Births
1117 - Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury
1518 - Mark van Vaernewijck, Flemish nobleman/politician
1537 - Johan III, king of Sweden (1569-92)
1573 - Mathurin R‚gnier, French poet (Macette)
1616 - Pietro Andrea Ziani, composer
1628 - Samuel Friedrich Capricornus, composer
1639 - Jean Racin, writer
1728 - Hermann Friedrich Raupach, composer
1756 - Thomas Anton Kunz, composer
1800 - Barnwell Rhett Robert, (Confederacy), died in 1876
1804 - Benjamin Disraeli, (Tory) British PM (1868, 1874-80)
1810 - Ludwig Schuncke, composer
1815 - Thomas Couture, French painter/author
1818 - Amalia, wife of king Otto of Greece
1818 - Lewis H Morgan, US, etnologist (Systems of Consanguinity)
1823 - Jean Henri Fabre, France, entomologist (insects & spiders)
1826 - Ernst Pauer, composer
1832 - John Henry Ketcham, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 190
1840 - Mehmed N Kemal, Turkish journalist (Vatan)
1848 - Edward Everett Rice, composer
1849 - James Lane Allen, US writer (Kentucky Cardinal)
1850 - Zdenek Fibich, composer
1853 - Isolde Kurz, German writer/poetess (Meine Mutter)
1859 - Gustave Kahn, France, poet (claimed to have invented vers libre)
1860 - Henrietta Szold, founder (Hadassah)
1867 - John Winter Thompson, composer
1872 - Albert P Terhune, US, novelist (Lad, a Dog)
1874 - Juan Bautista Sacasa, pres of Nicaragua (1932-36)
1879 - Joseph Stalin, [Dzoegashvili], Russian dictator; murdered 11,000,000
1879 - Theodore Limperg, business economist (substitute value)
1879 - Joseph Stalin
1886 - George Norman Peterkin, composer
1886 - Hermann A J Kees, German Egyptologist (Problems of Egyptology)
1890 - Fred M Vinson, US Supreme Court Justice (1946-53)
1891 - John W McCormack, (D) Speaker of House (1962-70)
1892 - Rebecca West, [Cicily I F Andrews], Engl author (Meaning of Treason)
1892 - Walter Hagen, Rochester NY, PGA golfer (US Open 1914, 19)
1895 - Paul Hoffer, composer
1896 - Carl Romme, Dutch catholic foreman/KVP-min Socialist Business
1896 - Constantine Rokossovski, Russian marshal/vice-premier of Poland
1896 - Leroy Robertson, composer
1898 - EugŠne Dabit, French writer/painter (H“tel du Nord)
1898 - Ira S Bowen, US physicist/astronomer (Mt Wilson/Palomar)
1899 - Guy Wilkerson, TX, actor (Dead or Alive, West of Texas, Shootin' Iron
1900 - Oda Schaefer, German author/poet (Die Windharfe, Ladies Only)
1900 - Wischnewski, writer
1901 - Juan A de Zunzunegui y Loredo, Spanish writer
1901 - Robin Irvine, London England, actor (Easy Virtue)
1905 - Anthony Powell, England, novelist (Infants of Spring)
1907 - Garmt Stuiveling, Dutch literary (Poet in Love)
1908 - Pat Weaver, LA Calif, TV Executive (started Today show)
1909 - George Ball, Iowa, lawyer/undersecretary of state
1909 - Seich“ Matsumoto, Dutch Japanese detective/playwright (10 to Sen)
1911 - Josh Gibson, pro baseball player, "Negro Babe Ruth" (hit 800+ HRs)
1911 - Paul Burkhard, composer
1913 - Raich Carter, soccer star
1916 - Eve Perrick, journalist
1916 - John Boon, publisher
1917 - Alicia Alonso, Havana Cuba, ballerina (American Ballet Theatre)
1917 - Andre Eglevsky, choreographer (Limelight)
1917 - Heinrich B”ll, Germ, writer (Group Portrait with Lady, Nobel '72) [NS
1918 - Donald Regan, White House staffer/US Secretary of Treasury (1981-85)
1918 - Kurt Waldheim, Nazi/4th UN Sec-Gen (1972-81)/Austrian pres (1986-92)
1919 - Gert Fredriksson, Sweden, 1K kayak (Olympic-gold-1948, 52, 56)
1921 - Alica Alonso, Havana, ballerina
1921 - James Tye, safety expert
1921 - Joan Dickson, cellist
1922 - Paul Winchell, NYC, ventriloquist (Jerry Mahoney, Knucklehead Smith)
1922 - Paul Winchell
1924 - Joe Paterno, football coach (Penn State, SI Sportsman of 1986)
1924 - Johan W "Jo" van Marle, KNVB-chairman (1980-93)
1924 - Rita Reys, [Maria Reijs], Dutch jazz singer
1926 - John Herbert McDowell, composer
1926 - Pedro Gonzales-Gonzalez, Aguilares Tx, actor (Rio Bravo)
1927 - Michael Carreras, film director
1928 - Ed Nelson, New Orleans La, actor (Peyton Place, A Long Came a Spider)
1928 - Thomas Rajna, composer
1929 - Jack Philip Cannon, composer
1930 - Willem R "Wim" van der Zee, secretary of Council of Churches
1931 - Caroline Kaart, [Paterson Raitt], Dutch alto singer
1931 - David Baker, Indianapolis Indiana, composer (Reflections)
1932 - Ilja Zeljenka, composer
1933 - Huib Eversdijk, Dutch 2nd chamber member (CDA)
1933 - Jackie Hendriks, cricketer (West Indian wicket-keeper of 60's)
1933 - Miklos Kocsar, composer
1934 - Hanif Mohammad, cricketer (prolific Pakistani batsman 1952-69)
1935 - Phil Donahue, Cleve Ohio, talk show host (Phil Donahue Show)
1935 - Phil Donahue
1937 - Harald, Crown Prince, son of King Olav V, heir apparent of Norway
1937 - Jane Fonda, NYC, actress (Barbarella, Klute), physically fit
1937 - Jane Fonda
1938 - Larry Bryggman, Concord CA, actor (Dr John Dixon-As the World Turns)
1940 - Frank Zappa, Baltimore, rocker (Mothers of Invention, Catholic Girls)
1940 - Paul, [Ray Hildebrand], Tx, singer (Hey Paula)
1940 - Frank Zappa
1942 - Carla Thomas, US singer (Let Me Be Good to You)
1943 - Albert Lee, rocker
1943 - Jack Nance, actor (Rubbed Out)
1943 - Walter Spanghero, French rugby player
1944 - Jared Martin, NYC, actor (Varian-Fantastic Voyage, Dusty-Dallas)
1944 - Michael Tilson Thomas, LA Calif, conductor (NY Phil Young People)
1945 - Doug Walters, cricketer (Aussie batting genius 1965-81 Extrovert)
1945 - Millie Hughes-Fulford, Wells Tx, astronaut (STS 40)
1946 - Carl Dean Wilson, Hawthorne Calif, rock vocalist (Beach Boys-Barbie)
1946 - Christopher Keene, Berkeley Calif, conductor (La Traviata)
1946 - Josh Mostel, NY, actor (Windy City, Animal Behavior, Money Pit)
1948 - Barry Gordon, Brookline Mass, actor (Gary-Archie Bunker's Place)
1948 - Carol Potter, NYC, actress (Beverly Hills 90210, Today's FBI)
1948 - Dave Kingman, baseball player (Mets, Yanks, Giants)
1948 - Samuel L Jackson, actor (Amos & Andrew, White Sand, Pulp Fiction)
1948 - Willem AFG Vermeend, Dutch economist/undersecretary of Finance (1994-
1948 - Samuel L. Jackson
1952 - Dennis Boutsikaris, Newark NJ, actor (Batteries Not Included)
1952 - Steve Furniss, US swimmer (Olympics-bronze-1972)
1953 - Andras Schiff, Budapest Hungary, pianist (Tchaikovsky-1974)
1953 - Arie Luyendyk, Netherlands, Indy-car racer (1990 Indianapolis 500)
1953 - Betty Wright, US gospel/singer/TV hostess (Little Miss Broadway)
1953 - Tina Brown, journalist (New Yorker)
1954 - Chris Evert Lloyd Mills, Ft Lauderdale, tennis pro 'Miss pokerface'
1954 - Chris Evert
1956 - Kevin Burnham, Hollis NY, 470 yachter (Olympics-8th-1992, 96)
1956 - Lee Roy Parnell, Abilene Texas, country singer (Oughta be a Law)
1957 - Joshua Mostel, NYC, actor (Delta House, At Ease)
1957 - Lisa Gerritsen, LA Calif, actress (Bess-Mary Tyler Moore Show)
1957 - Ray Romano, Queens NY, actor (Ray Barone-Everybody Loves Raymond)
1959 - Florence Griffith Joyner, LA Calif, runner (Olympic-3 gold-1988)
1959 - Florence Griffith
1960 - Andy Van Slyke, baseball player
1960 - Michael Swain, Elizabeth NJ, judoka (Olympics-bronze-88)
1960 - Roger McDowell, Cincinnati OH, pitcher (NY Mets, Balt Orioles)
1961 - Trevor Bayliss, cricketer (NSW batsman)
1962 - Christy Forester, Lookout Mt Ga, country singer (Forester Sister-Men)
1964 - Ed Jongsma, Dutch pop bassist (Sleeze Beez-Look Like Hell)
1964 - Joey Kocur, Calgary, NHL right wing (Vancouver Canucks)
1964 - Keith Taylor, NFL safety (Washington Redskins)
1965 - Andy Dick, Charleston SC, actor (Matthew-Newsradio)
1965 - Gabrielle Glaser, musician (Luscious Jackson)
1965 - Rodney Thomas, WLAF cornerback (Barcelona Dragons)
1965 - Sue Thomas, Texarkana TX, LPGA golfer (1991 Orix Hawaiian Ladies-14th
1966 - Kiefer Sutherland
1967 - Ervin Johnson, NBA center (Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks)
1967 - Kristi Cooke, Marion Ohio, Miss Ohio-America (1991)
1967 - Terry Mills, NBA forward (Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons)
1968 - Anthony Lynn, NFL running back (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
1968 - Khrystyne Haje, Santa Clara, Cal, actress (Simone-Head of the Class)
1969 - Chuck Smith, NFL defensive end (Atlanta Falcons)
1969 - Julie Delpy, actress (Before Sunrise)
1969 - Leon Searcy, NFL offensive tackle (Pitts Steelers, Jackson Jaguars)
1970 - Irving Spikes, NFL running back (Miami Dolphins)
1970 - Monique Ambers, WNBA forward (Phoenix Mercury)
1970 - Ronnie Woolfork, WLAF linebacker (Frankfurt Galaxy)
1971 - Ernest Hunter, NFL running back (Cleve Browns)
1971 - Irena Slavutskay, Israel, athlete (Oly-1996)
1971 - Jey Phillips, WLAF DB (Amsterdam Admirals)
1971 - Tommie Boyd, NFL/WLAF receiver (Detroit Lions, Rhein Fire)
1973 - Mike Alstott, fullback (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
1974 - Karrie Webb, Ayr Queensland Aus, LPGA golfer (1994 Aust Strokeplay)
1974 - Raymond Austin, cornerback/safety (NY Jets)
1974 - Tommie Boyd, wide reciever (Detroit Lions)
1978 - Amber Corwin, Harbor City Ca, figure skater (1997 National Sr - 5th)
1978 - Michael Vitar, LA Calif, actor (D2, D3, Sunset Grill, Sandlot Kids)
Events
1163 - Hurricane hits villages in Holland/Friesland, causing floods
1561 - Archbishop Granvelle installed
1582 - Flanders adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is Jan 1 1583
1620 - 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock [OS=Dec 11]
1650 - Johan de Witt installed as Dutch pension advisor of Dordrecht
1688 - Pro-James II-earl of Devonshire occupies Nottingham
1762 - James Cook marries Elizabeth Batts
1784 - John Jay becomes 1st US secretary of state (foreign affairs)
1788 - Hue Tay Son becomes emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam
1829 - 1st stone arch railroad bridge in US dedicated, Baltimore
1835 - HMS Beagle sails into Bay of Islands (New Zealand)
1849 - 1st US skating club formed (Phila)
1864 - Gen Sherman conquers Savannah
1866 - Cheyennes, Arapho's, Sioux, Fetterman Massacre
1890 - Pim Mulier 1st & only trip to "Alvesteddetocht"
1891 - 18 students play 1st basketball game (Springfield College)
1898 - Scientists Pierre & Marie Curie discovers radium
1900 - Gerhart Hauptmann's "Michael Kramer," premieres in Berlin
1907 - Dutch govt of De Master falls due to war budget
1909 - 1st junior high school established (Berkeley Calif)
1909 - Clyde Fitch' "City," premieres in NYC
1909 - U of Coopenhagen rejects Cook's claim that he was 1st to North Pole
1910 - Explosion in coal mine in Hulton England, 344 mine workers dies
1912 - Denmark, Norway & Sweden declare neutrality in Comende war
1913 - 1st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in NY World
1914 - "Tillie's Punctured Romance," 1st six-reel feature comedy debuts
1914 - 1st feature-length silent film comedy, "Tillie's Punctured Romance" released. (Marie Dressler,
1915 - 10.17" (25.83 cm) of rainfall, Glenora, Oregon (state record)
1918 - Red Sox trade Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore & Duffy Lewis to Yankees for Ray Caldwell & Slim Love
1919 - J Edgar Hoover deports anarchists/feminist Emma Goldman to Russia
1920 - Jerome Kern/BG DeSylva's musical "Sally," premieres in NYC
1921 - Supreme Court rules labor injunctions & picketing unconstitutional
1923 - Nepal changes from British protectorate to independent nation
1925 - Eisenstein's movie Potemkin premieres in Moscow
1925 - Stork Hendry scores 325 for Victoria against NZ
1926 - Soccer team DOS Struggle forms
1929 - 1st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas Tx)
1932 - Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, 1st joint movie (Flying Down to Rio)
1932 - Giants sign former outfielder Billy Southworth as a coach
1933 - Dried human blood serum 1st prepared, Univ of Pennsylvania
1933 - Fox signs Shirley Temple, 5, to a studio contract
1933 - Newfoundland reverts to being a crown colony
1936 - Bradman's 2nd consecutive Test Cricket duck! Australia all out 80
1937 - 1st feature-length color & sound cartoon premieres (Snow White)
1937 - O'Reilly completes 14-98 for cricket match, NSW v South Aust
1939 - Hitler named Adolf Eichmann leader of "Referat IV B"
1941 - Chicago Bears Ray McLean makes last NFL drop kick for an extra point
1941 - Chicago bears win the NFL championship
1941 - David Diamond's 1st Symphony, premieres
1941 - German submarine U-567 sinks
1941 - Last NFL drop kick for an extra point (Ray McLean, Chicago Bears)
1942 - US Supreme court declares Nevada separation legal
1944 - Cards' Marty Marion wins NL MVP
1945 - "Billion Dollar Baby" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 219 performances
1945 - Gould/Comden/Green's "Billion Dollar Baby," premieres in NYC
1946 - "If the Shoe Fits" closes at Century Theater NYC after 20 performances
1946 - Earthquake in South Japan, kills 1,086
1946 - Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," premieres
1946 - Morton Gould's "Minstrel Show," premieres in Indianapolis
1948 - O'Neil Place in the Bronx erronously renamed O'Neill Place
1948 - State of Eire (formerly Irish Free State) declares its independence
1949 - Dutch 1st Chamber accept soeveregnty of Indonesia
1950 - "Out of This World" opens at New Century Theater NYC for 157 perfs
1950 - Cole Porter's musical "Out of this World," premieres in NYC
1951 - Joe DiMaggio announces his retirement
1952 - Broadway Tunnel opens in SF
1952 - WSBT TV channel 22 in South Bend, IN (CBS) begins broadcasting
1953 - KOMU TV channel 8 in Columbia, MO (NBC/PBS) begins broadcasting
1954 - Dr Sam Sheppard's wife Marilyn is murdered (he is accused of crime)
1957 - Indonesia proclaims end to state of war
1958 - Charles De Gaulle wins 7 year term as 1st pres of 5th Rep of France
1959 - 10th largest snowfall in NYC history (13.7")
1959 - Citizens of Deerfield Ill block building of interracial housing
1959 - Shah of Persia marries Farah Diba
1959 - Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)
1961 - Beatles record "Sweet Georgia Brown" & "Ready Teddy"
1961 - JFK & British PM MacMillan meet in Bermuda
1962 - Angolin leaves Comecon
1962 - US & Cuba accord, releases bay of pigs captive
1966 - USSR launches Luna 13; soft-landed in Oceanus Procellarum
1968 - Apollo 8 (Borman, Lovell & Anders) 1st manned Moon voyage
1968 - David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash premiere together in Calif
1969 - Diana Ross final TV appearance as a Supreme (Ed Sullivan Show)
1969 - Vince Lombardi (Redskins) coaches his last football game, losing
1970 - WUTV TV channel 29 in Buffalo, NY (IND) begins broadcasting
1971 - UN Security Council chooses Kurt Waldheim as 4th secretary General
1972 - Soviet Union signs a separate peace with East Germany
1973 - Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, US & USSR meet in Geneva
1975 - "Hello, Dolly" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 51 performances
1975 - "Very Good Eddie" opens at Booth Theater NYC for 307 performances
1975 - 1st NY Jet to gain 1,000 yards rushing (John Riggins)
1975 - 64th Davis Cup: Sweden beats Czechoslovakia in Stockholm (3-2)
1975 - Madagascar adopts constitution
1975 - Buffalo Sabres set NHL record of 40 points beating Caps 14-2 scoring 5 goals vs Washington Cap
1976 - 20th Islander shut-out opponent-Billy Smith 3-0 vs Bruins
1976 - Patricia R Harris named secretary of HUD
1976 - UN General Assembly passes a resolution declaring 1979-Year of Child
1976 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1978 - "Broadway Musical" opens/closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC
1978 - Police in Des Plaines Ill, arrest John Wayne Gacy Jr for murder
1979 - Gary Unger plays in record 914th consecutive NHL game
1979 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1979 - Zimbabwe adopts constitution
1980 - Harold Carmichael ends NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions
1981 - Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
1983 - "Tap Dance Kid" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 669 performances
1983 - Loretta Swit weds Dennis Holahan
1983 - Musical "Tap Dance Kid" with H Battle premieres in NYC
1983 - NBA Indiana Pacers end a 28 game road losing streak
1983 - NCAA rules rescinded last 2-minute men's basketball free throw rule
1984 - Islander Kelly Hrudy's 1st shut-out win-Whalers 1-0
1984 - USSR launches Vega 2 for fly-by of Halley's Come
1985 - ARCO Anchorage runs aground near Port Angeles, WA
1985 - Alice Miller/Don January wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship
1985 - Heart's "Heart," album goes #1
1986 - 75th Davis Cup: Australia beats Sweden in Melbourne (3-2)
1986 - Amy Alcott/Bob Charles wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship
1987 - 3 white NY teens convicted of manslaughter in death of a black man
1987 - Soyuz TM-4 launches 3 cosmonauts to space station Mir
1987 - Vladimir Titov & Musa Manarov launched
1988 - Drexel agrees guilt to security felonies, pays a $650 million fine
1988 - NY bound Pan Am jumbo jet explodes over Scotland all 258 aboard die
1988 - Vladimir Titov & Musa Manarov return to earth (a year) with Chretien
1989 - Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final speech (executed 12/25)
1989 - VP Quayle sends out 30,000 Xmas cards with word beacon spelled beakon
1990 - Steve & Mark Waugh complete 464* partnership for NSW v WA
1991 - 95 share in Madrid Spain $1.3 billion lottery (#47996)
1991 - El Sayid Nosair acquitted of killing Meir Kahane
1991 - US actress Jane Fonda marries CNN-director Ted Turner
1991 - Soviet Union formally dissolves 11 of 12 republics sign treaty forming Commonwealth of Indepen
1992 - Dutch DC-10 in fire at landing on Faro Portugal, 56 die
1994 - Bomb goes off on #4 train on Fulton Street NYC
1995 - Martina Ertl of Germany wins her 3rd giant slalom world cup
1995 - SF Giants announce plans to build a new stadium to open in 2000
1996 - Pakistan all out 67 to lose to Tasmania by an inning
1997 - Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season
1997 - Detroit Lions linebacker Reggie Brown, knocked unconscious in game
1997 - Lexus Senior Golf Challenge
1997 - Wendy's Three-Tour Senior Golf Challenges
1997 - Wendy's Three-Tour LPGA Challenge
Deaths
918 - Conrad I, Duke of Franconia/German King (911-918), dies
1308 - Henry I, the Child, 1st landgrave of Hessen (1256-1308), dies
1375 - Boccaccio, writer, dies
1375 - Giovanni Boccaccio, Italian poet (Vita di Dante), dies
1429 - Jacquemart de Bl‚haries, Tournay "heretic", burned to death
1579 - Juan de Juanes, [Vicente J Ma‡ip], Spanish relig painter, dies at 56
1597 - Petrus Canisius, Dutch jesuit/saint, dies at 76
1674 - Rutger van Haersolte, viceroy of Overijsselse, dies at about 66
1734 - Philipp Hyacinth Lobkowitz, composer, dies at 54
1736 - Alessandro Galilei, Italian architect (Cappella Corsini), dies at 45
1755 - Caspar Ruetz, composer, dies at 47
1765 - Joseph Thadd„us Stammel, Austrian sculptor, dies at 70
1820 - Charles-Fran‡ois Dumonchau, composer, dies at 45
1859 - Nicolaas C Kist, Dutch church historian/archivist, dies at 66
1864 - William Henry Fry, composer, dies at 51
1889 - Joseph B Lightfoot, English theologist/bishop of Durham, dies at 61
1890 - Niels Vilhelm Gade, Danish composer, dies at 73
1906 - Adalbert von Goldschmidt, composer, dies at 58
1907 - Oskar Lassar, German dermatologist (public baths), dies at 58
1914 - A O Jones, cricketer (12 Tests for England 1899-1909), dies
1920 - Claude Tozer, cricketer (dashing NSW batsman, shot to death
1921 - P B S Pinchback, major Reconstruction politician, dies at 84
1927 - Jack Saunders, cricketer (79 wickets-14 Tests for Aust 1902-08), dies
1928 - Harry Butt, cricketer (England wicket-keeper v S Africa 1895-96), die
1928 - Luigi Cadorna, Italian fieldmarshal (WW I, Caporetto), dies at 78
1931 - John-French Cantr‚, Flemish wood carver/painter/cartoonist, dies at 4
1933 - Knud J V Rasmussen, Danish Pole explorer (Thule), dies at 54
1935 - Kurt Tucholsky, Ger journalist/writer (Panter, Tiger & Co), dies at 4
1937 - Frank Kellog, US foreign minister (Nobel 1929), dies at 80
1940 - F Scott Fitzgerald, author (Zelda), dies of a heart attack at 44
1942 - Leendert Round, sculptor (Giraffen, Blijdorp), dies at 63
1945 - George S Patton, US General (Sicily/Normandy), dies in car crash at 6
1948 - Seishiro Itagaki, Japanese General/min of War, hanged
1955 - Dorothy Bernard, actress (Margaret-Life With Father), dies at 65
1956 - Lewis M Terman, psychologist (Genetic studies of genius), dies at 79
1957 - Eric Coates, composer, dies at 71
1958 - H[arry] B[yron] Warner, actor (10 Commandments, New Moon), dies at 83
1958 - Lion Feuchtwanger, philosopher/writer (Der falsche Nero), dies at 74
1963 - Jack Hobbs, cricketer (61 Tests for England), dies
1965 - Claude Adonai Champagne, composer, dies at 74
1967 - Louis Washkansky, 18 days after 1st heart transplant, dies at 55
1967 - Stuart Erwin, actor (Trouble With Father), dies of heart attack at 64
1972 - Horace Mann Bond, president of Lincoln University (Pa), dies at 70
1974 - Richard Long, actor (Nanny & Professor), dies at 47
1975 - William Lundigan, announcer (CBS Mystery Theater), dies at 61
1976 - Edward Bartlett, cricketer (WI Test batsman in 5 Tests 1928-31), dies
1979 - Bill Anderson, cricketer (Test for NZ 1946, scored five & one), dies
1980 - Marc Connelly, playwright (One Minute Please), dies at 90
1983 - Rod Cameron, actor (Santa Fe Passage, Stampede), dies at 73
1987 - Robert Paige, actor (Son of Dracula, Pardon My Sarong), dies
1988 - Bob Steele, [Robert Bradbury], dies after short illness at 60
1988 - Nicholas Tinbergen, Dutch/British biologist, dies at 81
1989 - Elena Ceaucescu, wife of Romanian dictator Nicolae, executed
1989 - Jan Cikker, composer, dies at 78
1989 - Nicolae Ceaucescu, Romanian dictator (1945-89), executed
1992 - Albert King, US blues singer/guitarist (Crosscut Saw), dies at 71
1992 - Nathan Milstein, Ukrainian/US violist (Beethoven, Bach), dies at 87
1992 - Stella Adler, US actress (Love on Toast), dies at 90
1992 - Sybil Andrews, English/Canada painter, dies at 94
1993 - Philip Christison, British general (Rangoon), dies at 100
1994 - Dean Rusk, US Sect of State, dies at 85
1994 - Shauna McDonald Brown, British TV producer, dies at 37
1995 - Robert Francis Vere Heuston, professor of law, dies at 72
1995 - Trenchard Cox, museum director, dies at 90
1996 - Margaret E Rey, author of children's books, dies at 90
1996 - Olga Maria Nicolis di Robilant, patron of the arts, dies at 96
1997 - Bruce Woodcock, boxer, dies at 76
1997 - Juzo Itami, film director/actor (Lord Jim, Yuuguremade), dies at 64
1997 - Michael Lyne, air-marshal, dies at 78
370 Events for 21st December