What Happened in December 1928

Historical Events

Event of Interest

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

31st US President Herbert Hoover — 31st US President
Herbert Hoover

Dec 11 NL President John Heydler proposes designated hitter for pitchers
Dec 12 Robert Nichols and Maurice Browne's play "Wings over Europe" premieres in New York City
Dec 13 Clip-on tie designed
Dec 13 George Gershwin's "An American In Paris" premieres (NYC)

Event of Interest

Dec 14 2nd Test Cricket Australia v England starts with Bradman as 12th man

Cricket Legend Donald Bradman — Cricket Legend
Donald Bradman

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 Christmas Day attendance at cricket MCG (Vic v NSW) Australia is 14,887
Dec 25 NSW (v Vic) go from 8-74 to 9-113 to be 9-367 at stumps
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 Last recording of Ma Rainey, "Mother of the Blues," made

Event of Interest

Dec 28 Louis Armstrong makes 78 recording of "West End blues"

Jazz Musician Louis Armstrong — Jazz Musician
Louis Armstrong

Famous Birthdays

Dec 4 Russell L Rogers, USAF/astronaut (X-20)
Dec 4 Dena Dietrich, American actress (Mother Nature in Chiffon margarine), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dec 6 Bert Geoffrey Achong, inventor (electron microscopist)
Dec 6 Bobby Van, American singer (d. 1980)

Noam Chomsky

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

Dec 7 Raymond Henry Charles Warren, composer
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
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 11 Tomas Gutierrez Alea, filmmaker
Dec 12 Helen Frankenthaler, NY, abstract expressionist artist (Arden)
Dec 12 Lonesome Sundown, blues singer/guitarist
Dec 12 Lionel Blair [Ogus], Canadian choreographer (Give Us a Clue), born in Montréal, Québec
Dec 12 Chinghiz Aitmatov, Soviet-born Kyrgyz writer (Jamila)
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 15 Jimmy Nelson, ventriloguist (Nestles, Farfel), born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 15 Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian artist (d. 2000)
Dec 15 Jerry Wallace, American singer
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
Dec 19 Galt MacDermot, composer (Letting Down My Hair), born in Montreal, Quebec
Dec 19 Michael Hurd, composer
Dec 19 Nathan Oliveira, American artist
Dec 20 Charles Donald Adams, singer
Dec 20 Jack Christiansen, Kansas, NFL hall of famer defensive back (Lions)
Dec 21 Edwin "Ed" Nelson, American actor (Peyton Place, A Long Came a Spider), born in New Orleans, Louisiana,(d. 2014)
Dec 21 Thomas Rajna, composer
Dec 22 Piero Angelo, Italian writer (Control)
Dec 23 Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer
Dec 23 Buddy Harman, Country music drummer (Grand Ole Opry, Elvis Presley), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2008)
Dec 28 Kamillo Lendvay, composer
Dec 28 Moe Koffman, Canadian musician (d. 2001)
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], Miss, rock `n' roll pioneer (Bo Diddley)
Dec 31 Hugh McElhenny, NFL halfback (SF, Minnesota, Giants, Detroit)
Dec 31 Ross Barbour, singer (4 Freshmen), born in Columbus, Indiana
Dec 31 Veijo Meri, Finnish writer, born in Viipuri (d. 2015)
Dec 31 Siné, French cartoonist
Dec 31 Amarillo Slim [Thomas Preston], Amarillo Texas, hall of fame professional poker player (1971 World Series main event), (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, composer, 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

1927
On This Day
1929