What Happened in December 1923

Historical Events

Historic Communication

Dec 6 1st US Presidential address broadcast on radio by President Calvin Coolidge

30th US President Calvin Coolidge — 30th US President
Calvin Coolidge

Dec 8 German-US friendship treaty signed
Dec 8 Labour/Liberals win British parliament
Dec 8 Salary & price freeze in Germany
Dec 10 Polish government of Grabski forms
Dec 16 National Football League Championship: undefeated Canton Bulldogs (11-0-1) repeat as champions
Dec 17 Greek king George II overthrown by army/republic
Dec 18 International zone of Tangier set up in Morocco
Dec 21 Nepal changes from British protectorate to independent nation
Dec 22 Bill Ponsford & Edgar Mayne make 456 opening stand for Vict
Dec 23 Yankees pitcher Carl Mays sold to Reds for $85,000
Dec 25 Imperial Theater opens at 249 W 45th St NYC

Event of Interest

Dec 28 George Bernard Shaw's "St Joan" premieres in NYC

Playwright George Bernard Shaw — Playwright
George Bernard Shaw

Dec 31 1st transatlantic radio broadcast of a voice, Pittsburgh-Manchester
Dec 31 BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID
Dec 31 Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy's musical "Kid Boots," premieres in New York City

Famous Birthdays

Dec 1 Stansfield Turner, American admiral and CIA director (1977-81), born in Highland Park, Illinois (d. 2018)
Dec 1 Morris, Belgian cartoonist (Lucky Luke) (d. 2001)
Dec 2 Maria Callas, American soprano (Carmen), born in NYC, New York (d. 1977)
Dec 2 Meshulam Riklis, Turkish-born Israeli businessman and husband of Pia Zadora, born in Istanbul, Turkey (d. 2019)
Dec 3 Tom Fears, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and coach (NFL champion 1951; First-team All-Pro, NFL receiving yards leader 1950; LA Rams), born in Guadalajara, Mexico (d. 2000)
Dec 3 Trevor Bailey, English cricket all-rounder, writer and broadcaster (61 Tests, top score 134, 132 wickets; BBC), born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England (d. 2011)
Dec 4 Charles Keating, American district attorney (Los Angeles California), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2014)
Dec 4 Eagle Keys, American Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker and coach (Grey Cup champion 1949, 54-56, 66; Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan R'riders), born in Tompkinsville, Kentucky (d. 2012)
Dec 4 John Krish, British documentary filmmaker (Let My People Go), born in London (d. 2016)
Dec 5 Vladimir Tendryakov, Russian writer (Three, Seven, Ace), born in Makarovskaya, Vologda Oblast (d. 1984)
Dec 5 Johnny Pate, American jazz bassist (Chicago soul), born in Chicago Heights, Illinois
Dec 7 Ted Knight [Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka], American actor (Mary Tyler Moore, Too Close for Comfort), born in Terryville, Connecticut (d. 1986)
Dec 7 Alan Ford, American swimmer (world 100m freestyle record 55.4; Olympic silver 1948), born in Panama Canal Zone, Panama (d. 2008)
Dec 8 Rudolph Pariser, American chemist, born in Harbin, China
Dec 8 Joe Burke, American baseball executive (president KC Royals 1981-92), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1992)
Dec 10 Abelardo Quinteros, Chilean composer, born in Valparaiso, Chile
Dec 10 Harold Gould, American character actor (The Sting, The Golden Girls, Rhoda, Big Bus), born in Schenectady, New York (d. 2010)
Dec 10 Jorge Semprún, Spanish-French writer (2nd mort de R Mercader, Z), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2011)
Dec 11 Betsy Blair [Elizabeth Boger], American actress (Marty, A Double Life), born in Cliffside Park, New Jersey (d. 2009)
Dec 12 Bob Barker, American TV game show host (The Price is Right, Truth or Consequences), born in Darrington, Washington
Dec 12 Ken Kavanagh, Australian racing driver, born in Melbourne, Australia
Dec 12 David Leon Kaplan, American-Canadian music professor (University of Saskatchewan, 1960-82), conductor (Saskatoon Symphony, 1962-72), and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2015)
Dec 13 Fred van der Spek, Dutch 2nd chamber member (PSP), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2017)
Dec 13 Antoni Tapies, Spanish painter, sculptor and theorist (Dau al Set), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2012)
Dec 13 Frankie Fraser, English gangster who spent 42 years in jail, born in London, England (d. 2014)
Dec 14 Gerard Reve, Dutch writer (Evenings, Dear Guys), born in Amsterdam (d. 2006)
Dec 14 Irving "Sully" Boyar, American actor (Dog Day Afternoon, Car Wash), born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (d. 2001)
Dec 15 Freeman Dyson, American physicist (known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering), born in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England (d. 2020)
Dec 15 Uziel Gal, Israeli firearm designer (Uzi submachine gun), born in Weimar, Germany (d. 2002)
Dec 15 Valentin Varennikov, Soviet-Russian general and statesman, born in Krasnodar, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (d. 2009)
Dec 16 Tip [Silvio A] Marugg, Antillian writer (Weekend pilgrimage)
Dec 16 Werner Haentjes, German conductor and composer of operas and film scores, born in Bocholt, Germany (d. 2001)
Dec 17 Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian (d. 2006)
Dec 18 Lotti [Charlotte] van der Gaag, Dutch sculptor/painter
Dec 19 Luigi Innocenti, designer
Dec 19 Gordon Jackson, Scottish actor (Upstairs, Downstairs, The Professionals, The Great Escape), born in Glasgow, Scotland(d. 1990)
Dec 21 Intizar Hussain, Urdu writer and columnist, born in Dibai, Bulandshahr (d. 2016) (approx. date)
Dec 22 Heinz Bernhard [Löwenstein], German-born British actor and director (Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof), born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1994)
Dec 23 James Stockdale, American admiral (Vietnam) andRoss Perot's 1992 running mate, born in Abingdon, Illinois (d. 2005)
Dec 23 Kenneth Lamb, English broadcaster, born in Croydon, England (d. 1995)
Dec 23 Leonard Stern, American producer/TV writer (Phil Silvers Show, Get Smart), born in NYC, New York
Dec 23 Lucas Mangope, 1st president of Bophuthatswana (1977-94) (d. 2018)
Dec 23 Milt Okun, American music producer, conductor, and arranger (John Denver; Peter, Paul and Mary), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
Dec 23 Ruth Roman, American actress (Strangers on a Train, Knots Landing, Dallas), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1999)
Dec 23 Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist and radio host, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2008)
Dec 23 Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver, born in Zárate, Argentina (d. 1954)
Dec 24 Wilton S Mkwayi, South African ANC leader, born in Middledrift, Eastern Cape (d. 2004)
Dec 24 George Patton IV, American general in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2004)
Dec 24 Iron Mike DiBiase, American wrestler, born in NYC, New York (d. 1969)
Dec 25 Louis Lane, American conductor (Akron, 1959-83; Lake Erie Opera, 1964-72), and educator (Cleveland Institute, 1982-2004) born in Eagle Pass, Texas (d. 2016)
Dec 28 Andrew Duggan, American character actor (Secret War of Harry Frigg, Winds of War), born in Franklin, Indiana (d. 1988)
Dec 30 Sara A Lidman, Swedish author (Jag Och Min Son, Samtal in Hanoi)

Famous Divorces

Divorce of Interest

Dec 18 Jazz musician Louis Armstrong (22) divorces Daisy Parker after 5 years of marriage

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Virginie Loveling, Flemish writer (Sophie) and poet, dies at 87
Dec 2 Tomas Breton y Hernandez, composer, dies at 72
Dec 8 Dom Joseph Pothier, French monk and musicologist, dies at 88
Dec 12 Raymond Radiguet, French journalist/writer (Ball du Comte), dies at 20
Dec 14 Giuseppi Gallignani, Italian composer and conductor, takes his own life at 72
Dec 16 Kacsóh Pongrác, Hungarian composer, dies at 50
Dec 22 Arthur H. Bird, American composer, dies at 67
Dec 26 Dietrich Eckart, German Nazi politician (b. 1868)