- Dec 16 Leopold I, King of Belgium (1831-65), born in Ehrenburg Palace, Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1865)
- Dec 19 William Parry, English Arctic explorer (Parry Channel), born in Bath, England (d. 1855)
- Dec 23 Jean-Francois Champollion, French scolar who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics with Rosetta Stone, born in Figeac, France (d. 1832)