- Dec 1 12 nations sign treaty for scientific peaceful use of Antarctica
Sports History
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 Future Pakistan cricket captain Intikhab Alam bowls Australian opener Colin McDonald with his first ball in Test cricket in drawn 3rd Test in Karachi
- Dec 7 "Saratoga" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 80 performances
- Dec 8 Dom Mintoff demands independence for Malta
Sports History
Dec 8 President Eisenhower watches Pakistan v Aust Test Cricket at Karachi
Historic Event
Dec 10 Novel Prize for Literature awarded to Sicilian writer Salvatore Quasimodo for his lyrical poetry
Sports History
Dec 11 NY Yankees trade Marv Thronberry, Don Larsen, Hank Bauer and Norm Seibern for Roger Maris, Kent Hadley and Joe Deaestri
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
- 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", an English translation of by Gilbert Bécaud's French song "Je t'appartiens"; reaches No. 7 on the charts
Football Awards
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
Sports History
Dec 18 Sammy Baugh named 1st coach of NY Titans (AFL)
Sports History
Dec 21 Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)
Historic Event
Dec 25 Bishop Karol Wojtyla (future Pope John Paul II) celebrates outdoor Mass at midnight of Christmas morning to demonstrate the need for a Catholic church in the community of Nowa Huta