What Happened in December 1990

Historical Events

  • Dec 1 55th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 16-7 in Birmingham
  • Dec 1 56th Heisman Trophy Award: Ty Detmer, Brigham Young (QB)

Latest Wonder of the World

Dec 1 British and French workers meet in the middle of the Channel Tunnel under the English Channel

Davis Cup

Dec 1 Davis Cup Tennis, St. Petersburg, Florida: Rick Leach and Jim Pugh beat Australian pair Pat Cash and John Fitzgerald 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 to clinch an unassailable 3-0 lead (ends 3-2) for the US

Event of Interest

Dec 1 Dictator of Chad Hissène Habré flees to Cameroon

  • Dec 1 Iraq accepts Bush's offer for talks
  • Dec 1 Lithuania, Estonia & Latvia hold their 1st joint session

Sports History

Dec 1 New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing scores career high 22 field goals in his 50 point haul in 113-96 win v Charlotte at Madison Square Garden

  • Dec 2 First parliamentary election in newly reunified Germany
  • Dec 2 First time 12 people in space at the same time
  • Dec 2 US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) launches into orbit
  • Dec 4 An Iraqi official reports that Iraq will withdraw if it can retain control of the Rumailah field and keep Bubiyan and Werbah islands; also says that demands that the Palestinian issue be treated separately would not be surmountable
  • Dec 4 Due to Persian Gulf crisis gas hits $1.60 per gallon price in NYC
  • Dec 4 Iraq announces it will release all 3,300 Soviet hostages
  • Dec 5 Blue Jays trade F McGriff & T Fernandez to SD for R Alomar & J Carter

Event of Interest

Dec 5 British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie appears in public for 1st time in 2 years after Iran called for his assassination

  • Dec 5 Former Noriega aide Luis del Cid pleads guilty
  • Dec 5 Iraq announces willingness to speak with US about resolving the Persian Gulf crisis
  • Dec 6 NHL grants conditional membership to Tampa Bay Lightning

Event of Interest

Dec 6 Saddam Hussein announces release of all foreign hostages

  • Dec 6 Shoeless Joe Jackson's signature sells, at aucton, for $23,100
  • Dec 7 Iraqi Parliament endorses Saddam Hussein's decision to free hostages

Engagement of Interest

Dec 7 Ted Turner & Jane Fonda announce their engagement

  • Dec 8 Indians agree to a lease new ballpark in Gateway (Jacobs Field)
  • Dec 8 Spacecraft Galileo flies by Earth at an altitude of 597 miles (960 km) to use the planet's gravity to build speed on its way to Jupiter [1]
  • Dec 9 23rd NAACP Image Awards: "Coming to America" wins Outstanding Motion Picture
  • Dec 9 Gunda Niemann skates ladies world record 3k ladies (4:10.80)
  • Dec 9 Houston scores most points against Cleveland, Oilers 58, Browns 14

Election of Interest

Dec 9 Lech Wałęsa wins Poland's 1st direct presidential election in Poland

  • Dec 9 NFL NY Giant Otis Anderson becomes 8th to rush for 10,000th yard
  • Dec 10 Hindu-Muslim rebellion in Hyderabad-Aligargh India, 140 die
  • Dec 10 Soyuz TM-10 lands
  • Dec 10 Space Shuttle STS 35 (Columbia 11) lands
  • Dec 11 13 die in 83 vehicle accident in Chattanooga Tn I-75, due to fog
  • Dec 11 US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) returns from space
  • Dec 12 US accuses Iraq of dragging its feet on dates for talks
  • Dec 12 US ambassador to Kuwait, Nathaniel Howell, leaves Kuwait
  • Dec 13 Heavy earthquake strikes Sicily, 18 die
  • Dec 13 Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Cathy Rigby, opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC; runs for 45 performances
  • Dec 13 US Secretary of State Baker questions Iraq's seriousness about Middle East peace

Music History

Dec 14 Louis Jordan's revue "Five Guys Named Moe" premieres in London

  • Dec 14 Right to Die case permits Nancy Cruzan to have her feeding tube removed, she dies 12 days later
  • Dec 16 KUSW, Salt Lake City Utah, final shortwave radio transmissions
  • Dec 16 Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected President of Haiti
  • Dec 17 KTBN, Salt Lake City Utah, begins shortwave radio transmissions
  • Dec 18 Bush reiterates his "no concessions" stance against Iraq
  • Dec 18 NL announces Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa-St Petersburg, & Washington, D.C. as 6 finalist for 1993 expansion (Miami & Denver win)
  • Dec 20 Pentagon warns Saddam that US air power is ready to attack on 1/15
  • Dec 20 Robert F X Sillerman purchases WAFL NY-NJ Knights for $11 million
  • Dec 20 The world's first website and server go live at CERN
  • Dec 21 Steve & Mark Waugh complete 464* partnership for NSW v WA
  • Dec 22 Iraq announces it will never give up Kuwait
  • Dec 22 Israeli ferry capsizes killing 21 US servicemen
  • Dec 22 Lech Wałęsa sworn in as Poland's 1st popularly elected president

Sports History

Dec 22 Paul Coffey becomes the second NHL defenceman to record 1000 points, doing so in a record-breaking 770 games

  • Dec 23 Comedy "Lettice & Lovage" closes at Barrymore Theater, NYC after 284 performances
  • Dec 23 Slovenians vote to secede from Yugoslavia

Baseball Trade

Dec 24 Expos trade Tim Raines to White Sox for Ivan Calderon & Barry Jones

The Godfather Part III

Dec 25 "The Godfather Part III" directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino, Diane Keaton and Andy Garcia premieres

  • Dec 25 Ballon d'Or: Inter's German sweeper Lothar Matthäus is named best football player in Europe ahead of Juventus striker Salvatore Schillaci and Inter defender Andreas Brehme
  • Dec 26 Reggie Williams becomes 1st GM of WLAF's NY-NJ Knights
  • Dec 26 Senior Professional Baseball Association folds
  • Dec 27 Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames, 4-1 to record their 500th all-time NHL victory; set in just 915 games for a record of 500-295-120, good for a winning % of .612; best in history upon reaching milestone
  • Dec 28 2 die and 188 injured in a NYC subway electrical fire in tunnel near Clark Street, Brooklyn
  • Dec 28 Blockbuster Bowl 1: Florida State beats Penn State, 24-17
  • Dec 30 "Miser" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 93 performances
  • Dec 30 11th United Negro College Fund raises $10,000,000
  • Dec 31 Iraq begins a military draft of 17 year olds
  • Dec 31 Sci-Fi Channel on cable TV begins transmitting
  • Dec 31 United Somali Congress seizes Presidential Palace
1990 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Dec 1 Chanel Iman, American model (Victoria's Secret Angel), born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Dec 2 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian soccer midfielder (78 caps; Udinese), born in Berekum, Brong-Ahafo, Ghana
  • Dec 2 Gastón Ramírez, Uruguayan soccer midfielder (43 caps; Sampdoria), born in Fray Bentos, Uruguay
  • Dec 3 Christian Benteke, Belgian soccer striker (93 caps; Genk, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Aston Villa), born in Kinshasa, Zaire
  • Dec 7 Marte Olsbu Røiseland, Norwegian biathlete (Olympic gold women's sprint, pursuit, mixed relay 2022; 11 x World C'ship gold), born in Arendal, Norway
  • Dec 8 Jakub Józef Orliński, Polish operatic countertenor singer, and break-dancer, born in Warsaw, Poland
  • Dec 9 LaFee [Christina Klein], German pop-rock singer, and actress, born in Büsbach, Germany
  • Dec 10 Giulia Boverio, Italian actress
  • Dec 10 Teyana Taylor, American singer-songwriter, actress and TV personality (Teyana and Iman), born in New York City
  • Dec 11 Alexa Demie, American actress (Euphoria), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Dec 12 Victor Moses, Nigerian footballer, born in Lagos, Nigeria
  • Dec 19 Sally Fitzgibbons, Australian pro surfer, born in Gerroa, Australia

JoJo [Joanna Levesque] (32 years old)

Dec 20 American pop singer-songwriter ("Too Little Too Late"; "Baby It's You"), born in Brattleboro, Vermont

  • Dec 21 Gianluca Buccellati, American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (Arlo Parks; Tei Shi,; White China), born in Mount Kisco, New York
  • Dec 22 Jean-Baptiste Maunier, French actor, born in Brignoles, France
  • Dec 22 Josef Newgarden, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 2023; IndyCar Series 2017, 19; Indy Lights 2011), born in Nashville, Tennessee
  • Dec 23 Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer, born in San Francisco, California
  • Dec 26 Aaron Ramsey, Welsh footballer, born in Caerphilly, United Kingdom
  • Dec 27 Luis Trujillo, Peruvian Football Player
  • Dec 27 Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player (8 ATP titles), born in Titograd, Montenegro
  • Dec 28 David Archuleta, American singer (American Idol runner-up), born in Miami, Florida
  • Dec 30 Joe Root, English cricket batsman and captain (HS 254; Yorkshire CCC), born in Sheffield, England
Born in 1990

Famous Weddings

John Carpenter

Dec 1 Film director John Carpenter (36) weds producer Sandy King

David Lean

Dec 15 Academy Award-winning director David Lean (82) weds interior designer Sandra Cooke (51)

Natasha Richardson

Dec 15 British actress Natasha Richardson (27) weds British stage and screen producer Robert Fox (37); divorce in 1992

Rod Stewart

Dec 15 British singer Rod Stewart (45) weds American supermodel Rachel Hunter (21); divorce in 2006

Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise

Dec 24 Actor Tom Cruise (28) marries actress Nicole Kidman (23)

  • Dec 29 Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton weds Shannon Kelley

Famous Deaths

  • Dec 1 Jan Hendrik de Groot, Dutch co-founder of Vrij Nederland), dies at 89
  • Dec 1 Robert Gordon, American child actor (billed as "Bobby" - The Jazz Singer; Mountains of Manhattan), and director (The Joe Louis Story), dies at 77

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900-1990)

Dec 1 Indian diplomat and politician who was the 1st woman to hold a cabinet post in India, dies at 90

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Dec 2 American composer (Billy the Kid, Fanfare for Common Man), dies of Alzheimer's disease and respiratory failure at 90

  • Dec 2 Robert Cummings, American actor (Love that Bob, Dial M For Murder), dies of kidney failure at 80
  • Dec 3 Gavin Reed, actor (Body Beneath), dies at 59
  • Dec 4 Edward Binns, American actor (12 Angry Men; Fail-Safe), dies of a heart attack at 74
  • Dec 5 Steven Shaw, dies at 25
  • Dec 6 Bob Hamilton, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1944), dies at 74
  • Dec 6 Pavlos Sidiropoulos, Greek rock singer, songwriter and guitarist (Electric Theseus), dies from a heroin overdose at 42

Tunku Abdul Rahman (1903-1990)

Dec 6 Malaysia's founding father, 1st Prime Minister of Malaya (1957-63) and Malaysia (1963-70), dies at 87

  • Dec 7 Dee Clark, American pop singer ("Raindrops"), dies at 52
  • Dec 7 Horst Bienek, German writer and director (The First Polka), dies at 60
  • Dec 7 Jean Duceppe, Quebec actor (Mon oncle Antoine), dies at 67
  • Dec 7 Jean Paul Lemieux, Canadian painter, dies at 86
  • Dec 7 Joan Bennett, American actress (House Across the Bay), dies at 80
  • Dec 7 Peter Mieg, Swiss composer, dies at 84
  • Dec 7 Reinaldo Arenas, Cuban poet and novelist (Pentagonia), dies at 47
  • Dec 8 Boris Kochno, Russian ballet dancer (La Chatte) and librettist, dies at 86
  • Dec 8 Martin Ritt, American actor and director (The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, Slugger's Wife, End of the Game), dies at 76
  • Dec 8 Pony Sherrell Metcalf, American singer, dies of heart attack at undisclosed age
  • Dec 9 Mike Mazurki, Austrian-American actor and professional wrestler (Some Like It Hot, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World), dies at 82
  • Dec 10 Armand Hammer, American industrialist (Occidental Petroleum), dies at 92
  • Dec 11 Fernand Collin, Belgian economist and banker, dies at 92

Alice Marble (1913-1990)

Dec 13 American tennis player (US Open 1936, 1938-40), dies of pernicious anaemia at 77

  • Dec 14 Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss playwright & novelist (The Physicists, The Visit). dies of heart failure at 69
  • Dec 14 Hope Sansberry, American actress (Rats are Coming), dies at 94
  • Dec 14 Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn und Taxis, German businessman, dies at 64
  • Dec 15 Betty Warren, British actress (Passport to Pimlico), dies at 83
  • Dec 15 Jean Paige, American silent film actress (Capt Blood; Black Beauty), dies at 95
  • Dec 16 Douglas Campbell, American aviator and World War I flying ace, dies at 94
  • Dec 17 Don Draper, American actor (Pepper Agent 00X), dies of AIDS at 61
  • Dec 17 Mieke Verstraete [Maria Augustina De Graef], Belgian-Dutch actress (Pleasantly Settled), dies at 79
  • Dec 18 Anne Revere, actress (National Velvet), dies of pneumonia at 87
  • Dec 18 Connie Russell, American singer (Club Embassy; Garroway at Large), dies at 67
  • Dec 18 Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76
  • Dec 19 Basil Henson, actor (Change Partners), dies of stroke at 71
  • Dec 19 Massimo Amfiteatrof [Maksim Amfiteatrov], Russian-Italian classical musician, known as 'the Cellists' Caruso', dies at 83
  • Dec 20 (William) Elmo Tanner, American big band singer, whistler (Ted Weems Orchestra - "Heartaches"), bandleader, and DJ, dies at 86
  • Dec 21 Kelly Johnson, American aircraft engineer (Lockheed Skunk Works, Lockheed U-2, SR-71 Blackbird), dies at 80
  • Dec 22 Cecil Effinger, American oboist, composer, and inventor of a music typewriter, dies at 76
  • Dec 22 Ken Irvine, Australian rugby league winger (31 Tests; NSW 24 games; North Sydney RLFC, Manly-Warringah RLFC; record first-grade career tries–212), dies from chronic myeloid leukaemia at 50
  • Dec 23 Frank King, West Indian cricketer (WI fast bowler played 14 Tests 1953-56), dies at 64
  • Dec 23 Wendell Scott, American auto racer (first black driver to win a race at NASCAR's premier level [Jacksonville 200 1963]), dies from spinal cancer at 69
  • Dec 24 Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian author (b. 1922)
  • Dec 25 Marguerite N Wittenberg, entertainer, dies of cancer at 77
  • Dec 26 Nancy Cruznan, accident victim/right-to-die case, dies at 33
  • Dec 27 Helene Stanley, American actress (Carnival Story, Roar of the Crowd),and live-action model for Disney animators (Cinderealla; Sleeping Beauty), dies at 61
  • Dec 28 Ed van der Elsken, Dutch photographer (Sweet Life), dies at 65
  • Dec 28 Kiel Martin, American actor (Hill Street Blues - "Det. LaRue"), dies of cancer at 46
  • Dec 28 Lucas Polhaupessy, Moluccan leader, dies
  • Dec 28 Walter Burle Marx, Brazilian pianist and composer, dies at 88
  • Dec 31 Dalton Cathey, American actor dies of AIDS at 44
  • Dec 31 George Allen, American Pro Football HOF coach (NFL Coach of the Year 1967, 71; LA Rams, Washington Redskins), dies at 72
  • Dec 31 Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev, cosmonaut (Soyuz 12, 18A), dies at 62