- Dec 1 12 nations sign treaty for scientific peaceful use of Antarctica
- Dec 1 25th Heisman Trophy Award: Billy Cannon, LSU (HB)
- Dec 1 The 1st color photograph of Earth received from outer space
- Dec 2 Malpasset dam collapses destroying French Riviera town of Frejus
- Dec 3 State of emergency in Cyprus ends
- Dec 5 Intikhab Alam bowls Colin McDonald with 1st ball in Tests
- Dec 7 "Saratoga" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 80 performances
- Dec 8 Dom Mintoff demands independence for Malta
Event of Interest
Dec 8 President Eisenhower watches Pakistan v Aust Test Cricket at Karachi
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Event of Interest
Dec 10 Novel Prize for Literature awarded to Sicilian writer Salvatore Quasimodo for his lyrical poetry
Salvatore Quasimodo
Event of Interest
Dec 11 NY Yankees trade Marv Thronberry, Don Larsen, Hank Bauer and Norm Seibern for Roger Maris, Kent Hadley and Joe Deaestri
Roger Maris
Historic Publication
Dec 11 Emilio G. Segrè publishes his discovery of the antiproton, a sub-atomic antiparticle for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1959
Emilio G. Segrè
- Dec 12 UN Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space is established
- Dec 12 Jack Brabham finishes 4th in season-ending US Grand Prix at Sebring to become first Australian F1 World Drivers Championship winner; takes title by 4 points from Briton Tony Brooks
- Dec 13 Archbishop Makarios elected 1st president of Cyprus
- Dec 14 Archbishop Makarios proclaimed president of Cyprus
- Dec 14 Joe B. Jordan in F-104C starfighter sets world altitude record, 31,513m
- Dec 14 The album "Time Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is released, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, and becomes the first jazz album to sell a million copies.
Music Recording
Dec 15 Everly Brothers record "Let It Be Me"
Phil Everly
- Dec 15 Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid forward Alfredo Di Stéfano wins his second award for best football player in Europe ahead of teammate Raymond Kopa and Juventus' Welsh utility John Charles
- Dec 16 Snow falling in Lowarai Pass West Pakistan kills 48
- Dec 17 "On The Beach" is 1st film to premiere on both sides of Iron Curtain
Event of Interest
Dec 18 Sammy Baugh named 1st coach of NY Titans (AFL)
Sammy Baugh
Event of Interest
Dec 21 Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)
Tom Landry
- Dec 22 Continental League awards its last franchise to Dallas-Fort Worth
- Dec 22 NY Ranger goalie Marcel Paille wears a customized mask
- Dec 25 A synagogue in Cologne Germany desecrated with swatstikas
- Dec 25 Sony brings transistor TV 8-301 to the market
- Dec 27 National Football League Championship, Memorial Stadium, Baltimore: Baltimore Colts beat New York Giants, 31-16; Colts score 24 straight points in 4th quarter
- Dec 29 Saul Levitt's "Andersonville Trial" premieres in NYC
- Dec 30 George Washington, 1st ballistic missile sub commissioned