Events in History
- Dec 1 The US economy has been in recession since December 2007, the National Bureau of Economic Research announces today
- Dec 2 Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns after the 2008 Thailand political crisis
Event of Interest
Dec 5 Human remains previously found in 1991 are finally identified by Russian and American scientists as those of Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II
- Dec 8 Kirsty Williams elected as Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The first female leader of a political party in Wales.
Event of Interest
Dec 9 The Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is arrested by federal officials for a number of alleged crimes including attempting to sell the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama's election to the Presidency
Barack Obama
- Dec 11 Bernard Madoff arrested and charged with securities fraud in $50 billion Ponzi scheme
- Dec 12 Andrei Klepach, a deputy economics minister of Russia, states that Russia has entered the recession, with two quarters of contraction expected, meaning Russia will fall short of reaching the 6.8% growth forecast for 2008
Conference of Interest
Dec 14 President George W. Bush make his fourth and final trip to Iraq as president and is almost struck by two shoes thrown at him by Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi during a farewell conference in Baghdad
George W. Bush
Event of Interest
Dec 19 Chanda Kochhar is named as the successor of K. V. Kamath to the post of CEO and Managing Director of ICICI Bank
Chanda Kochhar
- Dec 27 Israel launches Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, beginning with an airstrike that hits 100 targets in 220 seconds killing around 250 people
Deaths in History
- Dec 1 Joseph B Wirthlin, American businessmen, religious leader, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), dies at 91
- Dec 2 Kathleen Baskin-Ball, American United Methodist Pastor
- Dec 3 Robert Zajonc, Polish-American social psychologist (b. 1923)
- Dec 5 Patriarch Alexy II of Russia, head of the Russian Orthodox Church (b. 1929)
- Dec 5 Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu, Romanian politician and president of the Association of Romanian Former Political Prisoners. (b. 1928)
- Dec 9 Yury Glazkov, Soviet Air Force officer and cosmonaut (Soyuz 24), dies at 69
- Dec 11 Ron Carey, American labor leader (International Brotherhood of Teamsters), dies of lung cancer at 72
- Dec 12 Avery Dulles, Roman Catholic Cardinal, heologian (b. 1918)
- Dec 12 Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot former president (b. 1934)
- Dec 15 León Febres Cordero, Ecuador's former President (b. 1931)
- Dec 18 Mark Felt, the infamous "Deep Throat", American FBI official and whistle blower during the Watergate Scandal dies aged 95
James Bevel
Dec 19 James Bevel, American civil rights activist (Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Direct Action), dies of cancer at 72
James Bevel
Harold Pinter
Dec 24 Harold Pinter, British playwright (The Birthday Party, The Homecoming), dies at 78
Harold Pinter
Samuel P. Huntington
Dec 24 Samuel P. Huntington, American political scientist (The Clash of Civilizations) and presidential adviser, dies at 81
Samuel P. Huntington