What Happened in December 1993

Historical Events

Houston Rockets' Streak

Dec 2 Houston Rockets score a 94-85 win over the Knicks at New York’s Madison Square Garden, recording their 15th straight win to start the season; tie Washington Capitols' all-time NBA record 1948-49; streak ends next game

Dec 2 Space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavour 5) launches
Dec 4 2nd SEC Championship Game: #9 Florida beats #16 Alabama, 28-13
Dec 4 A truce is concluded between the government of Angola and UNITA rebels.

Dan Jansen

Dec 4 Dan Jansen skates world record 500m (35.92 sec)

Dec 4 Johann Koss skates world record 5K (6:35.53)
Dec 5 "Timon of Athens" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 37 performances
Dec 5 82nd Davis Cup: Germany beats Australia in Dusseldorf (4-1)
Dec 5 Astronauts begin repair of Hubble telescope in space
Dec 5 Rafael Caldera elected President of Venezuela
Dec 5 The mayor of Wien (Vienna), Helmut Zilk, is wounded by a letter bomb.
Dec 6 Gunda Niemann skates ladies world record 5 km 7:13.29

Goulet has Surgery

Dec 7 American singer Robert Goulet undergoes prostate cancer surgery

Dec 7 Henri Konan Bedie names himself President of Ivory coast
Dec 7 The Long Island Rail Road massacre: Passenger Colin Ferguson murders six people and injures 19 others on the LIRR in Nassau County, New York.
Dec 8 30 killed at religious rebellion in Algeria

Houston Wins

Dec 8 4th Billboard Music Awards: Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard Soundtrack win

Dec 8 Dow-Jones hits record 3734.53
Dec 8 Storm hits western Europe, 11 killed in England
Dec 9 Ivory Coast Premier Ouattara resigns

My Fair Lady Revived

Dec 9 Revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical "My Fair Lady" opens at Virginia Theater, NYC; runs for 165 performances

Dec 10 "Doom" pioneering first-person shooter video game is uploaded onto the internet by id Software
Dec 10 Dow Jones hits record 3740.67
Dec 11 59th Heisman Trophy Award: Charlie Ward, Florida State (QB)
Dec 11 Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle elected President of Chile
Dec 12 "Any Given Day" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 32 performances
Dec 12 "Kentucky Cycle" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 34 performances
Dec 12 WAQX 104.3 (Q-104) rock format replaces WNCN classic format in NYC
Dec 13 "I Swear" single released by John Michael Montgomery (Billboard Song of the Year 1994)
Dec 13 Deadline for Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, they don't
Dec 13 Dow Jones hits record 3764.43
Dec 13 Fire in textile factory in Fuzjou China, 60 killed
Dec 13 Space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavour 5) lands after 10 days and 19 hours in space

Philadelphia

Dec 14 "Philadelphia", one of the first mainstream films about AIDS, directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, premieres in Century City, California

Dec 14 Muslim fundamentalists murder 12 Croats and Bosnians in Algeria

Downing Street Declaration

Dec 15 British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds sign Downing Street Declaration concerning Northern Ireland self determination

Dec 15 C-130 flies into a Philippines hill & explodes, 16 killed
Dec 15 Haitian premier Robert Malval resigns
Dec 15 John Williams makes his final appearance as conductor of Boston Pops
Dec 15 Lee Aspen resigns as secretary of defense
Dec 15 Y-12 crashes at Phonesavanh, Laos: 18 killed
Dec 16 Jule Styne, Norman and Bob Merrill's musical "Red Shoes", based on the 1948 film, opens at Gershwin Theater, NYC; runs for 5 performances

Shannen Doherty Fired

Dec 16 Shannen Doherty (Brenda) is fired from TV series Beverly Hills 90210

Music History

Dec 16 Television series MTV Unplugged broadcasts American rock band Nirvana performing a mostly acoustic set NYC

Singer-Songwriter and Musician Dave Grohl

Dec 17 "Northern Exposure" star Barry Corbin falls off his horse
Dec 17 Kevin Scott skates world record 1000 m (1:12.54)
Dec 17 Muslims in Bangladesh call for the murder of feminist Taslima Nasrin
Dec 18 Kevin Scott skates world record 1K (1:12.54)
Dec 18 The MGM Grand Las Vegas hotel and casino first opens as the largest hotel complex in the world (since surpassed)
Dec 19 Marsha Norman, Bob Merrill, and Jule Styne's fairy tale musical "Red Shoes", directed by Stanley Donen, closes at Gershwin Theater, NYC, after 5 performances; loses nearly $8 million
Dec 21 "The Sign" single released in the US by Ace of Base (Billboard Song of the Year 1994)
Dec 26 Antonov-26 crashes at Gyumri, Armenia, 36 killed
Dec 27 "Candles, Snow, & Mistletoe" opens at Palace Theater, NYC; runs for 7 performances
Dec 27 Dow-Jones hits record 3792.93

Bocelli's Debut

Dec 28 Andrea Bocelli makes his classical debut singing at a concert at Teatro Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia, Italy

Dec 28 Ballon d'Or: Juventus' Italian striker Roberto Baggio is named Europe's best football player ahead of Inter forward Dennis Bergkamp and Manchester United striker Eric Cantona
Dec 28 Dow-Jones hits record 3793.49
Dec 28 Dutch Antilles government of Yandi Paula forms

Courtney Love Sues

Dec 29 Courtney Love sues doctors for leaking news of her methadone treatment

Dec 29 Todd Bridges arrested for transporting methamphetamine (speed)
Dec 30 "Candles, Snow, & Mistletoe" closes at Palace NYC after 7 performances
Dec 30 Vatican recognizes Israel

Streisand's 1st Concert in 20 Years

Dec 31 Barbra Streisand performs her 1st public concert in 20 years before a sell-out crows of over 25,000 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Singer-Songwriter and Actress Barbra Streisand

Events in 1993

Famous Birthdays

Dec 2 Kostas Stafylidis, Greek soccer left back (30 caps; 1899 Hoffenheim), born in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece
Dec 3 Marques Brownlee, American Youtuber (MKBHD) and ultimate frisbee player, born in Maplewood, New Jersey
Dec 6 Elian Gonzalez, Cuban boy at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, born in Cuba
Dec 6 Jasprit Bumrah, Indian cricketer and fast bowler (Mumbai Indians, India), born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Dec 8 Anna Sophia Robb, American actress (Bridge to Terabithia; The Carrie Diaries), born in Denver, Colorado
Dec 9 Wyndham Clark, American golfer (US Open 2023), born in Denver, Colorado

Yalitza Aparicio (30 years old)

Dec 11 Mexican actress (Roma), born in Tlaxiaco, Mexico

Dec 13 Danielle Collins, American tennis player (World #8 2022; Australian Open 2022 runner-up), born in St. Petersburg, Florida
Dec 16 Stephan James, Canadian actor (Homecoming), born in Toronto, Ontario
Dec 22 Aliana Lohan, American actress, born in The Bronx, New York

Gabriel Medina (30 years old)

Dec 22 Brazilian professional surfer (World Champion 2014), born in São Sebastião, São Paulo

Dec 22 Meghan Trainor, American Grammy Award-winning pop singer-songwriter ("All About That Bass"), born in Nantucket, Massachusetts
Dec 26 Pat Casey, American BMX rider (World C'ship gold Freestyle park BMX 2011; X Games gold dirt, BMX park 2021), born in Riverside, California (d. 2023)
Dec 29 Travis Head, Australian cricket all-rounder (Test HS 175, BB 4/10; ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Final MVP 137 [120]; South Australia), born in Adelaide, Australia
Dec 31 Ryan Blaney, American auto racer (Daytona 500 2020 runner-up), born in Hartford Township, Trumbull County, Ohio

Born in 1993

Famous Weddings

Darryl Strawberry

Dec 3 Baseball player Darryl Strawberry (31) weds Charisse Simon (26)

Dec 5 American actor William Sanderson (47) weds Sharon Wix (39)

Stephen Harper

Dec 11 Canada's PM Stephen Harper (34) weds Laureen Teskey (30)

Boris Becker

Dec 17 Tennis star Boris Becker (26) weds designer Barbara Feltus (27); divorce in 2001

Dec 18 General Hospital co-stars Kristina Malandro & Jack Wagner wed

Donald Trump & Marla Maples

Dec 20 Businessman Donald Trump (47) weds former model Marla Maples (30) at Trump Plaza Hotel

Dec 30 Singer Deni Hines (22) weds INXS guitarist Kirk Pengilly (35)

Wayne Brady

Dec 31 Actor and host Wayne Brady (21) weds Diana Lasso in Orlando

Dec 31 Loveboat actress Jill Whelan (27) weds Brad St John (33)

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Peter John Wood, British session and touring rock keyboardist, and songwriter, dies at 43
Dec 1 Peter Wood, English session and touring rock keyboardist (Sutherland Bros and Quiver; Al Stewart; Joan Armatrading; Lou Reed), dies of injuries from a fall at 43
Dec 2 Cal Tinney, American comedian and actor (The Missouri Traveler, Stop Me If You Heard This One), dies at 85

Pablo Escobar (1949-1993)

Dec 2 Colombian drug lord, shot to death by Colombian Police at 44

Dec 3 Lewis Thomas, biologist, dies of cancer at 80
Dec 3 Thomas Mogotlane, South African actor (Mapantsula), dies at 40
Dec 4 Frank Sturgis, watergate burglar, dies at 68

Frank Zappa (1940-1993)

Dec 4 American rock guitarist, composer, (Mothers of Invention - "Peaches en Regalia"; "Baby Snakes"), activist, and filmmaker (200 Motels), dies from prostate cancer at 52

Dec 4 Hetty de Boer-Jongkind, Dutch medical astrologist and founder (Vakvereniging Medical Astrology), dies at 42
Dec 4 Margaret Landon, American author (Anna & the King of Siam), dies at 90
Dec 5 Alexandre Trauber, Hungarian/French set designer (Harem), dies at 87
Dec 5 Arthur Staal, Dutch architect (Shell Tower Amsterdam), dies at 86
Dec 5 Doug Hopkins, American guitarist and songwriter (Gin Blossoms), commits suicide using a pistol at 32
Dec 6 Desmond Barel Hirshfield, Lord Hirshfield, British chartered accountant, dies at 80
Dec 6 Dominic "Don" Ameche, American actor (Cocoon, Trading Places), dies of prostate cancer at 85
Dec 6 Prof Wolfgang Paul, German physicist (Nobel 1989), dies at 80
Dec 6 Rita Macedo, actress (Divinas Palabras), dies of a heart attack at 65
Dec 6 Rouaz Lakhdar, Algerian supreme court justice, murdered

Félix Houphouët-Boigny (1905-1993)

Dec 7 1st President of Ivory Coast (Democratic Party: 1960-93) known as the "Sage of Africa", dies of prostate cancer at 88

Dec 8 Andre Cerf, French actor and filmmaker (Nana), dies at 93
Dec 8 Carlotta Monti, lover of WC Fields, dies at 86
Dec 9 Danny Blanchflower, Irish soccer midfielder (56 caps Northern Ireland; Tottenham Hotspur 337 games, Aston Villa) and manager (Northern Ireland, Chelsea), dies of pneumonia at 67
Dec 9 Muhammad Reza Golpayegani, ayatollah of Iran, dies
Dec 10 Alice Tully, American singer and patroness (Carnegie Hall), dies at 91
Dec 10 Maroun Bagdadi, Lebanese film director (Little Wars, Veiled Man), dies in an accident at 43
Dec 11 Ales Gartner, Slavic ski trainer of Norway, dies at 45
Dec 11 Eliva "Elvire" Popesco, Romanian-French actress (Le roi), dies at 99
Dec 12 Gerard Nabrink, Dutch anti-militarist (Never Again War Federation), campaigner for sexual reform (NVSH - Nederlandse Vereniging Seksuele Hervorming), writer, and bookseller, dies at 90
Dec 12 Jeremiah Sullivan, actor (Soldier, Double-Stop), dies of AIDS at 58
Dec 12 Jozsef Antall, historian/premier of Hungary (1990-93), dies at 61
Dec 12 Mary Jarred, British mezzo-soprano and contralto singer (The Rake's Progress), dies at 94
Dec 13 Charles JB Jonckheere, Flemish poet/writer: Ogentroost, dies at 87
Dec 14 Josephine Riley Matthews "Mama Jo", African-American midwife (delivered over 1300 babies), dies at 96

Myrna Loy (1905-1993)

Dec 14 American actress (The Great Ziegfeld, The Thin Man, Vanity Fair), dies at 88

Dec 16 Bentri Seddik, Algerian court judge, murdered at 46
Dec 16 Charizma [Charles Hicks], American rapper, killed in a mugging at 20
Dec 16 Kakuei Tanaka, Japanese Prime Minister (1972-74), convicted of bribe-taking, dies at 75
Dec 16 Moses Gunn, American actor (Amityville II, Good Times, Shaft) who co-founded the Negro Ensemble Company (The Blacks, The Poison Tree), dies of asthma at 64
Dec 16 Ratu Penaia Ganilau, president of Fiji (1987-93), dies at 75
Dec 16 Richard AFM Auwerda, Dutch journalist/writer (Volkskrant), dies at 68
Dec 17 Janet Margolin, American actress (Annie Hall, Take the Money and Run; David and Lisa), dies of ovarian cancer at 50
Dec 18 Sam Wanamaker, American-English actor (Private Benjamin), dies of prostate cancer at 74
Dec 19 Anthonius AM "Ton" Kors, writer (Time of Anton de Lange), dies at 47
Dec 19 Antoon Veerman, Dutch ARP asst sect of Education (1973-75), dies at 77
Dec 19 Michael Clarke, American rock drummer (The Byrds, 1964-67 - "Turn! Turn! Turn!"; Flying Burrito Brothers, 1969-71; Firefall, 1974-80), dies of liver failure at 47
Dec 20 W Edwards Deming, US economist (helped Japan after WW II), dies at 93
Dec 21 Philip Christison, British general (Rangoon), dies at 100
Dec 22 Alexander Mackendrick, director (Whiskey Galore!), dies at 81
Dec 22 Don DeFore, American actor (George-Hazel, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), dies of cardiac arrest at 76
Dec 23 Gertrude "Trudi" Duby Blom, actress, shot to death at about 92
Dec 24 Alexander Mackendrick, American-born Scottish director (Lady Killers), dies at 81
Dec 24 Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman, broadcaster (The Art Of Living), and author (The Power of Positive Thinking), dies at 95
Dec 24 Yen Chia-kan, PM/President of Taiwan (1963-72, 75-78), dies
Dec 25 Pierre Victor Auger, French physicist (b. 1899)
Dec 26 Jeff Morrow [Leslie Irving Morrow], American actor (Robe, Union Pacific, Temperatures Rising), dies at 86
Dec 27 Youssef Sebti, Algerian scholar/poet, murdered at 50
Dec 28 Alfonso Balcazar, Spanish film director, dies at 67
Dec 28 Howard Caine [Cohen], American actor (Hogan's Heroes), dies at 67
Dec 28 Joop Vervoort, Dutch soccer referee, dies at 61
Dec 28 William L. Shirer, American journalist and historian (Rise & Fall of 3rd Reich), dies at 89
Dec 29 Frunzik [Mher Mkrtchyan], Armenian actor (Mimino, Kidnapping, Caucasian Style), dies of cancer at 63
Dec 29 Yvonne Desportes, French composer (Seven Abstract Poems), dies at 86 [1]
Dec 30 Arthur "Schneeze" Rollini, American big band jazz tenor saxophonist, dies at 81
Dec 30 Giuseppe Occhialini, Italian physicist (Contribution to the discovery of the pion or pi-meson decay), dies at 86
Dec 30 Irving Paul Lazar, American talent agent, dies of kidney failure at 86
Dec 30 Mack David, American songwriter (Bachelor in Paradise), dies at 81
Dec 31 Arthur Dreifuss, director and producer (Murder in Amsterdam), dies at 85
Dec 31 Brandon Teena, American trans man and hate crime victim, murdered at 21
Dec 31 Lambert Fokkema, founder Dutch Export Combination, dies at 80
Dec 31 Thomas J. Watson Jr., American businessman (President of IBM, 1952-71), and US Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1979-81), dies of a stroke at 79
Dec 31 Zviad Gamsachurdia, President of Georgia SSR (1991-1993), suicide at 54

On This Day