December 21

December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 10 days remaining until the end of the year.

In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21st is usually the shortest day of the year and is sometimes regarded as the first day of winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, December 21st is usually the longest day of the year and occurs during the southern summer.

Events

• 69 – The Roman Senate declares Vespasian as Roman emperor, the last in the Year of the Four Emperors.
• 1124 – Pope Honorius II is elected.
• 1140 – Conrad III of Germany besieged Weinsberg.
• 1237 – The city of Ryazan is sacked by the Mongol army of Batu Khan.
• 1361 – The Battle of Linuesa is fought in the context of the Spanish Reconquista between the forces of the Emirate of Granada and the combined army of the Kingdom of Castile and of Jaén resulting in a Castilian victory.
• 1598 – Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche, led by cacique Pelentaru, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile.
• 1620 – Plymouth Colony: William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
• 1826 – American settlers in Nacogdoches, Mexican Texas, declare their independence, starting the Fredonian Rebellion.
• 1832 – Egyptian–Ottoman War: Egyptian forces decisively defeat Ottoman troops at the Battle of Konya.
• 1844 – The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers commences business at its cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement.
• 1861 – Medal of Honor: Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor, is signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln.
• Portsmouth, England.
• 1879 – World première of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• 1883 – The Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Royal Canadian Regiment, the first Permanent Force cavalry and infantry regiments of the Canadian Army, are formed: .
• 1907 – The Chilean Army commits a massacre of at least 2,000 striking saltpeter miners in Iquique, Chile.
• 1910 – An underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, kills 344 miners.
• 1913 – Arthur Wynne's "word-cross", the first crossword puzzle, is published in the New York World.
• 1919 – American anarchist Emma Goldman is deported to Russia.
• 1923 – United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, called the Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923, which superseded the Treaty of Sugauli signed in 1816.
• 1936 – First flight of the Junkers Ju 88 multi-role combat aircraft.
• 1937 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the world's first full-length animated feature, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre.
• 1941 – World War II: A formal treaty of alliance between Thailand and Japan is signed in the presence of the Emerald Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand.
• 1946 – An 8.1 M_w earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Nankaidō, Japan, kills over 1,300 people and destroys over 38,000 homes.
• 1951 – Libya becomes an independent country.
• 1962 – Rondane National Park is established as Norway's first national park.
• 1963 – The episode of intercommunal violence called "Bloody Christmas" begins in Cyprus, ultimately resulting in the displacement of 25,000-30,000 Turkish Cypriots and destruction of more than 100 villages.
• 1967 – Louis Washkansky, the first man to undergo a heart transplant, dies in Cape Town, South Africa, having lived for 18 days after the transplant.
• 1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 is launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans.
• 1969 – The United Nations adopts the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
• 1973 – The Geneva Conference on the Arab–Israeli conflict opens.
• 1979 – Lancaster House Agreement: An independence agreement for Rhodesia is signed in London by Lord Peter Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Bishop Abel Muzorewa and S.C. Mundawarara.
• 1988 – A bomb explodes on board Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, killing 270.
• 1992 – A Dutch DC-10, flight Martinair MP 495, crashes at Faro Airport, killing 56.
• 1994 – Mexican volcano Popocatépetl, dormant for 47 years, erupts gases and ash.
• 1995 – The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
• 1999 – The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid, Spain.
• 2004 – Iraq War: A suicide bomber killed 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers.

Births

• 1118 – Thomas Becket, English archbishop and saint (d. 1170)
• 1401 – Masaccio, Italian painter (d. 1428)
• 1596 – Peter Mogila, Romanian-Ukrainian metropolitan (d. 1646)
• 1603 – Roger Williams, English-American minister, theologian, and politician, 9th President of the Colony of Rhode Island (d. 1684)
• 1672 – Benjamin Schmolck, German pastor and composer (d. 1737)
• 1714 – John Bradstreet, Canadian-English general (d. 1774)
• 1728 – Hermann Raupach, German harpsichord player and composer (d. 1778)
• 1778 – Anders Sandøe Ørsted, Danish jurist and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Denmark (d. 1860)
• 1795 – John Russell, English hunter and dog breeder (d. 1883)
• 1795 – Leopold von Ranke, German historian, author, and academic (d. 1886)
• 1803 – Achille Vianelli, Italian painter (d. 1894)
• 1804 – Benjamin Disraeli, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1881)
• 1805 – Thomas Graham, Scottish chemist and academic (d. 1869)
• 1811 – Archibald Tait, Scottish-English archbishop (d. 1882)
• 1815 – Thomas Couture, French painter and educator (d. 1879)
• 1818 – Amalia of Oldenburg (d. 1875)
• 1820 – William H. Osborn, American businessman (d. 1894)
• 1830 – Bartolomé Masó, Cuban soldier and politician (d. 1907)
• 1832 – John H. Ketcham, American general and politician (d. 1906)
• 1840 – Namık Kemal, Turkish journalist, playwright, and activist (d. 1888)
• 1843 – Thomas Bracken, Irish-New Zealand journalist, poet, and politician (d. 1898)
• 1850 – Zdeněk Fibich, Czech composer and poet (d. 1900)
• 1850 – William Wallace Lincoln, American son of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1862)
• 1851 – Thomas Chipman McRae, American lawyer and politician, 26th Governor of Arkansas (d. 1929)
• 1859 – Gustave Kahn, French poet and critic (d. 1936)
• 1866 – Maud Gonne, English-Irish actress and activist (d. 1953)
• George W. Fuller, American engineer (d. 1934)
• 1872 – Sidney Ainsworth, English-American actor (d. 1922)
• 1872 – Lorenzo Perosi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1956)
• 1872 – Albert Payson Terhune, American journalist and author (d. 1942)
• 1872 – Trevor Kincaid, American scientist (d. 1970)
• 1873 – Blagoje Bersa, Croatian composer and educator (d. 1934)
• 1876 – Jack Lang, Australian politician, 23rd Premier of New South Wales (d. 1975)
• 1877 – Jaan Sarv, Estonian mathematician and scholar (d. 1954)
• 1878 – Jan Łukasiewicz, Polish-Irish mathematician and philosopher (d. 1956)
• 1885 – Frank Patrick, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1960)
• 1888 – Jean Bouin, French runner and rugby player (d. 1914)
• 1889 – Sewall Wright, American geneticist and biologist (d. 1988)
• 1890 – Hermann Joseph Muller, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1967)
• 1891 – John William McCormack, American lawyer and politician, 53rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1980)
• 1892 – Amy Clarke, English poet, author, and academic (d. 1980)
• 1892 – Walter Hagen, American golfer (d. 1969)
• 1892 – Rebecca West, English journalist and author (d. 1983)
• 1896 – Leroy Robertson, American composer and educator (d. 1971)
• 1903 – Maria Balcerkiewiczówna, Polish-English actress (d. 1975)
• 1905 – Anthony Powell, English author (d. 2000)
• 1908 – Herbert Hutner, American banker and lawyer (d. 2008)
• 1909 – Seichō Matsumoto, Japanese journalist and author (d. 1992)
• 1911 – Josh Gibson, American baseball player (d. 1947)
• 1913 – Arnold Friberg, American illustrator and painter (d. 2010)
• 1914 – Frank Fenner, Australian microbiologist and virologist (d. 2010)
• 1914 – Ivan Generalić, Hungarian-Croatian painter (d. 1992)
• 1915 – Joe Mantell, American actor (d. 2010)
• 1915 – Werner von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (d. 2007)
• 1917 – Diana Athill, English author
• 1917 – Heinrich Böll, German soldier and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
• 1918 – Donald Regan, American colonel and politician, 11th White House Chief of Staff (d. 2003)
• 1918 – Kurt Waldheim, Austrian colonel and politician, 9th President of Austria (d. 2007)
• 1920 – Bob Bindig, American illustrator and historian (d. 2007)
• 1920 – Jean Gascon, Canadian actor and director (d. 1988)
• 1921 – Alicia Alonso, Cuban ballerina and choreographer, founded the Cuban National Ballet
• 1921 – Robert Lipshutz, American lawyer and politician, 17th White House Counsel (d. 2010)
• 1922 – Itubwa Amram, Nauruan pastor and politician (d. 1989)
• 1922 – Paul Winchell, American ventriloquist and voice actor (d. 2005)
• 1923 – Richard Hugo, American poet and educator (d. 1982)
• 1924 – Rita Reys, Dutch singer (d. 2013)
• 1925 – Olga Aroseva, Russian actress (d. 2013)
• 1926 – Arnošt Lustig, Czech author and playwright (d. 2011)
• 1926 – Joe Paterno, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
• 1928 – Michalis Kounelis, Greek violinist (d. 1999)
• 1928 – Ed Nelson, American actor (d. 2014)
• 1931 – David Baker, American composer and educator
• 1932 – U. R. Ananthamurthy, Indian author, poet, and critic (d. 2014)
• 1932 – Edward Hoagland, American author and critic
• 1933 – Denis E. Dillon, American jurist and politician (d. 2010)
• 1933 – Robert Worcester, American businessman, founder of MORI
• 1934 – Giuseppina Leone, Italian sprinter
• 1935 – John G. Avildsen, American director, producer, and cinematographer
• 1935 – Lorenzo Bandini, Italian race car driver (d. 1967)
• 1935 – Yusuf Bey, American activist (d. 2003)
• 1935 – Phil Donahue, American talk show host and producer
• 1935 – Edward Schreyer, Canadian academic and politician, 22nd Governor General of Canada
• 1937 – Jane Fonda, American actress, producer, and activist
• 1937 – Donald F. Munson, American politician
• 1938 – Larry Bryggman, American actor
• 1938 – Frank Moorhouse, Australian journalist, author, and screenwriter
• 1938 – John Quayle, English actor
• 1939 – Lloyd Axworthy, Canadian academic and politician, 2nd Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1939 – Wafic Saïd, Syrian-Monacan businessman and philanthropist
• 1940 – Arvi Lind, Finnish journalist
• 1940 – Ray Hildebrand, American singer-songwriter (Paul & Paula)
• 1940 – Frank Zappa, American contemporary composer, guitarist, and record producer (The Mothers of Invention) (d. 1993)
• 1942 – Hu Jintao, Chinese engineer and politician, 6th President of China
• 1942 – Reinhard Mey, German singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1942 – Anthony Summers, Irish journalist and author
• 1942 – Carla Thomas, American singer
• 1943 – André Arthur, Canadian journalist and politician
• 1943 – Lena Bergman, Swedish actress
• 1943 – Albert Lee, English guitarist and songwriter (Heads Hands & Feet and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings)
• 1943 – Jack Nance, American actor (d. 1996)
• 1943 – Walter Spanghero, French rugby player
• 1944 – Bill Atkinson, English footballer and referee (d. 2013)
• 1944 – Michael Tilson Thomas, American pianist, composer, and conductor
• 1944 – Zheng Xiaoyu, Chinese diplomat (d. 2007)
• 1946 – Roy Karch, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1946 – Christopher Keene, American conductor (d. 1995)
• 1946 – Kevin Peek, Australian guitarist and songwriter (Sky) (d. 2013)
• 1946 – Carl Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Beach Boys) (d. 1998)
• 1947 – Paco de Lucía, Spanish guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Paco de Lucía Sextet) (d. 2014)
• 1947 – Bryan Hamilton, Irish footballer and manager
• 1948 – Samuel L. Jackson, American actor and producer
• 1948 – Dave Kingman, American baseball player
• 1948 – Willi Resetarits, Austrian singer-songwriter, actor, and activist
• 1949 – Nicholas Penny, English historian and academic
• 1949 – Thomas Sankara, Burkinabé captain and politician, 5th President of Burkina Faso (d. 1987)
• 1949 – Nikolaos Sifounakis, Greek politician
• 1950 – Jeffrey Katzenberg, American screenwriter and producer, co-founded DreamWorks Animation
• 1950 – Lillebjørn Nilsen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist (Gitarkameratene)
• 1950 – David Thacker, English director and screenwriter
• 1951 – Nick Gilder, English-Canadian singer-songwriter (Sweeney Todd)
• 1951 – Steve Perryman, English footballer and manager
• 1952 – Joaquín Andújar, Dominican baseball player (d. 2015)
• 1953 – András Schiff, Hungarian-English pianist and conductor
• 1953 – Betty Wright, American singer-songwriter
• 1954 – Chris Evert, American tennis player and coach
• 1954 – Tsurutaro Kataoka, Japanese boxer, television personality, actor, and artist
• 1955 – Jane Kaczmarek, American actress
• 1955 – Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, Japanese singer-songwriter and bass player (Southern All Stars)
• 1956 – Dave Laut, American shot putter (d. 2009)
• 1957 – Tom Henke, American baseball player
• 1957 – Rolf Kanies, German actor
• 1957 – Ray Romano, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1958 – Tamara Bykova, Russian high jumper
• 1959 – Florence Griffith Joyner, American sprinter and actress (d. 1998)
• 1960 – Roger McDowell, American baseball player and coach
• 1960 – Sherry Rehman, Pakistani journalist, politician, and diplomat, 25th Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
• 1960 – Tim Rucks, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
• 1960 – Andy Van Slyke, American baseball player and coach
• 1961 – Henry Ford Kamel, Ghanaian banker and politician (d. 2012)
• 1961 – Francis Ng, Hong Kong actor and director
• 1961 – The Patriot, American wrestler
• 1961 – Rein Raud, Estonian scholar and author
• 1961 – Ryuji Sasai, Japanese bass player and composer
• 1963 – Govinda, Indian actor, singer, and politician
• 1964 – Rob Kelly, English footballer and manager
• 1964 – Joe Kocur, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1964 – Kunihiko Ikuhara, Japanese director
• 1964 – Daniel Suarez, American author
• 1964 – Fabiana Udenio, Argentinian-Italian actress
• 1965 – Andy Dick, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1965 – Anke Engelke, Canadian-German actress, director, and screenwriter
• 1965 – Stuart Mitchell, Scottish pianist and composer
• 1965 – Masahiro Motoki. Japanese actor
• 1966 – Martin Bayfield, English rugby player, actor, and stuntman
• 1966 – Adam Schefter, American journalist and sportscaster
• 1966 – Kiefer Sutherland, English-Canadian actor, director, and producer
• 1966 – Karri Turner, American actress
• 1967 – Ervin Johnson, American basketball player
• 1967 – Fritz Karl, Austrian actor
• 1967 – Terry Mills, American basketball player and coach
• 1967 – President of Georgia
• 1969 – Julie Delpy, French-American model, actress, director, and screenwriter
• 1969 – Jack Noseworthy, American actor
• 1969 – Mihails Zemļinskis, Latvian footballer, coach, and manager
• 1971 – Matthieu Chedid, French singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1971 – Margarita Drobiazko, Lithuanian ice dancer
• 1971 – Fenton Keogh, Australian chef
• 1971 – Brett Scallions, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Fuel, Manzarek–Krieger, and Circus Diablo)
• 1971 – Jamie Theakston, English actor and television host
• 1972 – Gloria De Piero, English journalist and politician
• 1972 – LaTroy Hawkins, American baseball player
• 1972 – Dustin Hermanson, American baseball player
• 1972 – Claudia Poll, Nicaraguan-Costa Rican swimmer
• 1972 – Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, Indian journalist and politician
• 1972 – Erwin Schrott, Uruguayan opera singer
• Georgian Minister of Defense
• 1973 – Mike Alstott, American football player
• 1973 – Karmen Stavec, German-Slovenian singer
• 1974 – Karrie Webb, Australian golfer
• 1975 – Paloma Herrera, Argentinian ballerina
• 1976 – Mirela Maniani, Albanian-Greek javelin thrower
• 1976 – Lukas Rossi, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (Rock Star Supernova and Daylight Division)
• 1977 – A. J. Bowen, American actor and producer
• 1977 – Toby Rand, Australian singer-songwriter (Juke Kartel)
• 1978 – Emiliano Brembilla, Italian swimmer
• 1978 – Mike Vitar, American actor
• 1979 – Steve Montador, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2015)
• 1979 – Tuva Novotny, Swedish actress, singer, and director
• 1979 – Kristjan Sarv, Estonian actor
• 1980 – Michele Di Piedi, Italian footballer
• 1980 – Royce Ring, American baseball player
• 1981 – Frankie Abernathy, American purse designer, cast member on The Real World: San Diego (d. 2007)
• 1981 – Mohammed Jabarah, Kuwaiti terrorist
• 1981 – Sajid Mahmood, English cricketer
• 1981 – Sanita Pušpure, Latvian-Irish rower
• 1981 – Lynda Thomas, Mexican singer-songwriter and producer
• 1981 – Cristian Zaccardo, Italian footballer
• 1982 – Primo, Puerto Rican and Canadian wrestler
• 1982 – Mike Gansey, American basketball player
• 1982 – Philip Humber, American baseball player
• 1982 – Iljo Keisse, Belgian cyclist
• 1982 – Tom Payne, English actor
• 1983 – Steven Yeun, South Korean-American actor
• 1984 – Andrea Jeremiah, Indian actress and singer
• 1984 – Sarah Mutch, Canadian model and actress
• 1984 – Darren Potter, Irish footballer
• 1985 – James Stewart, Jr., American motorcycle racer
• 1985 – Tom Sturridge, English actor
• 1985 – Kotaro Yanagi, Japanese actor
• 1986 – Davey Browne, Australian boxer (d. 2015)
• 1986 – Rachel Shenton, English actress
• 1987 – Denis Alekseyev, Russian sprinter
• 1987 – Ryza Cenon, Filipino actress and dancer
• 1987 – Valerie Concepcion, Filipino actress
• 1987 – Brad Howard, Australian footballer
• 1987 – Michael Lohan Jr., American actor
• 1988 – Yasmin, English-Scottish singer-songwriter and DJ
• 1988 – Alexa Goddard, English singer
• 1988 – Perri Shakes-Drayton, English sprinter and hurdler
• 1989 – Tamannaah, Indian model and actress
• 1989 – Mark Ingram, Jr., American football player
• 1990 – Ioannis Fetfatzidis, Greek footballer
• 1994 – Eva Paalma, Estonian tennis player

Deaths

• 72 – Thomas the Apostle, Israeli martyr and saint (b. 1 AD)
• 882 – Hincmar, French archbishop (b. 806)
• 1308 – Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse (b. 1244)
• 1375 – Giovanni Boccaccio, Italian author and poet (b. 1313)
• 1504 – Berthold von Henneberg, German archbishop (b. 1442)
• 1549 – Marguerite de Navarre, French wife of Henry II of Navarre (b. 1492)
• 1597 – Peter Canisius, Dutch priest and saint (b. 1521)
• 1807 – John Newton, English soldier and minister (b. 1725)
• 1824 – James Parkinson, English physician and paleontologist (b. 1755)
• 1869 – Friedrich Ernst Scheller, German jurist and politician (b. 1791)
• 1873 – Francis Garnier, French admiral and explorer (b. 1839)
• 1889 – Friedrich August von Quenstedt, German geologist and palaeontologist (b. 1809)
• 1900 – Roger Wolcott, American lawyer and politician, 39th Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1847)
• 1907 – Klara Hitler, Austrian mother of Adolf Hitler (b. 1860)
• 1920 – Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, Somalian general, founded the Dervish state (b. 1856)
• 1933 – Knud Rasmussen, Greenlandic anthropologist and explorer (b. 1879)
• 1935 – Ted Birnie, English footballer and manager (b. 1878)
• 1935 – Kurt Tucholsky, German-Swedish journalist and author (b. 1890)
• 1937 – Frank B. Kellogg, American lawyer and politician, 45th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1856)
• 1940 – F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1896)
• 1941 – David Howard, American film director (b. 1896)
• George S. Patton, American general (b. 1885)
• 1952 – Kenneth Edwards, American golfer (b. 1886)
• 1953 – Kaarlo Koskelo, Finnish-American wrestler (b. 1888)
• 1957 – Eric Coates, English-American viola player and composer (b. 1886)
• 1958 – Lion Feuchtwanger, German-American author and playwright (b. 1884)
• 1959 – Rosanjin, Japanese calligrapher, engraver, and painter (b. 1883)
• 1962 – Gary Hocking, Welsh-Rhodesian motorcycle racer (b. 1937)
• 1963 – Jack Hobbs, English cricketer and journalist (b. 1882)
• 1964 – Carl Van Vechten, American author and photographer (b. 1880)
• 1965 – Claude Champagne, Canadian violinist, pianist, and composer (b. 1891)
• 1967 – Stuart Erwin, American actor (b. 1903)
• 1968 – Vittorio Pozzo, Italian footballer, coach, and manager (b. 1886)
• 1971 – Charles C. Banks, English fighting pilot (b. 1893)
• 1974 – James Henry Govier, English painter and illustrator (b. 1910)
• 1974 – Richard Long, American actor and director (b. 1927)
• 1976 – Karin Ekelund, Swedish actress (b. 1913)
• 1982 – Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jullundhri, Pakistani poet and composer (b. 1900)
• 1982 – Ants Oras, Estonian-American author and academic (b. 1900)
• 1983 – Paul de Man, Belgian-American philosopher, critic, and academic (b. 1919)
• 1986 – Bill Simpson, Scottish actor (b. 1931)
• 1987 – John Spence, American singer (No Doubt) (b. 1969)
• 1988 – Paul Jeffreys, English bass player (Be-Bop Deluxe) (b. 1952)
• 1988 – Nikolaas Tinbergen, Dutch-English ethologist and ornithologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
• 1989 – Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Nigerian-English photographer, co-founded Autograph ABP (b. 1955)
• 1990 – Clarence Johnson, American engineer, designed the Lockheed U-2 and Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (b. 1910)
• 1991 – Sheldon Mayer, American author and illustrator (b. 1917)
• 1992 – Stella Adler, American actress and educator (b. 1901)
• 1992 – Albert King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1924)
• 1992 – Nathan Milstein, Russian-American violinist and composer (b. 1903)
• 1995 – Charlie Tumahai, New Zealand singer-songwriter and bass player (Be-Bop Deluxe, Mississippi, and Herbs) (b. 1949)
• 1997 – Amie Comeaux, American singer and actress (b. 1976)
• 1998 – Roger Avon, English actor (b. 1914)
• 1998 – Karl Denver, Scottish-English singer (b. 1931)
• 1998 – Ernst-Günther Schenck, German colonel and physician (b. 1904)
• 2001 – Dick Schaap, American journalist and author (b. 1934)
• 2003 – Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (b. 1924)
• 2004 – Autar Singh Paintal, Indian physiologist and neurologist (b. 1925)
• 2005 – Elrod Hendricks, American baseball player and coach (b. 1940)
• 2006 – Scobie Breasley, Australian jockey and trainer (b. 1914)
• 2006 – Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmen engineer and politician, 1st President of Turkmenistan (b. 1940)
• 2007 – Ken Hendricks, American businessman, founded ABC Supply (b. 1941)
• 2009 – Edwin G. Krebs, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
• 2009 – Christos Lambrakis, Greek journalist and businessman (b. 1934)
• 2010 – Enzo Bearzot, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1927)
• 2012 – Vivian Anderson, American baseball player (b. 1921)
• 2012 – Boyd Bartley, American baseball player (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Lee Dorman, American bass player (Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond) (b. 1942)
• 2012 – David Lomon, English soldier (b. 1918)
• 2012 – Daphne Oxenford, English actress (b. 1919)
• 2013 – Eli Beeding, American captain and pilot (b. 1928)
• 2013 – Edgar Bronfman, Sr., Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1929)
• 2013 – David Coleman, English sportscaster and game show host (b. 1926)
• 2013 – John Eisenhower, American historian, general, and diplomat, 45th United States Ambassador to Belgium (b. 1922)
• 2013 – Richard Hart, Jamaican-English historian, lawyer, and politician (b. 1917)
• 2013 – Rodolfo P. Hernández, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1931)
• 2014 – Jane Bown, English photographer (b. 1925)
• 2014 – Horacio Ferrer, Uruguayan poet and composer (b. 1922)
• 2014 – Udo Jürgens, Austrian-Swiss singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1934)
• 2014 – Sitor Situmorang, Indonesian poet and author (b. 1923)
• 2014 – Frank Truitt, American basketball player and coach (b. 1925)
• 2014 – Billie Whitelaw, English actress (b. 1932)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • O Oriens
  • Petrus Canisius
  • Thomas the Apostle (Anglicanism)
  • December 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Divalia, in honour of Angerona (Roman Empire)
• Earliest date for the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, and its related observances:
  • Earliest date for Yule in the Northern Hemisphere, and Midsummer in the Southern Hemisphere. (Neopagan Wheel of the Year)
  • Sanghamitta Day (Theravada Buddhism)
  • Ziemassvētki (ancient Latvia)
• Forefathers' Day (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
• São Tomé Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)
• The first day of Pancha Ganapati, celebrated until December 25 (Saiva Siddhanta Church)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• : On This DayThe New York Times
• On This Day in Canada