Historical Events
- Dec 1 The US economy has been in recession since December 2007, the National Bureau of Economic Research announces today
Ballon d'Or
Dec 2 Ballon d'Or: Manchester United's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo wins his first award as best football player in the world; Barcelona forward Lionel Messi 2nd, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres 3rd
- Dec 2 Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns after the 2008 Thailand political crisis
O. J. Simpson Sentenced
Dec 5 Former NFL star O.J. Simpson is sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery
Nicholas II Remains Identified
Dec 5 Human remains previously found in 1991 are finally identified by Russian and American scientists as those of Tsar Nicholas II
- Dec 6 13th Big 12 Championship Game: #4 Oklahoma beats #19 Missouri, 62-21
- Dec 6 17th SEC Championship Game: #2 Florida beats #1 Alabama, 31-20
- Dec 6 4th ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech beats #18 Boston College, 30-12
Bettie Page Hospitalized
Dec 6 American pin-up model Bettie Page (85) is hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a heart attack
- Dec 8 Kirsty Williams elected as Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The first female leader of a political party in Wales.
Blagojevich Arrested
Dec 9 Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is arrested by federal officials for a number of alleged crimes, including attempting to sell the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama
Bernie Madoff Arrested
Dec 11 Bernie Madoff arrested and charged with securities fraud in $50 billion Ponzi scheme
- Dec 12 Andrei Klepach, Deputy Economic Minister of Russia, states that Russia has entered a recession, with two quarters of contraction expected, meaning Russia will fall short of reaching the 6.8% growth forecast for 2008
Bush Gets Shoes Thrown at Him
Dec 14 President George W. Bush make his fourth and final trip to Iraq as president and is almost struck by two shoes thrown at him by Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi during a farewell conference in Baghdad
- Dec 15 74th Heisman Trophy Award: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (QB)
Event of Interest
Dec 17 Joe Lieberman endorses Republican Senator John McCain for president
Kochhar Successes Kamat at ICICI
Dec 19 Chanda Kochhar is named as the successor of K. V. Kamath to the post of CEO and Managing Director of ICICI Bank
Sixth Coach to Win 1,000
Dec 25 Phil Jackson becomes the sixth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games as his LA Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 92-83 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles
Broncos Fire Shanahan
Dec 30 NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos
2008 History
Famous Weddings
Craig Ferguson
Dec 21 Scottish-American comic and talk show host Craig Ferguson (46) weds American art dealer Megan Wallace Cunningham (26) at her family's home in Chester, Vermont
Woody Harrelson
Dec 28 American "Cheers" actor Woody Harrelson (47) weds second wife, longtime girlfriend Laura Louie (43) in Maui Island, Hawaii
- Dec 31 Former American Idol finalist Gina Glocksen (24) weds teacher Joe Ruzicka (32) at the Century Memorial Chapel at Naperville Settlement in Naperville, Illinois
Famous Divorces
- Dec 1 "CSI" actress Marg Helgenberger (50) divorces actor Alan Rosenberg (58) due to irreconcilable differences after 19 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Dec 1 Joseph B. Wirthlin, American businessmen, religious leader, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), dies at 91
- Dec 1 Mikel Laboa, Basque singer and songwriter (b. 1934)
- Dec 1 Paul Benedict, American actor (Harry-Jeffersons), dies at 70
- Dec 2 (Edward) "Ted" Rogers, Canadian entrepreneur (Rogers Communications), MLB team owner (Toronto Blue Jays), and philanthropist, dies of congestive heart failure at 75
- Dec 2 Kathleen Baskin-Ball, American United Methodist Pastor
- Dec 2 Odetta [Odetta Holmes], American folk singer (Sanctuary), actress and civil rights activist, dies of heart disease at 77
- Dec 2 Renato de Grandis, Italian composer, dies at 81
- Dec 3 Robert Zajonc, Polish-American social psychologist (b. 1923)
- Dec 4 Forrest J. Ackerman, American literary agent and writer who invented the term "sci-fi (Famous Monsters of Filmland), dies at 92
- Dec 4 Fritz Behrendt, German-Dutch political cartoonist (Het Parool; De Telegraaf; New York Herald Tribune), dies at 83
- Dec 5 Anca Parghel, Romanian jazz singer and composer (b. 1957)
- Dec 5 Basil Kelly, Irish barrister, politician and judge (Lord Chief Justice), dies at 88
- Dec 5 Beverly Garland [Fessenden], American actress (My Three Sons, Scarecrow and Mrs. King), dies at 82
- Dec 5 Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu, Romanian politician and president of the Association of Romanian Former Political Prisoners. (b. 1928)
- Dec 5 Nina Foch, Dutch-American actress (The Ten Commandments, Spartacus, An American in Paris), dies from complications of myelodysplastic syndrome at 84
- Dec 5 Patriarch Alexy II of Russia, head of the Russian Orthodox Church (b. 1929)
- Dec 7 Dennis Yost, American vocalist, dies at 65
- Dec 7 Marky Cielo, Filipino and Igorot dancer and actor (b. 1988)
- Dec 8 Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer and writer, dies at 83
- Dec 8 Robert Prosky, Polish-American actor and comedian (Christine, Thief), dies at 77
- Dec 9 Ibrahim Dossey, Ghanaian football player (b. 1972)
- Dec 9 Yury Glazkov, Soviet Air Force officer and cosmonaut (Soyuz 24), dies at 69
- Dec 10 Didith Reyes [Maria Avenila], Filipino pop singer, dies of a heart attack at 59
- Dec 10 Dorothy Porter, Australian poet (The Monkey's Mask), librettist, (The Eternity Man), and lyricist (The Fiery Maze), dies of breast cancer at 54
- Dec 10 Henning Christiansen, Danish experimental composer, dies at 76
Bettie Page (1923-2008)
Dec 11 American pinup model considered the 'Queen of Pinups' and the 'Dark Angel', dies at 85
- Dec 11 Maddie Blaustein, American voice actress (b. 1960)
- Dec 11 Ron Carey, American labor leader (International Brotherhood of Teamsters), dies of lung cancer at 72
- Dec 12 (Charles) Van Johnson, American actor (in A Guy Named Joe; Brigadoon) always wore red socks, dies at 92
- Dec 12 Avery Dulles, American clergyman, Roman Catholic cardinal, theologian, and educator, dies at 90
- Dec 12 Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, American virologist, (1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on transmissibility of kuru), dies at 85 [1]
- Dec 12 Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot lawyer and politician (President, 2003-08), dies at cancer at 74
- Dec 13 Horst Tappert, German director, actor and former SS member (Derrick), dies of diabetes at 85
- Dec 13 John Drake, New Zealand rugby union footballer (b. 1959)
- Dec 13 Kathy Staff [Minnie Higginbottom], British actress (Mary Reilly, Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours), dies from a brain tumour at 80
- Dec 14 Ramon Barce, Spanish composer, dies at 80
- Dec 15 Geraldine McCullough, American painter and sculptor (Phoenix), dies at 91
- Dec 15 León Febres Cordero, Ecuadorian politician (President of Ecuador 1984-88), dies at 77
- Dec 17 Dave Smith, American baseball player (b. 1955)
- Dec 17 Freddy Breck, German schlager singer, composer, record producer and news anchor, dies of cancer at 66
Sammy Baugh (1914-2008)
Dec 17 American College/Pro Football quarterback (TCU; NFL C'ship 1937, 42; 4 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; 4 × NFL passing yards leader; Washington Redskins), dies at 94
- Dec 18 Jack Douglas, English actor (Carry On films), dies at 81
- Dec 18 Majel Barrett, American actress and producer (Star Trek), and the widow of Gene Roddenberry, dies at 76
- Dec 18 Mark Felt, the infamous "Deep Throat", American FBI official and whistle blower during the Watergate Scandal dies aged 95
- Dec 19 Carol Chomsky, American linguist and education specialist (b. 1930)
- Dec 19 Dock Ellis, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star, World Series 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates; pitched no-hitter 1971), dies of liver issues at 63
James Bevel (1936-2008)
Dec 19 American civil rights activist (Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Direct Action), dies of cancer at 72
- Dec 19 Kenny Cox, American jazz pianist dies of lung cancer at 68
- Dec 20 Dorothy Sarnoff, American operatic soprano, Broadway actress (Rosalinda), author and pioneer of the self-help movement (Speech Can Change Your Life, Speech Dynamics), dies at 94
- Dec 22 Lansana Conté, Guinean politician, dies at 74
- Dec 23 Eric Charles Twelves Wilson, English British Army officer (awarded Victoria Cross), dies at 96
Harold Pinter (1930-2008)
Dec 24 British playwright and screenwriter (The Birthday Party, The Homecoming), dies at 78
Samuel P. Huntington (1927-2008)
Dec 24 American political scientist (The Clash of Civilizations) and presidential adviser, dies at 81
- Dec 25 Eartha Kitt, American singer (Santa Baby), dancer, comedian, actress and activist (Catwoman-Batman), dies at 81
- Dec 26 Gösta Krantz, Swedish actor (b. 1925)
- Dec 27 Delaney Bramlett, American rocker (Shindogs; Delaney & Bonnie), dies at 69
- Dec 29 Daniel Nagrin, American modern dancer and choreographer, dies at 91
- Dec 29 Freddie Hubbard, American jazz trumpet player (b. 1938)
- Dec 29 Kees [Cornelis Pieter] van Dijk, Dutch minister of the Interior, dies at 77
- Dec 30 Derek Wadsworth, British jazz composer and arranger, dies at 69
- Dec 30 Dick Green, Canadian actor
- Dec 31 Donald E. Westlake, American author (The Hunter), dies at 75
