- Dec 17 Anaheim Township created in Los Angeles County
- Dec 18 South Carolina declared an "independent commonwealth"
- Dec 20 South Carolina secedes from the Union (US Civil War)
- Dec 24 Joseph Jefferson's "Rip Van Winkle" premieres in NYC
- Dec 26 Maiden voyage of 1st steamship owned by 1 man (C Vanderbilt)
- Dec 26 Major Robert Anderson, under cover of darkness, concentrates his small force at Ft Sumter
- Dec 26 First ever inter-club football match between Hallam F.C. and Sheffield F.C. at Sandygate Road ground in Sheffield, England
Event of Interest
Dec 28 Harriet Tubman arrives in Auburn, New York, on her last mission to free slaves, having evaded capture for 8 years on the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman
- Dec 29 The first British seagoing iron-clad warship, HMS Warrior is launched