- 1574 Charles Guise, archbishop/cardinal of Reims, dies at 50
- 1624 Simon Marius, astronomer, dies in Bavaria at 54
- 1627 Gonzaga, Italian monarch of Mantua/Monferrato, dies
- 1658 Simon Guillain, French sculptor (Castle of Blois/Sorbonne), dies at 78
- 1676 Domenicus van Tol, Dutch painter, dies
- 1679 John van de Cappelle, Amsterdam landscape painter, dies at 53
- 1731 Antoine Houdar de la Motte, French writer (b. 1672)
- 1736 Antonio Caldara, composer, dies
- 1740 Mauritius Louis II earl of Nassau, lt-gen (12 children), dies
- 1771 Claude Adrien Helvétius, French philosopher (b. 1715)
- 1776 Johann Gottlieb Rall, Hessian colonel/mercenary, dies in battle in American Revolutionary War
- 1780 John Fothergill, English physician, dies at 68
- 1784 Seth Warner, American revolutionary leader, dies at 41
- 1784 Otto Friedrich Müller, Danish Naturalist who was a pioneer in the study of microorganisms, dies at 54
- 1786 Gasparo Gozzi, Italian critic and dramatist, dies at 73
- 1797 John Wilkes, English radical, journalist (The North Briton) and politician, dies at 72
- 1827 Jan David Holland, composer, dies at 81
- 1836 Hans Georg Nägeli, Swiss composer, dies at 63
- 1837 Martinus van Marum, chemist/physicist (giant salamander), dies at 87
- 1861 Philip St. George Cocke, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), commits suicide at 52
- 1866 Samuel Ryan Curtis, Union general-major, dies at 49
- 1869 Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille, French physician and physiologist (blood pressure), dies at 72
- 1887 Jules Francois Blasini, Curacaos pianist/composer, dies at 40
Heinrich Schliemann
1890 Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist who rediscovered Troy, dies of cholesteatoma at 86
Heinrich Schliemann
- 1893 Victor Schoelcher, French writer (abolitionism), dies at 89
- 1909 Frederic Remington, American artist and sculptor of American West, dies at 48
- 1916 Bernhard Scholz, composer, dies at 81
- 1916 Frank Penn, cricketer (one Test for England v Australia 1880), dies
- 1916 Willie Smith, Scottish golfer (US Open 1899), dies of pneumonia at 40
- 1917 Judith Gautier, French poetess, novelist (Le Dragon Impérial) and daughter of Theophile Gautier, dies at 71
- 1918 Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65
- 1923 Dietrich Eckart, German Nazi politician (b. 1868)
- 1931 Melvil Dewey, American librarian and educator (created Dewey Decimal System for libraries), dies at 80
- 1933 Anatoly Lunacharsky, Russian Marxist revolutionary, author and literary critic, dies at 58
- 1937 Ivor Gurney, English composer and poet, dies of tuberculosis at 47
- 1942 Bosinier de la Chapelle, Fren murderer of adm Darlan, executed at 24
- 1942 Chris 'Red' Cagle, College Football Hall of Fame halfback, dies of a fractured skull from a fall at 37
- 1950 Emile Enthoven, Dutch composer and lawyer, dies at 47
- 1950 James Stephens, Irish poet (Crock of Gold), dies at 68
- 1952 Pietro Pancrazi, Italian critic (Pegaso), dies at 59
- 1956 Holmes Herbert, British actor (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Kiss), dies at 74
- 1957 Artur Malawski, Polish composer, dies at 53
- 1958 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
- 1960 Eduard Ludwig, German architect (Hansa quarter, Berlin), dies at 54
- 1960 Watsuji Tetsuro, Japanese philosopher (b. 1889)
- 1961 Charlie Frank, cricketer (S Af Test centurion v Aust 1921-22), dies
- 1963 "Gorgeous George" Wagner, wrestler, dies
- 1965 Nico Donkersloot, Dutch literary and writer, dies at 63
- 1966 Klaziena "Ina" Boudier-Bakker, Dutch playwright and author (Poverty), dies at 91
- 1966 Noel Gallon, French composer, dies at 75
- 1967 Sydney Barnes, English cricketer (27 Tests for England, 189 wickets) and probably England's greatest bowler, dies at 94
- 1969 Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin, French poet and author (History d'aimer), dies at 67
- 1969 Josef Hromádka, Czech theologist (Lenin prize 1957), dies at 80
- 1969 Johannes Gerard van Dillen, Dutch economic historian (Of Wealth & Oligarchists), dies at 86
- 1970 Lillian Board, British 400m athlete (Olympic silver 1968), dies at 22
- 1971 Robert Lowery, actor (Circus Boy, Pistols 'n' Petticoats), dies at 57
Harry Truman
1972 Harry Truman, 33rd US President (1945-53), dies in KC Mo at 88
Harry Truman
- 1973 Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, Head of Mormon Church, dies at 74
- 1973 Steven Geray, American actor (French Line), dies at 69
- 1973 William Haines, American actor (Little Annie Rooney), dies of cancer at 73
- 1974 Jack Benny [Benjamin Kubelski], American comedian (Jack Benny Show), dies of pancreatic cancer at 80
- 1974 Knudage Riisager, composer, dies at 77
- 1974 Robert Levine Sanders, American composer, dies at 68
- 1974 Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59
- 1976 Philip A Heart, (Sen-D-Mich), dies at 64
- 1976 Philip Hart, American lawyer and politician (U.S. Senator from Michigan), dies at 64
- 1977 Howard Hawks, American director and producer (Rio Bravo, Scarface, The Big Sleep), dies at 81
- 1977 Ivan Rezak, Czech composer, dies at 53
- 1980 Tony Smith, American sculptor (b. 1912)
- 1981 Savithri, Indian actress (b. 1937)
- 1981 Amber Reeves, feminist writer (b. 1887)
- 1983 Violet Carson, British actress (b. 1898)
- 1985 Dian Fossey, American zoologist (Gorillas in the Mist), murdered in Rwanda at 53
- 1985 Harold P. Warren, American movie director (Manos: The Hands of Fate), dies at 62
- 1985 Jackie Ormes, African-American cartoonist (Torchy Brown), dies at 74
- 1986 Elsa Lanchester, actress (Bride of Frankenstein), dies at 84
- 1986 Leslie Dwyer, English actor (Hi-de-Hi!), dies at 80
- 1988 Pablo Sorozábal, Spanish composer, dies at 91
- 1988 Cynthia Stone, American actress (That Wonderful Guy, Ad Libbers), dies at 62
- 1988 John Loder, actor (Sabotage, Java Head), dies at 90
- 1988 Glenn McCarthy, American oil tycoon and businessman (b. 1907)
- 1989 Lennox Berkeley, composer, dies at 86
- 1989 Peggy Thorpe-Bates, actress (Alcatraz Island), dies
Doug Harvey
1989 Doug Harvey, Canadian ice hockey defence player ('100 Greatest NHL Players), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 65
Doug Harvey
- 1990 Nancy Cruznan, accident victim/right-to-die case, dies at 33
- 1991 Sam Cresson, dies at 73
- 1992 Bert Voeten, Dutch journalist and poet (Antipodes), dies at 74
- 1992 Constance Carpenter, actress (2 Worlds), dies of stroke at 87
- 1992 John G Kemeny, US computer pioneer (BASIC), dies
- 1992 Nikita Magaloff, Russian/Swiss pianist, dies at 80
- 1993 Jeff Morrow [Leslie Irving Morrow], American actor (Robe, Union Pacific, Temperatures Rising), dies at 86
- 1994 Asta ER Elstak, Suriname/Neth welfare worker, dies at 74
- 1994 Johannes J "Joop" Klant, Neth/South African economist/author, dies
- 1994 Karl Schiller, German economist and politician (Minister of Economics), dies at 83
- 1994 Robert Emhardt, American actor (Another World, Underworld USA, Mooncussers), dies at 80
- 1994 Sylvia Koscina, Croatian/Italian actress (Hercules), dies at 61
- 1997 John Hinde, photographer/circus promoter, dies at 81
- 1997 John Whitley, British air-marshal, dies at 92
- 1997 Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist, dies at 75
- 1999 Curtis Mayfield, American singer-songwriter and soul musician (Freddie's Dead, Superfly), dies from complications of type 2 diabetes at 57
- 1999 Shankar Dayal Sharma, Indian politician, ninth President of India (1992-97), dies at 81
- 2000 Jason Robards, American actor (A Thousand Clowns, Any Wednesday), dies at 78
- 2000 Jason Robards, American actor (b. 1922)
- 2000 Paul Kont, Austrian composer, dies at 80
- 2000 Leo Gordon, American actor (Maverick, Circus Boy, Enos, Winds of War), dies of cardiac failure at 78
- 2000 Jack Jacob, British senior master (British Supreme Court), dies at 92
- 2001 Nigel Hawthorne, English actor (Tartuffe, Pope John Paul II), dies at 72
- 2002 Herb Ritts, American fashion photographer, dies at 50
- 2002 Armand Zildjian, American cymbal manufacturer (b. 1921)
- 2004 Sir Angus Ogilvy, British businessman and husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, dies at 76
- 2004 Marianne Heiberg, Norwegian mediator (b. 1945)
- 2004 Jonathan Drummond-Webb, South African pediatric heart surgeon (b. 1959)
- 2004 Sigurd Køhn, Norwegian jazz musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1959)
Reggie White
2004 Reggie White, American football player, dies at 43
Reggie White
- 2004 Aki Sirkesalo, Finnish musician, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1962)
- 2004 Mieszko Talarczyk, Lead singer/Guitarist of grindcore band, Nasum, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1974)
- 2004 Troy Broadbridge, Australian rules footballer, in 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (b. 1980)
- 2004 Simon Atlee, British fashion photographer, drowned by tsunami in Thailand at 33
- 2005 Erich Topp, German submarine commander (b. 1914)
- 2005 Muriel Costa-Greenspon, American mezzo-soprano (b. 1937)
- 2005 Kerry Packer, Australian businessman (b. 1937)
- 2005 Vincent Schiavelli, American actor (b. 1948)
- 2006 Ivar Formo, Norwegian skier (b. 1951)
Gerald Ford
2006 Gerald Ford [Leslie King], 38th US President (R: 1974-77) and 41st US Vice President (R: 1973-74), dies at 93
Gerald Ford
- 2007 John A. Garraty, American biographer (b. 1920)
- 2007 Stu Nahan, American Sportscaster (b. 1926)
- 2007 Joe Dolan, Irish singer and entertainer (b. 1943)
- 2008 Gösta Krantz, Swedish actor (b. 1925)
- 2009 Felix Wurman, American cellist and composer, dies of Cancer at 51
- 2010 Teena Marie, American singer and composer (b. 1956)
- 2010 Edward Bhengu, South African activist (b. 1934)
- 2011 Sam Rivers, American jazz musician (exponent of free jazz), dies of pneumonia at 88
- 2012 Fontella Bass, American R&B and soul singer and songwriter (Rescue Me), dies from a heart attack at 72
- 2012 Gerry Anderson, English writer/producer/director, dies from Alzheimer's disease at 83
- 2013 Paul Blair, American baseball player, dies at 69
- 2014 Leo Tindemans, Belgian statesman, Prime Minister of Belgium (1974-78), dies at 92
- 2016 George S. Irving [Shelasky], American broadway singer and actor (Dumplings), dies at 94
- 2018 Wendy Beckett, South African British nun and TV art critic, dies at 88
- 2018 Sono Osato, American Japanese ballet dancer and actress, dies at 99
- 2018 Theodore Antoniou, Greek conductor and composer (Paean, Celebration), dies at 83
December in History
Business a Rocky Road for Hansom Cab Pioneer
Architect and inventor Joseph Hansom was a man of vision who somehow found it impossible to turn his great ideas into money-making ventures.
December 23, 1834The Day Murdoch Spoilt the Queen's Christmas
Queen Elizabeth II made the first live Christmas Day broadcast of her reign on December 25, 1952. Forty years later a pre-recorded message would be leaked.
December 25, 1952'Hitler Will Have to Break Us or Lose the War'
The German Luftwaffe were hammering the British RAF until a furious and frustrated Hitler changed the plan and possibly the outcome of the war.
December 29, 1940The Taming of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill made an emotional speech to the Canadian Parliament on this day, December 30, 1941. His photograph from that day is just as memorable.
December 30, 1941
