December 15
December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 16 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events
- 533 – Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron.
- 1167 – Sicilian chancellor Stephen du Perche moves the royal court to Messina to prevent a rebellion.
- 1256 – Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran as part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
- 1467 – Stephen III of Moldavia defeats Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the Battle of Baia.
- 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British and French fleets clash in the Battle of St. Lucia.
- 1791 – The United States Bill of Rights becomes law when ratified by the Virginia General Assembly.
- 1864 – In the Battle of Nashville, Union forces under George H. Thomas almost completely destroy the Army of Tennessee under John B. Hood.
- 1868 – Shogunate rebels found Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō.
- 1905 – The Pushkin House is established in St. Petersburg to preserve the cultural heritage of Alexander Pushkin
- 1906 – The London Underground's Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway opens.
- 1913 – Nicaragua becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires Convention.
- 1914 – World War I: The Serbian Army recaptures Belgrade from the invading Austro-Hungarian Army.
- 1914 – A gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine, Kyūshū, Japan, kills 687.
- 1917 – World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.
- 1933 – The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution officially becomes effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.
- 1939 – Gone with the Wind receives its première at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- 1941 – Holocaust: German troops murder over 15,000 Jews at Drobitsky Yar, a ravine southeast of the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine.
- 1942 – The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse begins during the Guadalcanal campaign.
- 1945 – Occupation of Japan: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as the state religion of Japan.
- 1946 – US-backed Iranian troops evict the leadership of the breakaway Republic of Mahabad, putting an end to the Iran crisis of 1946.
- 1954 – The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands is signed.
- 1960 – Richard Paul Pavlick is arrested for attempting to blow up and assassinate the U.S. President-Elect, John F. Kennedy only four days earlier.
- 1960 – King Mahendra of Nepal suspends the country's constitution, dissolves parliament, dismisses the cabinet, and imposes direct rule.
- 1961 – In Jerusalem, Adolph Eichmann is sentenced to death after being found guilty of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership of an outlawed organization.
- 1965 – Gemini program: Gemini 6A, crewed by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four orbits later, it achieves the first space rendezvous, with Gemini 7.
- 1967 – The Silver Bridge collapses, killing 46 people.
- 1970 – Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully land on Venus. It is the first successful soft landing on another planet
- 1970 – South Korean ferry Namyong Ho capsizes off Korean Strait killing 308.
- 1973 – John Paul Getty III, grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, Italy, after being kidnapped by an Italian gang on July 10, 1973.
- 1973 – The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the DSM-II.
- 1976 – Samoa becomes a member of the United Nations.
- 1976 – The oil tanker MV Argo Merchant runs aground near Nantucket, Massachusetts, causing one of the worst marine oil spills in history.
- 1978 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and cut off all relations with Taiwan
- 1993 – History of Northern Ireland: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
- 1994 – Palau becomes a member of the United Nations.
- 1997 – A chartered Tupolev TU-154 from Tajikistan crashes in the desert near Sharja, United Arab Emirates airport killing 85.
- 1997 – The Treaty of Bangkok is signed allowing the transformation of Southeast Asia into a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
- 2000 – The 3rd reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is shut down.
- 2001 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
- 2005 – Latvia amends its constitution to eliminate possibility of same-sex couples being entitled to marry.
- 2005 – Introduction of the F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.
- 2006 – First flight of the F-35 Lightning II.
- 2009 – Boeing's new Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes its maiden flight from Seattle, Washington.
- 2010 – A boat carrying 90 asylum seekers crashes into rocks off the coast of Christmas Island, Australia, killing at least 30 passengers.
- 2011 – American forces withdraw from Iraq after a 9-year long campaign.
Births
- 37 – Nero, Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (d. 68)
- 130 – Lucius Verus, Roman co-emperor (d. 169)
- 1832 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (Eiffel tower) (d. 1923)
- 1852 – Henri Becquerel, French physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1908)
- 1859 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish initiator of Esperanto (d. 1917)
- 1860 – Niels Ryberg Finsen, Danish physician, Nobel laureate (d. 1904)
- 1860 – Abner Powell, American baseball player (d. 1953)
- 1861 – Charles Duryea, American automobile pioneer (d. 1938)
- 1861 – Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Finnish politician (d. 1944)
- 1863 – Arthur Dehon Little, American chemist and chemical engineer (d. 1935)
- 1869 – Leon Marchlewski, Polish chemist (d. 1946)
- 1875 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino poet and revolutionary (d. 1899)
- 1878 – Hans Carossa, German writer (d. 1956)
- 1885 – Leonid Pitamic, Slovenian philosopher (d. 1971)
- 1888 – Maxwell Anderson, American writer (d. 1959)
- 1892 – J. Paul Getty, American oil tycoon (d. 1976)
- 1896 – Betty Smith, American author (d. 1972)
- 1899 – Harold Abrahams, English sprinter (d. 1978)
- 1902 – Robert F. Bradford, 57th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1983)
- 1903 – Tamanishiki San'emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna (d. 1938)
- 1907 – Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect
- 1910 – John H. Hammond, American musician (d. 1987)
- 1911 – Nicholas P. Dallis, American psychiatrist and comic strip writer (d. 1991)
- 1911 – Stan Kenton, American musician (d. 1979)
- 1912 – Ray Eames, American designer (d. 1988)
- 1913 – Roger Gaudry, French Canadian chemist, businessman and corporate director (d. 2001)
- 1913 – Muriel Rukeyser, American poet (d. 1980)
- 1916 – Buddy Cole, American pianist (d. 1964)
- 1916 – Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand-born physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2004)
- 1917 – Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, linguist and writer of Pakistan (d. 2005)
- 1918 – Jeff Chandler, American actor (d. 1961)
- 1919 – Max Yasgur, owner of the Woodstock Festival site (d. 1973)
- 1920 – Kurt Schaffenberger, American comics artist (d. 2002)
- 1921 – Alan Freed, American disc jockey (d. 1965)
- 1921 – Bob Todd, British comedian (d. 1992)
- 1923 – Freeman Dyson, English-born American physicist
- 1923 – Uziel Gal, Israeli firearm designer (d. 2002)
- 1923 – Valentin Varennikov, Russian general and statesman (d. 2009)
- 1925 – Sam Pollock, Canadian ice hockey general manager (d. 2007)
- 1925 – Kasey Rogers, American actress (d. 2006)
- 1926 – Nikos Koundouros, Greek film director
- 1928 – Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian artist (d. 2000)
- 1928 – Ernie Ashworth, American country singer (d. 2009)
- 1928 – Jerry Wallace, American singer (d. 2008)
- 1929 – Barry Harris, American bebop jazz pianist
- 1930 – Edna O'Brien, Irish novelist and short story writer
- 1932 – Jesse Belvin, American musician (d. 1960)
- 1933 – Bapu, Indian cartoonist, designer and film director
- 1933 – Tim Conway, American actor and comedian
- 1933 – Donald Woods, South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist (d. 2001)
- 1936 – Joe D'Amato, Italian director (d. 1999)
- 1938 – Billy Shaw, American football player
- 1939 – Cindy Birdsong, American singer (The Supremes)
- 1940 – Nick Buoniconti, American football player
- 1942 – Dave Clark, English musician (The Dave Clark Five)
- 1943 – Kathleen Blanco, American politician
- 1943 – Lucien den Arend, Dutch artist
- 1944 – Jim Leyland, American baseball manager
- 1944 – Chico Mendes, Brazilian campaigner (d. 1988)
- 1945 – Thaao Penghlis, Australian actor
- 1946 – Art Howe, American baseball player and manager
- 1946 – Carmine Appice, American musician (Vanilla Fudge)
- 1947 – Rodney Bingenheimer, American radio personality
- 1948 – Melanie Chartoff, American actress
- 1948 – Cassandra Harris, Australian actress (d. 1991)
- 1949 – Don Johnson, American actor
- 1952 – Allan Simonsen, Danish footballer
- 1952 – Rudi Protrudi, American musician (The Fuzztones)
- 1952 – Julie Taymor, American director
- 1953 – J. M. DeMatteis, American comic book writer
- 1954 – Mark Warner, American politician, United States Senator from Virginia and 69th Governor of Virginia
- 1955 – Paul Simonon, English bassist (The Clash)
- 1956 – William Orbit, English producer, mixer and musician
- 1956 – Tony Leon, South African politician and Ambassador to Argentina
- 1957 – Mario Marois, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1957 – Mike McAlary, American journalist (d. 1998)
- 1957 – Yuuichi Nagashima, Japanese voice actor
- 1957 – Laura Molina, American artist, musician and actress
- 1957 – Tim Reynolds, Musician (Dave Matthews Band,TR3)
- 1958 – Eddy Annys, Belgian high jumper
- 1960 – Walter Werzowa, Austrian composer
- 1961 – Karin Resetarits, Austrian journalist
- 1963 – Ellie Cornell, American actress
- 1963 – Andrew Luster, American rapist
- 1963 – Helen Slater, American actress
- 1963 – David Wingate, American basketball player
- 1963 – Norman J. Grossfeld, American television producer and screenwriter
- 1966 – Manos Papayiannis, Greek fashion model and actor
- 1966 – Molly Price, American actress
- 1966 – Carl Hooper, former West Indian cricket player and captain
- 1967 – David Howells, English footballer
- 1967 – Mo Vaughn, American baseball player
- 1967 – Elix Skipper, American professional wrestler
- 1968 – Osama Ali Maher, Swedish politician
- 1968 – Garrett Wang, American actor
- 1969 – Chantal Petitclerc, Canadian wheelchair athlete
- 1970 – Frankie Dettori, Italian jockey
- 1970 – Lawrence Funderburke, American basketball player
- 1970 – Michael Shanks, Canadian actor
- 1971 – Arne Quinze, Belgian conceptual artist
- 1971 – Clint Lowery, American guitarist (Sevendust)
- 1972 – Rodney Harrison, American football player
- 1972 – Stuart Townsend, Irish actor
- 1973 – Surya Bonaly, French-born American figure skater
- 1973 – Ryu Seung-wan, South Korean actor and director
- 1976 – Baichung Bhutia, Indian footballer
- 1976 – Aaron Miles, American baseball player
- 1976 – Todd Tichenor, American baseball umpire
- 1977 – Dave Mackintosh, Scottish drummer (Dragonforce)
- 1977 – Geoff Stults, American actor
- 1977 – Eba, Mongolian entertainer
- 1978 – Mark Jansen, Dutch guitarist (Epica)
- 1978 – Jerome McDougle, American football player
- 1979 – Adam Brody, American actor
- 1979 – Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1980 – Sergio Pizzorno, English guitarist (Kasabian)
- 1980 – Manuel Wilhelm, German rugby player
- 1981 – Najoua Belyzel, French singer
- 1981 – Firman Utina, Indonesian footballer
- 1981 – Michelle Dockery, British actress
- 1981 – Brendan Fletcher, Canadian actor
- 1981 – Andy González, Puerto Rican baseball player
- 1981 – Thomas Herrion, American football player (d. 2005)
- 1981 – Creighton Lovelace, American Baptist minister
- 1981 – Roman Pavlyuchenko, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Borja García, Spanish racing driver
- 1982 – Charlie Cox, English actor
- 1982 – George O. Gore II, American actor
- 1983 – Delon Armitage, Trindadian/English rugby player
- 1983 – René Goguen, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1983 – Wang Hao, Chinese table tennis player
- 1984 – Kirsty Lee Allan, Australian actress
- 1984 – Martin Škrtel, Slovak footballer
- 1985 – Diogo Fernandes, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Iveta Mazáčová, Czech athlete
- 1986 – Snejana Onopka, Ukrainian model
- 1986 – Xiah, South Korean singer (TVXQ)
- 1994 – Emma Lockhart, American actress
Deaths
- 1025 – Basil II, Byzantine Emperor (b. 958)
- 1072 – Alp Arslan, Turkish sultan (b. 1029)
- 1230 – King Otakar I of Bohemia (b. 1155)
- 1263 – King Haakon IV of Norway (b. 1204)
- 1598 – Philips van Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, Dutch writer and statesman (b. 1538)
- 1621 – Charles d'Albert, Constable of France (b. 1578)
- 1673 – Margaret Cavendish, English writer (b. 1623)
- 1675 – Johannes Vermeer, Dutch painter (b. 1632)
- 1683 – Izaak Walton, English writer (b. 1593)
- 1688 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch statesman (b. 1634)
- 1715 – George Hickes, English minister and scholar (b. 1642)
- 1753 – Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, English architect (b. 1694)
- 1792 – Joseph Martin Kraus, Swedish composer (b. 1756)
- 1855 – Jacques Charles François Sturm, French mathematician (b. 1803)
- 1878 – Alfred Bird, chemist (b. 1811)
- 1890 – Sitting Bull, American Indian tribal chief (b. c. 1831)
- 1943 – Fats Waller, American musician (b. 1904)
- 1944 – Glenn Miller, American musician (presumed date of death) (b. 1904)
- 1947 – Arthur Machen, Welsh author (b. 1863)
- 1950 – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian politician (b. 1875)
- 1958 – Wolfgang Ernst Pauli, Austrian-born American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)
- 1962 – Charles Laughton, English actor (b. 1899)
- 1966 – Walt Disney, American animator (b. 1901)
- 1968 – Antonio Barrette, Canadian politician (b. 1899)
- 1968 – Jess Willard, American boxer (b. 1881)
- 1969 – Karl Theodor Bleek, German politician (b. 1898)
- 1971 – Paul Pierre Lévy, French mathematician (b. 1886)
- 1974 – Anatole Litvak, Ukrainian screenwriter and film producer (b. 1902)
- 1977 – Wilfred Kitching, American General of The Salvation Army (b. 1893)
- 1978 – Chill Wills, American actor (b. 1903)
- 1980 – Kostas Biris, Greek architect, city planner and folklorist (b. 1899)
- 1980 – Dimitrios Partsalidis, Greek politician (b. 1905)
- 1980 – Komninos Pyromaglou, Greek educator and politician (b. 1899)
- 1984 – Lennard Pearce, English actor (b. 1915)
- 1984 – Jan Peerce, American tenor (b. 1904)
- 1985 – Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Mauritian politician (b. 1900)
- 1989 – Arnold Moss, American actor (b. 1910)
- 1989 – Edward Underdown, English actor (b. 1908)
- 1991 – Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev, Soviet sniper (b. 1915)
- 1993 – William Dale Phillips, American chemist (b. 1925)
- 2000 – Haris Brkić, Bosnian basketball player (b. 1974)
- 2001 – Russ Haas, American professional wrestler (b. 1974)
- 2001 – Rufus Thomas, American musician (b. 1917)
- 2003 – George Fisher, American political cartoonist (b. 1923)
- 2003 – Keith Magnuson, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1947)
- 2004 – Pauline Gore, mother of Al Gore (b. 1912)
- 2004 – Vassal Gadoengin, Nauruan politician (b. 1943)
- 2005 – Heinrich Gross, Austrian physician (b. 1914)
- 2005 – Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (b. 1915)
- 2005 – William Proxmire, American politician (b. 1915)
- 2005 – Darrell Russell, American football player (b. 1976)
- 2006 – Clay Regazzoni, Swiss Formula One driver (b. 1939)
- 2007 – John Berg, American actor (b. 1949)
- 2007 – Julia Carson, American politician (b. 1938)
- 2008 – León Febres Cordero, Ecuadorian politician (b. 1931)
- 2009 – Oral Roberts, American television evangelist and author (b. 1918)
- 2010 – Blake Edwards, American film director (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Bob Feller, American baseball player (b. 1918)
- 2010 – Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, American political scientist (b. 1940)
- 2011 – Christopher Hitchens, Prolific Columnist (b. 1949)
- 2011 – Bob Brookmeyer, American jazz musician (b.1929)
- 2011 – Francis "Frank" X. McDermott, American Republican Party politician (b.1924)
Holidays and observances
External links