Historical Events Dec 1 Great Alliance occupies Brussels Dec 14 Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon's play "Electre" premieres in Paris Dec 29 Great Alliance occupies Gent Famous Birthdays Dec 4 Marianus Königsperger, German composer, born in Roding, Germany (d. 1769) Dec 8 Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (1745-1765), born in Ducal Palace of Nancy, Lorraine, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1765) Famous Deaths Dec 20 Willem van Bemmel, Dutch painter and etcher, dies at 78 Dec 22 Hedvig Sophia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, dies at 27 Dec 28 Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, French botanist (b. 1656) 1707 History by Year 1709