December 12 is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 19 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday (58 in 400 years each) than on Thursday or Friday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Tuesday or Sunday (56).
627 – Battle of Nineveh : A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh .
1098 – First Crusade : Siege of Ma'arrat al-Numan : Crusaders breach the town's walls and massacre about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they reportedly resort to cannibalism .
1388 – Mary of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice .
1408 – The Order of the Dragon a monarchical chivalric order is created by Sigismund of Luxembourg , then King of Hungary.
1781 – American Revolutionary War : Second Battle of Ushant : A British fleet led by HMS Victory defeats a French fleet.
1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution , five days after Delaware became the first.
1862 – American Civil War : USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River , becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine.
1870 – Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman , the first being Hiram Revels .
1897 – Belo Horizonte , the first planned city in Brazil , is founded.
1901 – Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [***] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland .
1911 – Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.
1911 – King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are enthroned as Emperor and Empress of India .
1915 – President of the Republic of China , Yuan Shikai , announces his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China .
1917 – In Nebraska , Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.
1918 – The Flag of Estonia is raised atop the Pikk Hermann for the first time.
1925 – The Majlis of Iran votes to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran , starting the Pahlavi dynasty .
1935 – Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler .
1936 – Xi'an Incident : The Generalissimo of the Republic of China , Chiang Kai-shek , is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang .
1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War : USS Panay incident : Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat USS Panay on the Yangtze river in China.
1939 – Winter War : Battle of Tolvajärvi : Finnish forces defeat those of the Soviet Union in their first major victory of the conflict.
1939 – HMS Duchess sinks after a collision with HMS Barham off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.
1940 – World War II : Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel , Fitzalan Square , Sheffield , as a result of a German air raid .
1941 – World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines . Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.
1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria . Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.
1941 – Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery
1942 – World War II: German troops begin Operation Winter Storm , an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad .
1942 – A fire in a hostel in St. John's, Newfoundland , kills 100 people.
1946 – A fire at a New York City ice plant spreads to a nearby tenement, killing 37 people.
1948 – Malayan Emergency : Batang Kali massacre : Fourteen members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaya allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.
1950 – Paula Ackerman , the first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leads the congregation in her first services.
1956 – Beginning of the Irish Republican Army 's "Border Campaign ".
1956 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 121 relating to Japan on membership in United Nations.
1958 – Guinea joins the United Nations .
1963 – Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
1964 – Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta becomes the first President of the Republic of Kenya .
1969 – Years of Lead : Piazza Fontana bombing : The offices of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana, Milan , are bombed.
1979 – Coup d'état of December Twelfth : South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-ha , alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung-hee .
1979 – President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam .
1979 – The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia .
1979 – The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent ), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
1983 – The Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floats the Australian dollar .
1984 – Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya becomes the third president of Mauritania after a coup d'état against Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla while the latter is attending a summit.
1985 – Arrow Air Flight 1285 , a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 , crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland , killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division .
1988 – The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.
1991 – The Russian Federation gains independence from the USSR .
2000 – The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore .
2001 – Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Văn Khải announces the decision on upgrading Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng to the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park , providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps.
2012 – North Korea successfully launches its first satellite , Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 , using an Unha-3 carrier rocket.
1298 – Albert II, Duke of Austria (d. 1358)
1526 – Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz , Spanish admiral (d. 1588)
1574 – Anne of Denmark (d. 1619)
1610 – Basil of Ostrog , Serbian monk and saint (d. 1671)
1685 – Lodovico Giustini , Italian pianist and composer (d. 1743)
1712 – Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine (d. 1780)
1724 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood , English admiral and politician (d. 1816)
1731 – Erasmus Darwin , English physician and poet (d. 1802)
1745 – John Jay , American jurist and politician, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1829)
1766 – Nikolay Karamzin , Russian poet and historian (d. 1826)
1779 – Madeleine Sophie Barat , French nun and saint, founded the Society of the Sacred Heart (d. 1865)
1786 – William L. Marcy , American lawyer, judge, and politician, 21st United States Secretary of State (d. 1857)
1791 – Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (d. 1847)
1792 – Alexander Ypsilantis , Greek-Russian general and politician, Military ruler of Moldavia (d. 1828)
1799 – Karl Bryullov , Russian painter (d. 1852)
1805 – William Lloyd Garrison , American journalist and activist, founded The Liberator (d. 1879)
1805 – Henry Wells , American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (d. 1878)
1806 – Stand Watie , American general (d. 1871)
1812 – John Sandfield Macdonald , Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Ontario (d. 1872)
1814 – Juan Prim, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos , Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1870)
1821 – Gustave Flaubert , French author and playwright (d. 1880)
1842 – Adolf Bötticher , German journalist and historian (d. 1901)
1845 – Bruce Price , American architect, designed the American Surety Building and Bank of the Metropolis (d. 1903)
1849 – William Kissam Vanderbilt , American businessman and horse breeder (d. 1920)
1862 – J. Bruce Ismay , English businessman (d. 1937)
1863 – Edvard Munch , Norwegian painter and illustrator (d. 1944)
1864 – Paul Elmer More , American journalist, author, and critic (d. 1937)
1866 – Alfred Werner , Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)
1870 – Walter Benona Sharp , American businessman, co-founded Hughes Tool Company (d. 1912)
1875 – Gerd von Rundstedt , German field marshal (d. 1953)
1876 – Alvin Kraenzlein , American hurdler and runner (d. 1928)
1881 – Harry Warner , Polish-American businessman, co-founded Warner Bros. (d. 1958)
1882 – Ioannis Demestichas , Greek admiral and politician (d. 1960)
1884 – Zinaida Serebriakova , Ukrainian-French painter (d. 1967)
1887 – Kurt Atterberg , Swedish composer and engineer (d. 1974)
1892 – Milko Kos , Slovenian historian and academic (d. 1972)
1893 – Edward G. Robinson , Romanian-American actor and singer (d. 1973)
1900 – Sammy Davis, Sr. , American actor and dancer (d. 1988)
1901 – Harald Kaarmann , Estonian footballer (d. 1942)
1902 – Adele Dunlap , American educator
1902 – Koloman Sokol , Slovak-American painter and illustrator (d. 2003)
1903 – Dagmar Nordstrom , American singer-songwriter and pianist (Nordstrom Sisters ) (d. 1976)
1903 – Yasujirō Ozu , Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 1963)
1904 – Nicolas de Gunzburg , French-American banker, journalist, and actor (d. 1981)
1905 – Manès Sperber , Austrian-French psychologist and author (d. 1984)
1905 – Vasily Grossman , Russian journalist and author (d. 1964)
1907 – Roy Douglas , English pianist and composer (d. 2015)
1908 – Gustav Ernesaks , Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1993)
1909 – Hans Keilson , German-Dutch psychologist, author, and poet (d. 2011)
1909 – Karen Morley , American actress and singer (d. 2003)
1911 – Boun Oum , Laotian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Laos (d. 1980)
1914 – Patrick O'Brian , English author and translator (d. 2000)
1915 – Frank Sinatra , American singer, actor, and producer (d. 1998)
1917 – James Wall , American actor and manager (d. 2010)
1918 – Joe Williams , American singer and pianist (d. 1999)
1919 – Olivia Barclay , English astrologer and author (d. 2001)
1919 – Dan DeCarlo , American soldier and illustrator (d. 2001)
1919 – B. B. Nimbalkar , Indian cricketer (d. 2012)
1920 – Josef Doležal , Czech race walker (d. 1999)
1920 – Fred Kida , American illustrator (d. 2014)
1922 – Christian Dotremont , Belgian painter and poet (d. 1979)
1923 – Bob Barker , American game show host and producer
1923 – Ken Kavanagh , Australian race car driver and motorcycle racer
1924 – Ray Cordeiro , Hong Kong radio and television host
1924 – Ed Koch , American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (d. 2013)
1925 – Vladimir Shainsky , Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer
1925 – Ahmad Shamloo , Iranian journalist and poet (d. 2000)
1927 – Robert Noyce , American inventor and businessman, co-founded the Intel Corporation (d. 1990)
1928 – Chinghiz Aitmatov , Kyrgyzstani diplomat and author (d. 2008)
1928 – Helen Frankenthaler , American painter and academic (d. 2011)
1928 – Ernst-Hugo Järegård , Swedish actor (d. 1998)
1929 – Toshiko Akiyoshi , Japanese pianist and composer (Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band )
1929 – John Osborne , English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1994)
1930 – Bill Beutel , American journalist (d. 2006)
1930 – Silvio Santos , Brazilian television host and businessman, founded Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão
1931 – Lionel Blair , English actor, dancer, and choreographer
1932 – Bob Pettit , American basketball player and coach
1933 – Christa Stubnick , German sprinter
1934 – Miguel de la Madrid , Mexican lawyer and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (d. 2012)
1935 – John Wise , Canadian farmer and politician, 23rd Minister of Agriculture (d. 2013)
1936 – Iolanda Balaș , Romanian high jumper and educator (d. 2016)
1936 – Denise Coffey , English actress and director
1937 – Michael Jeffery , Australian general and politician, 24th Governor-General of Australia
1937 – Philip Ledger , English pianist, composer, and academic (d. 2012)
1937 – Buford Pusser , American police officer (d. 1974)
1938 – Connie Francis , American singer and actress
1940 – Sharad Pawar , Indian politician, Indian Minister of Agriculture
1940 – Dionne Warwick , American singer and actress
1941 – Tim Hauser , American singer (The Manhattan Transfer ) (d. 2014)
1942 – Fatma Girik , Turkish actress and politician
1942 – Morris Sadek , Egyptian-American lawyer and activist
1942 – Brough Scott , English jockey and journalist
1943 – Vassilis Alexakis , Greek-French author and translator
1943 – Dickey Betts , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Allman Brothers Band )
1943 – Sadeq Tabatabaei , Iranian journalist and politician (d. 2015)
1943 – Grover Washington, Jr. , American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer (d. 1999)
1944 – Jean Doré , Canadian lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Montreal (d. 2015)
1944 – Cara Duff-MacCormick , Canadian actress
1944 – Rob Tyner , American singer-songwriter and bass player (MC5 ) (d. 1991)
1945 – Portia Simpson-Miller , Jamaican politician, 7th Prime Minister of Jamaica
1945 – Tony Williams , American drummer, composer, and producer (The Tony Williams Lifetime ) (d. 1997)
1947 – Will Alsop , English architect and academic, designed the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre
1947 – Wings Hauser , American actor, director, and screenwriter
1947 – Hülya Koçyiğit , Turkish actress
1947 – Chris Mullin , English journalist and politician
1949 – Gopinath Munde , Indian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2014)
1949 – Bill Nighy , English actor
1949 – Marc Ravalomanana , Malagasy businessman and politician, President of Madagascar
1950 – Rajinikanth , Indian actor, producer, and screenwriter
1950 – Pedro Ferriz de Con , Mexican journalist
1950 – Heiner Flassbeck , German economist and academic
1950 – Gorman Thomas , American baseball player
1950 – Billy Smith , Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
1951 – Rehman Malik , Pakistani politician, Pakistani Minister of Interior
1952 – Herb Dhaliwal , Indian-Canadian businessman and politician, 3rd Canadian Minister of Natural Resources
1952 – Sarah Douglas , English actress
1952 – Helen Dunmore , English poet and author
1952 – Cathy Rigby , American gymnast and actress
1953 – Martin Ferguson , Australian lawyer and politician
1953 – Bruce Kulick , American guitarist and songwriter (Kiss , Grand Funk Railroad , Blackjack , Union , and Eric Singer Project )
1953 – Rafael Septién , Mexican-American football player
1954 – Hemant Karkare , Indian police officer (d. 2008)
1955 – Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki , Greek businesswoman
1955 – Eddy Schepers , Belgian cyclist
1955 – Stephen Smith , Australian lawyer and politician, 53rd Australian Minister of Defence
1956 – Johan van der Velde , Dutch cyclist
1957 – Sheila E. , American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actress
1959 – Jasper Conran , English fashion designer
1960 – Martina Hellmann , German discus thrower
1961 – Andrey Perlov , Russian race walker
1962 – Tracy Austin , American tennis player and sportscaster
1962 – Arturo Barrios , Mexican-American runner
1962 – Peter Bergen , American-English journalist and author
1962 – Mike Golic , American football player and radio host
1962 – Ulrike Tillmann , German mathematician and academic
1963 – Eduardo Castro Luque , Mexican businessman and politician (d. 2012)
1964 – Reeta Chakrabarti , English journalist
1964 – Haywood Jeffires , American football player and coach
1966 – Royce Gracie , Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and actor
1966 – Ian Paisley, Jr. , Northern Irish politician
1966 – Lydia Zimmermann , Spanish actress and director
1967 – Yuzo Koshiro , Japanese composer and producer
1967 – John Randle , American football player
1968 – Rory Kennedy , American director and producer
1968 – Sašo Udovič , Slovenian footballer
1968 – Laurie Williams , Jamaican cricketer (d. 2002)
1969 – Sophie Kinsella , English author and educator
1969 – Wilfred Kirochi , Kenyan runner
1969 – Fiona May , English-Italian long jumper
1969 – Michael Möllenbeck , German discus thrower
1969 – Carrie Westcott , American model and actress
1970 – Mädchen Amick , American actress
1970 – Jennifer Connelly , American actress
1970 – Regina Hall , American actress
1971 – Sammy Korir , Kenyan runner
1972 – Nicky Eaden , English footballer and coach
1972 – Wilson Kipketer , Kenyan-Danish runner
1972 – Georgios Theodoridis , Greek sprinter
1972 – Hank Williams III , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Assjack , Superjoint Ritual , and Arson Anthem )
1973 – Gary Breen , English-Irish footballer and manager
1973 – Tony Hsieh , American businessman, founded LinkExchange
1973 – Walter Otta , Argentinian footballer
1974 – Bernard Lagat , Kenyan-American runner
1974 – Nolberto Solano , Peruvian footballer and manager
1975 – Mayim Bialik , American actress
1975 – Wesley Charles , Vincentian footballer
1975 – Craig Moore , Australian footballer and manager
1975 – Houko Kuwashima , Japanese voice actress and singer
1976 – Dan Hawkins , English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (The Darkness and Stone Gods )
1976 – Lloyd Owusu , Ghanaian footballer
1976 – Asaka Seto , Japanese actress
1977 – Yoel Hernández , Cuban hurdler
1977 – Orlando Hudson , American baseball player
1977 – Dean Macey , English decathlete and bobsledder
1977 – Colin White , Canadian ice hockey player
1978 – Gbenga Akinnagbe , American actor and screenwriter
1979 – Garrett Atkins , American baseball player
1979 – Nate Clements , American football player
1979 – John Salmons , American basketball player
1980 – Dejene Berhanu , Ethiopian runner (d. 2010)
1980 – Dorin Goian , Romanian footballer
1980 – Berkant Göktan , Turkish-German footballer
1981 – Ronnie Brown , American football player
1981 – Jeret Peterson , American skier (d. 2011)
1981 – Pedro Ríos , Spanish footballer
1981 – Yuvraj Singh , Indian cricketer
1981 – Stephen Warnock , English footballer
1982 – Lim "NesTea" Jae-duk , South Korean gamer
1982 – Dmitry Tursunov , Russian tennis player
1984 – Daniel Agger , Danish footballer
1984 – Daniel Merrett , Australian footballer
1985 – Pat Calathes , Greek-American basketball player
1985 – Chris Jennings , American football player
1985 – David Veikune , American football player
1985 – Giannis Zaradoukas , Greek footballer
1986 – Daddy Birori , Rwandan footballer
1986 – Përparim Hetemaj , Finnish footballer
1986 – Nina Kolarič , Slovenian long jumper
1986 – Lee Qri , South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (T-ara and QBS )
1986 – T. J. Ward , American football player
1987 – Marte Eberson , Norwegian keyboard player and composer (Morning Has Occurred and Highasakite )
1988 – Hahm Eun-Jung , South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (T-ara and T-ara N4 )
1990 – Seungri , South Korean singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor (Big Bang )
1990 – Polat Kemboi Arıkan , Kenyan-Turkish runner
1990 – Nixon Chepseba , Kenyan runner
1990 – Victor Moses , Nigerian footballer
1993 – Zeli Ismail , English footballer
1994 – Mitchell Pinnock , English footballer
884 – Carloman II , Frankish king (b. 866)
1204 – Maimonides , Egyptian religious scholar, philosopher and physician (b. 1135)
1212 – Geoffrey , English archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1152)
1569 – Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow (b. 1507)
1586 – Stephen Báthory , Polish king (b. 1533)
1685 – John Pell , English mathematician and linguist (b. 1610)
1751 – Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke , English philosopher and politician, Secretary at War (b. 1678)
1766 – Johann Christoph Gottsched , German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1700)
1782 – Charles Gray , English lawyer and politician (b. 1696)
1789 – John Ponsonby , Irish lawyer and politician (b. 1713)
1790 – Mikhail Shcherbatov , Russian historian and philosopher (b. 1733)
1794 – Meshullam Feivush Heller , Ukrainian author (b. 1742)
1817 – Tekle Giyorgis I , Ethiopian emperor (b. 1751)
1843 – William I of the Netherlands (b. 1772)
1858 – Jacques Viger , Canadian archeologist and politician, 1st Mayor of Montreal (b. 1787)
1889 – Robert Browning , English poet and playwright (b. 1812)
1889 – Viktor Bunyakovsky , Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804)
1894 – John Sparrow David Thompson , Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1845)
1913 – Menelik II , Ethiopian emperor (b. 1844)
1921 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt , American astronomer and academic (b. 1868)
1923 – Raymond Radiguet , French author and poet (b. 1903)
1924 – Alexander Parvus , Russian-German theorist and politician (b. 1867)
1926 – Jean Richepin , French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1849)
1929 – Charles Goodnight , American cattle rancher (b. 1836)
1934 – Thorleif Haug , Norwegian skier (b. 1894)
1939 – Douglas Fairbanks , American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1883)
1941 – César Basa , Filipino lieutenant and pilot (b. 1915)
1951 – Mildred Bailey , American singer (b. 1907)
1952 – Bedřich Hrozný , Czech orientalist and linguist (b. 1879)
1958 – Albert Walsh , Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1900)
1963 – Yasujirō Ozu , Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1903)
1964 – Maithili Sharan Gupt , Indian poet and playwright (b. 1866)
1964 – William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes , English businessman, founded Rootes Group (b. 1894)
1964 – Sailor Young . English cricketer (b. 1876)
1966 – Karl Ruberl , Austrian-American swimmer (b. 1880)
1968 – Tallulah Bankhead , American actress (b. 1902)
1970 – Doris Blackburn , Australian politician (b. 1889)
1970 – George Terwilliger , American director and screenwriter (b. 1882)
1971 – Yechezkel Kutscher , Israeli philologist and linguist (b. 1909)
1971 – David Sarnoff , Belarusian-American businessman (b. 1891)
1975 – Richard Baggallay , English colonel and cricketer (b. 1884)
1976 – Jack Cassidy , American actor and singer (b. 1927)
1976 – Vinko Žganec , Croatian lawyer and musicologist (b. 1890)
1977 – Clementine Churchill , English wife of Winston Churchill , Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1885)
1978 – Fay Compton , English actress (b. 1894)
1980 – Jean Lesage , Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Premier of Quebec (b. 1912)
1983 – Amza Pellea , Romanian actor (b. 1931)
1985 – Anne Baxter , American actress (b. 1923)
1985 – Ian Stewart , Scottish keyboard player and manager (The Rolling Stones ) (b. 1938)
1986 – Paul Verner , German politician (b. 1911)
1987 – Enrique Jorrín , Cuban violinist and composer (b. 1926)
1990 – Concha Piquer , Spanish singer and actress (b. 1908)
1992 – Suzanne Lilar , Belgian author and playwright (b. 1901)
1993 – József Antall , Hungarian historian and politician, 35th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1932)
1994 – Stuart Roosa , American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1933)
1994 – Donna J. Stone , American poet and philanthropist (b. 1933)
1996 – Vance Packard , American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1914)
1997 – Evgenii Landis , Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
1998 – Lawton Chiles , American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Governor of Florida (b. 1930)
1998 – Marco Denevi , Argentinian author and screenwriter (b. 1922)
1998 – Mo Udall , American captain and politician (b. 1922)
1999 – Paul Cadmus , American painter and illustrator (b. 1904)
1999 – Joseph Heller , American novelist, short story writer, and playwright(b. 1923)
2000 – George Montgomery , American actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1916)
2000 – Ndabaningi Sithole , Zimbabwean militant leader, founded Zimbabwe African National Union (b. 1920)
2001 – Ardito Desio , Italian geologist and explorer (b. 1897)
2001 – Jean Richard , French actor and singer (b. 1921)
2002 – Dee Brown , American historian and author (b. 1908)
2002 – Jay Wesley Neill , American murderer (b. 1965)
2003 – Keiko , Icelandic-Norwegian whale (b. 1976)
2003 – Heydar Aliyev , Azerbaijani general and politician, 3rd President of Azerbaijan (b. 1923)
2003 – Gangodawila Soma Thero , Sri Lankan monk and educator (b. 1948)
2005 – Robert Newmyer , American actor and producer (b. 1956)
2005 – Ramanand Sagar , Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1917)
2005 – Annette Stroyberg , Danish actress (b. 1936)
2005 – Gebran Tueni , Lebanese journalist and politician (b. 1957)
2006 – Paul Arizin , American basketball player (b. 1928)
2006 – Peter Boyle , American actor (b. 1935)
2006 – Kenny Davern , American clarinet player and saxophonist (b. 1935)
2006 – Raymond P. Shafer , American lawyer and politician, 38th Governor of Pennsylvania (b. 1917)
2006 – Alan Shugart , American engineer and businessman, co-founded Seagate Technology (b. 1930)
2007 – François al-Hajj , Lebanese general (b. 1953)
2007 – Ike Turner , American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1931)
2008 – Avery Dulles , American cardinal and theologian (b. 1918)
2008 – Van Johnson , American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1916)
2008 – Tassos Papadopoulos , Cypriot lawyer and politician, 5th President of Cyprus (b. 1934)
2010 – Tom Walkinshaw , Scottish race car driver, founded Tom Walkinshaw Racing (b. 1946)
2012 – Joe Allbritton , American banker, publisher, and philanthropist, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (b. 1924)
2012 – Nityanand Swami , Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (b. 1927)
2012 – David Tait , English rugby player (b. 1987)
2013 – Tom Laughlin , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1931)
2013 – Abdul Quader Molla , Bangladeshi journalist and politician (b. 1948)
2013 – Leo Sachs , German-Israeli biologist and academic (b. 1924)
2013 – Jang Sung-taek , North Korean general and politician (b. 1946)
2013 – Audrey Totter , American actress (b. 1917)
2014 – Norman Bridwell , American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog (b. 1928)
2014 – Ivor Grattan-Guinness , English mathematician, historian, and academic (b. 1941)
2014 – Herb Plews , American baseball player (b. 1928)
2014 – Yury Shutov , Russian politician (b. 1946)
2015 – Luis Bermejo , Spanish illustrator (b. 1931)
2015 – Frans Geurtsen , Dutch footballer (b. 1942)
2015 – Sharad Anantrao Joshi , Indian farmer and politician (b. 1935)
2015 – Evelyn S. Lieberman , American politician, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (b. 1944)
Holidays and observances [ edit ]
External links [ edit ]
Months and days of the year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December