December 5 is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 26 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events
63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations .
633 – Fourth Council of Toledo takes place.
1082 – Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona is assassinated.
1408 – Emir Edigu of Golden Horde reaches Moscow.
1484 – Pope Innocent VIII issues the Summis desiderantes affectibus , a papal bull that deputizes Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger as inquisitors to root out alleged witchcraft in Germany.
1492 – Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic ).
1496 – King Manuel I of Portugal issues a decree of expulsion of "heretics" from the country.
1757 – Seven Years' War : Battle of Leuthen – Frederick II of Prussia leads Prussian forces to a decisive victory over Austrian forces under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine .
1766 – In London, James Christie holds his first sale.
1775 – At Fort Ticonderoga , Henry Knox begins his historic transport of artillery to Cambridge, Massachusetts .
1815 – Foundation of Maceió , Brazil.
1831 – Former U.S. President John Quincy Adams takes his seat in the House of Representatives .
1847 – Jefferson Davis is elected to the U.S. senate.
1848 – California Gold Rush : In a message to the United States Congress , U.S. President James K. Polk confirms that large amounts of gold had been discovered in California .
1865 – Chincha Islands War : Peru allies with Chile against Spain.
1876 – The Brooklyn Theater Fire kills at least 278 people in Brooklyn , New York.
1916 – British premier H. H. Asquith resigns from his post.
1920 – Dimitrios Rallis forms a government in Greece .
1931 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow was destroyed by an order of Joseph Stalin .
1932 – German-born Swiss physicist Albert Einstein is granted an American visa .
1933 – Prohibition in the United States ends: Utah becomes the 36th U.S. state to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution , thus establishing the required 75% of states needed to enact the amendment. (This overturned the 18th Amendment which had made the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol illegal in the United States.)
1934 – Abyssinia Crisis : Italian troops attack Wal Wal in Abyssinia , taking four days to capture the city.
1936 – The Soviet Union adopts a new constitution and the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic is established as a full Union Republic of the USSR .
1941 – World War II : In the Battle of Moscow , Georgy Zhukov launches a massive Soviet counter-attack against the German army, with the biggest offensive launched against Army Group Centre.
1941 – World War II: Great Britain declares war on Finland, Hungary and Romania .
1943 – World War II: Allied air forces begin attacking Germany's secret weapons bases in Operation Crossbow .
1945 – Flight 19 is lost in the Bermuda Triangle .
1952 – Great Smog : A cold fog descends upon London, combining with air pollution and killing at least 12,000 in the weeks and months that follow.
1955 – The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge and form the AFL–CIO .
1955 – E. D. Nixon and Rosa Parks lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott .
1957 – Sukarno expels all Dutch people from Indonesia .
1958 – Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) is inaugurated in the United Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth II when she speaks to the Lord Provost in a call from Bristol to Edinburgh .
1958 – The Preston By-pass , the UK's first stretch of motorway , opens to traffic for the first time. (It is now part of the M6 and M55 motorways.)
1964 – Vietnam War : For his heroism in battle earlier in the year, Captain Roger Donlon is awarded the first Medal of Honor of the war.
1969 – The four node ARPANET network is established.
1977 – Egypt breaks diplomatic relations with Syria , Libya , Algeria , Iraq and South Yemen . The move is in retaliation for the Declaration of Tripoli against Egypt.
1978 – The Soviet Union signs a "friendship treaty" with the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan .
1983 – Dissolution of the Military Junta in Argentina .
1993 – The mayor of Vienna , Helmut Zilk , is injured by a letter bomb .
1995 – Sri Lankan Civil War : The Sri Lankan government announces the conquest of the Tamil stronghold of Jaffna .
2004 – The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there.
2005 – The Lake Tanganyika earthquake causes significant damage, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
2006 – Commodore Frank Bainimarama overthrows the government in Fiji .
2007 – Westroads Mall shooting : A gunman opens fire with a semi-automatic rifle at an Omaha, Nebraska , mall, killing eight people before taking his own life.
2012 – At least 8 people are killed and 12 others injured after a 5.6 earthquake strikes Iran 's South Khorasan Province .
2013 – Militants attack a Defense Ministry compound in Sana'a , Yemen , killing at least 56 people and injuring 200 others.
2014 – The first flight test of NASA 's Orion spacecraft launches successfully.
Births
852 – Zhu Wen , Chinese emperor (d. 912)
1377 – Jianwen Emperor of China (d. 1402)
1443 – Pope Julius II (d. 1513)
1495 – Nicolas Cleynaerts , Flemish philologist and lexicographer (d. 1542)
1537 – Ashikaga Yoshiaki , Japanese shogun (d. 1597)
1539 – Fausto Sozzini , Italian theologian and author (d. 1604)
1547 – Ubbo Emmius , Dutch historian and geographer (d. 1625)
1595 – Henry Lawes , English composer (d. 1662)
1661 – Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer , English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1724)
1666 – Francesco Scarlatti , Italian violinist and composer (d. 1741)
1687 – Francesco Geminiani , Italian violinist and composer (d. 1762)
1697 – Giuseppe de Majo , Italian organist and composer (d. 1771)
1782 – Martin Van Buren , American lawyer and politician, 8th President of the United States (d. 1862)
1803 – Fyodor Tyutchev , Russian poet and diplomat (d. 1873)
1820 – Afanasy Fet , Russian poet and author (d. 1892)
1822 – Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz , American philosopher and academic, co-founded Radcliffe College (d. 1907)
1829 – Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière , French-Canadian politician, 4th Premier of Quebec (d. 1908)
1830 – Christina Rossetti , English poet and author (d. 1894)
1839 – George Armstrong Custer , American general (d. 1876)
1841 – Marcus Daly , Irish-American businessman (d. 1900)
1855 – Clinton Hart Merriam , American zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist, and ethnographer (d. 1942)
1859 – John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe , English admiral and politician, 2nd Governor-General of New Zealand (d. 1935)
1863 – Paul Painlevé , French mathematician and politician, 84th Prime Minister of France (d. 1933)
1866 – Traian Demetrescu , Romanian poet and novelist (d. 1896)
1867 – Antti Aarne , Finnish author and academic (d. 1925)
1867 – Józef Piłsudski , Polish field marshal and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Poland (d. 1935)
1868 – Arnold Sommerfeld , German physicist and academic (d. 1951)
1869 – Ellis Parker Butler , American author and poet (d. 1937)
1870 – Vítězslav Novák , Czech composer and educator (d. 1949)
1871 – Bill Pickett , American rodeo performer (d. 1932)
1872 – Harry Nelson Pillsbury , American chess player (d. 1906)
1875 – Arthur Currie , Canadian general (d. 1933)
1879 – Clyde Vernon Cessna , American pilot and businessman, founded the Cessna Aircraft Corporation (d. 1954)
1881 – René Cresté , French actor and director (d. 1922)
1886 – Pieter Oud , Dutch historian, academic, and politician, Minister of Finance of the Netherlands (d. 1968)
1886 – Rose Wilder Lane , American journalist and author (d. 1968)
1890 – David Bomberg , English painter, illustrator, and academic (d. 1957)
1890 – Fritz Lang , Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1976)
1891 – Paul Kogerman , Estonian chemist and academic (d. 1951)
1894 – Charles Robberts Swart , South African lawyer and politician, 1st State President of South Africa (d. 1982)
1895 – Elbert Frank Cox , American mathematician and academic (d. 1969)
1896 – Ann Nolan Clark , American historian, author, and educator (d. 1995)
1896 – Carl Ferdinand Cori , Czech-American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
1897 – Nunnally Johnson , American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
1897 – Gershom Scholem , German-Israeli philosopher and historian (d. 1982)
1898 – Josh Malihabadi , Indian-Pakistani poet and translator (d. 1982)
1898 – Grace Moore , American soprano and actress (d. 1947)
1900 – Jimmy Dimmock , English footballer (d. 1972)
1901 – Walt Disney , American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded The Walt Disney Company (d. 1966)
1901 – Milton H. Erickson , American psychiatrist and author (d. 1980)
1901 – Werner Heisenberg , German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)
1901 – Marjorie Eaton , American painter and actress (d. 1986)
1902 – Emeric Pressburger , Hungarian-English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
1902 – Strom Thurmond , American educator, general, and politician, 103rd Governor of South Carolina (d. 2003)
1903 – Johannes Heesters , Dutch-German actor and singer (d. 2011)
1903 – C. F. Powell , English-Italian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1969)
1905 – Gus Mancuso , American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1984)
1906 – Otto Preminger , Austrian-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1986)
1907 – Lin Biao , Chinese general and politician, 2nd Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (d. 1971)
1907 – Giuseppe Occhialini , Italian-French physicist and academic (d. 1993)
1909 – Musashiyama Takeshi , Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1969)
1910 – Abraham Polonsky , American director and screenwriter (d. 1999)
1911 – Władysław Szpilman , Polish pianist and composer (d. 2000)
1912 – Sonny Boy Williamson II , American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (d. 1965)
1913 – Esther Borja , Cuban soprano and actress (d. 2013)
1914 – Hans Hellmut Kirst , German lieutenant and author (d. 1989)
1916 – Margaret Hayes , American actress (d. 1977)
1916 – Hilary Koprowski , Polish-American virologist and immunologist, created the Polio vaccine (d. 2013)
1916 – Walt McPherson , American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
1917 – Ken Downing , English race car driver (d. 2004)
1917 – Wenche Foss , Norwegian actress (d. 2011)
1919 – Alun Gwynne Jones, Baron Chalfont , English historian and politician
1921 – Alvy Moore , American actor and producer (d. 1997)
1922 – Casey Ribicoff , American philanthropist and socialite (d. 2011)
1924 – Robert Sobukwe , South African politician (d. 1978)
1925 – Anastasio Somoza Debayle , Nicaraguan politician, 73rd President of Nicaragua (d. 1980)
1927 – Bhumibol Adulyadej , Thai king
1929 – Stanisław Bareja , Polish director (d. 1987)
1929 – Madis Kõiv , Estonian physicist, philosopher, and author (d. 2014)
1931 – Ladislav Novák , Czech footballer and manager (d. 2011)
1932 – Alf Dubs, Baron Dubs , Czech-English politician
1932 – Sheldon Lee Glashow , American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1932 – Jim Hurtubise , American race car driver (d. 1989)
1932 – Little Richard , American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor
1933 – Gennadiy Agapov , Russian race walker (d. 1999)
1934 – Joan Didion , American author and screenwriter
1934 – Nikos Kourkoulos , Greek actor and director (d. 2007)
1935 – Marise Chamberlain , New Zealand runner
1935 – Calvin Trillin , American journalist, author, and poet
1935 – Yury Vlasov , Ukrainian-Russian weightlifter and politician
1936 – James Lee Burke , American journalist, author, and academic
1938 – JJ Cale , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Leathercoated Minds ) (d. 2013)
1938 – J. D. McDuffie , American race car driver (d. 1991)
1939 – Minita Chico-Nazario , Filipino lawyer and jurist
1940 – Boris Ignatyev , Russian footballer and manager
1940 – Peter Pohl , Swedish author, director, and screenwriter
1940 – Adrian Street , Welsh-American wrestler and actor
1940 – Frank Wilson , American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2012)
1943 – Eva Joly , Norwegian-French judge and politician
1943 – Andrew Yeom Soo-jung , South Korean priest, 5th Archbishop of Seoul
1944 – Jeroen Krabbé , Dutch actor, director, and producer
1944 – Loukas Sideras , Greek drummer and producer (Aphrodite's Child )
1945 – Serge Chapleau , Canadian cartoonist
1945 – Moshe Katsav , Iranian-Israeli educator and politician, 8th President of Israel
1946 – José Carreras , Spanish tenor and actor
1946 – Andy Kim , Canadian singer-songwriter
1946 – Sarel van der Merwe , South African race car driver
1947 – Bruce Golding , Jamaican politician, 8th Prime Minister of Jamaica
1947 – Tony Gregory , Irish educator and politician (d. 2009)
1947 – Jim Messina , American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Buffalo Springfield , Loggins and Messina , and Poco )
1947 – Jim Plunkett , American football player and radio host
1947 – Don Touhig , Welsh journalist and politician
1947 – Rick Wills , English bass player (Foreigner , Small Faces , Bad Company , Jokers Wild , and The Jones Gang )
1947 – Rudy Fernandez , Filipino triathlete
1949 – John Altman , English composer and conductor
1949 – David Manning , English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States
1949 – Abdullah Senussi , Sudanese-Libyan general
1950 – Camarón de la Isla , Spanish singer and guitarist (d. 1992)
1950 – James Knaggs , American Salvation Army officer
1951 – Morgan Brittany , American actress
1951 – Link Byfield , Canadian journalist and author (d. 2015)
1951 – Anne-Mie van Kerckhoven , Belgian painter and illustrator
1951 – Larry Zbyszko , American wrestler
1952 – Bobby Barth , American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Blackfoot )
1953 – Gwen Lister , South African-Namibian journalist, publisher, and activist
1954 – Hanif Kureishi , English author and playwright
1954 – Gary Roenicke , American baseball player
1955 – Juha Tiainen , Finnish hammer thrower (d. 2003)
1956 – Klaus Allofs , German footballer and manager
1956 – Brian Backer , American actor
1956 – Adam Thorpe , French-English author, poet, and playwright
1956 – Krystian Zimerman , Polish pianist and educator
1957 – Raquel Argandoña , Chilean model, actress, and politician
1957 – Patriz Ilg , German runner
1957 – Art Monk , American football player
1958 – Dean Erickson , American actor
1958 – Dynamite Kid , English wrestler
1959 – Lee Chapman , English footballer
1959 – Oleksandr Yaroslavsky , Ukrainian businessman
1960 – Frans Adelaar , Dutch footballer and manager
1960 – Osvaldo Golijov , Argentinian-American composer and educator
1960 – Jack Russell , American singer-songwriter and producer (Great White )
1960 – Matthew Taylor , English politician
1961 – Ralf Dujmovits , German mountaineer
1961 – Sophia Vossou , Greek singer and producer
1962 – José Cura , Argentinian tenor, conductor, and director
1962 – Pablo Morales , American swimmer and coach
1962 – Nivek Ogre , Canadian singer-songwriter and actor (Skinny Puppy , ohGr , Ministry , and Rx )
1962 – Samart Payakaroon , Thai boxer, actor, and singer
1962 – Fred Rutten , Dutch footballer and manager
1963 – Doctor Dré , American television and radio host
1963 – Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards , English ski jumper
1963 – Ty England , American singer and guitarist
1963 – Carrie Hamilton , American actress and singer (d. 2002)
1963 – Alberto Nisman , Argentinian lawyer (d. 2015)
1964 – Cliff Eidelman , American composer and conductor
1965 – Manish Malhotra , Indian fashion designer
1965 – John Rzeznik , American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Goo Goo Dolls )
1965 – Wayne Smith , Jamaican rapper (d. 2014)
1965 – Valeriy Spitsyn , Russian race walker
1966 – Patricia Kaas , French singer-songwriter and actress
1966 – Lee Seung-chul , South Korean singer (Boohwal )
1967 – Gary Allan , American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1967 – Konstantin-Assen, Prince of Vidin
1968 – Margaret Cho , American comedian, actress, producer, and screenwriter
1968 – Lisa Marie , American model and actress
1968 – Lydia Millet , American author
1968 – Falilat Ogunkoya , Nigerian sprinter
1969 – Eric Etebari , American actor, director, and producer
1969 – Morgan J. Freeman , American director, producer, and screenwriter
1969 – Alex Kapp Horner , American actress
1969 – Sajid Javid , English banker and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
1969 – Lewis Pugh , English swimmer and lawyer
1969 – Ramón Ramírez , Mexican footballer
1970 – Kevin Haller , Canadian ice hockey player
1971 – Ashia Hansen , American-English triple jumper
1971 – Kali Rocha , American actress and screenwriter
1971 – Kavus Torabi , Iranian-English guitarist (Knifeworld , Cardiacs , The Monsoon Bassoon , Guapo , and Chrome Hoof )
1971 – Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg , German politician, Federal Minister of Defence
1972 – Cliff Floyd , American baseball player and sportscaster
1972 – Mike Mahoney , American baseball player
1972 – Duane Ross , American hurdler and coach
1972 – Angela Shelton , American actress, producer, and screenwriter
1973 – Argo Arbeiter , Estonian footballer
1973 – Arik Benado , Israeli footballer and manager
1973 – Shalom Harlow , Canadian model and actress
1973 – Andrei Krasnopjorov , Estonian footballer
1973 – Mikelangelo Loconte , Italian singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
1973 – Luboš Motl , Czech physicist and academic
1973 – Danielle Winits , Brazilian actress, singer, and dancer
1974 – Charlie Batch , American football player
1974 – Brian Lewis , American sprinter
1974 – Elbrus Tedeyev , Ukrainian wrestler and politician
1975 – Ronnie O'Sullivan , English snooker player
1975 – Paula Patton , American actress
1976 – Amy Acker , American actress
1976 – Xavier Garbajosa , French rugby player
1976 – Rachel Komisarz , American swimmer
1977 – Peter van der Vlag , Dutch footballer
1978 – Pachrapa Chaichua , Thai actress
1978 – Olli Jokinen , Finnish ice hockey player
1978 – Marcelo Zalayeta , Uruguayan footballer
1979 – Matteo Ferrari , Italian footballer
1979 – Niklas Hagman , Finnish ice hockey player
1979 – Evonne Hsu , American-Taiwanese singer and actress
1979 – Gareth McAuley , Irish footballer
1979 – Nick Stahl , American actor and producer
1980 – Tamara Feldman , American actress
1980 – Shizuka Itō , Japanese voice actress and singer
1980 – Ibrahim Maalouf , Lebanese-French trumpet player and composer
1981 – Leila Tong , Hong Kong actress and singer
1982 – Eddy Curry , American basketball player
1982 – Trai Essex , American football player
1982 – Keri Hilson , American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (The Clutch )
1982 – Karl Palatu , Estonian footballer
1983 – Cooper Cronk , Australian rugby player
1983 – Samantha Lewthwaite , Irish wife of Germaine Lindsay
1983 – Tiffany Weimer , American soccer player
1983 – JP White , Swedish bass player (Vains of Jenna )
1984 – Chris Solinsky , American runner
1985 – Shikhar Dhawan , Indian cricketer
1985 – Frankie Muniz , American actor, drummer, and race car driver (Kingsfoil )
1985 – Josh Smith , American basketball player
1985 – Nico Verdonck , Belgian race car driver
1986 – LeGarrette Blount , American football player
1986 – James Hinchcliffe , Canadian race car driver
1987 – James Argent , English singer, actor, and radio host
1987 – Tommy Fraser , English footballer
1988 – Joanna Rowsell , English cyclist
1988 – Miralem Sulejmani , Serbian footballer
1989 – Pamela Jelimo , Kenyan runner
1989 – Linet Masai , Kenyan runner
1989 – Kwon Yuri , South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (Girls' Generation )
1990 – Montee Ball , American football player
1990 – Parvathy Nair , Indian actress
1991 – Jacopo Sala , Italian footballer
1991 – Carolin Schäfer , German heptathlete
1992 – Ilja Antonov , Estonian footballer
1993 – Ross Barkley , English footballer
2009 – Ayelet Galena , American child born with Dyskeratosis congenita (d. 2012)
Deaths
63 BC – Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura , Roman politician (b. 114 BC)
1082 – Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona (b. 1053)
1355 – John III, Duke of Brabant (b. 1300)
1560 – Francis II of France (b. 1544)
1570 – Johan Friis , Danish politician (b. 1494)
1624 – Gaspard Bauhin , Swiss botanist and physician (b. 1560)
1654 – Jean François Sarrazin , French author (b. 1611)
1663 – Severo Bonini , Italian organist and composer (b. 1582)
1749 – Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye , Canadian commander and explorer (b. 1685)
1758 – Johann Friedrich Fasch , German violinist and composer (b. 1688)
1770 – James Stirling , Scottish mathematician and surveyor (b. 1692)
1784 – Phillis Wheatley , Senegalese-American slave and poet (b. 1753)
1791 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1756)
1819 – Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg-Stolberg , German poet and lawyer (b. 1750)
1870 – Alexandre Dumas , French author and playwright (b. 1802)
1887 – Eliza R. Snow , American poet and songwriter (b. 1804)
1891 – Pedro II of Brazil (b. 1825)
1895 – Gall , American tribal chief (b. 1840)
1918 – Schalk Willem Burger , South African commander, lawyer, and politician, 6th President of the South African Republic (b. 1852)
1925 – Władysław Reymont , Polish author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1867)
1926 – Claude Monet , French painter (b. 1840)
1931 – Vachel Lindsay , American poet (b. 1879)
1940 – Jan Kubelík , Czech violinist and composer (b. 1880)
1941 – Amrita Sher-Gil , Hungarian-Pakistani painter (b. 1913)
1942 – Jock Delves Broughton , English captain (b. 1883)
1946 – Louis Dewis , Belgian-French painter (b. 1872)
1950 – Sri Aurobindo , Indian guru and poet (b. 1872)
1951 – Shoeless Joe Jackson , American baseball player and manager (b. 1887)
1951 – Abanindranath Tagore , Indian painter, author, and academic (b. 1871)
1953 – Jorge Negrete , Mexican-American singer and actor (b. 1911)
1953 – William Sterling Parsons , American admiral (b. 1901)
1955 – Glenn L. Martin , American pilot and businessman, founded the Glenn L. Martin Company (b. 1886)
1961 – Emil Fuchs , German-American lawyer and businessman (b. 1878)
1963 – Karl Amadeus Hartmann , German composer (b. 1905)
1963 – Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy , Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1892)
1964 – V. Veerasingam , Sri Lankan educator and politician (b. 1892)
1965 – Joseph Erlanger , American physiologist, neuroscientist, and academic Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
1966 – Sylvère Maes , Belgian cyclist (b. 1909)
1968 – Fred Clark , American actor and singer (b. 1914)
1969 – Princess Alice of Battenberg (b. 1885)
1969 – Claudius Dornier , German businessman, founded Dornier Flugzeugwerke (b. 1884)
1973 – Robert Watson-Watt , Scottish engineer, invented the radar (b. 1892)
1975 – Constance McLaughlin Green , American historian and author (b. 1897)
1977 – Katherine Milhous , American author and illustrator (b. 1894)
1977 – Aleksandr Vasilevsky , Russian marshal and politician, Minister of Defence for the Soviet Union (b. 1895)
1979 – Jesse Pearson , American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
1983 – Robert Aldrich , American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1918)
1986 – Edward Youde , Welsh-Chinese sinologist and diplomat, 26th Governor of Hong Kong (b. 1924)
1989 – John Pritchard , English conductor (b. 1921)
1989 – George Selden , American author (b. 1929)
1990 – Alfonso A. Ossorio , American painter (b. 1916)
1991 – Robert Karvelas , American actor (b. 1921)
1991 – Richard Speck , American murderer (b. 1941)
1993 – Doug Hopkins , American guitarist and songwriter (Gin Blossoms ) (b. 1961)
1994 – Harry Horner , Czech-American director, producer, and production designer (b. 1910)
1994 – Günter Meisner , German actor (b. 1926)
1995 – L. B. Cole , American illustrator and publisher (b. 1918)
1995 – Charles Evans , English mountaineer, surgeon, and educator (b. 1918)
1995 – Gwen Harwood , Australian poet and playwright (b. 1920)
1995 – Lisa McPherson , American homicide victim (b. 1959)
1998 – Albert Gore, Sr. , American lawyer and politician (b. 1907)
2001 – Franco Rasetti , Italian-American physicist and academic (b. 1901)
2002 – Roone Arledge , American sportscaster and producer (b. 1931)
2002 – Ne Win , Burmese general and politician, 4th President of Burma (b. 1911)
2005 – Edward L. Masry , American lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
2005 – Kevin McQuay , Australian businessman (b. 1949)
2005 – Frits Philips , Dutch businessman (b. 1905)
2006 – David Bronstein , Ukrainian-Belarusian chess player (b. 1924)
2007 – Andrew Imbrie , American composer and academic (b. 1921)
2007 – George Paraskevaides , Greek-Cypriot businessman, co-founded Joannou & Paraskevaides (b. 1916)
2007 – Karlheinz Stockhausen , German composer and academic (b. 1928)
2008 – Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow (b. 1929)
2008 – George Brecht , American artist (b. 1926)
2008 – Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu , Romanian politician (b. 1928)
2008 – Nina Foch , Dutch-American actress (b. 1924)
2008 – Anca Parghel , Romanian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1957)
2009 – Vimolchatra , Thai princess (b. 1921)
2009 – William Lederer , American soldier and author (b. 1912)
2010 – Alan Armer , American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
2010 – John Leslie , American porn actor, director, and producer (b. 1945)
2010 – Don Meredith , American football player, sportscaster, and actor (b. 1938)
2011 – Peter Gethin , English race car driver (b. 1940)
2011 – Gennady Logofet , Russian footballer and manager (b. 1942)
2012 – Dave Brubeck , American pianist and composer (b. 1920)
2012 – Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII , Japanese actor (b. 1955)
2012 – Sarah Kirsch , American singer and guitarist (Fuel , Pinhead Gunpowder , and Fifteen ) (b. 1970)
2012 – Elisabeth Murdoch , Australian philanthropist (b. 1909)
2012 – Oscar Niemeyer , Brazilian architect, designed the United Nations Headquarters and Cathedral of Brasília (b. 1907)
2012 – Yves Niaré , French shot putter (b. 1977)
2012 – Kaisa Sere , Finnish computer scientist (b. 1954)
2012 – Ignatius IV of Antioch , Syrian patriarch (b. 1920)
2013 – Fred Bassetti , American architect, founded Bassetti Architects (b. 1917)
2013 – William B. Edmondson , American diplomat, United States Ambassador to South Africa (b. 1927)
2013 – Nelson Mandela , South African lawyer and politician, 1st President of South Africa , Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
2013 – Danny Matt , German-Israeli general (b. 1927)
2013 – Colin Wilson , English philosopher and author (b. 1931)
2014 – Ernest C. Brace , American captain and pilot (b. 1931)
2014 – Manuel De Sica , Italian composer (b. 1949)
2014 – Queen Fabiola of Belgium (b. 1928)
2014 – Jackie Healy-Rae , Irish hurdler and politician (b. 1931)
2014 – Silvio Zavala , Mexican historian and author (b. 1909)
Holidays and observances
External links
Months and days of the year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Related