Historical Events
- Dec 1 CFL Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto: Toronto Argonauts win their 6th title with a 35-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Dec 4 11th Heisman Trophy Award: Doc Blanchard, Army (FB)
- Dec 4 Senate approves US participation in United Nations
- Dec 5 Dutch Special Council of Annulment affirms death sentence of radio presenter Max Blokzijl for broadcasting Nazi propaganda
- Dec 5 Flight 19 the "Lost Squadron" of 5 torpedo bombers and 14 airmen is lost east of Florida in the supposed Bermuda Triangle
- Dec 10 Aust Services lose 3rd Victory Test Cricket to India by 6 wkts
- Dec 10 Preston Tucker reveals plan to produce the Torpedo, a new 150 MPH car
- Dec 11 Het Parool publishes 1st Captain Rob-strip
- Dec 12 Special Court of justice convicts Dutch Nazi leader Mussert to death
Dream Girl
Dec 14 Elmer Rice's play "Dream Girl" premieres in NYC
- Dec 15 John J "Cardinal" O'Connor, ordained as a priest
- Dec 16 National Football League Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Cleveland Rams beat Washington Redskins, 15-14; last game before Rams move west to Los Angeles
- Dec 18 Uruguay joins the United Nations
- Dec 19 Austrian Republic re-establishes
- Dec 19 Jean Giraudoux' "La Folle de Chaillot" premieres in Paris
- Dec 20 Rationing of auto tires ends in US
- Dec 21 "Billion Dollar Baby" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 219 performances
- Dec 22 Utrecht: Catholic People's party (KVP) established
International Monetary Fund
Dec 27 International Monetary Fund formally established by 29 member countries based on ideas of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes
- Dec 27 The World Bank was created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations.
- Dec 28 Congress officially recognizes "Pledge of Allegiance"
Maurice Richards Fastest to 100
Dec 29 Montreal right wing Maurice Richard scores twice in Canadiens' 5-4 loss to Chicago Black Hawks to record his 100th NHL career goal; reaches mark in 145 games, then fastest in history; since broken by Mike Bossy, 100 goals in 129 games
Bradman's 1st Post-war Century
Dec 31 Before the biggest Adelaide Oval crowd of the season, batting maestro Don Bradman scores his first post-WWII century; 112 for South Australia v Australian Services
United Nations Charter
Dec 31 Ratification of United Nations Charter completed
Famous Birthdays
Bette Midler (78 years old)
Dec 1 American singer ("The Rose"; "Wind Beneath My Wings"), and actress (Ruthless People; Beaches), born in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Dec 1 Ross Edwards, Australian cricket batsman (20 Tests @ 40.37, top score 170no; 9 ODIs; West Australia CA), born in Perth Western Australia
- Dec 2 Alan "Froggy" Thomson, Australian cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 12 wickets; Victoria CA), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2022)
- Dec 2 Penelope Spheeris, American film director (The Decline of Western Civilization), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Dec 3 Laura Dean, American choreographer known for her collaborations with composer Steve Reich (Drumming), born in Staten Island, New York
- Dec 4 Michael Gerzon, British mathematician and audio pioneer (Ambisonics), born in Birmingham (d. 1996)
- Dec 4 Roberta Lynn Bondar, Canadian neurologist and astronaut (STS 42), born in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario
- Dec 5 Geoff Emerick, British sound engineer and record producer (Beatles; Elvis Costello), born in Crouch End, North London, England (d. 2018)
- Dec 5 J W "Corkey" Fornof, American stunt coordinator (Octopussy), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Dec 6 Dan Harrington, American professional poker player, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Dec 6 James Naughton, American actor (Stranger is Watching, Trauma center), born in Middletown, Connecticut
- Dec 6 Larry Bowa, American 2nd baseman (Phillies), born in Sacramento, California
- Dec 6 Shekhar Kapur, Indian filmmaker (Bandit Queen), born in Laghore, British India
- Dec 7 Graciela Agudelo, Mexican pianist and avant garde composer (Celebration of Wine), born in Mexico City (d. 2018)
- Dec 7 Marion Rung, Finnish pop singer, born in Helsinki, Finland
- Dec 8 Donna Michelle, American actress (Beach Blanket Bingo) and Playboy playmate (Dec, 1963), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2004)
- Dec 8 John Banville, Irish novelist and journalist
- Dec 9 Matti Mäntylä, Finnish actor, born in Turku, Finland
- Dec 9 Michael Nouri, American stage and screen actor (Bay City Blues, Love & War), born in Washington, D.C.
- Dec 10 Eric Boom, Dutch rock guitarist (The Lords; Apron Strings), record producer, and copyright lawyer, born in Leiden, Netherlands
- Dec 11 Jarno Saarinen, Finnish motorcycle racer, born in Turku, Finland (d. 1973)
- Dec 12 Alan Ward, English rock musician (Elton Motello), and audio engineer, born in Nottingham, England
- Dec 12 Karl Edward Wagner, American sci-fi author (Bloodstone, Night Winds), born in Knoxville, Tennessee (d. 1994)
- Dec 12 Susi Hush, English television producer, born in Thurgoland, Yorkshire (d. 1995)
- Dec 12 Tony Williams, American jazz drummer (Miles Davis), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1997)
- Dec 13 Ann Syrdal, American psychologist and computer science researcher (developed female synthetic voices at AT&T), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 2020)
- Dec 13 Julio Palmaz, Argentine physician and inventor (intravascular stent), born in La Plata, Argentina [1]
- Dec 13 Kathy Garver, American actress (Cissy in Family Affair), born in Long Beach, California
- Dec 13 Robert Martinez, Mexican-American drummer (? and the Mysterians - "96 Tears"), born in Texas
Michael King (1945-2004)
Dec 15 New Zealand historian and author (Penguin History of New Zealand), born in Wellington, New Zealand
- Dec 15 Thaao Penghlis, Australian actor (Mission Impossible, Tony-Days of Our Life), born in Sydney, Australia
- Dec 16 Bobby George, English darts player (BDO World C'ship 1980, 84 runner-up), born in Manor Park, Essex, England
- Dec 16 Patti Deutsch, American actress and Match Game panelist
- Dec 16 Tony Hicks, British rock guitarist (The Hollies), born in Nelson, England
- Dec 16 Yukio Hattori, Japanese Iron Chef commentator
- Dec 17 Chris Matthews, American journalist
- Dec 17 Christopher Cazenove, England, actor (Ben-Dynasty)
- Dec 17 Ernie Hudson, Benton Harbor MI, actor (Ghostbusters, Weeds)
- Dec 17 Jacqueline Wilson, English author
- Dec 18 Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (1972-2001), born in Kathmandu, Nepal (d. 2001)
- Dec 18 Carolyn Wood, American 4 X 100m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1960)
- Dec 19 Elaine Joyce, actress (City of Angels, Mr Merlin), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Dec 19 John McEuen, American bluegrass, folk-rock fiddler, guitarist, banjo, and mandolin player (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Steve Martin), born in Oakland, California
- Dec 20 Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola], American drummer and singer (Kiss - "Beth"), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 21 Doug Walters, Australian cricket all-rounder (74 Tests, 15 x 100, HS 250, 49 wickets, BB 5/66; NSWCA), born in Dungog, Australia
- Dec 21 Millie Hughes-Fulford, American scientist and astronaut (STS 40), born in Mineral Wells, Texas
- Dec 22 Diane Sawyer, American newscaster (60 Minutes, ABC Prime Time), born in Glasgow, Kentucky
- Dec 22 Joris J. C. Voorhoeve, Dutch Defense minister (1994-, VVD), born in the Hague, Netherlands
- Dec 22 Marianne van Wijnkoop [Bosscher], Dutch actress (Les Miserables), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Dec 23 Donald A. Ritchie, American Historian Emeritus of the United States Senate, born in New York City
- Dec 23 Georges Aperghis, Greek composer, born in Athens, Greece
- Dec 23 Richard Wohlhuter, 800m runner (Olympic bronze 1976), born in St. Charles, Illinois
- Dec 23 Ron Bushy, American rock drummer (Iron Butterfly - “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2021)
- Dec 24 Lemmy [Ian Fraser Kilmister], British heavy metal musician (Motörhead), born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England (d. 2015)
- Dec 24 Nicholas Meyer, American writer and director (Star Trek II Wrath of Khan), born in New York City
- Dec 25 (David) Noel Redding, British rock bassist (The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Purple Haze"), born in Folkstone, England (d. 2003)
- Dec 25 Gary Sandy, American stage and screen actor (WKRP in Cincinnati - "Andy"), born in Dayton, Ohio
- Dec 25 Ken Stabler, American Pro Football HOF quarterback (4 x Pro Bowl; NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro 1974; Super Bowl 1976; Oakland Raiders), born in Foley, Alabama (d. 2015)
- Dec 25 Mike Pringle, Scottish politician
- Dec 25 Rick Berman [Richard], American television producer (Star Trek Generations), born in New York
- Dec 25 Steve Mancha [Clyde Wilson], American soul singer (100 Proof - "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)"), born in Walhall, South Carolina
- Dec 26 John Walsh, activist/TV host (America's Most Wanted)
- Dec 28 Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva, King of Nepal (1972- )
- Dec 28 Dwight Bement, American rock saxophonist (Gary Puckett & Union Gap - "Lady Willpower"; Flash Cadillac), born in San Diego, California
- Dec 28 John Till, Canadian rock guitarist (Full Tilt Boogie Band), born in Stratford, Ontario (d. 2022)
- Dec 28 Max Hastings, British editor-in-chief (Daily Telegraph)
- Dec 29 Adje Roland, Dutch radio disc jockey, born in Rhenen, Netherlands
- Dec 30 Concetta Tomei, American actress
Davy Jones (1945-2012)
Dec 30 British singer and actor (The Monkees - "Daydream Believer"), born in Manchester, England
- Dec 30 John Kevin Moorhouse, test pilot
- Dec 30 Preston Trombly, American classical and jazz clarinetist, and radio broadcaster, born in Hartford, Connecticut
- Dec 30 Vernon Wells, Australian actor
- Dec 31 Barbara Carrera, Nicaraguan actress (Angelica-Dallas), born in Bluefields, Nicaragua
- Dec 31 Claude Marks, FALN member (FBI most wanted), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Famous Weddings
Eddie Albert
Dec 5 Actor Eddie Albert (39) weds actress Margo (28)
Mary Astor
Dec 24 Actress Mary Astor (39) weds Thomas Gordon Wheelock
Famous Divorces
Ernest Hemingway
Dec 21 American "For Whom The Bell Tolls" novelist Ernest Hemingway (46) and American novelist and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (36) divorce after 5 years of marriage.
John Wayne
Dec 25 Actor John Wayne (38) divorces Josephine Saenz (37) after 12 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Dec 1 Harvey Bartlett Gaul, American composer, dies at 64
- Dec 4 Thomas Hunt Morgan, American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and embryologist (Nobel Prize 1933), dies at 79
- Dec 8 Alexander Siloti, Russian pianist and composer, dies at 82
- Dec 8 Richard M. Jones, American jazz pianist, accompanist, songwriter ("Trouble In Mind"), record producer (Louis Armstrong) and label manager (Okeh; Decca; Mercury), dies at 53
- Dec 10 Theodor Dannecker, SS officer and an associate of Adolf Eichmann, dies at 32
- Dec 11 Charles Fabry, French physicist, discoverer of ozone layer in upper atmosphere, dies at 78
- Dec 13 Elisabeth Volkenrath, supervisor at concentration camps (b. 1919)
- Dec 13 Irma Grese, German Nazi concentration camp guard known as the "Hyena of Auschwitz", and convicted war criminal, executed by hanging at 22
- Dec 13 Robert van Genechten, Dutch Nazi (NSB), commits suicide
- Dec 14 Constantino Gaito, Argentinian composer, dies at 67
- Dec 14 Forrester Harvey, Irish actor (Rebecca, Tarzan, Chump at Oxford), dies at 61
- Dec 14 Henry van Goudoever, Dutch lawyer and judge, dies on his 69th birthday
- Dec 14 Josef Kramer, German Nazi war criminal ("The Beast of Belsen"), hanged at 39
- Dec 16 Fumimaro Konu, Japanese prince and politician (Prime Minister of Japan 1937-39, 40-41), commits suicide at 54
- Dec 16 Giovanni Agnelli, Italian businessman and founder of Fiat, dies at 79
- Dec 20 Charles Eady, cricketer (Tasmanian player for Aust 1896-1901), dies
George S. Patton (1885-1945)
Dec 21 American WWII general (Sicily, Italy and Normandy) known as "Old Blood & Guts", dies of congestive heart failure at 60
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
Dec 28 American novelist (Sister Carie, American Tragedy), dies at 74
- Dec 31 Don Douglas, Scottish actor (The Black Castle), dies at 40
