December 4

"December 4th" redirects here. For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song).

December 4 is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 27 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne king of the now complete Frankish Kingdom.
• 1110 – The Kingdom of Jerusalem captures Sidon.
• 1259 – Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels.
• 1563 – The final session of the Council of Trent is held. (It had opened on December 13, 1545.)
• 1619 – Thirty-eight colonists arrive at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia. The group's charter proclaims that the day "be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."
• 1674 – Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek. (The mission would later grow into the city of Chicago.)
• 1676 – Battle of Lund: A Danish army under the command of King Christian V engages the Swedish army commanded by Field Marshal Simon Grundel-Helmfelt.
• 1745 – Charles Edward Stuart's army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the Second Jacobite Rising.
• 1783 – At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, U.S. General George Washington bids farewell to his officers.
• 1786 – Mission Santa Barbara is dedicated (on the feast day of Saint Barbara).
• 1791 – The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published.
• 1829 – In the face of fierce local opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that anyone who abets suttee in Bengal is guilty of culpable homicide.
• 1864 – American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: At Waynesboro, Georgia, forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevent troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign destroying a wide swath of the South on his march to the Atlantic Ocean from Atlanta.
• 1867 – Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange).
• 1872 – The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the Canadian brig Dei Gratia. The ship had been abandoned for nine days but was only slightly damaged.
• 1875 – Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison. He will later be recaptured in Spain.
• 1881 – The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published.
• 1893 – First Matabele War: A patrol of 34 British South Africa Company soldiers is ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors on the Shangani River in Matabeleland.
• 1906 – Alpha Phi Alpha the first black intercollegiate Greek lettered fraternity was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
• 1909 – In Canadian football, the First Grey Cup game is played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, 26–6.
• 1909 – The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, the oldest surviving professional hockey franchise in the world, is founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association.
• 1918 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office.
• 1921 – The first Virginia Rappe manslaughter trial against Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle ends in a hung jury.
• 1937 – The first issue of the children's comic The Dandy is published.
• 1939 – World War II: HMS Nelson is struck by a mine (laid by U-31) off the Scottish coast and is laid up for repairs until August 1940.
• 1942 – World War II: Carlson's patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends.
• 1943 – World War II: In Yugoslavia, resistance leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito proclaims a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile.
• 1943 – World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt closes down the Works Progress Administration, because of the high levels of wartime employment in the United States.
• 1945 – By a vote of 65–7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations. (The UN had been established on October 24, 1945.)
• 1954 – The first Burger King is opened in Miami.
• 1956 – The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studio for the first and last time.
• 1963 – Pope Paul VI promulgates the first two documents approved by the Second Vatican Council: the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the Decree on the Media of Social Communications.
• 1967 – Vietnam War: U.S. and South Vietnamese forces engage Viet Cong troops in the Mekong Delta.
• 1969 – Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot and killed in their sleep during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers.
• 1971 – The United Nations Security Council calls an emergency session to consider the deteriorating situation between India and Pakistan.
• 1971 – The Indian Navy attacks the Pakistan Navy and Karachi.
• 1971 – The Montreux Casino in Switzerland is set ablaze by someone wielding a flare gun during a Frank Zappa concert; the incident would be noted in the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water".
• 1971 – "The Troubles": The Ulster Volunteer Force bombs a Catholic-owned pub in Belfast, killing 15 civilians and wounding 17. It was the city's highest death toll from a single incident during the conflict.
• 1975 – Suriname joins the United Nations.
• 1977 – Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire.
• 1977 – Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 is hijacked and crashes in Tanjong Kupang, Johor, killing 100.
• 1978 – Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco's first female mayor. (She will serve until January 8, 1988.)
• 1979 – The Hastie fire in Hull kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee.
• 1980 – English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbands, following the death of drummer John Bonham on September 25.
• 1981 – South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa).
• 1982 – The People's Republic of China adopts its current constitution.
• 1984 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers kill 107–150 civilians in Mannar.
• 1984 – Hezbollah militants hijack a Kuwait Airlines plane, killing four passengers.
• 1991 – Journalist Terry A. Anderson is released after seven years in captivity as a hostage in Beirut. He is the last and longest-held American hostage in Lebanon.
• 1991 – Captain Mark Pyle pilots Clipper Goodwill, a Pan American World Airways Boeing 727-221ADV, to Miami International Airport, ending 64 years of Pan Am operations.
• 1992 – Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 U.S. troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa.
• 1993 – A truce is concluded between the government of Angola and UNITA rebels.
• 1998 – The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched.
• 2005 – Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the government to allow universal and equal suffrage.
• 2006 – Six black youths assault a white teenager in Jena, Louisiana.
• 2013 – Xavier Bettel becomes Luxembourg's first openly gay Prime Minister.
• 2014 – Islamic insurgents kill three state police at a traffic circle before taking an empty school and a "press house" in Grozny. Ten state forces die with 28 injured in gun battles ending with ten insurgents killed.
• 2015 – A firebomb is thrown into a restaurant in the Egyptian capital of Cairo killing 17 people.

Births

• 1555 – Heinrich Meibom, German poet and historian (d. 1625)
• 1585 – John Cotton, English-American minister and theologian (d. 1652)
• 1595 – Jean Chapelain, French poet and critic (d. 1674)
• 1646 – Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, French field marshal (d. 1730)
• 1647 – Daniel Eberlin, German soldier and composer (d. 1715)
• 1660 – André Campra, French composer and conductor (d. 1744)
• 1667 – Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, French composer and educator (d. 1737)
• 1670 – John Aislabie, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (d. 1742)
• 1711 – Barbara of Portugal (d. 1758)
• 1713 – Gasparo Gozzi, Italian playwright and critic (d. 1786)
• 1777 – Juliette Récamier, French businesswoman (d. 1849)
• 1795 – Thomas Carlyle, Scottish-English historian, philosopher, and academic (d. 1881)
• 1798 – Jules Armand Dufaure, French lawyer and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of France (d. 1881)
• 1817 – Nikoloz Baratashvili, Georgian poet and author (d. 1845)
• 1835 – Samuel Butler, English author and critic (d. 1902)
• 1844 – Franz Xavier Wernz, German religious leader, 25th Superior General of the Society of Jesus (d. 1914)
• 1861 – Hannes Hafstein, Icelandic poet and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1922)
• 1861 – Lillian Russell, American actress and singer (d. 1922)
• 1865 – Edith Cavell, English nurse (d. 1915)
• 1868 – Jesse Burkett, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1953)
• 1875 – Joe Corbett, American baseball player and coach (d. 1945)
• 1875 – Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian-Swiss poet and author (d. 1926)
• 1878 – Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia (d. 1918)
• 1881 – Erwin von Witzleben, Polish-German field marshal (d. 1944)
• 1883 – Katharine Susannah Prichard, Australian author and playwright (d. 1969)
• 1889 – Lloyd Bacon, American actor and director (d. 1955)
• 1892 – Francisco Franco, Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1975)
• 1892 – Liu Bocheng, Chinese commander and politician (d. 1986)
• 1893 – Herbert Read, English poet and critic (d. 1968)
• 1895 – Feng Youlan, Chinese philosopher and academic (d. 1990)
• 1899 – Karl-Günther Heimsoth, German physician and politician (d. 1934)
• 1899 – Charlie Spencer, English footballer and manager (d. 1953)
• 1903 – Cornell Woolrich, American author (d. 1968)
• 1904 – Albert Norden, German journalist and politician (d. 1982)
• 1908 – Alfred Hershey, American bacteriologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
• 1909 – Jimmy Jewel, English actor and singer (d. 1995)
• 1910 – Alex North, American composer and conductor (d. 1991)
• 1910 – R. Venkataraman, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India (d. 2009)
• 1912 – Pappy Boyington, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1988)
• 1913 – Mark Robson, Canadian-American director and producer (d. 1978)
• 1914 – Rudolf Hausner, Austrian painter and sculptor (d. 1995)
• 1914 – Claude Renoir, French cinematographer (d. 1993)
• 1915 – Eddie Heywood, American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
• 1916 – Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American journalist and author (d. 1994)
• 1919 – I. K. Gujral, Indian poet and politician, 12th Prime Minister of India (d. 2012)
• 1920 – Nadir Afonso, Portuguese painter and architect (d. 2013)
• 1920 – Michael Bates, Indian-English actor (d. 1978)
• 1920 – Jeanne Manford, American educator and activist, co-founded PFLAG (d. 2013)
• 1921 – Deanna Durbin, Canadian-French actress and singer (d. 2013)
• 1922 – Gérard Philipe, French actor (d. 1959)
• 1923 – Charles Keating, American lawyer and financier (d. 2014)
• 1923 – Eagle Keys, American-Canadian football player and coach (d. 2012)
• 1923 – John Krish, English director and screenwriter
• 1924 – John C. Portman, Jr., American architect, designed the Renaissance Center and Tomorrow Square
• 1925 – Albert Bandura, Canadian-American psychologist and academic
• 1925 – Lino Lacedelli, Italian mountaineer (d. 2009)
• 1926 – Monty M. Wyche, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Barbara Knudson, American actress (d. 2014)
• 1927 – William Labov, American linguist and academic
• 1927 – Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, Swedish silversmith and jeweler (d. 2004)
• 1928 – Dena Dietrich, American actress
• 1929 – Şakir Eczacıbaşı, Turkish pharmacist, photographer, and businessman (d. 2010)
• 1930 – Ronnie Corbett, Scottish actor and screenwriter
• 1930 – Jim Hall, American guitarist and composer (d. 2013)
• 1931 – Alex Delvecchio, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
• 1931 – Wally George, American radio and television host (d. 2003)
• 1932 – Roh Tae-woo, South Korean general and politician, 6th President of South Korea
• 1933 – Wink Martindale, American game show host and producer
• 1933 – Horst Buchholz, German actor (d. 2003)
• 1934 – Victor French, American actor and director (d. 1989)
• 1935 – Paul O'Neill, American businessman and politician, 72nd United States Secretary of the Treasury
• 1935 – Robert Vesco, American financier (d. 2007)
• 1936 – Bernie McInerney, American actor
• 1937 – Max Baer, Jr., American actor, director, and producer
• 1938 – Andre Marrou, American lawyer and politician
• 1938 – Yvonne Minton, Australian-English soprano and actress
• 1939 – Stephen W. Bosworth, American academic and diplomat, United States Ambassador to South Korea (d. 2016)
• 1939 – Joan Brady, American-English author
• 1939 – Freddy Cannon, American singer and guitarist
• 1940 – Gerd Achterberg, German footballer and manager
• 1940 – Gary Gilmore, American murderer (d. 1977)
• 1942 – Gemma Jones, English actress and singer
• 1944 – Chris Hillman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Byrds, The Hillmen, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Manassas)
• 1944 – Anna McGarrigle, Canadian singer-songwriter (Kate and Anna McGarrigle and Mountain City Four)
• 1944 – François Migault, French race car driver (d. 2012)
• 1944 – Dennis Wilson, American singer-songwriter, producer, and drummer (The Beach Boys) (d. 1983)
• 1945 – Roberta Bondar, Canadian neurologist, academic, and astronaut
• 1946 – Geert Mak, Dutch journalist and author
• 1947 – Jane Lubchenco, American ecologist, academic, and diplomat
• 1947 – Terry Woods, Irish guitarist (The Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, The Bucks, and Dr. Strangely Strange)
• 1948 – Southside Johnny, American singer-songwriter (Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes)
• 1949 – A. Scott Berg, American journalist and author
• 1949 – Jeff Bridges, American actor, singer, and producer
• 1949 – Paula England, American sociologist and academic
• 1949 – Pamela Stephenson, New Zealand-Australian actress and psychologist
• 1949 – Jock Stirrup, Baron Stirrup, English air marshal and politician
• 1950 – Bjørn Kjellemyr, Norwegian bassist and composer
• 1951 – Gary Rossington, American guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington Collins Band, and The Rossington Band)
• 1951 – Patricia Wettig, American actress and playwright
• 1953 – Gwen Humble, American actress
• 1953 – Rick Middleton, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
• 1954 – Tony Todd, American actor and producer
• 1955 – Philip Hammond, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
• 1955 – Dave Taylor, Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
• 1955 – Cassandra Wilson, American singer-songwriter and producer (M-Base)
• 1956 – Nia Griffith, Irish-Welsh educator and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
• 1956 – Bernard King, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1957 – Raul Boesel, Brazilian race car driver and radio host
• 1957 – Eric S. Raymond, American computer programmer and author
• 1958 – Tim Hutchings, English runner
• 1959 – Susan W. Krebs, American accountant and politician
• 1959 – Paul McGrath, English-Irish footballer
• 1959 – Christa Luding-Rothenburger, German speed skater and cyclist
• 1960 – David Green, Nicaraguan-American baseball player
• 1960 – Glynis Nunn, Australian heptathlete and hurler
• 1961 – Frank Reich, American football player and coach
• 1962 – Nixon Kiprotich, Kenyan runner
• 1962 – Julie Lemieux, Canadian voice actress and singer
• 1962 – Kevin Richardson, English footballer and manager
• 1963 – Sergey Bubka, Ukrainian pole vaulter
• 1964 – Sertab Erener, Turkish singer-songwriter
• 1964 – Jonathan Goldstein, American actor and director
• 1964 – Scott Hastings, Scottish rugby player and sportscaster
• 1964 – Chelsea Noble, American actress
• 1964 – Marisa Tomei, American actress
• 1965 – Álex de la Iglesia, Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1965 – Shaun Hollamby, English race car driver and businessman
• 1966 – Masta Ace, American rapper (eMC and Juice Crew)
• 1966 – Fred Armisen, American actor, screenwriter, drummer, and bandleader (Trenchmouth)
• 1966 – Andy Hess, American bass player (Gov't Mule and The Black Crowes)
• 1966 – Suzanne Malveaux, American journalist
• 1966 – Suzette M. Malveaux, American lawyer and academic
• 1966 – Chris Shepherd, English animator, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1968 – Mike Barrowman, Paraguayan-American swimmer
• 1968 – Dionne Farris, American singer-songwriter, producer and actress
• 1969 – Jay Z, American rapper, producer, and actor, co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records
• 1969 – Plum Sykes, English journalist and author
• 1970 – Kevin Sussman, American actor
• 1970 – Sylvester Terkay, American wrestler and mixed martial artist
• 1971 – Shannon Briggs, American boxer and actor
• 1972 – Jassen Cullimore, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1972 – Yūko Miyamura, Japanese voice actress and singer
• 1972 – Nikki Tyler, American porn actress and model
• 1973 – Tyra Banks, American model, actress, and producer
• 1973 – Frank Boeijen, Dutch keyboard player (The Gathering)
• 1973 – Michael Jackson, English footballer and manager
• 1973 – Mina Caputo, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (Life of Agony)
• 1973 – Ferry Corsten, Dutch DJ and producer (Gouryella and Veracocha)
• 1973 – Steven Menzies, Australian rugby player
• 1973 – Kate Rusby, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Poozies)
• 1973 – Racci Shay, American drummer (Murderdolls, Synical, Dope, and Genitorturers)
• 1973 – Atsushi Tamura, Japanese actor and singer (Jealkb)
• 1974 – Tadahito Iguchi, Japanese baseball player
• 1976 – Amie Comeaux, American singer (d. 1997)
• 1976 – Kristina Groves, Canadian speed skater
• 1977 – Darvis Patton, American sprinter
• 1977 – Big Pokey, American rapper (Screwed Up Click)
• 1977 – Morten Veland, Norwegian guitarist and songwriter (Sirenia, Tristania, and Mortemia)
• 1978 – Jaclyn Victor, Malaysian singer and actress
• 1979 – Ysabella Brave, American singer-songwriter
• 1979 – Jay DeMerit, American soccer player
• 1980 – Rick Victor, Canadian wrestler and manager
• 1981 – Courtney Cummz, American porn Actress and director
• 1981 – Lila McCann, American singer and actress
• 1981 – Brian Vandborg, Danish cyclist
• 1982 – Nathan Douglas, English triple jumper
• 1982 – Waldo Ponce, Chilean footballer
• 1982 – Ho-Pin Tung, Dutch-Chinese race car driver
• 1982 – Nick Vujicic, Australian evangelist
• 1983 – Chinx, American rapper (d. 2015)
• 1983 – Jimmy Bartel, Australian footballer
• 1984 – Lindsay Felton, American actress
• 1984 – Marco Giambruno, Italian footballer
• 1984 – Anna Petrakova, Russian basketball player
• 1984 – Brooke Tessmacher, American wrestler and model
• 1984 – Joe Thomas, American football player
• 1985 – Andrew Brackman, American baseball player
• 1985 – Stephen Dawson, Irish footballer
• 1985 – Carlos Gómez, Dominican baseball player
• 1985 – Iwan Griffiths, Welsh drummer (The Automatic)
• 1985 – Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, English actor
• 1986 – Kaija Udras, Estonian skier
• 1986 – Martell Webster, American basketball player
• 1987 – Orlando Brown, American actor and rapper
• 1987 – Yukina Kinoshita, Japanese model, actress, singer, and television personality (Shuchishin)
• 1987 – Kethy Õunpuu, Estonian footballer
• 1988 – Mario Maurer, Thai model and actor
• 1988 – Andriy Pylyavskyi, Ukrainian footballer
• 1989 – Jen Da Silva, Filipino model and dancer
• 1990 – Lukman Haruna, Nigerian footballer
• 1990 – Igor Sjunin, Estonian triple jumper
• 1990 – Cindy Yang, Taiwanese model and actress (d. 2015)
• 1992 – Jean-Claude Iranzi, Rwandan footballer
• 1992 – Līna Mūze, Latvian javelin thrower
• 1992 – Guan Xueting, Chinese ice dancer

Deaths

• 749 – John of Damascus, Syrian priest and saint (b. 676)
• 771 – Carloman I, Frankish king (b. 751)
• 1075 – Anno II, German archbishop and saint (b. 1010)
• 1131 – Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1048)
• 1214 – William the Lion, Scottish king (b. 1143)
• 1270 – Theobald II of Navarre (b. 1238)
• 1334 – Pope John XXII (b. 1249)
• 1340 – Henry Burghersh, English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1292)
• 1459 – Adolphus VIII, Count of Holstein (b. 1401)
• 1576 – Georg Joachim Rheticus, Austrian-Slovak mathematician and cartographer (b. 1514)
• 1585 – John Willock, Scottish minister and reformer (b. 1515)
• 1609 – Alexander Hume, Scottish poet (b. 1560)
• 1642 – Cardinal Richelieu, French cardinal and politician, Chief Minister to the French Monarch (b. 1585)
• 1649 – William Drummond of Hawthornden (b. 1585)
• 1679 – Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher and theorist (b. 1588)
• 1680 – Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (b. 1616)
• 1696 – Empress Meishō of Japan (b. 1624)
• 1732 – John Gay, English poet and playwright (b. 1685)
• 1798 – Luigi Galvani, Italian physician, physicist, and philosopher (b. 1737)
• 1828 – Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1770)
• 1841 – David Daniel Davis, Welsh-English physician and academic (b. 1777)
• 1850 – William Sturgeon, English physicist, invented the electric motor (b. 1783)
• 1893 – John Tyndall, Irish-English physicist and chemist (b. 1820)
• 1897 – Griffith Rhys Jones, Welsh conductor (b. 1834)
• 1902 – Charles Dow, American journalist and publisher, co-founded the Dow Jones & Company (b. 1851)
• 1926 – Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter (b. 1861)
• 1933 – Stefan George, German-Swiss poet and translator (b. 1868)
• 1935 – Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1864)
• 1935 – Charles Richet, French physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1850)
• 1938 – Tamanishiki San'emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna (b. 1903)
• 1942 – Juhan Kukk, Estonian politician, 3rd Head of State of Estonia (b. 1885)
• 1944 – Roger Bresnahan, American baseball player and manager (b. 1879)
• 1945 – Thomas Hunt Morgan, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1866)
• 1948 – Frank Benford, American physicist and engineer (b. 1883)
• 1955 – József Galamb, Hungarian-American engineer (b. 1881)
• 1967 – Bert Lahr, American actor and singer (b. 1895)
• 1969 – Fred Hampton, American activist (b. 1948)
• 1971 – Shunryū Suzuki, Japanese-American monk and educator, founded the San Francisco Zen Center (b. 1904)
• 1975 – Hannah Arendt, German-American historian, theorist, and academic (b. 1906)
• 1976 – Tommy Bolin, American guitarist and songwriter (Zephyr, James Gang, and Deep Purple) (b. 1951)
• 1976 – Benjamin Britten, English pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1913)
• 1976 – W. F. McCoy, Irish soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1886)
• 1980 – Francisco de Sá Carneiro, Portuguese lawyer and politician, 111th Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1934)
• 1980 – Stanisława Walasiewicz, Polish-American runner (b. 1911)
• 1980 – Don Warrington, Canadian football player (b. 1948)
• 1984 – Jack Mercer, American animator, screenwriter, voice actor, and singer (b. 1910)
• 1987 – Arnold Lobel, American author and illustrator (b. 1933)
• 1987 – Rouben Mamoulian, Georgian-American director and screenwriter (b. 1897)
• 1988 – Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (b. 1899)
• 1990 – Edward Binns, American actor (b. 1916)
• 1992 – Henry Clausen, American lawyer and author (b. 1905)
• 1993 – Margaret Landon, American missionary and author (b. 1903)
• 1993 – Frank Zappa, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (The Mothers of Invention) (b. 1940)
• 1995 – Little Beaver, Canadian wrestler (b. 1935)
• 1997 – Richard Vernon, English actor (b. 1925)
• 1999 – Rose Bird, American academic and judge, 25th Chief Justice of California (b. 1936)
• 2000 – Henck Arron, Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname (b. 1936)
• 2003 – Iggy Katona, American race car driver (b. 1916)
• 2004 – Mahmut Atalay, Turkish wrestler (b. 1934)
• 2004 – Teo Peter, Romanian bass player (b. 1954)
• 2004 – Elena Souliotis, Greek soprano and actress (b. 1943)
• 2005 – Errol Brathwaite, New Zealand soldier and author (b. 1924)
• 2005 – Gregg Hoffman, American film producer (b. 1963)
• 2005 – Gloria Lasso, Spanish-Mexican singer (b. 1922)
• 2006 – K. Ganeshalingam, Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo (b. 1938)
• 2006 – James Kim, American television host and blogger (b. 1971)
• 2006 – Ross A. McGinnis, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1987)
• 2007 – Pimp C, American rapper and producer (UGK) (b. 1973)
• 2007 – Norval Morrisseau, Canadian painter (b. 1932)
• 2007 – Chip Reese, American poker player (b. 1951)
• 2009 – Umaga, Samoan-American wrestler (b. 1973)
• 2009 – Liam Clancy, Irish singer, guitarist, and actor (The Clancy Brothers) (b. 1935)
• 2011 – Sócrates, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1954)
• 2011 – Hubert Sumlin, American singer and guitarist (b. 1931)
• 2011 – RJ Rosales, Filipino-Australian singer and actor (b. 1974)
• 2012 – Vasily Belov, Russian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1932)
• 2012 – Jack Brooks, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1922)
• 2012 – Miguel Calero, Colombian footballer and manager (b. 1971)
• 2012 – Besse Cooper, American super-centenarian (b. 1896)
• 2012 – Anthony Deane-Drummond, English general (b. 1917)
• 2012 – Carroll E. Lanier, American sailor and politician (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Robert Allman, Australian actor and singer (b. 1927)
• 2013 – Paddy O'Byrne, Irish radio host and actor (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Joana Raspall i Juanola, Spanish author and poet (b. 1913)
• 2014 – Claudia Emerson, American poet and academic (b. 1957)
• 2014 – V. R. Krishna Iyer, Indian lawyer and judge (b. 1914)
• 2014 – Lynne Kosky, Australian social worker and politician (b. 1958)
• 2014 – Vincent L. McKusick, American lawyer and judge (b. 1921)
• 2014 – Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (b. 1929)
• 2015 – Bill Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of British Columbia (b. 1932)
• 2015 – Erik De Vlaeminck, Belgian cyclist (b. 1945)
• 2015 – Robert Loggia, American actor and director (b. 1930)
• 2015 – Xu Ming, Chinese businessman (b. 1971)
• 2015 – Yossi Sarid, Israeli journalist and politician, 15th Israeli Minister of Education (b. 1940)
• 2015 – Dmitry Shumkov, Russian lawyer and philanthropist (b. 1972)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Ada
  • Barbara, and its related observances:
    • Barbórka, Miners' Day in Poland
    • Eid il-Burbara, a holiday similar to Halloween in honor of Saint Barbara. (Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine)
  • Bernard degli Uberti
  • Clement of Alexandria (Anglicanism)
  • Giovanni Calabria
  • John of Damascus
  • Nicholas Ferrar (Anglicanism)
  • Osmund
  • Sigiramnus
  • December 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Earliest day on which Detinjci can fall, while December 10 is the latest; celebrated on Sunday two weeks before Christmas Day. (Serbia)
• Navy Day (India)
• Thai Environment Day (Thailand)
• Tupou I Day (Tonga)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• Today in Canadian History