Historical Events
- Dec 12 1st Canadian coins circulated (1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent & 20 cent)
- Dec 16 Dutch government decides to vacate Schokland Island
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 4 William Gunn, English cricket batsman (11 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 102no; Nottinghamshire CCC) and soccer winger (2 caps; Notts County FC), born in Nottingham, England (d. 1921)
Chester Greenwood
Dec 4 Chester Greenwood, American inventor (invented earmuffs at 15), born in Farmington, Maine (d. 1937)
- Dec 11 Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, Russian theatre director, born in Ozurgeti, Georgia (d. 1943)
- Dec 13 Jakab Gyula Major, Hungarian pianist and composer, born in Kosice, Czech Republic (d. 1925)
- Dec 20 Jan Toorop, Dutch-Indonesian painter (3 Brides), born in Purworejo Regency, Indonesia (d. 1928)
Giacomo Puccini
Dec 22 Giacomo Puccini, Italian opera composer (La bohème; Tosca; Madame Butterfly), born in Lucca, Italy (d. 1924)
- Dec 23 Vladimir Nemirovitch-Dantshenko, Russian playwright (Life in Russian Theater), born in Shemokmedi, Georgia (d. 1943)
Famous Deaths
- Dec 9 Robert Baldwin, Canadian politician (b. 1804)
- Dec 12 Jacques Viger, French Canadian politician, 1st mayor of Montreal (1833-36), dies at 71
- Dec 16 Richard Bright, English physician (Bright's disease/nephritis), dies at 69
- Dec 18 Joseph-Henri-Ignace Mees, Flemish composer, dies at 81
- Dec 27 Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French composer, dies at 73
