Events 1001 - 1,074 of 1,074
- Dec 4 Muslim Shi'ites release last US hostage Terry Anderson (held 6½ years)
- Dec 4 Pan American World Airways ceased operations
- Dec 4 Patricia Bowman testifies that William Kennedy Smith raped her
- Dec 5 "Catskills on Broadway" opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 452 performances
- Dec 5 Charles Keating Jr (Lincoln Savings & Loan fraud), found guilty
- Dec 5 NY Daily News files for protection under chapter 11
- Dec 6 "Les Miserables" opens at Circustheater, Scheveningen
- Dec 6 "Star Trek VI-Undiscovered Country" premieres
- Dec 7 A J Kitt, US, wins World Skiing Cup
- Dec 8 "Homecoming" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 49 performances
- Dec 8 "Nick & Nora" opens at Marquis Theater NYC for 9 performances
Music Awards
Dec 9 2nd Billboard Music Awards: Michael Jackson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Boyz II Men & U2 win
Sports History
Dec 10 Howard Spira sentenced to 2½ years in prison for trying to extort money from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
- Dec 11 William Kennedy Smith found not guilty of rape
Film Premiere
Dec 11 "Hook", a swashbuckling film sequel to the Peter Pan story, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman premieres
- Dec 12 NJ Nets set NBA record of 22 blocks beating Nuggets 121-81
- Dec 12 Orion Pictures filed Chapter 11 for bankruptcy protection
- Dec 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneer Dexter Manley retires after failing drug test
- Dec 12 Abuja replaces Lagos as the capital city of Nigeria
- Dec 13 Both North and South Korea sign an accord calling for reconciliation
- Dec 13 NY assembly speaker Mel Miller is convicted of federal mail fraud
- Dec 13 Ricky Pierce (Seattle) ends NBA free throw streak of 75 games
- Dec 14 57th Heisman Trophy Award: Desmond Howard, Michigan (WR)
- Dec 14 Ferry boat Salem Express sinks in the Red Sea, 476 killed
- Dec 15 "Nick & Nora" closes at Marquis Theater NYC after 9 performances
- Dec 16 Florida Marlins sign their 1st player, 16 year old pitcher Clemente Nunez
- Dec 16 UN reverses ruling that Zionism is racism by 111-25 (13 abstain) vote
- Dec 16 Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Dec 17 Cleveland Cavaliers beat Miami Heat 148-80, by record 68 pts
- Dec 17 NBA's most lopsided game Cleveland beats Miami 148-80
- Dec 17 Patrick Manning becomes premier of Trinidad & Tobago
- Dec 17 Soap opera "One Life To Live" airs its 6,000th episode
- Dec 17 Pittsburgh Penguins score team record 8 goals in one period in 2nd session of 10-2 win over NHL expansion San Jose Sharks
- Dec 18 DeForest Kelly (Dr McCoy on Star Trek) gets a star in Hollywood
- Dec 18 General Motors announces closing of 21 plants
- Dec 19 "Christmas Carol" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 14 performances
- Dec 19 6,000th episode of One Life To Live
Historic Event
Dec 19 Boris Yeltsin takes control of the Kremlin
Leadership Contest
Dec 20 Paul Keating becomes Prime Minister of Australia after rolling Bob Hawke for leadership of the Labor party
- Dec 20 A Missouri court sentences the Palestinian militant Zein Isa and his wife Maria to death for the honor killing of their daughter Palestina.
Film Release
Dec 20 "Father of the Bride" film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, and Martin Short, is released
- Dec 21 95 share in Madrid Spain $1.3 billion lottery (#47996)
- Dec 21 El Sayid Nosair acquitted of killing Meir Kahane
- Dec 21 Soviet Union formally dissolves as 11 of 12 republics sign treaty forming Commonwealth of Independent States
- Dec 23 NY Daily News publisher Kevin Maxwell resigns
- Dec 24 Ballon d'Or: Marseille forward Jean-Pierre Papin is named Europe's best football player; first from the French League to win the trophy
- Dec 25 Last day of a washout Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Gujranwala
Historic Event
Dec 25 Mikhail Gorbachev formally resigns as President of USSR in a televised speech
- Dec 26 Chuck Knolls retires as NFL coach after 23 years
Sports History
Dec 26 Future Hockey Hall of Fame right wing Joe Mullen scores 4 goals for the second straight NHL game as the Pittsburgh Penguins rout Toronto, 12-1; Mario Lemieux adds 2 goals & 5 assists and Kevin Stevens has 2 goals & 4 assists
- Dec 27 Bengals hire Dave Shula as youngest NFL coach (32)
- Dec 27 Chuck Knox retires as Seattle Seahawk coach
- Dec 28 8 are crushed to death at a RAP basketball game at City College, NYC
- Dec 28 Blockbuster Bowl 2: Alabama beats Colorado, 30-25
- Dec 28 Irene the Icon of Greek Orthodox church returns after being stolen
- Dec 28 Ninibeth Beatriz Leal Jiminez, 20, of Venez, crowned 41st Miss World
Historic Event
Dec 28 Ted Turner is named Time Magazine Man of Year
Theatrical Finale
Dec 29 "A Christmas Carol", starring Patrick Stewart, in a one-man show, closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater, NYC, after a limited run of 14 performances
- Dec 29 12th United Negro College Fund "Parade of Stars" telethon, hosted by Lou Rawls airs from Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood, and The Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC
Historic Event
Dec 29 Boeing 747-200F freight plane of China Airlines crashes into mountain shortly after takeoff from Chiang Kai-shek International Airportat Taipei, Taiwan, killing 5-member crew