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1946–Singer, Marianne (Evelyn) Faithfull, is born in Hampstead, England. She is the daughter of a British university lecturer and an Austrian baroness. She will become the darling of the musical British Invasion. Her hits include As Tears Go By, Come and Stay With Me, Summer Nights, and Broken English. She appeared in the films I’ll Never Forget What’s ‘isname, The Girl on a Motorcycle, Ghost Story, and Marie Antoinette. She was married to artist, John Dunbar, and was a long-time companion of singer, Mick Jagger.


721–Empress Genmei of Japan dies in Nara, Japan, at age 61. In the history of Japan, Genmei was the fourth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant.

765–Ali al-Ridha, 8th of the Saudi Arabian Twelve Imams, is born in Medina, Abbasid Empire.

875–Charles the Bald, King of the Franks, is crowned as Holy Roman Emperor Charles II.

1170–Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II. He subsequently becomes a Saint and martyr in the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church.

1427–The Ming army begins its withdraw from Hanoi, ending the Chinese domination of Dai Viet.

1503–The Battle of Garigliano is fought between a Spanish army, under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, and a French army, commanded by Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo.

1508–Portuguese forces, under the command of Francisco de Almeida, attack Khambhat, at the Battle of Dabul.

1565–Queen Munjeong of Korea dies at Sodeok Hall, Changdeok Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the Korean kingdom of Joseon, at age 65.

1703–Ottoman sultan, Mustafa II, dies at Topkapi Palace, Constantinople, at age 39.

1709–Elizabeth of Russia is born Elizaveta Petrovna in Kolomenskoye, Moscow, Russia. As the Empress of Russia, she led the country into the two major European conflicts of her time: the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) and the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). On the eve of her death, Russia spanned almost 6,250,000 square miles.

1721–Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France, is born Jeanne Antoinette Poisson in Paris, Kingdom of France. She took charge of the King’s schedule and was a valued aide and advisor, despite her frail health and many political enemies. Hostile critics generally tarred her as a malevolent political influence, but historians are more favorable, emphasizing her successes as a patron of the arts and a champion of French pride.

1778–In the American Revolutionary War, 3,000 British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell capture Savannah, Georgia.

1786–The Assembly of Notables is convened. This is a group of high-ranking nobles, ecclesiastics, and state functionaries, gathered by the King of France on extraordinary occasions to consult on matters of state.

1800–Inventor, Charles Goodyear, is born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was a self-taught chemist and manufacturing engineer who developed vulcanized rubber. In 1898, almost four decades after his death, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded and named after Goodyear by Frank Seiberling.

1812–The USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil, after a three-hour battle.

1835–The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.

1845–Texas becomes the 28th state of the United States of America.

1851–The first American YMCA opens in Boston, Massachusetts.

1860–The launch of the HMS Warrior, with her combination of screw propeller, iron hull, and iron armour, renders all previous warships obsolete.

1874–The military coup of General Martinez Campos in Sagunto, ends the failed First Spanish Republic, and Prince Alfonso is proclaimed King of Spain.

1876–The Ashtabula River railroad disaster in Ashtabula, Ohio, kills 92 people and injures 64 others.

1876–Cellist and conductor, Pablo Casals, is born Pau Casals i Defilló in El Vendrell, Catalonia, Spain. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time.

1890–At the Wounded Knee Massacre on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota are killed by the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment.

1911–Mongolia gains independence from the Qing Dynasty, enthroning 9th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia.

1911–Sun Yat-sen becomes the provisional President of the Republic of China.

1916–After having been serialized by Ezra Pound in the Egoist during 1914 and 1915, James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is published in New York.

1917–Lawyer and politician, Tom Bradley, is born Thomas J. Bradley in Calvert, Texas. He was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving from 1973 to 1993. He was the only African-American mayor of that city, and his 20 years in office mark the longest tenure by any mayor in the city's history.

1920–Actress, Viveca Lindfors, is born Elsa Viveca Torstensdotter Lindfors in Uppsala, Sweden. She moved to the United States in 1946, after being signed by Warner Bros., and began working in Hollywood. She appeared in the films Adventures of Don Juan, Night Unto Night, Dark City, No Sad Songs for Me, Rawhide, King of Kings, Tempest, The Way We Were, Voices, Creepshow, The Sure Thing, and Stargate. She was married to film director, Don Siegel.

1921–Chef, Robert C. Baker, is born in Lansing, New York. He invented the chicken nugget. He is accredited with more than 40 poultry, turkey, and cold cut innovations. Due to his contributions to the poultry sciences, he is a member of the American Poultry Hall of Fame.

1923–Actress, Dina Merrill, is born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton in New York, New York. In the late 1950s and 1960s, Merrill was believed to have intentionally been marketed as “the new Grace Kelly.” She appeared in the films Desk Set, Operation Petticoat, Catch Me If You Can, BUtterfield 8, The Sundowners, The Young Savages, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, I’ll Take Sweden, A Wedding, True Colors, and The Player. She was the only child of Post Cereals heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and her second husband, Wall Street stockbroker, Edward Francis Hutton. Heiress, Barbara Hutton, is her cousin. She is related by her mothers’ first marriage to actress, Glenn Close. She was married to actor, Cliff Robertson.

1930–Radio Luxembourg begins broadcasting as the first commercial station in Europe. Many British rockers would first become familiar with rock ‘n’ roll music through its often-faint signal.

1930–Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad, introduces the two-nation theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan.

1934–Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.

1936–Actress, Mary Tyler Moore, is born in Brooklyn Heights, New York. She is best known for the role of Laura Petrie on the TV sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, and the role of Mary Richards on the TV series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She appeared in the films Thoroughly Modern Millie, Change of Habit, First You Cry, Heartsounds, Ordinary People, Six Weeks, Finnegan Begin Again, Just Between Friends, and Flirting with Disaster. She was married to TV executive, Grant Tinker.

1937–The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Ireland with the adoption of a new constitution.

1938–Actor, Jon Voight, is born Jonathan Vincent Voight in Yonkers, New York. He appeared in the films Midnight Cowboy, Catch-22, Deliverance, The All-American Boy, Conrack, Coming Home, The Champ, Table for Five, Runaway Train, Desert Bloom, The Rainmaker, U Turn, Enemy of the State, Zoolander, Pearl Harbor, Ali, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and National Treasure. His daughter is actress, Angelina Jolie.

1940–In the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, England, killing almost 200 civilians.

1941–Ray Thomas, of The Moody Blues, is born Raymond Thomas in Stourton-on-Severn, England.

1942–Rick Danko, of The Band, is born Richard Clare Danko in Green's Corners, Ontario, Canada.

1946–Singer, Marianne (Evelyn) Faithfull, is born in Hampstead, England. She is the daughter of a British university lecturer and an Austrian baroness. She will become the darling of the musical British Invasion. Her hits include As Tears Go By, Come and Stay With Me, Summer Nights, and Broken English. She appeared in the films I’ll Never Forget What’s ‘isname, The Girl on a Motorcycle, Ghost Story, and Marie Antoinette. She was married to artist, John Dunbar, and was a long-time companion of singer, Mick Jagger.

1947–Actor, Ted Danson, is born Edward Bridge Danson III in San Diego, California. He is best known for the role of Sam Malone on the TV sitcom Cheers. He appeared in the films The Onion Field, Body Heat, Creepshow, Just Between Friends, A Fine Mess, Three Men and a Baby, Cousins, Dad, Pontiac Moon, and Saving Private Ryan. He was married to actress, Mary Steenburgen.

1949–KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut, becomes the first ultra high frequency (UHF) television station to operate a daily schedule.

1951–Singer, Yvonne Elliman, is born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She had big hits with If I Can’t Have You and I Don't Know How to Love Him, from the film Jesus Christ Superstar in which she appeared.

1953–Gang leader, Stanley Williams, is born Stanley Tookie Williams III in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was co-founder of West Side Crips, an American street gang which has its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1969. He was convicted of four murders and was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin Prison in 2005.

1959–Physicist, Richard Feynman, gives a speech entitled, "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," which is regarded as the birth of nanotechnology.

1959–Actress, Patricia (Davies) Clarkson, is born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She appeared in the films The Untouchables, The Dead Pool, Rocket Gibraltar, Everybody’s All-American, Queen, Jumanji, The Green Mile, The Safety of Objects, The Station Agent, Miracle, Married Life, and Friends with Benefits.

1959–Stand-up commedienne, Paula Poundstone, is born in Huntsville, Alabama. Beginning in the late 1980s, she performed in a series of one-hour HBO comedy specials.

1967–Dave Mason leaves the group, Traffic, to start a solo career.

1967–Composer and conductor, Paul Whiteman, dies of a heart attack in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, at age 77. Leader of one of the most popular dance bands in America during the 1920s and 1930s, Whiteman produced recordings that were immensely successful. Using a large ensemble and exploring many styles of music, Whiteman is perhaps best known for his blending of symphonic music with jazz. His recordings include Wang Wang Blues, Mississippi Mud, Wonderful One, Hot Lips, Mississippi Suite, and Grand Canyon Suite.

1972–After 36 years, Life magazine ceases publication in its weekly form.

1972–An Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar) crashes on approach to Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, killing 101 people.

1972–Actor, Jude Law, is born David Jude Heyworth Law in Lewisham, London, England. He appeared in the films Shopping, Gattaca, Mignight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Talented Mr. Ripley, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Road to Perdition, Cold Mountain, I Heart Huckabees, The Aviator, The Holiday, Sleuth, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

1975–A bomb explodes at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and injuring 74 others.

1975–Michael Abdul Malik, also known as Michael X, is executed by hanging in Trinidad for the crime of murder.

1975–Paul Kantner and Grace Slick, of Jefferson Airplane, get a divorce.

1980–Singer-songwriter, Tim Hardin, dies of a heroin overdose in Los Angeles, California, at age 39. He was found on the floor of his Hollywood apartment by his longtime friend, Ron Daniels. Hardin’s songs include Don’t Make Promises, If I Were a Carpenter, The Lady Came from Baltimore, Misty Roses, and Reason to Believe.

1989–Riots break-out after Hong Kong decides to forcibly repatriate Vietnamese refugees.

1989–Writer, philosopher, and dissident, Václav Havel, is elected the first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia.

1992–Fernando Collor de Mello, President of Brazil, tries to resign amidst corruption charges, but he is instead impeached.

1996–Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war.

1997–Hong Kong begins to kill all the nation's 1.25 million chickens to stop the spread of a potentially deadly influenza strain.

1998–Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the genocide in Cambodia in the 1970s, which claimed over one million lives.

2001–A fire at the Mesa Redonda shopping center in Lima, Peru, kills at least 291 people.

2003–The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct. It was spoken mainly in Southwest Kola Peninsula, Russia. Although there exists a description of Akkala Sami phonology and morphology, a few published texts, and archived audio recordings, the Akkala Sami language remains among the most poorly documented Sami languages.

2006–The United Kingdom settles its Anglo-American loan: its post-World War II loan debt.

2008–Trumpet player, Freddie Hubbard, dies from complications of a heart attack in Sherman Oaks, California, at age 70. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post-bop jazz styles from the early 1960s and on. He recorded extensively for Blue Note Records in the 1960s: eight albums as a bandleader, and 28 as a sideman.

2011–Samoa and Tokelau skip straight to December 31st (from December 28th), when moving from one side of the International Date Line to another.

2012–A Tupolev Tu-204 airliner crashes in a ditch between the airport fence and the M3 highway, after overshooting a runway at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia. Five people are killed and three others critically injured.

2013–A suicide bomb attack at the Volgograd-1 railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, kills at least 18 people and wounds 40 others.

2015–For the first time since March 2014, Guinea is declared free from Ebola virus transmissions by the World Health Organization.

2016–The Polish government buys the internationally-known Czartoryski collection of art. Based in the city of Kraków, and consisting of around 86,000 pieces, the collection features works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

2016–The Ambassador of Greece to Brazil, Kyriakos Amiridis, is reported missing while on vacation in Rio de Janeiro. A homicide team investigates his disappearance.

2016–Amazon.com is exploring the use of giant airships to serve as mobile, flying warehouse, that could help the online retail giant deliver more of its goods by drone.

2016–President Obama names two more areas to be protected from development and various activities: Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, and the Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada. Both areas are owned by the federal Bureau of Land Management.

2016–Former boxing world champion, Ricky Hatton, speaks on British radio about depression and gives an account of his past suicide attempts.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Charles the Bald, King of the Franks; Madame de Pompadour; a vintage ashtray souvenir of Texas; Viveca Lindfors; Mary Tyler Moore; Marianne Faithfull; Yvonne Elliman; Paul Whiteman; Jude Law; protests against Fernando Collor de Mello. President of Brazil; and Freddie Hubbard.
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