Events That Happened on December 8

Damascus falls to rebels after Syrian troops withdraw and president Bashar al-Assad leaves the country as his government collapses. Israel as a result invaded into the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

First confirmed case of COVID-19 in China.

Riots break out in Singapore, after a fatal accident in Little India.

Metallica performs a show in Antarctica, making them the first musical act to perform on all seven continents.

With the second launch of the Falcon 9, and the first launch of the Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft.

The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus at a distance of about 80,800 km (50,200 mi).

Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 people and injure 448 others.

The Cusco Declaration is signed in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.

Columbus nightclub shooting: Nathan Gale opens fire at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, killing former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others before being shot dead by a police officer.

A raid conducted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) of Singapore foils a Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) plot to bomb foreign embassies in Singapore.

Eighty-one people are killed by armed groups in Algeria.

The Galileo spacecraft flies past Earth for the second time.

The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Galileo spacecraft flies past Earth for the first time.

A United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashes into an apartment complex in Remscheid, Germany, killing five people and injuring 50 others.

Cold War: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House.

An Israeli army tank transporter kills four Palestinian refugees and injures seven others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the Israel–Gaza Strip border, which has been cited as one of the events which sparked the First Intifada.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia, is established.

John Lennon is murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota in New York City.

A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece.

United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737, crashes after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 45. This is the first-ever loss of a Boeing 737.

Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

Olympic Airways Flight 954 strikes a mountain outside of Keratea, Greece, killing 90 people in the worst crash of a Douglas DC-6 in history.

The Greek ship SS Heraklion sinks in a storm in the Aegean Sea, killing over 200.

Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707, is struck by lightning and crashes near Elkton, Maryland, killing all 81 people on board.

Workers at four New York City newspapers (this later increases to nine) go on strike for 114 days.

The Flag of Europe is adopted by Council of Europe.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, which leads to an American program to supply equipment and information on nuclear power to schools, hospitals, and research institutions around the world.

World War II: The German 117th Jäger Division destroys the monastery of Mega Spilaio in Greece and executes 22 monks and visitors as part of reprisals that culminated a few days later with the Massacre of Kalavryta.

World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. declares war on Japan.

World War II: Japanese forces simultaneously invade Shanghai International Settlement, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. (See December 7 for the concurrent attack on Pearl Harbor in the Western Hemisphere.)

Anarchist insurrection breaks out in Zaragoza, Spain.

Two days after coming into existence, the Irish Free State executes four leaders of the Irish Republican Army: Liam Mellows, Rory O'Connor, Joe McKelvey and Dick Barrett.

World War I: A squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeats the Imperial German East Asia Squadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

Leaders of the German Empire hold an Imperial War Council to discuss the possibility that war might break out.

King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne.

Pope Pius IX promulgates the encyclical Quanta cura and its appendix, the Syllabus of Errors, outlining the authority of the Catholic Church and condemning various liberal ideas.

Between two and three thousand churchgoers die during the Church of the Company Fire. Deemed as probably the largest single building fire by number of victims in modern history, it began at the start of a Mass held at the Church of the Society of Jesus in Santiago, Chile, during the celebration of the recently proclaimed Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

In his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived free of Original Sin.

Conservative Santiago-based government troops defeat rebels at the Battle of Loncomilla, signaling the end of the 1851 Chilean Revolution.

A woman (either Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall) appears on an English public stage for the first time, in the role of Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's play Othello.

Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah writes his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law requirements for the forcibly converted Muslims in Spain.

Louis the Stammerer (son of Charles the Bald) is crowned king of the West Frankish Kingdom at Compiègne.

The poet Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city during the An Lushan Rebellion.

Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope.

Billie Starkz, American professional wrestler

Sunghoon, South Korean singer

Josh Christopher, American basketball player

DeMario Douglas, American football player

Bayron Matos, Dominican American football player

Andy Pages, Cuban baseball player

Reece James, English footballer

Tyrus Wheat, American football player

Josh Dunne, American ice hockey player

Owen Teague, American actor

Hakeem Adeniji, American football player

Sam Hauser, American basketball player

Scott McTominay, Scottish footballer

Thatcher Demko, American ice hockey player

Cyriel Dessers, Belgian-Nigerian footballer

Conseslus Kipruto, Kenyan runner

Raheem Sterling, English footballer

Janari Jõesaar, Estonian basketball player

Cara Mund, American model, Miss America 2018

Jordan Obita, English footballer

AnnaSophia Robb, American actress

Mattias Janmark, Swedish ice hockey player

Yui Yokoyama, Japanese idol, model, and actress

Philip Holm, Swedish ice hockey player

Bhavini Purohit, Indian television actress and YouTuber

Drew Doughty, Canadian ice hockey player

Jen Ledger, English musician and singer

Andrew Nicholson, Canadian basketball player

Jesse Sene-Lefao, New Zealand rugby league player

Enzo Amore, American wrestler and rapper

Amir Khan, English boxer

Sam Tagataese, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player

Kate Voegele, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress

Josh Donaldson, American baseball player

Meagan Duhamel, Canadian figure skater

Dwight Howard, American basketball player

Oleksiy Pecherov, Ukrainian basketball player

Emma Green Tregaro, Swedish high jumper

Greg Halford, English footballer

Sam Hunt, American singer-songwriter

Matt Ellison, Canadian ice hockey player

Neel Jani, Swiss race car driver

Valéry Mézague, Cameroonian footballer (died 2014)

Alfredo Aceves, Mexican baseball player

Halil Altıntop, Turkish footballer

Hamit Altıntop, Turkish footballer

Chrisette Michele, American singer-songwriter

Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-American rapper and actress

Serena Ryder, Canadian singer-songwriter

Jeremy Accardo, American baseball player

Simon Finnigan, English rugby league player

Philip Rivers, American football player

Yuliya Krevsun, Ukrainian runner

Brandt Snedeker, American golfer

Daniel Fitzhenry, Australian rugby player

Johan Forssell, Swedish lawyer and politician

Raymond Lam, Chinese actor and singer

Ingrid Michaelson, American singer-songwriter and pianist

Christian Wilhelmsson, Swedish footballer

John Oster, English-Welsh footballer

Frédéric Piquionne, French footballer

Anwar Siraj, Ethiopian footballer

Ian Somerhalder, American actor

Vernon Wells, American baseball player

Ryan Newman, American race car driver

Aleksandra Olsza, Polish tennis player

Anita Weyermann, Swiss runner and journalist

Brettina, Bahamian-American singer-songwriter and actress

Reed Johnson, American baseball player

Zoe Konstantopoulou, Greek lawyer and politician

Dominic Monaghan, German-British actor

Kevin Harvick, American race car driver

Cristian Castro, Mexican singer

Nick Zinner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Corey Taylor, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor

Indrek Allmann, Estonian architect

Janae Kroc, American powerlifter

Édson Ribeiro, Brazilian sprinter

Abdullah Ercan, Turkish footballer and manager

Kristin Lauter, American mathematician and cryptographer

Michael Cole, American sportscaster and journalist

Mike Mussina, American baseball player and coach

Doriano Romboni, Italian motorcycle racer (died 2013)

Jeff George, American football player

Andy Kapp, German curler

Kotono Mitsuishi, Japanese voice actress and singer

Darren Sheridan, English footballer and manager

Bushwick Bill, Jamaican-American rapper (died 2019)

Les Ferdinand, English footballer and coach

Matthew Labyorteaux, American actor

Tyler Mane, Canadian wrestler and actor

Sinéad O'Connor, Irish singer-songwriter (died 2023)

David Harewood, English actor

Theo Maassen, Dutch actor, producer, and screenwriter

Teresa Weatherspoon, American basketball player and coach

James Blundell, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist

Teri Hatcher, American actress

Chigusa Nagayo, Japanese wrestler

Óscar Ramírez, Costa Rican footballer and coach

Greg Howe, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Toshiaki Kawada, Japanese wrestler

Wendell Pierce, American actor

Ricky Walford, Australian rugby league player

Steve Elkington, Australian-American golfer

Marty Friedman, American-Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and television host

Nikos Karageorgiou, Greek footballer and manager

Berry van Aerle, Dutch footballer

Mark Bugden, Australian rugby league player

Ann Coulter, American political commentator and author

Conceição Lima, São Toméan poet

Mikey Robins, Australian comedian and television host

Aaron Allston, American game designer and author (died 2014)

Lim Guan Eng, Malaysian accountant and politician

Stephen Jefferies, South African cricketer and coach

Mark Steyn, Canadian-American author and critic

Rob Byrnes, American author and blogger

Rob Curling, Malayan-English journalist

Arlette Sombo-Dibélé, Central African lawyer and politician

Michel Ferté, French race car driver (died 2023)

Bob Greene, American physiologist and author

Mirosław Okoński, Polish footballer

George Rogers, American football player

Mike Buchanan, British men's rights advocate

James Cama, American martial artist and educator (died 2014)

Phil Collen, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Warren Cuccurullo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Andrius Kubilius, Lithuanian academic and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Lithuania

Slick, American wrestler and manager

Milenko Zablaćanski, Serbian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2008)

Harold Hongju Koh, American lawyer, academic, and politician

Frits Pirard, Dutch cyclist

Kim Basinger, American actress

Norman Finkelstein, American author, academic, and activist

Roy Firestone, American sportscaster and journalist

Sam Kinison, American comedian (died 1992)

Władysław Kozakiewicz, Lithuanian-Polish pole vaulter and coach

Steve Yates, English footballer

Steve Atkinson, English-Hong Kong cricketer

Khaw Boon Wan, Malayan-Singaporean politician, Singaporean Minister of Health

Bill Bryson, American essayist, travel and science writer

Richard Desmond, English publisher and businessman, founded Northern & Shell

Jan Eggum, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist

Rick Baker, American actor and makeup artist

Tim Foli, American baseball player, coach, and manager

Dan Hartman, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 1994)

Mary Gordon, American author, critic, and academic

Nancy Meyers, American director, producer, and screenwriter

Robert Sternberg, American psychologist and academic

Luis Caffarelli, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic

John Waters, English-Australian actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist

Gregg Allman, American musician (died 2017)

Gérard Blanc, French singer, guitarist, and actor (died 2009)

Thomas Cech, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Kati-Claudia Fofonoff, Finnish author and poet (died 2011)

Margaret Geller, American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic

Chava Alberstein, Polish-Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist

John Rubinstein, American actor, director, and composer

John Banville, Irish novelist and screenwriter

Julie Heldman, American tennis player

George Baker, Dutch singer-songwriter

Bertie Higgins, American singer-songwriter

Ted Irvine, Canadian ice hockey player

Vince MacLean, Canadian educator and politician

Larry Martin, American paleontologist and ornithologist (died 2013)

Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter and poet (died 1971)

James Tate, American poet (died 2015)

Bodo Tümmler, German runner

Mary Woronov, American actress, director, and screenwriter

Bob Love, American basketball player (died 2024)

Ed Brinkman, American baseball player and coach (died 2008)

Bob Brown, American football player (died 2023)

Duke Cunningham, American commander and politician

Bobby Elliott, English drummer

Geoff Hurst, English footballer and manager

Brant Alyea, American baseball player (died 2024)

Red Berenson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Jerry Butler, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2025)

James Galway, Irish flute player

Felipe Gozon, Filipino lawyer and businessman

Dariush Mehrjui, Iranian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2023)

Soko Richardson, American drummer (died 2004)

James MacArthur, American actor (died 2010)

Arne Næss Jr., German-Norwegian mountaineer and businessman (died 2004)

David Carradine, American actor, director, and producer (died 2009)

Michael Hobson, American publisher (died 2020)

Peter Parfitt, English cricketer

Juan Ricardo Faccio, Uruguayan football player and manager (died 2024)

Dharmendra, Indian actor, producer, and politician

Tatiana Zatulovskaya, Russian-Israeli chess player (died 2017)

Johnny Green, American basketball player (died 2023)

Flip Wilson, American actor and comedian (died 1998)

Claus Luthe, German automotive designer (died 2008)

Bob Arum, American boxing promoter, founded Top Rank

Julian Critchley, English journalist and politician (died 2000)

Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2014)

Victor Nosach, chronicler of the history of workers and trade union of Russia (died 2011)

Bill Hewitt, Canadian journalist and sportscaster (died 1996)

Ulric Neisser, German-American psychologist, neuroscientist, and academic (died 2012)

Niklas Luhmann, German thinker and social theorist (died 1998)

Vladimir Shatalov, Kazakhstani general, pilot, and astronaut (died 2021)

Ralph Puckett, American Army officer (died 2024)

Sammy Davis Jr., American actor, singer, and dancer (died 1990)

Nasir Kazmi, Pakistani Urdu poet (died 1972)

Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish author and poet (died 2000)

Jimmy Smith, American organist (died 2005)

Lionel Gilbert, Australian historian, author, and academic (died 2015)

Dewey Martin, American actor (died 2018)

Rudolph Pariser, Chinese-American soldier and chemist (died 2021)

Lucian Freud, German-English painter and illustrator (died 2011)

Jean Ritchie, American singer-songwriter (died 2015)

McDonald Bailey, Trinidadian-English sprinter and rugby player (died 2013)

Peter Tali Coleman, Samoan-American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of American Samoa (died 1997)

Julia Bowman, American mathematician and theorist (died 1985)

Kateryna Yushchenko, Ukrainian computer scientist and academic (died 2001)

Ian Johnson, Australian cricketer and administrator (died 1998)

Richard Fleischer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2006)

Ernest Lehman, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2005)

Floyd Tillman, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2003)

Ernie Toshack, Australian cricketer (died 2003)

Delmore Schwartz, American poet and short story writer (died 1966)

Lee J. Cobb, American actor (died 1976)

Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and songwriter (died 1992)

Concha Piquer, Spanish singer and actress (died 1990)

John A. Volpe, American soldier and politician, 61st Governor of Massachusetts (died 1994)

Zelma Watson George, Black American opera singer (died 1994)

Wifredo Lam, Cuban-French painter (died 1982)

Sun Li-jen, Chinese general and politician (died 1990)

Ants Oras, Estonian-American author and academic (died 1982)

Arthur Leslie, English-Welsh actor and playwright (died 1970)

John Qualen, Canadian-American actor (died 1987)

E. C. Segar, American cartoonist, created Popeye (died 1938)

James Thurber, American humorist and cartoonist (died 1961)

Marcus Lee Hansen, American historian, author, and academic (died 1938)

Bohuslav Martinů, Czech-American pianist and composer (died 1959)

Elizabeth Daryush, English poet (died 1977)

Diego Rivera, Mexican painter and educator (died 1957)

Francis Balfour, English colonel and politician (died 1965)

Tuomas Bryggari, Finnish politician (died 1964)

Albert Gleizes, French painter (died 1953)

Johannes Aavik, Estonian linguist and philologist (died 1973)

Paul Ladmirault, French pianist, violinist, and composer (died 1944)

Frederik Buch, Danish actor and screenwriter (died 1925)

Ernst Moro, Austrian physician and pediatrician (died 1951)

Rüdiger von der Goltz, German general (died 1946)

Jacques Hadamard, French mathematician and academic (died 1963)

Jean Sibelius, Finnish violinist and composer (died 1957)

Camille Claudel, French illustrator and sculptor (died 1943)

Charles Lincoln Edwards, American zoologist (died 1937)

Georges Feydeau, French playwright (died 1921)

William C. Durant, American businessman, founded General Motors and Chevrolet (died 1947)

Aristide Maillol, French sculptor and painter (died 1944)

Georges Méliès, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1938)

Amanda McKittrick Ros, Irish author and poet (died 1939)

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Norwegian-French author and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1910)

Jakov Ignjatović, Hungarian-Serbian author (died 1889)

Charles III, Prince of Monaco (died 1889)

Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, Danish lawyer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Denmark (died 1896)

Adolph Menzel, German painter and illustrator (died 1905)

August Belmont, Prussian-American financier and diplomat, 16th United States Ambassador to the Netherlands (died 1890)

Friedrich Traugott Kützing, German pharmacist, botanist and phycologist (died 1893)

Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish astronomer and mathematician (died 1874)

Eli Whitney, American engineer, invented the cotton gin (died 1825)

Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria (died 1801)

František Xaver Dušek, Czech pianist and composer (died 1799)

Jan Ingenhousz, Dutch physician, physiologist, and botanist (died 1799)

Claude Balbastre, French organist and composer (died 1799)

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1765)

Maria Josepha of Austria (died 1757)

Antonio de Benavides, colonial governor of Florida (died 1762)

Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole, English politician and diplomat, British Ambassador to France (died 1757)

François de La Rochefoucauld, Catholic cardinal (died 1645)

Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise (died 1587)

Miklós Istvánffy, Hungarian politician (died 1615)

Anselm Adornes, Belgian merchant, politician and diplomat (died 1483)

Queen Jeonghui, Queen consort of Korea (died 1483)

Astorre II Manfredi, Italian lord (died 1468)

Wang Anshi, Chinese economist and chancellor (died 1086)

Horace, Roman poet (died 8 BC)

Jill Jacobson, American actress (born 1954)

Clarke Reed, American businessman and politician (born 1928)

Ryan O'Neal, American actor (born 1941)

Robbie Shakespeare, Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer (born 1953)

René Auberjonois, American actor (born 1940)

Juice Wrld, American rapper, singer and songwriter (born 1998)

Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer and actor (born 1933)

David Weatherall, English physician, geneticist, and academic (born 1933)

John Glenn, American astronaut and senator, first American to go into orbit (born 1921)

Mattiwilda Dobbs, American soprano and actress (born 1925)

Alan Hodgkinson, English footballer and coach (born 1936)

Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (born 1943)

John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (born 1946)

Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (born 1913)

Tom Gosnell, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1951)

Russ Kemmerer, American baseball player and coach (born 1930)

Knut Nystedt, Norwegian organist and composer (born 1915)

John Cornforth, Australian-English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917)

Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and academic (born 1931)

Richard S. Williamson, American lawyer and diplomat (born 1949)

Jerry Brown, American football player (born 1987)

John Gowans, Scottish-English 16th General of The Salvation Army (born 1934)

Johnny Lira, American boxer (born 1951)

Luis Días, Dominican singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1952)

Oliver Postgate, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1925)

Robert Prosky, American actor (born 1930)

Gerardo García Pimentel, Mexican journalist (born 1983)

Martha Tilton, American singer (born 1915)

José Uribe, Dominican baseball player (born 1959)

Rose Heilbron, British barrister and judge (born 1914)

Dimebag Darrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1966)

Rubén González, Cuban pianist (born 1919)

Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player and coach (born 1954)

Betty Holberton, American computer scientist and programmer (born 1917)

Péter Kuczka, Hungarian poet and author (born 1923)

Bob Bell, American clown and actor (born 1922)

Howard Rollins, American actor (born 1950)

Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 47th Yokozuna (born 1938)

Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1927)

Yevgeny Minayev, Russian weightlifter (born 1933)

William Shawn, American journalist (born 1917)

Buck Clayton, American trumpet player and composer (born 1911)

Luther Adler, American actor (born 1903)

Robert Jay Mathews, American militant leader, founded The Order (born 1953)

Razzle, English drummer (born 1960)

Semih Sancar, Turkish general (born 1911)

Keith Holyoake, New Zealand farmer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1904)

Slim Pickens, American actor (born 1919)

Bram Behr, Surinamese journalist and politician (born 1951)

André Kamperveen, Surinamese footballer and manager (born 1924)

Marty Robbins, American singer-songwriter and race car driver (born 1925)

Haim Laskov, Israel Defense Forces fifth Chief of Staff (born 1919)

John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1940)

Golda Meir, Ukrainian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Israel (born 1898)

Gary Thain, New Zealand bass player (born 1948)

Ernst Krenkel, Russian geographer and explorer (born 1903)

Eleni Ourani, Greek poet and critic (born 1896)

Ward Morehouse, American playwright, author, and critic (born 1899)

Sarit Thanarat, Thai field marshal and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Thailand (born 1908)

Tris Speaker, American baseball player and manager (born 1888)

Claude Cahun, French artist, photographer, and writer (born 1894)

Gladys George, American actress (born 1904)

Joseph B. Keenan, American lawyer and politician (born 1888)

Charles Lightoller, English sailor (born 1874)

Tex O'Reilly, American mercenary (born 1880)

Albert Kahn, American architect, Fisher Building, Packard Automotive Plant, Ford River Rouge Complex (born 1869)

Izidor Kürschner, Hungarian football player and coach (born 1885)

George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (born 1861)

Friedrich Glauser, Swiss author (born 1896)

Hans Molisch, Czech-Austrian botanist and academic (born 1856)

Gertrude Jekyll, British horticulturist and writer (born 1843)

José Vicente Concha, Colombian politician and 8th President of Colombia (born 1867)

Joe McKelvey and three other prominent Irish Republican Army officers are executed during the Irish Civil War

J. Alden Weir, American painter (born 1852)

Josip Stadler, Bosnian Catholic archbishop (born 1843)

Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (born 1836)

Melchior Anderegg, Swiss mountain guide (born 1828)

Maximilian von Spee, Danish-German admiral (born 1861)

Camille Jenatzy, Belgian race car driver (born 1868)

King Oscar II of Sweden (born 1829)

Herbert Spencer, English biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and philosopher (born 1820)

Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician and theorist (born 1821)

Isaac Lea, American conchologist, geologist, and publisher (born 1792)

William Henry Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1821)

Narcisa de Jesús, Ecuadorian saint (born 1832)

George Boole, English mathematician and philosopher (born 1815)

Thomas De Quincey, English journalist and author (born 1785)

Theobald Mathew, Irish social reformer and temperance movement leader (born 1790)

Benjamin Constant, Swiss-French philosopher and author (born 1767)

Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, Methodist preacher and philanthropist (born 1739)

Nathan Alcock, English physician (born 1707)

Jean Denis Attiret, French painter and missionary (born 1702)

William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, English politician and diplomat, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (born 1690)

Charles Radclyffe, English courtier and soldier (born 1693)

Étienne Fourmont, French orientalist and academic (born 1683)

Marie Anne de Mailly, French mistress of Louis XV of France (born 1717)

James Figg, English prizefighter

Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (born 1652)

Thomas Corneille, French playwright and philologist (born 1625)

Barthélemy d'Herbelot, French orientalist and academic (born 1625)

Richard Baxter, English minister, poet, and hymn-writer (born 1615)

Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, English lawyer and politician (born 1606)

Noël Chabanel, French missionary and saint (born 1613)

John Pym, English politician (born 1583)

Ivan Gundulić, Croatian poet (born 1589)

Philippe van Lansberge, Dutch astronomer and mathematician (born 1561)

John Davies, English poet, lawyer, and politician (born 1569)

Luis de Carvajal the Younger, Marrano writer and martyr (born c. 1566/1567)

Gian Giorgio Trissino, Italian humanist, poet, dramatist and diplomat (born 1478)

Hedwig Jagiellon, Polish and Lithuanian princess (born 1408)

Nicholas II, Duke of Opava (born 1288)

John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury

Berthold IV, Duke of Zähringen (bornc 1125)

Zhou the Elder, Chinese queen consort

Arnulf of Carinthia (born 850)

Drogo of Metz, illegitimate son of Charlemagne (born 801)

Battle Day (Falkland Islands)

Bodhi Day (Japan)

CARICOM–Cuba Day (Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba)

Christian feast day: Budoc (Beuzec) of Dol

Christian feast day: Clement of Ohrid (Julian Calendar), and its related observances: Student's Day (Bulgaria)

Christian feast day: Eucharius

Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican Communion), lesser commemoration

Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Festa da Conceição da Praia, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean in Umbanda (Salvador, Bahia)

Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Festival of Lights (Lyon)

Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Mother's Day (Panama)

Christian feast day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances: Lady of Camarin Day (Guam)

Christian feast day: Patapios of Thebes

Christian feast day: Pope Eutychian

Christian feast day: Richard Baxter (US Episcopal Church)

Christian feast day: Romaric

Christian feast day: December 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Constitution Day (Romania)

Constitution Day (Uzbekistan)

Day of Finnish Music (Finland)

Earliest day on which National Tree Planting Day can fall, while December 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in December. (Malawi)

Hari-Kuyō (Kansai region, Japan)

National Youth Day (Albania)

Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day (Ethiopia)