]
Dec 14 Steph Curry makes his 2,974th three-point shot to pass Ray Allen as the NBA's greatest career 3-point shooter during Golden State Warriors' 105-96 win over NY Knicks at Madison Square Garden

Springsteen Sells Back Catalogue

Dec 15 Bruce Springsteen sells his music back catalogue to Sony Music Entertainment for an estimated $500 million, in possibly the biggest deal ever for a single artist [1]

Dec 15 COVID-19 Omicron variant called "probably the most significant threat" of the pandemic by head of UK Health Security Agency, warning of "staggering" growth in next few days [1]

Harry Reid Airport

Dec 15 Las Vegas' McCarran Airport officially changes name to Harry Reid International Airport

Dec 16 Six children die in a bouncy castle accident at a school in Devonport, Tasmasia, Australia
Dec 16 Super Typhoon Rai strikes the Philippines' south-eastern islands with winds of 195km/h (120mph), killing at least 375
Dec 17 Discovery of the first true millipede (Eumillipes persephone) with 1,000 legs found down a drill hole in Western Australia published in "Scientific Reports" [1]
Dec 19 Former student activist Gabriel Boric wins Chile's Presidential election, to become the country's youngest president at 35
Dec 20 First Hong Kong legislative elections with only 'patriot' candidates allowed to stand has low turnout of 30%
Dec 21 Major breakthrough in development of nuclear fission energy when experiment produces 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds at JET Laboratory, UK (reported Feb 2022) [1]
Dec 25 NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launched in joint effort with ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, South America [1]
Dec 28 Test cricket debutant Scott Boland takes 6 for 7 as Australia retain the Ashes (3-0) with an innings & 14 run win against England in the 3rd Test in Melbourne
Dec 30 Rare winter wildfire destroys nearly 1000 homes at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, in suburban neighborhoods between Boulder and Denver [1]

Events in 2021

Famous Weddings

Dec 31 Ice skater Adam Rippon marries real estate broker Jussi-Pekka Kajaala

Famous Deaths

Darlene Hard (1936-2021)

Dec 2 American tennis player (US C'ships 1960-61, French C'ships 1960; 18 Grand Slam doubles titles), dies at 85

Dec 3 Claude Humphrey, American Pro Football HOF defensive end (6 × Pro Bowl, 5 × First-team All-Pro Atlanta Falcons; Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 77
Dec 3 Horst Eckel, German soccer wing half (32 caps West Germany, 1954 FIFA World Cup; 1. FC Kaiserslautern, SV Röchling Völklingen), dies at 89
Dec 3 Momčilo Vukotić, Serbian soccer midfielder (14 caps, Yugoslavia; FC Partizan, FC Bordeaux) and manager (Cyprus, PAOK, Partizan), dies from throat cancer at 71
Dec 4 Eileen Ash-Whelan, English cricket medium pace bowler (7 WTests, 10 wickets, BB 4/68; Middlesex CC), dies at 110
Dec 4 Stonewall Jackson, American country music musician ("Waterloo"; "A Wound Time Can't Erase"), dies from complications of vascular dementia at 89
Dec 5 Bill Glass, American College Football HOF defensive end (Baylor University; 4 x Pro Bowl Cleveland Browns; Detroit Lions), dies at 86

Bob Dole (1923-2021)

Dec 5 American politician (Senate Republican leader, 1985-96, Presidential candidate in 1996), dies of lung cancer at 98

Dec 5 Buddy Merrill [Leslie Behunin], American guitarist and steel guitar player (Lawrence Welk Show. 1955-74), dies at 85
Dec 5 Gary Callander, Scottish rugby union hooker (6 caps; South of Scotland RFC), dies from pancreatic cancer at 62
Dec 5 John Miles, British vocalist and musician (John Miles Band - "Rebel"; "Zaragon"; Alan Parsons Project), dies at 72
Dec 7 Christopher Hogg, British industrialist and CEO (Courtaulds & Reuters), dies at 85
Dec 7 Steve Bronski Scottish rock keyboard player (Bronski Beat - "Smalltown Boy"), dies from smoke inhalation in a fire at his Soho flat at 61 [1]
Dec 8 Barry Harris, American bebop jazz pianist (Cannonball Adderly; Lee Morgan; "The Bird of Red and Gold"), and educator, dies of COVID-19 complications at 91 [1]
Dec 8 Jacques Zimako, French soccer forward (13 caps; Saint-Étienne, Sochaux, Bastia), dies at 69
Dec 8 Lars Høgh, Danish soccer goalkeeper (8 caps; OB 603 games) and GK coach (Denmark, Brøndby IF), dies from pancreatic cancer at 62
Dec 8 Ralph Tavares, Cape Verdean-American R&B and soul singer (Tavares - "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel"), dies at 79
Dec 8 Robbie Shakespeare, Jamaican reggae bassist (Sly & Robbie - "DJ Riot"), dies of kidney failure at 68

Al Unser (1939-2021)

Dec 9 American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1970-71, 78, 87), dies of cancer at 82

Dec 9 Brian Aldridge, New Zealand cricket umpire (26 Tests, 45 ODIs), dies at 81
Dec 9 Cara Williams, American actress (Pete & Gladys, Cara Williams Show), dies at 96
Dec 9 Demaryius Thomas, American football wide receiver (Super Bowl 2015; 4 × Pro Bowl; Denver Broncos), dies at 33
Dec 9 Speedy Duncan, American football cornerback (Pro Bowl 1971; AFL All-Star 1965, 66, 67; SD Chargers, Washington Redskins), dies at 79
Dec 10 Michael Nesmith, American rock guitarist (The Monkees), and singer-songwriter ("Different Drum"), dies of heart failure at 78 [1]

Anne Rice (1941-2021)

Dec 11 American Gothic novelist (Interview With A Vampire), dies of complications from a stroke at 80

Dec 11 Dennis Ward, Australian rugby league halfback (6 Tests; Canterbury- Bankstown RLFC, Manly RLFC), dies at 74
Dec 11 Galina Samsova [Samtsova], Russian ballerina (London Festival Ballet, 1964-73), and artistic director, dies at 84
Dec 11 Manuel Santana, Spanish tennis player (French Open 1961, 64; Wimbledon 1966; US Open 1965; French Open doubles 1963), dies at 83
Dec 12 Roland Hemond, American baseball executive (GM Chicago White Sox 1970–85; Baltimore Orioles 1988–95), dies at 92
Dec 12 Vicente Fernández, Mexican Grammy Award-winning singer, known as "El Rey de la Música Ranchera" (The King of Ranchera Music), actor, and film producer, dies at 81
Dec 12 Yury Sharov, Russian fencer (Olympic gold Soviet Union, team foil 1964, silver 1968), dies at 82
Dec 13 Joe Simon, American soul and R&B singer ("Power of Love"), dies at 85
Dec 14 Jethro [Geoffrey Rowe], British stand-up comedian (This Train Don't Stop Camborne Wednesdays), dies of lymphoma complicated by Covid-19 at 73
Dec 14 Karl Heinz Wahren, German pianist and composer (Nocturnal Dances of the Tuscan Virgins in the Florentine Gardens at the Height of the Inquisition), dies at 88
Dec 14 Ken Kragen, American television producer (The Smothers Brothers), music artist manager (Lionel Richie; Kenny Rogers), and charity organizer (USA for Africa - "We Are The World"), dies at 85
Dec 14 Phil Chen, Chinese-Jamaican rock session and touring bassist (Jeff Beck, 1974-76; Rod Stewart, 1977-80; Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger), dies of cancer at 75
Dec 15 Bell Hooks [Gloria Jean Watkins], American author, feminist, educator, and social activist, dies of kidney failure at 69
Dec 15 Bridget Hanley, American actress (Here Come the Brides - "Candy Pruitt"), dies of Alzheimer's disease complications at 80
Dec 15 Francisco Kroepfl, Argentinian composer, dies at 90
Dec 15 Hans Küppers, German soccer midfielder (7 caps, West Germany; TSV 1860 Munich, 1. FC Nürnberg), dies at 82
Dec 15 Len Hauss, American football center (5 x Pro Bowl; Washington Redskins), dies at 79
Dec 15 Wanda Young, American pop singer (The Marvelettes - "Please Mr. Postman"; “Don’t Mess With Bill"), dies of heart disease at 78
Dec 16 Bill Mahoney, Canadian ice hockey coach (NHL: Minnesota North Stars 1983-85), dies at 82
Dec 16 Pavle Despalj, Croatian composer and conductor (Zagreb; Miami; Tokyo), dies at 87
Dec 16 Taniela Moa, Tongan rugby union halfback (20 caps; Auckland Blues, Section Paloise RUFC), dies at 36
Dec 17 Dimitrios Stefanakos, Greek soccer defender (7 caps; Olympiacos FC), dies at 85
Dec 17 Eve Babitz, American artist and author (Eve's Hollywood; Slow Days, Fast Company; I Used To Be Charming), dies of Huntington's disease at 78
Dec 17 Harry Jacobs, American football linebacker (AFL All Star 1965, 69; AFL C'ship 1964, 65 Buffalo Bills; Boston Patriots, NO Saints), dies at 84
Dec 18 Richard Rogers, British architect (European Court of Human Rights building; The Pompidou Centre; Millennium Dome), dies at 88
Dec 19 Carlos Marín, Spanish pop-opera baritone (Il Divo), dies of COVID-19 at 53
Dec 19 Ed van Thijn, Dutch politician (House of Representatives, 1977-82; Mayor of Amsterdam, 1983-94; Member of Senate, 1999-2007), dies at 87

Sally Ann Howes (1930-2021)

Dec 19 British-American stage and screen actress and singer (Brigadoon; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - "Truly Scrumptious"), dies at 91

Dec 20 Kimera Bartee, American MLB outfielder.1996-2001 (Detroit Tigers, and 2 other teams), and coach, 2017-21 (Pittsburgh Pirates, and 2 other teams), dies of an undiagnosed brain tumor at 49
Dec 21 (Wilbert) Billy Davis, American tennis player (11 x American Tennis Association Titles), dies of congestive heart failure at 91
Dec 21 Nicholas Georgiade, American actor (Untouchables, Run Buddy Run), dies at 88
Dec 22 Bob Keselowski, American auto racer (ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series 1989) and team owner (K Automotive Racing), dies from cancer at 70
Dec 22 Jürg Wyttenbach, Swiss pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 86
Dec 22 Robin Le Mesurier [Halliley], British session and touring guitarist (The Wombles; Rod Stewart; Johnny Hallyday), dies of cancer at 68
Dec 23 Bob McCammon, Canadian ice hockey coach (Philadelphia Fllyers 1978-84, Vancouver Canucks 1987-91), dies at 80
Dec 24 J.D. Crowe, American bluegrass banjo player and bandleader (The New South), dies at 84
Dec 24 José Villegas, Mexican soccer defender (6 caps; CD Guadalajara), dies at 87
Dec 24 Raúl Madero, Argentine soccer defender (5 caps; Estudiantes) and sports physician (Argentina national team), dies at 82
Dec 24 Willibert Kremer, German soccer coach (MSV Duisburg, Bayer Leverkusen, 1860 Munich, Fortuna Düsseldorf), dies at 82
Dec 25 Janice Long (née Chegwin), British radio host (Crash FM; BBC), dies of pneumonia at 66
Dec 25 John Gleeson, Australian rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Queensland 25 games; Wynnum-Manly, Brothers RLFC), dies at 82
Dec 25 Ray Illingworth, English cricket spin bowler and captain (61 Tests, 122 wickets, 1,836 runs @ 23.24; Yorkshire CCC, Leicestershire CCC), dies at 89
Dec 25 Thomas Lovejoy, American conservation biologist who coined the term "biodiversity", dies at 80
Dec 25 Tifini Hale, American pop singer (Party - "Rodeo"; "That's Why"), dies of cardiac arrest at 46
Dec 25 Wayne Thiebaud, American painter (Four Pinball Machines), dies at 101

Desmond Tutu (1931-2021)

Dec 26 Anglican Archbishop of South Africa and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies at 90

Dec 26 Dorval Rodrigues, Brazilian soccer right winger (13 caps; Santos FC, SE Palmeiras), dies at 86
Dec 26 Edward O. Wilson, American sociobiologist (world’s leading authority on ants), dies at 92
Dec 26 Karolos Papoulias, President of Greece (2005-15), dies at 92
Dec 26 Sarah Weddington, American attorney (represented "Jane Roe" in Roe v. Wade before US States Supreme Court), dies at 76
Dec 27 April Ashley, English model and one of the earliest British people known to have had sex reassignment surgery, dies at 86

Harry Reid (1939-2021)

Dec 28 American attorney and politician (U.S. Senator from Nevada, 1987-2017; U.S. House of Representatives, 1983-87), dies of pancreatic cancer at 82 [1]

John Madden (1936-2021)

Dec 28 American Pro Football HOF coach (Oakland Raiders 1969-78; Super Bowl 1976) and sportscaster (16 x Emmy Award winner; CBS, FOX, ABC, NBC; Madden NFL video games), dies at 85 [1]

Dec 28 Nikolay Shirshov, Uzbekistani soccer defensive midfielder (64 caps; FC Pakhtakor Tashkent, FC Rostov), dies at 47
Dec 29 Antoine Bonifaci, French soccer midfielder (12 caps; OGC Nice, FC Inter Milan, Bologna FC, Torino FC), dies at 90
Dec 29 John Hartman, American rock drummer (Doobie Brothers, 1970–79 & 1987–92 - "China Grove"), dies at 71
Dec 30 Gottfried Michael Koenig, German-Dutch composer, educator, and electronic music pioneer, dies at 95
Dec 30 Karel Loprais, Czech rally driver (Dakar Rally truck category 1988, 94, 95, 98, 99, 2001), dies from COVID-19 at 72
Dec 30 Sam Jones, American College/Basketball HOF guard (North Carolina Central Uni; 10 × NBA C'ships; NBA All-Star 1962, 64–66, 68; Boston Celtics), dies at 88

Betty White (1922-2021)

Dec 31 American Emmy Award-winning comic actress with the longest TV career of a female entertainer (The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Sue Ann Nivens"; Golden Girls - "Rose"; The Proposal), dies after suffering a stroke at 99 [1]

Dec 31 Billy Turner Jr., American thoroughbred trainer (Triple Crown 1977 Seattle Slew), dies from prostate cancer at 81
Dec 31 Juraj Filas, Slovak composer (Oratio Spei (Prayer of Hope)), dies of COVID-19 at 66
Dec 31 Liisa Pohjola, Finnish concert pianist and music professor, dies at 85