What Happened in December 1928

Historical Events

Historic Event

Dec 11 Buenos Aires police thwart an attempt on President-elect Herbert Hoover

Dec 12 Robert Nichols and Maurice Browne's play "Wings over Europe" premieres in New York City
Dec 13 Clip-on tie designed

Music History

Dec 13 George Gershwin's "An American In Paris" premieres at Carnegie Hall, NYC, performed by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Walter Damrosch

Dec 16 National Football League Championship: Providence Steam Roller (8-1-2) win first past the post title
Dec 17 John McGraw backs NL President John Heydler's designated hitter idea
Dec 19 1st autogyro flight in US
Dec 20 1st international dogsled mail leaves Minot, Maine for Montreal, Quebec
Dec 20 Ethel Barrymore Theater opens at 243 W 47th St NYC
Dec 23 NBC sets up a permanent, coast-to-coast radio network
Dec 24 George Abbott Theater (Adelphi, 54 St) opens at 152 W 54th St NYC
Dec 25 NSW (v Vic) go from 8-74 to 9-113 to be 9-367 at stumps

Sports History

Dec 26 Johnny Weissmuller announces his retirement from amateur swimming

Dec 26 World record 10th wicket stand 307 (Kippax / Hooker) NSW v Vic
Dec 28 Ma Rainey, "Mother of the Blues" makes her last record "Big Feelin' Blues"

Famous Birthdays

Dec 2 Dan Jenkins, American author, sportswriter (Sports Illustrated), born in Fort Worth, Texas (d. 2019)
Dec 2 Jörg Wolfgang Demus, Austrian classical pianist and composer, born in St. Pölte, Austria (d. 2019)
Dec 3 Jack McMahon, American basketball guard and coach (player Rochester Royal, St. Louis Hawks; coach Cincinnati Royals, San Diego Rockets, Pittsburgh Condors), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1989)
Dec 4 Dena Dietrich, American actress (Mother Nature in Chiffon margarine), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dec 6 Bert Geoffrey Achong, Trinidadian pathologist and inventor (electron microscopist), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad (d. 1996)
Dec 6 Bobby Van [Stein], American stage and screen musical singer and actor (The Affairs of Dobie Gillis; Small Town Girl), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1980)

Noam Chomsky

Dec 7 Noam Chomsky, American linguist (founded transformational grammar), philosopher and political activist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dec 7 Raymond Warren, British composer (Cello Requiem; Variations on a Gloucester Chime), and educator (Queen's University - Belfast, 1955-72), born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England
Dec 8 Ulric Neisser, America psychologist (Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns, Bell Curve task force head), born in Kiel, Germany (d. 2012)
Dec 9 Richard "Dick" Van Patten, American actor, businessman, and animal welfare advocate (Tom Bradford in 8 is Enough), born in Queens, New York (d. 2015)
Dec 9 André Milhoux, Belgian racing driver, born in Bressoux, Belgium (d. 1956)
Dec 10 John Colicos, Canadian actor (Battlestar Galactica), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2000)
Dec 10 Dan Blocker, American actor (Tiny-Cimarron City, Hoss-Bonanza), born in DeKalb, Bowie County, Texas (d. 1972)
Dec 10 Barbara Nichols, American actress (Dear Heart, Disorderly Orderly), born in Queens, New York (d. 1976)
Dec 11 Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuban filmmaker (Muerte de un burócrata), born in Havana, Cuba (d. 1996)
Dec 12 Helen Frankenthaler, American abstract expressionist artist (Arden), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2011)
Dec 12 Lonesome Sundown [Cornelius Green III], American blues singer and guitarist, born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (d. 1995)
Dec 12 Lionel Blair [Ogus], Canadian choreographer (Give Us a Clue), born in Montréal, Québec
Dec 12 Chinghiz Aitmatov, Soviet-Kyrgyz author and best-known figure in Kyrgyzstan's literature (Jamila), born in Kirghiz ASSR, Soviet Union (d. 2008)
Dec 13 W Gordon Smith, Scottish playwright, born in Edinburgh (d. 1996)
Dec 13 Jack Tramiel, American Businessman (Amiga, Commodore 64), born in Łódź, Poland (d. 2012)
Dec 13 Joe Messina, American soul, jazz, and R&B session guitarist (Soupy Sales; The Funk Brothers), born in Detroit, Michigan
Dec 15 Jimmy Nelson, American ventriloquist (Nestles, Farfel), born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 15 Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian-born New Zealand artist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2000)
Dec 15 Jerry Wallace, American country and pop singer ("Primrose Lane"; "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry"), born in Guilford, Missouri (d. 2008)
Dec 15 Ida Haendel, Polish-British-Canadian child prodigy violinist, teacher, and author (Woman with Violin), born in Chelm, Poland (d. 2020)
Dec 16 Peter Nailor, civil servant/historian
Dec 16 Philip K[indred] Dick, US, sci-fi author (Hugo-1963, Blade Runner), born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 17 Marilyn Beck, newspaper columnist
Dec 17 Eli Beeding, Sherman, TX, Air Force Captain and rocket test pilot, (d. 2013)
Dec 18 Józef Glemp, Polish cardinal, born in Inowrocław , Poland (d. 2013)
Dec 19 Galt MacDermot, Canadian composer (Hair), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2018)
Dec 19 Michael Hurd, British composer and musicologist known for his choral music (Jonah-Man Jazz), born in Gloucester, England (d. 2006)
Dec 19 Nathan Oliveira, American artist
Dec 19 Morris "Moose" Charlap, American Broadway composer (Peter Pan; Kelly), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1974)
Dec 20 Charles Donald Adams, British bass-baritone opera singer (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,; Gilbert and Sullivan For All), born in Bristol, United Kingdom (d. 1996)
Dec 20 Jack Christiansen, American football player and coach (Lions), born in Sublette, Kansas
Dec 21 Edwin "Ed" Nelson, American actor (Peyton Place, Along Came a Spider), born in New Orleans, Louisiana,(d. 2014)
Dec 21 Thomas Rajna, British-Hungarian pianist, and composer (Amarantha; Stop All The Clocks), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2021)
Dec 22 Piero Angela, Italian television host & writer (Control), born in Turin, Italy
Dec 23 Chronis Aidonidis, Greek folk and traditional music singer, born in Karoti, Greece
Dec 23 (Murrey) "Buddy" Harman, American country music session drummer (Grand Ole Opry; Elvis Presley; Patsy Cline; Brenda Lee; Ween), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2008)
Dec 25 Irish McCalla, American actress and artist (Sheena Queen of Jungle), born in Pawnee City, Nebraska (d. 2002)
Dec 25 Harry Klein, English jazz saxophonist, born in London, United Kingdom (d. 2010)
Dec 28 Kamilló Lendvay, Hungarian composer (Pezzo Concertanto), born in Budapest (d. 2016)
Dec 28 Moe Koffman, Canadian jazz saxophonist and flautist (Cool and Hot Sax), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2001)
Dec 29 John Kennedy Sr., Australian Rules Football coach (Australian Football Hall of Fame legend; VFL Premiership 1961, 71, 76; Hawthorn FC; North Melbourne FC), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2020)
Dec 29 Bernard Cribbins, British character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian (Val Doonican Show), born in Oldham, Lancashire
Dec 30 Bo Diddley [Ellas Bates McDaniels], American rock `n' roll pioneer guitarist (Bo Diddley), born in McComb, Mississippi (d. 2008)
Dec 30 Jack Montrose, American "cool jazz" tenor saxophonist and arranger, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2006)
Dec 31 Hugh McElhenny, American NFL halfback (SF, Minnesota, Giants, Detroit), born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 31 Ross Barbour, American singer (4 Freshmen), born in Columbus, Indiana (d. 2011)
Dec 31 Veijo Meri, Finnish writer, born in Viipuri (d. 2015)
Dec 31 Siné [Maurice Sinet], French cartoonist, born in Paris, France (d. 2016)
Dec 31 Amarillo Slim [Thomas Preston], American hall of fame professional poker player (1971 World Series main event), born in Amarillo, Texas (d. 2012)

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 José Eustasio Rivera, Colombian writer (b. 1888)
Dec 1 Arthur Gore, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1901, 08-09), dies at 60
Dec 5 Johannes "Johan" Bakker Sr, Dutch actor and husband of Truus Soete, dies at 61
Dec 10 Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish architect, designer, and illustrator, dies at 60
Dec 11 Lewis Howard Latimer, American inventor (carbon filament lightbulb), dies at 80
Dec 14 Theodore Roberts, American actor (Roaring Road, 10 Commandments), dies at 77
Dec 16 Elinor Wylie, American poet and writer (b. 1885)
Dec 18 Lucien Capet, French composer and violinist, dies at 55
Dec 21 Harry Butt, cricketer (England wicket-keeper v South Africa 1895-96), dies
Dec 21 Luigi Cadorna, Italian fieldmarshal (WW I, Caporetto), dies at 78