Historical Events
Martial Law
Dec 3 South Korean president PresidentYoon Suk Yeol declares martial law for the first time in 50 years, prompting an emergency vote against it by the National Assembly[1]
- Dec 4 French government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier is toppled by a no confidence vote for the first time since 1962[1]
- Dec 4 United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson is shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan, New York, in a targeted attack
- Dec 5 Mathematicians solve a 122 year-old puzzle known as “Dudeney’s dissection” - how to dissect an equilateral triangle into a square, using the smallest amount of pieces[1]
- Dec 7 Ghana's presidential election won by former president John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, defeating Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party[1]
- Dec 7 Restored Notre Dame Cathedral re-opens after the 2019 fire with a VIP ceremony attended by world leaders in Paris, France[1][2]
Battlefield Losses
Dec 8 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the country's war with Russia, with 370,000 injured, according to PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky[1]
The Eras Tour Finale
Dec 8 American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift concludes "The Eras Tour" with her 149th show, at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada; the 21 month international concert tour is the highest-grossing of all time, with box office gross just over $2 billion[1]
- Dec 8 Classic Baseball Era Committee of National Baseball Hall elects Philadelphia Phillies/Chicago White Sox Dick Allen and Pittsburgh Pirates/Oakland Athletics Dave Parker for inclusion
F1 World Champion
Dec 8 Dutch driverMax Verstappen finishes 6th in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP to claim his 4th consecutive World F1 title; Lando Norris wins the race as McLaren takes Constructors C'ship for first time in 26 years
Tammy Faye
Dec 8Elton John and Jake Shears' musical "Tammy Faye", based on the life of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, closes at the Palace Theatre, NYC after 29 performances
Kennedy Center Honors
Dec 8 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony held for filmmakerFrancis Ford Coppola, jazz musician Arturo Sandoval, singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, rock band The Grateful Dead, and Harlem's Apollo Theater, in Washington D.C.
Assad Flees to Moscow
Dec 8 Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad resigns and flees to Moscow after rebel forces sweep into the capital city of Damascus[1]
- Dec 9 Google unveils a new quantum computer, capable of performing a mathematical calculation in 5 minutes, that the most powerful supercomputers could not complete in 10 septillion years[1]
- Dec 9 Luigi Mangione (26) is arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania fast food restaurant after a five-day manhunt, and charged with murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in NYC
- Dec 9 NFL Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley sets new franchise season record for yards rushing, 1,623 yards with four games still to play
- Dec 12 A suspected Chinese spy, with links to Prince Andrew, is banned from the UK by a government tribunal[1]
Coach Belichick
Dec 12 Six-time Super Bowl winning coachBill Belichick is introduced as next head coach at the University of North Carolina
All My Love
Dec 13 British rock bandColdplay release a music video for their song "All My Love" featuring American entertainerDick Van Dyke, on his 99th birthday
- Dec 13 US Center for Disease Control confirms the first severe case of a person with bird flu in Louisiana, out of more than 60 in 2024[1]
- Dec 14 90th Heisman Trophy Award: Travis Hunter, University of Colorado (WR/CB)
- Dec 14 Cyclone Chido makes a direct hit on the French island territory of Mayotte off the coast of east Africa before striking northern Mozambique[1]
- Dec 14 South Korean PresidentYoon Suk Yeol is impeached by a vote in the National Assembly after his failed attempt to impose martial law[1]
- Dec 15 Five members of the "Bali Nine", arresting for smuggling drugs out of Indonesia in 2005, return to Australia after serving nearly 20 years in prison[1]
- Dec 15 More than 50 people are killed in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes as the death toll for Palestinians killed in the Israel-Gaza War surpasses 45,000[1]
Scholz Loses Confidence Vote
Dec 16 German ChancellorOlaf Scholz, at the head of a minority government, loses a no-confidence vote in parliament, making way for early elections[1]
- Dec 16 New research indicates 37 Bronze-Age Britons were butchered and cannibalized and their remains thrown down a shaft in Charterhouse Warren in England[1]
- Dec 16 Rare school shooting in Wisconsin leaves 1 teacher and one student dead with others injured - rare case of a female carrying out a mass shooting[1]
- Dec 17 7.3 magnitude earthquakes strikes close to Port Vila, capital of Vanuatu, causing significant damage[1]
Foiled Assassination Attempts
Dec 17Pope Francis says two assassination attempts on him were foiled by British intelligence and Iraqi police, during his visit to Mosul, Iraq, in 2021[1]
- Dec 17 Russian general Igor Kirillov, head of the country's chemical weapons, is assassinated by a bomb in an electric scooter in Moscow. Ukraine takes responsibility.[1]
- Dec 19 France's largest-ever rape trial ends with Dominique Pelicot found guilty of all charges and sentenced to 20 years for drugging and raping his wife Gisèle Pelicot, and inviting at least 50 other men to do so[1]
Got Back Tour Finale
Dec 19Paul McCartney wraps up his 'Got Back' tour at London's O2 Arena, with guest appearances from Ron Wood during "Get Back", andRingo Starr drumming on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Helter Skelter"
- Dec 20 A 50-year old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia drives his car through an outdoor Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing at least five people
- Dec 24 NASA's Parker Solar probe makes a record-breaking approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the star[1]
- Dec 24Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, inaugurating the church's Jubilee Year of Hope[1]
- Dec 25 Azerbaijani airliner crashes near Kazakhstani city of Aktau, killing 38 people, mistakenly shot down by Russian air defences[1]
Jackson Breaks Rushing Record
Dec 25 Baltimore RavensLamar Jackson breaks NFL career rushing record for quarterbacks in 31-2 win over the Texans in Houston; he runs for 87 yards, pushing his career rushing total to 6,110
WHO Chief Escapes Death
Dec 26 Israel airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen narrowly misses WHO director-generalTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Sanaa[1]
- Dec 29 South Korean Jeju Air plane crashes and explodes, trying to land without landing gear at Muan International Airport, killing 179 out of 181 on board[1]
- Dec 31 Trinidad and Tobago declare a state of emergency over gang violence, which has resulted in one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America[1]
Famous Weddings
Famous Deaths
- Dec 1 Ian Redpath, Australian cricket batsman (66 Tests, 8 x 100, HS 171; Victoria), dies at 83
- Dec 1 Terry Griffiths, Welsh snooker player (World pro champion 1979; World amateur champion 1975), dies at 77
- Dec 2 Don Ohl, American basketball guard (5 x NBA All-Star 1963–67; Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets), dies at 88
- Dec 2 Hal Lindsey, American evangelist and Christian Zionist writer (The Late Great Planet Earth), dies at 95[1]
- Dec 2 Israel Vázquez, Mexican boxer (WBC, IBF, Lineal Super bantamweight champion 2004-09), dies from sarcoma at 46
- Dec 2 Lucjan Brychczy, Polish soccer striker (58 caps; Legia Warsaw 368 games), dies at 90
- Dec 2 Marlos Nobre, Brazilian classical pianist and composer (Desafio; Kabbalah for Orchestra), dies at 85
- Dec 2Neale Fraser, Australiantennis player (3 x Grand Slam singles, 11 x doubles winner) and coach (Australian Davis Cup team x 4 winner), dies at 91
- Dec 3 Ecaterina Oancia, Romanian rowing cox (Olympic gold quad sculls 1984; World C'ship gold Eight, Coxed four 1987; Eight 1989), dies at 70
- Dec 5 Bill Melton, American baseball third baseman. 1968-77 (MLB All-Star & AL home run leader, 1971; Chicago White Sox, and 2 other teams) and broadcaster,1998-2020 (NBC, Comcast, Chicago White Sox), dies at 79
- Dec 5 John Williams, South African rugby union lock (13 Tests; Northern Transvaal RFU), dies from leukaemia at 78
- Dec 5 Jón Nordal, Icelandic composer (Choralis; Brotaspil), and educator (Reykjavík School of Music,1959-92), dies at 98[1]
- Dec 6 Angela Alvarez (née Portilla), Cuban-American Latin jazz singer-songwriter who won a Latin Grammy Award at 95, dies at 97[1]
- Dec 6 Miho Nakayama, Japanese pop singer, lyricist ("C"; "Waku Waku Sasete", "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..."), and actress (Maido Osawagase Shimasu; Love Letter), dies at 54
- Dec 6 Vitaliy Dyrdyra, Ukrainian sailor (Olympic gold USSR Tempest Class 1972), dies at 86
- Dec 8 Elizabeth Bainbridge, British opera singer (Covent garden, 1964-92), dies at 94
- Dec 8 Nikos Sarganis, Greek soccer goalkeeper (58 caps; Olympiacos 144 games, Panathinaikos), dies at 70
- Dec 9 (Yolande) "Nikki" Giovanni, American poet (Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea), writer, civil rights activist, and educator (Virginia Tech, 1987-2022), dies of cancer at 81[1]
- Dec 10 Michael Cole, American actor (The Mod Squad - "Pete"), dies at 84[1]
Rocky Colavito(1933-2024)
Dec 10 Americanbaseball outfielder (MLB All-Star x 9; AL HR leader 1959, AL RBI leader 1965 Cleveland Indians), dies at 91
- Dec 10 The Amazing Kreskin [George Kresge], American mentalist, dies from complications of dementia at 89
- Dec 11 Syd Hynes, English rugby league centre (13 Tests GB, 4 England; Leeds 366 games) and coach (Leeds 1975-81), dies at 80
- Dec 12 Duncan Norvelle, British stand-up comedian and comic actor known for his catchphrase "Chase me!", dies from a chest infection and sepsis at 66
- Dec 12 Jim Tunney, American football official (Super Bowl VI, XI, XII; record 29 post-season assignments), dies at 95
- Dec 12 Martial Solal, French jazz pianist and composer, dies at 97[1]
- Dec 13 Diane Delano, American actress (Northern Exposure - "Sgt. Semanski; The Wicker Man; Popular), dies of cancer at 67
- Dec 14 Zakir Hussain, Punjabi tabla virtuoso, Grammy Award-winning classical Hindustani and world music composer, producer (Shakti: Global Drum Project), and film actor, dies of pulmonary fibrosis at 73[1][2]
- Dec 16 Anita Bryant, American singer ("My Little Corner of the World"), Florida orange juice spokeswoman, and anti-homosexuality campaigner, dies at 84[1]
- Dec 16 Dick Van Arsdale, American basketball guard (NBA All Star 1969 -71; New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns), dies at 81
- Dec 17 Alfa Anderson, American R&B vocalist (Chic - "Le Freak"), dies at 78
- Dec 17 Rik Van Looy, Belgian cyclist (World Road Race champion 1960, 61; Tour de France Points classification 1963), dies at 90
- Dec 18 Bob "Slim" Dunlap, American rock guitarist (The Replacements, 1987-91), dies 12 years after a debilitating stroke at 73
- Dec 18 Dietmar Constantini, Austrian soccer manager (Austria 2009-11; Austria Wien, Tirol Innsbruck, Mainz 05), dies from dementia at 69
- Dec 18 Fred Lorenzen, American auto racer (Daytona 500 1965; USAC Stock Car Champion 1958, 59; World 600 Winner 1963, 65), dies from dementia at 89
- Dec 18 Klaus Wolfermann, German athlete (Olympic gold FRG javelin 1972; WR 94.08m 1973), dies at 78
- Dec 19 Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Spanish scientist, scholar, politician, diplomat (UNESCO director, 1987-99 ), and poet, dies at 90
- Dec 19 Kirsten Simonsen, Danish prima ballerina, dies at 90[1]
- Dec 20 George Eastham, English soccer midfielder (19 caps; Newcastle United, Arsenal, Stoke City) and manager (Stoke City 1977-78), dies at 88
Rickey Henderson(1958-2024)
Dec 20 American Baseball HOF outfielder, 1979-2003 (10 ×MLB All-Star; World Series 1989 Oakland A's, 1993 Toronto Blue Jays; AL MVP 1990; MLB stolen bases record 1,406), dies frompneumonia at 65[1]
- Dec 20 Sugar Pie DeSanto [Umpeylia Balinton], Filipino-American R&B singer-songwriter ("Soulful Dress", "In the Basement"), and dancer, dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure at 89[1][2]
- Dec 20 Thierry Jacob, French boxer (WBC super bantamweight champion 1992), dies at 59
- Dec 22 Stuart A. Rice, American chemist, researcher, and educator (University of Chicago, 1957-2014), dies at 92
- Dec 23 Shyam Benegal, Indian filmmaker (Ankur (The Seedling); Mujib: The Making of a Nation), dies of kidney disease at 90[1]
- Dec 24 Michael Brewer, American folk-rock singer-songwriter (Brewer & Shipley - "One Toke Over the Line"), dies at 80[1]
- Dec 24 Richard Perry, American record producer (Harry Nilsson; Ringo Starr; Carly Simon; Leo Sayer; The Pointer Sisters), dies of cardiac arrest at 82[1]
- Dec 25 Bill Bergey, American football linebacker (5 x Pro Bowl; First Team All Pro 1974, 75 Philadelphia Eagles), dies of cancer at 79
- Dec 26 Geoff Wheel, Welsh rugby union lock (32 Tests; Mumbles RFC, Swansea RFC), dies from motor neurone disease at 73
Manmohan Singh(1932-2024)
Dec 26 Indian politician (13thPrime Minister of India, 2004-14), dies at 92[1]
- Dec 27 Charlie Maxwell, American baseball left fielder (MLB All Star 1956, 57 Detroit Tigers; Boston Red Sox, Chicago WS), dies at 97
- Dec 27 Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster (CBS Sports, 1988-94 & 1998-2023; NBC. 1994-98; ESPN, WFAN), dies of cancer at 78
- Dec 27 Olivia Hussey, Argentine-British actress (Romeo & Juliet; Death on Nile; Black Christmas), dies at 73
- Dec 28 Émile Lejeune, Belgian soccer defender (10 caps; RFC Liège 276 games), dies at 86
- Dec 29 Aaron Brown, American broadcast journalist known for "World News Now" and as a CNN reporter during 9/11, dies at 76[1]
Jimmy Carter(1924-2024)
Dec 29 American Democratic politician (39thUS President, 1977-81; Governor of Georgia, 1971-75), naval officer, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2002), human rights activist (Carter Center; Habitat for Humanity), writer, and peanut farmer, dies at 100[1][2]
- Dec 29 Linda Lavin, American Tony Award-winning stage and screen actress (Alice; Barney Miller, 1975-76; Broadway Bound), dies of lung cancer at 87[1]
- Dec 30 Fraser Stoddart, Scottish-American chemist, 2016 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for work developing molecular machines, dies at 82
- Dec 30 Hugo Sotil, Peruvian soccer striker (62 caps; Deportivo Municipal, Barcelona, Alianza Lima), dies from kidney and liver failure at 75
- Dec 31 Buddy MacKay, American politician (Rep-D-FL, 1983-89), Governor of Florida for 24 days, dies at 91
- Dec 31 Tom Johnson, American minimalist composer (The Four-Note Opera; Nine Bells; An Hour for Piano), and music critic (Village Voice, 1971-83), dies at 85
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
80-89
Over 90