- Dec 8 20th Roman Catholic ecumenical council, Vatican I, opens in Rome
- Dec 8 Timothy Eaton founds T. Eaton Co. Limited in Toronto, Canada.
- Dec 9 Noble Order of Knights of Labor founded, Philadelphia
- Dec 10 Women suffrage (right to vote) granted in Wyoming Territory (US 1st)
- Dec 10 The first American chapter of Kappa Sigma is founded at the University of Virginia.
- Dec 18 Canada's Hamilton Foot Ball Club plays its 1st game
- Dec 28 William Finley Semple of Mount Vernon, Ohio, patents chewing gum
- Dec 30 Philadelphia Knights of Labor forms