Events in History
Nobel Prize
Dec 10 Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
- Dec 12 Arthur Heinman coins term "motel" from motor hotel; opens Motel Inn, San Luis Obispo
Event of Interest
Dec 12 Last Qajar Shah of Iran deposed; Rezā Shāh Pahlavi takes over
- Dec 15 1st road with a depressed trough (Texas) opens to traffic
- Dec 16 Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity is founded at Lafayette College.
- Dec 17 Colonel William "Billy" Mitchell court-martialed for insubordination
- Dec 17 Soviet Union & Turkey sign non-aggresion pact
- Dec 17 Sultan Abdulaziz Ibn Saud conquers Jeddah, the last major stand of the Hashemites against the Saudis
- Dec 26 The Communist Party of India is founded
- Dec 30 NSW score 705 against Victoria, go from 8-475 to 9-701
- Dec 31 14th congress of CPSU decides to accelerate industry
Birthdays in History
- Dec 1 Harold Strachan, South African writer, anti-apartheid activist, and explosives expert, born in Pretoria, Union of South Africa (d. 2020)
- Dec 1 Martin Rodbell, American biochemist (1994 Nobel Prize for medicine or Physiology for discovery of G-proteins), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1998)
- Dec 4 Albert Bandura, Canadian-American psychologist, born in Alberta, Canada
Anastasio Somoza Debayle (1925-1980)
Dec 5 President of Nicaragua (1967-72 and 1974-79), born in León, Nicaragua
- Dec 5 Glen "Frosty" Little, American circus clown (Ringling Brothers, 1968-91), and instructor (Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, 1980-87), born in Genoa, Nebraska (d. 2010)
- Dec 8 Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish author, born in Salamanca, Spain (d. 2000)
- Dec 10 Carolyn Ashley Kizer, American writer (Yin, Pulitzer 1985), born in Spokane, Washington, (d. 2014)
- Dec 11 Paul Greengard, American neuroscientist (Nobel 2000), born in NYC, New York
- Dec 12 Ahmad Shamlou, Iranian poet (The Book of Alley), born in Tehran, Iran (d. 2000)
- Dec 12 Cora Lee Johnson, American social activist for rural poor, born in Georgia (d. 2021)
- Dec 19 Tankred Dorst, German playwright, born in Oberlind
- Dec 20 Bob de Moor, Belgian comics creator & artist (Kuifje, Lion of Flanders), born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1992)
- Dec 22 Lewis Glucksman, American financier, born in Manhattan, New York City (d. 2006)
- Dec 23 Henry Charles Gordon, American engineer and astronaut (Dynasoar), born in Valparaiso, Indiana (d. 1996)
- Dec 25 Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian-born American author and mystic (Eagle's Gift, Fire From Within), born in Cajamarca (d. 1998)
- Dec 25 Christmas F Tinto, South African ANC'er/UDF-leader
- Dec 26 Baron Baker, Jamaician-born British activist, born in Port Antonia
- Dec 28 Bill [William] Westwood, British bishop of Peterborough
Weddings in History
George Gallup
Dec 27 Inventor George Gallup (24) weds Ophelia Smith Miller
Deaths in History
- Dec 5 Wilhelmina Drucker [Lensing], Dutch feminist and writer (Women's Mutual Protection Society), dies at 78
- Dec 5 Władysław Reymont [Rejment], Polish novelist (Chłopi (The Peasants) - Nobel Prize for Literature, 1924), dies at 58 [1]
- Dec 6 Dat So la Lee "Dabuda" or Louise Keyser, Native American (Washoe) basket weaver dies aged about 96
- Dec 23 A S C Wallis [Adele von Antal-Opzoomer], Dutch writer (Vorstengunst), dies at 69
- Dec 25 Karl Abraham, German psychoanalyst, dies at 48
- Dec 25 Sergei Yesenin, Russian lyric poet, dies at 30
- Dec 27 ASC Wallis [Adele SC Opzoomer], Dutch writer and poet, dies at 79
- Dec 27 Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet, dies at 30
- Dec 28 Louisa Aldrich-Blake, British pioneering surgeon, dies of cancer at 65
- Dec 29 Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60
Authors
Civil Rights Activists
Inventors
Kings
Revolutionaries
Scientists