- Dec 1 Lungtok Gyatso, 9th Dalai Lama, born near Dan Chokhor Monastery (d. 1815)
- Dec 2 Ahmad Pasha Bey, 10th Husainid Bey of Tunis, (1837–1855) who abolished slavery, (d. 1855)
- Dec 6 Adolf Reubke, German organ builder, born in Halberstadt, Germany (d. 1875)
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
Dec 6 Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, French magician and father of modern magic, born in Blois, France (d. 1861)
- Dec 10 Johannes Elias Feisser, Dutch theologist and founder of 1st Dutch baptist church, born in Winsum, Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1865)
William Lloyd Garrison
Dec 10 William Lloyd Garrison, American abolitionist, and publisher ("The Liberator"), born in Newburyport, Massachusetts (d. 1879)
- Dec 10 Joseph Škoda, Bohemian physician, born in Pilsen, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1881)
- Dec 12 Henry Wells, American businessman and founder (American Express Co & Wells Fargo & Co), born in Thetford, Vermont (d. 1878)
- Dec 21 Thomas Graham, British chemist and father of colloid chemistry (d. 1869)
- Dec 22 John Obadiah Westwood, British entomologist, born in Sheffield, United Kingdom (d. 1893)
Joseph Smith
Dec 23 Joseph Smith Jr, American founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born in Sharon, Vermont (d. 1844)
