Thirty-six people died when a fire broke out at an illegally converted warehouse in Oakland, California, the deadliest U.S. building fire since 2003.
In San Bernardino, California, a married couple carried out a mass shooting at a Christmas party before fleeing and dying in a shootout with police.
Less than two months after disclosing accounting violations, the Texas-based energy firm Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, evaporating nearly $11 billion in shareholder wealth.
The Malayan Communist Party and the Malaysian government signed a peace accord to end a 21-year communist insurgency.
Benazir Bhutto (pictured) took office as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.
Returning from a fact-finding mission, U.S. senator Mike Mansfield became the first American official to comment adversely on the progress of the Vietnam War.
Cuban Revolution: The yacht Granma, carrying Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement, reached the shores of Cuba.
The United States Senate voted of 67 to 22 to approve a resolution condemning Senator Joseph McCarthy who continued to serve in the Senate until his death two and a half years later.
Korean War: UN forces began a retreat from North Korea following defeat at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River.
World War II: The Luftwaffe conducted a surprise air raid on Allied ships in Bari, Italy, sinking twenty-eight vessels and releasing one ship's secret cargo of mustard gas.
Manhattan Project scientists led by Enrico Fermi initiated the first self-sustaining chain reaction in the experimental nuclear reactor Chicago Pile-1.
The Ford Motor Company introduced the second version of the Model A, its first new model in 18 years.
Philippine–American War: A 60-man Filipino rearguard was defeated at the Battle of Tirad Pass, but delayed the American advance long enough to ensure President Emilio Aguinaldo's escape.
Edith Carow married Theodore Roosevelt, the future 26th president of the United States, at St George's, Hanover Square, London.
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte established the Second French Empire, declaring himself Emperor of the French as Napoleon III.
War of the Third Coalition: French forces led by Napoleon decisively defeated a Russo-Austrian army commanded by Tsar Alexander I at the Battle of Austerlitz (depicted).
Hugh Bunel murdered noblewoman Mabel de Bellême in Normandy and fled into exile.
Cannabis is removed from the list of most dangerous drugs of the international drug control treaty by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Thirty-six people die in a fire at a converted Oakland, California, warehouse serving as an artist collective.
San Bernardino attack: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik kill 14 people and wound 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California.
Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive following the Good Friday Agreement.
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed by police in Medellín.
Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-53 for the United States Department of Defense.
Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-35, carrying the ASTRO-1 spacelab observatory.
The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai is signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand, ending the over two-decade-long communist insurgency in Malaysia.
Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-27, a classified mission for the United States Department of Defense.
At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.
A Tupolev Tu-154 crashes near Benghazi, Libya, killing 59.
Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.
Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Gough Whitlam is elected the 21st Prime Minister of Australia in the 1972 Australian federal election, defeating William McMahon and leading the Australian Labor Party back into office after 23 years in Opposition.
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 crashes into Pedro Bay, Alaska, killing all 39 people on board.
Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba will adopt Communism.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 126 relating to the Kashmir conflict is adopted.
The Granma reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente Province. Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution.
Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".
The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Taiwan, is signed in Washington, D.C.
Korean War: The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ends with a decisive Chinese victory and UN forces are completely expelled from North Korea.
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is adopted.
Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Arabs riot in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
World War II: A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks numerous cargo and transport ships, including the American SS John Harvey, which is carrying a stockpile of mustard gas.
World War II: During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.
Great Depression: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.
World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.
Puyi becomes Emperor of China at the age of two.
Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, known as the "Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.
At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
Alabama ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.
Origins of the American Civil War: Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of the French as Napoleon III.
French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
Franz Joseph I becomes Emperor of Austria.
Manifest Destiny: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James K. Polk proposes that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.
Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech.
Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.
St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated.
The University of Leipzig opens.
Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
Ilia Malinin, American competitive figure skater
Neil Erasmus, South African-Australian footballer
Annalise Basso, American actress
Anna Kalinskaya, Russian tennis player
Juice Wrld, American rapper, singer and songwriter (died 2019)
De'Andre Hunter, American basketball player
Jake Doran, Australian cricketer
Uladzislau Hancharou, Belarusian trampolinist
Inori Minase, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer
Zach Cunningham, American football player
Aaron Jones, American football player
Elias Lindholm, Swedish ice hockey player
Fumika Shimizu, Japanese actress and model
Tomokaze Yūta, Japanese sumo wrestler
Haruka Ishida, Japanese singer and actress
Kostas Stafylidis, Greek footballer
Sim Bhullar, Canadian basketball player
Gary Sánchez, Dominican baseball player
Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier
Brandon Knight, American basketball player
Charlie Puth, American singer-songwriter and pianist
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian footballer
Gastón Ramírez, Uruguayan footballer
Etta Bond, English singer-songwriter
Matteo Darmian, Italian footballer
Cassie Steele, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
Robert Turbin, American football player
Alfred Enoch, English actor
Stephen McGinn, Scottish footballer
Song Ha-yoon, South Korean actress
Claudiu Keșerü, Romanian footballer
Renee Montgomery, American basketball player and executive
Tal Wilkenfeld, Australian bass player and composer
Amaury Leveaux, French swimmer
Dorell Wright, American basketball player
Péter Máté, Hungarian footballer
Action Bronson, American rapper, songwriter, chef, and television host
Chris Burke, Scottish footballer
Bibiana Candelas, Mexican volleyball player
Jaime Durán, Mexican footballer
Eugene Jeter, American-Ukrainian basketball player, coach, and executive
Jana Kramer, American actress and singer
Aaron Rodgers, American football player
Daniela Ruah, Portuguese-American actress
Christos Karipidis, Greek footballer
Matt Walsh, American basketball player
Maria Ferekidi, Greek canoe racer
Eric Jungmann, American actor
Thomas Pöck, Austrian ice hockey player
Danijel Pranjić, Croatian footballer
Britney Spears, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
Adam Kreek, Canadian rower
Darryn Randall, South African cricketer (died 2013)
Joel Ward, Canadian ice hockey player
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer-songwriter and actress
Michael McIndoe, Scottish footballer
Abdul Razzaq, Pakistani cricketer
Jarron Collins, American basketball player and coach
Jason Collins, American basketball player
Nelly Furtado, Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Luigi Malafronte, Italian footballer
Peter Moylan, Australian baseball player
Maëlle Ricker, Canadian snowboarder
David Rivas, Spanish footballer
Andrew Ryan, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
Christopher Wolstenholme, English singer-songwriter and bass player
Siyabonga Nomvethe, South African footballer
Masafumi Gotoh, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Mark Kotsay, American baseball player and manager
Graham Kavanagh, Irish footballer and manager
Monica Seles, Serbian-American tennis player
Lee Steele, English footballer
Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
Alan Henderson, American basketball player
Sergei Zholtok, Latvian ice hockey player (died 2004)
Wilson Jermaine Heredia, American actor and singer
Rachel McQuillan, Australian tennis player
Jüri Reinvere, Estonian-German composer and poet
Francesco Toldo, Italian footballer
Mine Yoshizaki, Japanese illustrator
Joe Lo Truglio, American actor and comedian
Maksim Tarasov, Russian pole vaulter
Treach, American rapper and actor
Ulrika Bergquist, Swedish journalist
Chris Kiwomya, English footballer
Pavel Loskutov, Estonian runner
Tanya Plibersek, Australian journalist and politician, 45th Australian Minister of Health
David Batty, English footballer
Jiří Dopita, Czech ice hockey player
Darryl Kile, American baseball player (died 2002)
Lucy Liu, American actress and producer
Nate Mendel, American singer-songwriter and bass player
Rena Sofer, American actress
Mary Creagh, English scholar and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Philippe Etchebest, French chef and television host
Jinsei Shinzaki, Japanese wrestler and promoter, co-founded Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling
Shane Flanagan, Australian rugby league player and coach
Brendan Coyle, English actor
Ann Patchett, American author
Rich Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and scout
Ron Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
John Dyegh, Nigerian businessman and politician
Peter Blakeley, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Deb Haaland, American politician, 54th United States Secretary of the Interior
Razzle, English rock drummer (died 1984)
Rick Savage, English singer-songwriter and bass player
Silk Smitha, Indian film actress
Kelefa Diallo, Guinean general (died 2013)
Randy Gardner, American figure skater
Andrew George, English politician
Vladimir Parfenovich, Belarusian canoe racer and politician
George Saunders, American short story writer and essayist
Dagfinn Høybråten, Norwegian political scientist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Health
Steven Bauer, Cuban-American actor and producer
Dan Butler, American actor, director, and screenwriter
Carol Shea-Porter, American social worker, academic, and politician
Keith Szarabajka, American actor
John Wesley Ryles, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist
Amin Saikal, Afghan-Australian political scientist and academic
Benjamin Stora, Algerian-French historian and author
Paul Watson, Canadian activist, founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Elizabeth Berg, American nurse and author
T. Coraghessan Boyle, American novelist and short story writer
Patricia Hewitt, Australian-English educator and politician, English Secretary of State for Health
Toninho Horta, Brazilian guitarist and composer
Antonín Panenka, Czech footballer
Isaac Bitton, Moroccan-French drummer and songwriter
Tommy Jenkins, English footballer and manager
Ivan Atanassov Petrov, Bulgarian neurologist and author
John Banks, New Zealand businessman and politician, 38th Mayor of Auckland City
David Macaulay, English-American author and illustrator
Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, founded Versace (died 1997)
Penelope Spheeris, American director, producer, and screenwriter
Alan Thomson, Australian cricketer (died 2022)
Cathy Lee Crosby, American actress and tennis player
Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovan journalist and politician, 1st President of Kosovo (died 2006)
Dionysis Savvopoulos, Greek singer-songwriter
Botho Strauß, German author and playwright
Wayne Allard, American veterinarian and politician
Anna G. Jónasdóttir, Icelandic political scientist and academic
Mike England, Welsh footballer and manager
Tom McGuinness, English guitarist, songwriter, author, and producer
Willie Brown, American football player, coach, and manager (died 2019)
Yael Dayan, Israeli journalist, author, and politician
Francis Fox, Canadian lawyer and politician, 48th Secretary of State for Canada
Harry Reid, American lawyer and politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada (died 2021)
Manohar Joshi, Indian lawyer and politician, 15th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (died 2024)
David Hackett Fischer, American historian, author, and academic
Tarcisio Bertone, Italian cardinal
Peter Robin Harding, English marshal and pilot (died 2021)
Mike Larrabee, American sprinter and educator (died 2003)
Nigel Calder, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (died 2014)
Masaaki Hatsumi, Japanese martial artist and educator, founded Bujinkan
Wynton Kelly, American pianist and composer (died 1971)
Edwin Meese, American lawyer, 75th United States Attorney General
Gareth Wigan, British film studio executive (died 2010)
Gary Becker, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2014)
David Piper, English race car driver
Dan Jenkins, American journalist and author (died 2019)
Leon Litwack, American historian and author (died 2021)
Guy Bourdin, French photographer (died 1991)
Ralph Beard, American basketball player (died 2007)
Julie Harris, American actress (died 2013)
Jonathan Frid, Canadian actor (died 2012)
Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (died 2010)
Else Marie Pade, Danish composer (died 2016)
Vilgot Sjöman, Swedish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2006)
Maria Callas, American-Greek soprano and actress (died 1977)
Iakovos Kambanelis, Greek author, poet, and screenwriter (died 2011)
Carlo Furno, Italian cardinal (died 2015)
Sylvia Syms, American singer (died 1992)
Howard Finster, American minister and painter (died 2001)
Takahito, Prince Mikasa of Japan (died 2016)
Bill Erwin, American actor (died 2010)
Adolph Green, American playwright and composer (died 2002)
Marc Platt, American actor, singer, and dancer (died 2014)
George Emmett, English cricketer and coach (died 1976)
Russell Lynes, American photographer, historian, and author (died 1991)
Taisto Mäki, Finnish runner (died 1979)
Arvo Askola, Finnish runner (died 1975)
Walenty Kłyszejko, Estonian–Polish basketball player and coach (died 1987)
Joseph P. Lash, American activist and author (died 1987)
Peter Carl Goldmark, Hungarian-American engineer (died 1977)
Raimundo Orsi, Argentinian-Italian footballer (died 1986)
Elisa Godínez Gómez de Batista, former First Lady of Cuba (died 1993)
Herta Hammerbacher, German landscape architect and professor (died 1985)
John Barbirolli, English cellist and conductor (died 1970)
John Cobb, English race car driver and pilot (died 1952)
Ray Morehart, American baseball player (died 1989)
Indra Lal Roy, Indian lieutenant and first Indian fighter aircraft pilot (died 1918)
Ivan Bagramyan, Russian general (died 1982)
Rewi Alley, New Zealand writer and political activist (died 1987)
Harriet Cohen, English pianist (died 1967)
Warren William, American actor (died 1948)
Otto Dix, German painter and illustrator (died 1969)
Charles H. Wesley, American historian and author (died 1987)
George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1950)
Erima Harvey Northcroft, New Zealand soldier, lawyer, and judge (died 1953)
Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Turkish poet and author (died 1958)
Cahir Healy, Northern Irish Anti Partitionist, writer and politician (died 1970)
Yusuf Akçura, Tatar-Turkish activist and ideologue of Turanism (died 1935)
Harry Burleigh, American singer-songwriter (died 1949)
Charles Edward Ringling, American businessman, co-founded the Ringling Brothers Circus (died 1926)
Charles Studd, England cricketer and missionary (died 1931)
Kateryna Melnyk-Antonovych, Ukrainian historian and archaeologist (died 1942)
Georges Seurat, French painter (died 1891)
Deacon White, American baseball player and manager (died 1939)
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau, French lawyer and politician, 68th Prime Minister of France (died 1904)
William Burges, English architect and designer (died 1881)
Pedro II of Brazil (died 1891)
Heinrich von Sybel, German historian, academic, and politician (died 1895)
Jean-Charles Chapais, Canadian farmer and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Agriculture (died 1885)
Henry Yesler, American businessman and politician, 7th Mayor of Seattle (died 1892)
António Luís de Seabra, 1st Viscount of Seabra, Portuguese magistrate and politician (died 1895)
John Breckinridge, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th United States Attorney General (died 1806)
Joseph Graetz, German organist, composer, and educator (died 1826)
James Edward Smith, English botanist and mycologist, founded the Linnean Society (died 1828)
William Cooper, American judge and politician, founded Cooperstown, New York (died 1809)
Richard Montgomery, Irish-American general (died 1775)
Ferdinand Konščak, Croatian missionary and explorer (died 1759)
William Shirley, English-American lawyer and politician, Governor of the province of Massachusetts Bay (died 1771)
Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg, Catholic cardinal (died 1704)
Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, Scottish nobleman (died 1663)
Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and theorist (died 1641)
Queen Munjeong, Korean queen (died 1565)
Emperor Jianwen of Liang, emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty (died 551)
Ed Botterell, Canadian Olympic sailor (born 1931)
Helmut Duckadam, Romanian footballer (born 1959)
Neale Fraser, Australian tennis player (born 1933)
Paul Maslansky, American film producer and writer (born 1933)
Debbie Mathers, Mother of Eminem (born 1955)
Israel Vázquez, Mexican boxer (born 1977)
Pat Patterson, American wrestler (born 1941)
Sandy Berger, American lawyer and politician, 19th United States National Security Advisor (born 1945)
Will McMillan, American actor, director, and producer (born 1944)
George T. Sakato, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1921)
A. R. Antulay, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (born 1929)
Jean Béliveau, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1931)
Josie Cichockyj, English basketball player and coach (born 1964)
Bobby Keys, American saxophonist (born 1943)
Don Laws, American figure skater and coach (born 1929)
William Allain, American soldier and politician, 58th Governor of Mississippi (born 1928)
Jean-Claude Beton, Algerian-French engineer and businessman, founded Orangina (born 1925)
Marcelo Déda, Brazilian lawyer and politician (born 1960)
Junior Murvin, Jamaican singer-songwriter (born 1946)
Tom Hendry, Canadian playwright, co-founded the Manitoba Theatre Centre (born 1929)
Ehsan Naraghi, Iranian sociologist and author (born 1926)
Foge Fazio, American football player and coach (born 1938)
Eric Woolfson, Scottish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (born 1945)
Odetta, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (born 1930)
Henry Molaison, American memory disorder patient (born 1926)
Edward Samuel Rogers, Canadian lawyer and businessman (born 1933)
Renato de Grandis, Italian composer, musicologist, and writer (born 1927)
Jennifer Alexander, Canadian-American ballerina and actress (born 1972)
Elizabeth Hardwick, American literary critic, novelist, and short story writer (born 1916)
Mariska Veres, Dutch singer (born 1947)
William P. Lawrence, American admiral and pilot (born 1930)
Van Tuong Nguyen, Australian convicted drug trafficker (born 1980)
Alicia Markova, English ballerina and choreographer (born 1910)
Mona Van Duyn, American poet and academic (born 1921)
Alan Davidson, British soldier, historian, and author (born 1924)
Ivan Illich, Austrian priest and philosopher (born 1926)
Arno Peters, German cartographer and historian (born 1916)
Gail Fisher, American actress (born 1935)
Charlie Byrd, American guitarist (born 1925)
Shirley Crabtree, English wrestler (born 1930)
Michael Hedges, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1953)
Robertson Davies, Canadian author, playwright, and critic (born 1913)
Roxie Roker, American actress (born 1929)
Mária Telkes, Hungarian–American biophysicist and chemist (born 1900)
Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord (born 1949)
Aaron Copland, American composer and conductor (born 1900)
Robert Cummings, American actor, director, and producer (born 1908)
Karl-Heinz Bürger, German colonel (born 1904)
Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer-songwriter (born 1922)
Luis Federico Leloir, French-Argentinian physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906)
Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, Belarusian physicist, astronomer, and cosmologist (born 1914)
Desi Arnaz, Cuban-American actor, singer, businessman, and television producer (born 1917)
John Curtis Gowan, American psychologist and academic (born 1912)
Philip Larkin, English poet, author, and librarian (born 1922)
Fifi D'Orsay, Canadian-American actress and singer (born 1904)
Marty Feldman, English actor and comedian (born 1934)
Giovanni Ferrari, Italian footballer and manager (born 1907)
Wallace Harrison, American architect, co-founded Harrison & Abramovitz (born 1895)
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1905)
Romain Gary, Lithuanian-French author, director, and screenwriter (born 1914)
Danny Murtaugh, American baseball player and manager (born 1917)
Sylvi Kekkonen, Finnish writer and wife of President of Finland Urho Kekkonen (born 1900)
Max Weber, Swiss lawyer and politician (born 1897)
José María Arguedas, Peruvian anthropologist, author, and poet (born 1911)
Kliment Voroshilov, Ukrainian-Russian marshal and politician, 3rd Head of State of The Soviet Union (born 1881)
Francis Spellman, American cardinal (born 1889).
L. E. J. Brouwer, Dutch mathematician and philosopher (born 1881)
Giles Cooper, Irish author, playwright, and screenwriter (born 1918)
Harrison Ford, American actor (born 1884)
Manfred Sakel, Ukrainian-American neurophysiologist and psychiatrist (born 1902)
Reginald Baker, Australian rugby player (born 1884)
Trần Trọng Kim, Vietnamese historian, scholar, and politician, Prime Minister of Vietnam (born 1883)
Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist and composer (born 1917)
Josef Lhévinne, Russian pianist and educator (born 1874)
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Egyptian-Italian poet and composer (born 1876)
Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (born 1917)
Nordahl Grieg, Norwegian journalist and author (born 1902)
John Ringling, American businessman, co-founded Ringling Brothers Circus (born 1866)
Vincent d'Indy, French composer and educator (born 1851)
Paul Heinrich von Groth, German scientist who systematically classified minerals and founded the journal Zeitschrift für Krystallographie und Mineralogie (born 1843)
Kazimieras Būga, Lithuanian linguist and philologist (born 1879)
Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (born 1868)
Gregorio del Pilar, Filipino general and politician, 1st Governor of Bulacan (born 1875)
Jay Gould, American businessman and financier (born 1836)
Namık Kemal, Turkish journalist, poet, and playwright (born 1840)
Allen Wright, Principal chief of the Choctaw Nation (1866–1870); proposed the name "Oklahoma", from Choctaw words okra and umma, meaning "Territory of the Red People." (born 1826)
Jenny von Westphalen, German author (born 1814)
John Brown, American abolitionist (born 1800)
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (born 1792)
Eustachy Erazm Sanguszko, Polish general and politician (born 1768)
Marquis de Sade, French philosopher, author, and politician (born 1740)
Johann Friedrich Agricola, German organist and composer (born 1720)
Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, English politician, Lord President of the Council (born 1662)
Vincent Bourne, English poet and scholar (born 1695)
Samuel Penhallow, English-American historian and author (born 1665)
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (born 1674)
Pasquier Quesnel, French theologian and author (born 1634)
Pierre Puget, French painter, sculptor, and architect (born 1622)
Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet, French author (born 1588)
Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, French general (born 1541)
Gerardus Mercator, Flemish mathematician, cartographer, and philosopher (born 1512)
Hernán Cortés, Spanish general and explorer (born 1485)
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Spanish general (born 1453)
Muhammad Shaybani, Khan of Bukhara (born 1451)
Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, Italian banker and politician (born 1416)
Albert VI, Archduke of Austria (born 1418)
Isabel of Coimbra, queen of Portugal (born 1432)
John of Ruusbroec, Flemish priest and mystic (born 1293)
Emperor Hanazono of Japan (born 1297)
Geoffrey le Scrope, Chief Justice of King Edward III of England
Muhammad III of Alamut, Nizari Ismaili Imam
Elvira Menéndez, queen of Alfonso V of Castile (born 996)
Odo of Wetterau, German nobleman
Ma Yin, Chinese warlord, king of Chu (Ten Kingdoms) (born 853)
Pope Silverius
Armed Forces Day (Cuba)
Christian feast day: Avitus of Rouen
Christian feast day: Bibiana
Christian feast day: Channing Moore Williams (Anglicanism)
Christian feast day: Chromatius
Christian feast day: Habakkuk (Eastern Orthodox)
Christian feast day: December 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (United Nations)
Lao National Day
National Day (United Arab Emirates)