- 755 An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion during Chinese Tang Dynasty
- 882 Marinus I begins his reign as Catholic Pope succeeding John VIII
- 1392 Nanboku-chō - Emperor Go-Kameyama abdicates in favor of rival claimant Go-Komatsu.
- 1431 King Henry VI of England crowned king of France
Event of Interest
1497 Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama is 1st European to sail along Africa's East Coast, names it Natal
Vasco da Gama
- 1538 King Francois I orders renewed pursuit of Protestants
- 1575 The 1575 Valdivia earthquake takes place.
- 1577 Danzig surrenders to troops of Polish king Istvan Bathory
- 1598 Seven Year War: Battle of Noryang Point - in the final battle of the war Korean navy decisively defeats the Japanese
- 1617 Spanish viceroy Hernando Arias de Saavedra founds provinces Rio de la Plata (Argentina)/Guaira (Paraguay)
- 1631 Mount Vesuvious, Italy erupts, destroys 6 villages & kills 4,000
Event of Interest
1653 Parliamentarian General Oliver Cromwell appointed as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland
Oliver Cromwell
- 1659 General Monck demands free parliamentary election in Scotland
- 1689 English Parliament passes Bill of Rights establishing limits on crown powers and requirement for regular elections
- 1707 Last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan.
- 1740 Prussian Libya falls to Silezie
- 1761 Seven Years' War: After four-month siege, Russian army under Pyotr Rumyantsev takes Prussian fortress of Kolobrzeg (German: Kolberg).
- 1767 Van Ritter von Glucks opera "Alceste" premieres
- 1773 Boston tea party incident - Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston harbour in protest against British imposed Tea Act
- 1777 Articles of Conferation (US 1st constitution) ratified by 1st state Virginia
- 1811 Earthquake hits New Madrid, Missouri, causing widespread damage
- 1817 Leaders of Molukkas uprising hanged in Ambon
- 1824 Great North Holland Canal opens
- 1826 Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican controlled Nacogdoches, Texas and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.
- 1835 Fire consumes over 600 buildings in NYC
- 1838 Battle of Blood River: Zulu impis defeated by Voortrekkers in South Africa (Great Trek)
- 1850 Ships the Charlotte-Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand
- 1857 Earthquake in Naples, Italy
- 1858 Dutch government decides to vacate Schokland Island
- 1862 Kingdom of Nepal accepts its constitution
Appointment of Interest
1863 Braxton Bragg is replaced by Joseph E. Johnston as commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee
Joseph E. Johnston
- 1864 Battle of Nashville ends after 4400 casualities
- 1877 Anton Bruckner's 3rd Symphony in D, premieres
- 1880 Transvaal region declares itself as the Republic of South Africa
- 1880 Beginning of the First Boer War between British Empire and Boer South African Republic
- 1883 Tonkin Campaign: The French capture the citadel in Hanoi
- 1884 Great Britain recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State
- 1886 Rift at Dutch Reformed Church over "Doleantie"
- 1890 Negro Methodist Episcopal Church founded in Jackson, TN
- 1892 Commencement of 1st Sheffield Shield cricket game, SA v NSW
- 1893 Anton Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "New World Symphony" premieres at Carnegie Hall, New York
- 1897 1st submarine with an internal combustion engine demonstrated
- 1899 Italian football club A.C. Milan founded as Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club by Englishmen Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin (disputed possibly 13 Dec)
- 1900 Boer army under gen Kritzinger take Cape colony
- 1900 A National Civic Federation is formed in the US to arbitrate labor disputes
- 1901 Boer general Kritzinger captured
- 1903 Majestic Theater, NYC, becomes 1st in US to employ women ushers
- 1903 The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel opens its doors to guests for the first time
- 1905 "Variety" covering all phases of show business, 1st published
- 1907 Eugene H Farrar is 1st to sing on radio (Bkln Navy Yard NY)
Great White Fleet
1907 As a gesture of the US's new presence as a world power, President Theodore Roosevelt sends the 'Great White Fleet' on a round-the-world cruise, visiting ports internationally
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- 1908 1st credit union in US forms (Manchester NH)
- 1909 A conservative revolution and US pressure forces Nicaraguan President Jose Santos from office
- 1912 1st US postage stamp picturing an airplane, 20 cent parcel post, issued
- 1912 Austria-Hungary engage in conflict with Serbia
- 1912 First Balkan War: The Ottoman Navy is defeated by the Royal Hellenic Navy at the Battle of Eli
Event of Interest
1913 Charlie Chaplin begins his film career at Keystone for $150 a week
Charlie Chaplin
Boxing Title Fight
1918 Jack Dempsey KOs Carl Morris in 14 seconds
Jack Dempsey
- 1918 German troops evacuate Finland, give over Kiev in the Ukraine to revolutionary forces and pull back from Estonia as Bolshevik forces move in
- 1920 8.5 earthquake rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000
- 1921 The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) calls for a united front in a pass burning campaign on Dingaan's Day
- 1921 The Anglo-Irish Treaty, agreed to by the British Parliament and Sinn Fein, is ratified
- 1922 Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Baseball Clubs formally organizes
- 1922 NSW all out for 786 against South Australia Cricket
- 1923 National Football League Championship: undefeated Canton Bulldogs (11-0-1) repeat as champions
- 1924 Noel Coward's "Vortex" premieres in London
Election of Interest
1924 Hiram Bingham is elected as a Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate forcing him to resign as Governor of Connecticut after serving only one day in office, the shortest term of any Connecticut Governor
Hiram Bingham
Donald Bradman
Event of Interest
1930 Golfer Bobby Jones is the first to win the James E. Sullivan Award (best US amateur athlete)
Bobby Jones
- 1931 German SPD begins Iron Front against fascism
- 1933 Abe de Vries & Sipke Castelein win Elfstedentocht
- 1936 John Monks and Fred Finklehoff's play "Brother Rat" premieres in New York City
- 1937 Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempt to escape from American federal prison Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay; neither is ever seen again.
Event of Interest
1938 Adolf Hitler institutes the state decoration and civil order of merit, Cross of Honour of the German Mother
Adolf Hitler
- 1941 Sarawak occupied by Japanese forces
- 1942 Hitler orders combat against partisans in Russia & Balkan
- 1943 "Tamiami Champion" (New York to Florida) trains collide, kills 73 & injures 200
- 1944 Nazi Germany launches a counteroffensive against the Allies in the Ardennes region of Belgium, beginning the 'Battle of the Bulge'
- 1944 German V-2 strikes Antwerp bioscope (638 kill)
- 1944 US 2nd Infantry division occupies "Heartbreak Crossroads" Wahlerscheid
- 1945 National Football League Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Cleveland Rams beat Washington Redskins, 15-14; last game before Rams move west to Los Angeles
Event of Interest
1946 French fashion designer Christian Dior and his backer Marcel Boussac found fashion house Christian Dior
Christian Dior
- 1946 1947 NFL Draft: Bob Fenimore from University of Oklahoma A&M first pick by Chicago Bears
- 1946 Thailand joins the United Nations
- 1948 "Lend an Ear" opens at National Theater NYC for 460 performances
- 1949 Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, later knows as SAAB, is founded in Sweden.
- 1950 "Let's Make an Opera" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 5 performances
Event of Interest
1950 US President Harry Truman proclaims state of emergency against "Communist imperialism"
Harry Truman
Event of Interest
1950 Child star Shirley Temple announces her retirement from films aged 22
Shirley Temple
- 1951 NBC premiere of "Dragnet" in black and white
Conference of Interest
1953 1st White House Press Conference (President Eisenhower & 161 reporters)
Dwight D. Eisenhower
- 1953 Charles E Yeager fly > 2,575 kph in Bell X-1A
- 1956 "Fanny" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 888 performances
- 1957 Sir Feroz Khan Noon replaces Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar as Prime Minister of Pakistan
- 1958 Bogota warehouse fire kills 82
- 1958 Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid's French midfielder Raymond Kopa wins award for best football player in Europe ahead of German winger Helmut Rahn and French forward Just Fontaine
- 1959 Snow falling in Lowarai Pass West Pakistan kills 48
- 1960 "Wildcat" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 172 performances
- 1960 TWA 266 & United 826 collide over Staten Island, kills 134
- 1961 "Evening with Yves Montand" closes at John Golden Theatre, NYC after 55 performances
- 1962 NY Giant YA Title sets NFL season touchdown pass record at 33 with 6 touchdowns vs Dallas (41-31)
- 1962 Nepal establishes its constitution and becomes a Constitutional Hindu Monarchy
Film Release
1962 "Lawrence of Arabia" film directed by David Lean and starring Peter O'Toole, is released in the United States
David Lean
T. E. Lawrence
Music Single
1966 Jimi Hendrix Experience releases its 1st single, "Hey Joe," in the UK
Jimi Hendrix
Event of Interest
1967 Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia 76ers scores 68 points vs Chicago
Wilt Chamberlain
Event of Interest
1969 "Hello Dolly" with Barbra Streisand premieres
Barbra Streisand
- 1969 British House of Commons votes 343-185 to abolish the death penalty
- 1969 "War is Over! If You Want It, Happy Christmas from John & Yoko" posters begin appearing
- 1970 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- 1970 "Love Story" film based on the novel by Erich Segal, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw is released
- 1971 Vijay Diwas (Victory Day): East Pakistan's independence (as Bangladesh) from Pakistan is recognized internationally after India's army occupies Dacca, and 93,000 West Pakistani troops surrender
- 1971 Don McLean's 8+ minute version of "American Pie" released
- 1972 Bangladesh Constitution goes into effect
- 1972 Miami Dolphins become 1st undefeated NFL team (14-0-0)
Event of Interest
1973 O.J. Simpson becomes 1st NFLer to rush 2,000 yard in a season
O.J. Simpson
- 1973 US kidnap victim John Paul Getty III freed after ransom paid by grandfather John Paul Getty
- 1974 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- 1974 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh, Semipalitinsk USSR
- 1975 1st broadcast of "One Day at a Time" on CBS TV
- 1975 Bill Veeck buys 80% of White Sox from John Allyn
- 1976 Andrew Young named Ambassador & Chief US Delegate to UN
- 1976 Charlie Finley's $10 million damage suit against Bowie Kuhn begins
- 1976 Government halts swine flu vaccination prog following reports of paralysis
- 1976 Liberian tanker stranded at Nantucket, 180,000 barrels oil in sea
Event of Interest
1978 Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter's recognition of People's Republic of China
Ronald Reagan
Jimmy Carter
- 1978 Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first post-Depression era city to default on its loans, owing $14,000,000 to local banks.
- 1979 68th Davis Cup: USA beats Italy in San Francisco (5-0)
- 1979 QB Roger Staubach's last regular season game with the Dallas Cowboys
- 1979 4 British Army soldiers are killed by a PIRA landmine near Dungannon, County Tyrone. Another British Army soldier was killed by a PIRA landmine near Forkill, County Armagh
- 1979 Libya raises crude oil prices, joining four other OPEC nations, which has a dramatic effect on the United States
- 1979 "An American Christmas Carol" directed by Eric Till starring Henry Winkler premieres in the US
- 1980 President-elect Ronald Reagan announces Alexander Haig Jr. as 59th Secretary of State
- 1981 Dutch Van Agt's 2nd government falls
- 1982 The Federal Reserve announces that the operating capacity of factories has gone down to 67.8%.
- 1983 Spokesperson for The Who announces the group is disbanding
Event of Interest
1983 Yogi Berra named Yankee manager for 2nd time
Yogi Berra
Event of Interest
1985 John Gotti assumes leadership of New York's Gambino crime family after ordering the executions of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti
John Gotti
- 1986 Revolt in Kazakhstan against Communist party, known as Zheltoksan, which becomes the first sign of ethnic strife during Gorbachev's tenure
- 1987 Roh Tae Woo elected president of South Korea
- 1988 Political cult leader Lyndon LaRouche convicted of tax, mail fraud
- 1989 Commencement of 1st Test Cricket play at Bellerive Oval, Hobart (v SL)
- 1989 Geoff Marsh completes 355* for WA against South Australia
- 1989 Protest breaks out in Timişoara in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor, László Tőkés.
- 1990 Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected President of Haiti
- 1990 KUSW, Salt Lake City Utah, final shortwave radio transmissions
- 1990 Rev Jean Betrand Aristide elected president of Haiti
- 1991 Florida Marlins sign their 1st player, 16 year old pitcher Clemente Nunez
- 1991 UN reverses ruling that Zionism is racism by 111-25 (13 abstain) vote
- 1991 Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- 1993 "Red Shoes" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 5 performances
Event of Interest
1993 Shannen Doherty (Brenda) is fired from TV series Beverly Hills 90210
Shannen Doherty
Event of Interest
1994 Davy Jones (The Monkees), charged with DWI
Davy Jones
- 1995 The official adoption of the name "Euro"
Event of Interest
1997 US President Bill Clinton names his Labrador retriever "Buddy"
Bill Clinton
- 1998 Iraq disarmament crisis: Operation Desert Fox - the United States and United Kingdom bomb targets in Iraq
Event of Interest
2009 Ben Bernanke, Chair of the US Federal Reserve is named Time's Person of the Year for rescuing the global economy from the Great Recession
Ben Bernanke
- 2012 4 people are killed after Cyclone Evan strikes Fiji
- 2012 Corinthians defeat Chelsea 1-0 to win the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup
- 2012 A gang rape of a woman on a bus in India that resulted in her death leads to national and international outrage
- 2013 21 people are killed and 20 are injured after a bus falls from an elevated highway in Manila, Philippines
- 2013 79th Heisman Trophy Award: Jameis Winston, Florida State (QB)
- 2014 An Army Public School in Pakistan is attacked by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants who kill 145 people
- 2015 US Federal Reserve raises interest rates by 0.25% for the first time since 2006
- 2016 5 day pollution red alert declared in Beijing and 21 other Chinese cities, classified by officials as a “meteorological disaster”
Event of Interest
2016 US State Department increases reward for information on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to $25 million
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
- 2018 Huge explosion and fire in a restaurant in Sapporo, Japan injures 42
- 2018 Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn back into office two months after being removed by President Sirisena
December in History
The Tower that Twice Defied Hitler
The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of France and twice managed to upstage Adolf Hitler. The man who built it, Gustave Eiffel was born on this day.
December 15, 1832
Melodrama at Theatre Leaves Actor Dead
One of England’s most popular actors arrived at the stage door on this day to prepare for another performance. He would never make it to the stage.
December 16, 1897
Bowled Over by William and Harry
The royal princes are the latest celebrities to favour headgear that was introduced on this day
December 17, 1849
The Face that Launched a Thousand Quips...
The greatest and most famous clown of them all, and by whose name, Joey, all circus clowns became known, was born on this day, December 18, 1778.
December 18, 1778