Historical Events
US National Observatory Proposed
Dec 6 US President John Quincy Adams suggests establishment of a national observatory
- Dec 26 Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December]
Famous Birthdays
- Dec 2 Pedro II van Alcantara, Emperor of Brazil (1831-89), born in Palace of São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil (d. 1891)
- Dec 4 Hynek Vojáček, Czech composer, born in Zlín, Empire of Austria (d. 1916)
- Dec 16 Henry Heth, Major General (Confederate Army), (d. 1899)
- Dec 16 Robert Prescott Stewart, Irish composer, organist, conductor, and teacher, born in Dublin (d. 1894)
- Dec 18 Charles Griffin, American Major General (Union Army), born in Granville, Ohio (d. 1867)
- Dec 19 George Frederick Bristow, American composer (Rip Van Winkle), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1898)
- Dec 20 Romeyn Beck Ayres, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Manheim, New York (d. 1888)
- Dec 27 Reinhold Finsterbusch, German singer, organist, composer, and choral director (Jesu Tod und Begräbnis), born in Mittweida, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1902)
- Dec 31 Francis Trowbridge Sherman, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Newtown, Connecticut (d. 1905)
