Historical Events
- Dec 1 Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto: Queen's University retains title with 54-0 win over Regina Rugby Club; biggest Grey Cup victory margin ever
- Dec 3 First Congressional open session broadcast via radio (Washington, D.C.)
- Dec 4 WEAF radio begins broadcasting Eveready Hour (variety show)
Radio Premiere
Dec 6 1st US Presidential address broadcast on radio by 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
Theater Premiere
Dec 28 George Bernard Shaw's play "Saint Joan" premieres at Garrick Theatre in NYC
Famous Birthdays
Maria Callas
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 (The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Ted Baxter"; 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 10 Linda Hayes [Bertha Williams], American R&B singer (Yes I Know), born in Linden, New Jersey (d. 1998)
- 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 12 John Pulman, English snooker player (World Champion 1957-68; News of the World Snooker Tournament 1954, 57, 58), born in Teignmouth, England (d. 1998)
- 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 van der Gaag, Dutch sculptor and painter, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1999)
- 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 21 Wataru "Wat" Misaka, American professional basketball player, first non-white player, and first player of Asian descent in BAA (later known as NBA) (New York Knicks, 1947-48), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 2019)
- 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 27 Serge Collot, French violist (Paris Opera, 1957-86; Le Trio à Cordes Français, 1960-92), and music educator (Conservatoire de Paris, 1969-89), born in Paris, France (d. 2015)
- 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
Louis Armstrong
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 Giuseppe 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)
Gustave Eiffel
Dec 27 Gustave Eiffel, French engineer (Eiffel Tower), dies at 91