Events

• 962 – Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo

• 1493 – Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle is published.

• 1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland.

• 1793 – The Battle of Savenay, decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in Revolt in the Vendée during the French Revolution.

• 1893 – The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed.

• 1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve.

• 1914 – World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt.

• 1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba – Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

• 1921 – Visva-Bharati University is inaugurated.

• 1936 – Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

• 1937 – First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber.

• 1938 – Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa.

• 1940 – World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (Υ-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.

• 1941 – World War II: Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.

• 1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.

• 1948 – Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo.

• 1954 – The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

• 1958 – Dedication of Tokyo Tower, world's highest self-supporting iron tower.

• 1968 – The United States won the release of 82 sailors by issuing a written apology to North Korea for spying on the Communist country.

• 1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.

• 1972 – The Nicaraguan capital of Managua is struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 10,000.

• 1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.

• 1979 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.

• 1982 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.

• 1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world.

• 1990 – History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia.

• 2002 – A MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, making it the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat.

• 2003 – PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.

• 2004 – Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean is hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake.

• 2005 – Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan crashes shortly after takeoff killing 23 people.

• 2005 – Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.

Births

• 245 – Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra

• 1173 – Louis I, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1231)

• 1513 – Thomas Smith, English diplomat and scholar (d. 1577)

• 1537 – King John III of Sweden (d. 1592)

• 1582 – Severo Bonini, Italian composer (d. 1663)

• 1597 – Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)

• 1613 – Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish soldier (d. 1676)

• 1621 – Edmund Berry Godfrey, English magistrate (d. 1678)

• 1621 – Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682)

• 1689 – Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755)

• 1732 – Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)

• 1743 – Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian poet (d. 1803)

• 1750 – King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827)

• 1758 – Nathan Wilson U.S. Representative from New York

• 1777 – Tsar Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)

• 1790 – Jean François Champollion, French Egyptologist (d. 1832)

• 1804 – Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (d. 1869)

• 1805 – Joseph Smith, Jr., American religious leader (d. 1844)

• 1819 – Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889)

• 1822 – Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875)

• 1843 – Richard Conner, American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (d. 1924)

• 1854 – Henry B. Guppy, British botanist (d. 1926)

• 1864 – Zorka of Montenegro, Princess of Serbia (d. 1890)

• 1867 – Madam C.J. Walker, American philanthropist and tycoon (d. 1919)

• 1878 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (d. 1972)

• 1885 – Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964)

• 1891 – Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)

• 1900 – Otto Soglow, American comics artist (d. 1975)

• 1902 – Norman Maclean, American author (d. 1990)

• 1907 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean writer and poet (d. 2005)

• 1907 – Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942)

• 1908 – Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. 2002)

• 1910 – Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (d. 1961)

• 1911 – Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994)

• 1911 – James Gregory, American actor (d. 2002)

• 1916 – Dino Risi, Italian film director and screenwriter

• 1918 – Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany

• 1918 – José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)

• 1918 – Kumar Pallana, Indian-born American actor

• 1919 – Kenneth M. Taylor, American pilot (d. 2006)

• 1921 – Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. 2001)

• 1922 – Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician (d. 2001)

• 1923 – Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver (d. 1954)

• 1923 – Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist

• 1923 – Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor

• 1923 – James Stockdale, American admiral (d. 2005)

• 1925 – Duncan Hallas, British political figure

• 1925 – Rayner Unwin, British book publisher (d. 2000)

• 1926 – Robert Bly, American poet

• 1928 – Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer

• 1929 – Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988)

• 1929 – Dick Weber, American professional tenpin bowler (d. 2005)

• 1931 – Ronnie Schell, American actor

• 1933 – Akihito, Emperor of Japan

• 1935 – Paul Hornung, American football player

• 1935 – Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)

• 1936 – Frederic Forrest, American actor

• 1937 – Barney Rosenzweig, American television producer

• 1937 – Edward Irving Wortis, American author

• 1938 – Bob Kahn, American Internet pioneer

• 1940 – Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)

• 1940 – Robert Labine, French-Canadian politician

• 1940 – Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005)

• 1941 – Ron Bushy, American musician

• 1941 – Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)

• 1941 – Serge Reding, Belgian weightlifter (d. 1975)

• 1942 – John Peterman, American fashion designer

• 1943 – Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician

• 1943 – Harry Shearer, American actor

• 1943 – Ron Allen, American baseball player

• 1943 – Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987)

• 1943 – Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden

• 1944 – Wesley Clark, American military officer

• 1945 – Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly)

• 1946 – Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano

• 1946 – Susan Lucci, American actress

• 1947 – Graham Bonnet, English musician

• 1948 – Jack Ham, American football player

• 1948 – Leslie Moonves, American television executive

• 1949 – Adrian Belew, American musician

• 1950 – Michael C. Burgess, American politician

• 1950 – Ilchi Lee, Korean educator and author

• 1951 – Anthony Phillips, British musician (Genesis)

• 1952 – William Kristol, American political commentator

• 1953 – Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia

• 1956 – Michele Alboreto, Italian Formula one driver (d. 2001)

• 1957 – Dan Bigras, Canadian singer

• 1957 – Trisha Goddard, English television presenter

• 1958 – Victoria Williams, American singer

• 1958 – Joan Severance, American actress

• 1958 – Dave Murray, English musician (Iron Maiden)

• 1959 – Geoff Willis, British engineer

• 1961 – Carol Smillie, British television personality

• 1961 – Ezzat el Kamhawi, Egyptian novelist.

• 1962 – Bertrand Gachot, Belgian racing driver

• 1962 – Kang Je-gyu, South Korean film director

• 1962 – Great Muta, Japanese professional wrestler

• 1963 – Jim Harbaugh, American football player

• 1963 – Donna Tartt, American author

• 1964 – Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)

• 1967 – Carla Bruni, Italian-French model and singer

• 1967 – Tim Fountain, British playwright

• 1967 – Otis Grant, Jamaican-Canadian Professional Boxer

• 1968 – Quincy Jones III, Swedish-American musician

• 1969 – Greg Biffle, American racecar driver

• 1969 – Martha Byrne, American actress

• 1969 – Rob Pelinka, American sports agent

• 1970 – Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater

• 1970 – Raymont Harris, American football player

• 1971 – Corey Haim, Canadian actor

• 1971 – Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter

• 1971 – Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer

• 1971 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite

• 1971 – Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist

• 1974 – Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer

• 1975 – Sky Lopez, American actress

• 1975 – Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player

• 1976 – Brad Lidge, American baseball player

• 1976 – Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Greek footballer

• 1976 – Jamie Noble, American professional wrestler

• 1977 – Alge Crumpler, American football player

• 1977 – Jari Mäenpää, Finnish guitarist and singer

• 1977 – Paul Shirley, American basketball player

• 1978 – Andra Davis, American football player

• 1978 – Esthero, Canadian musician and singer

• 1978 – Jodie Marsh, British glamour model

• 1978 – Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player

• 1978 – Estella Warren, Canadian model and actress

• 1979 – Summer Altice, American model and actress

• 1979 – Scott Gomez, American ice hockey player

• 1979 – Holly Madison, American model

• 1979 – Kenny Miller, Scottish football player

• 1980 – Cody Ross, American baseball player

• 1981 – Beth, Spanish singer

• 1981 – Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuban boxer

• 1982 – Brad Nelson, American baseball player

• 1983 – Michael Chopra, English footballer

• 1983 – Hanley Ramírez, Dominican baseball player

• 1985 – Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly)

• 1985 – Luke O'Loughlin, Australian actor

• 1988 – Eri Kamei, Japanese singer

• 1990 – Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer

Deaths

• 668 – Mor Gabriel, Syriac Orthodox Saint

• 679 – Dagobert II, King of Austrasia (b. c. 650)

• 910 – Naum of Preslav, Bulgarian scholar

• 913 – Conrad of Franconia

• 918 – Conrad I of Germany

• 1230 – Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England

• 1556 – Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504)

• 1568 – Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England

• 1575 – Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531)

• 1588 – Henry I, Duke of Guise, French Catholic leader (b. 1550)

• 1631 – Michael Drayton, English poet (b. 1563)

• 1646 – François Maynard, French poet (b. 1582)

• 1652 – John Cotton, English-born founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. 1585)

• 1675 – Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)

• 1722 – Pierre Varignon, French mathematician (b. 1654)

• 1771 – Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)

• 1761 – Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish Jacobite spy

• 1779 – Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, British admiral and politician (b. 1724)

• 1789 – Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French philanthropist (b. 1712)

• 1793 – Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (b. 1699)

• 1793 – Antoine François Prévost, French author and novelist (b. 1697)

• 1795 – Henry Clinton, British general (b. 1730)

• 1805 – Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. 1723)

• 1834 – Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766)

• 1846 – Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)

• 1902 – Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1821)

• 1912 – Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (b. 1850)

• 1931 – Wilson Bentley, American scientist (b. 1865)

• 1939 – Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890)

• 1946 – John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873)

• 1948 – Akira Muto, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. 1883)

• 1948 – Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884)

• 1953 – Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899)

• 1954 – René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897)

• 1961 – Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (b. 1910)

• 1970 – Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)

• 1971 – Pasha Hristova, Bulgarian singer (b. 1946)

• 1972 – Andrei Tupolev, Soviet aircraft designer (b. 1888)

• 1973 – Charles Atlas, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. 1892)

• 1973 – Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901)

• 1979 – Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)

• 1982 – Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920)

• 1983 – Colin Middleton, Northern Irish artist (b. 1910)

• 1984 – Joan Lindsay, Australian author (b. 1896)

• 1992 – Vincent Fourcade, French American interior designer and socialite (b. 1934)

• 1992 – Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950)

• 1994 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905)

• 1997 – Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908)

• 1998 – Michelle Thomas, American actress (b. 1968)

• 2000 – Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)

• 2000 – Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)

• 2000 – Noor Jehan, Pakistani singer and actress (b. 1926)

• 2001 – Bola Ige, Nigerian politician (b. 1930)

• 2004 – P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)

• 2005 – Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1914)

• 2005 – Norman D. Vaughan, American polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905)

• 2006 – Charlie Drake, English comedian (b. 1925)

• 2006 – Timothy J. Tobias, American composer and musician (b. 1952)

• 2006 – Marilyn Waltz, American actress and Playboy Playmate (b. 1931)

• 2006 – Johnny Vincent, English footballer (b. 1947)

• 2007 – William Francis Ganong, American physiologist (b. 1924)

• 2007 – Michael Kidd, American film and stage choreographer (b. 1915)

• 2007 – Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances

• Roman festivals – Larentalia, a festival in honour of Larenta

• R.C. Saints – O Emmanuel, John Cantius ; Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland

• Japan – The Emperor's Birthday – Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan

• Ancient Latvia – Ziemassvētki held

• Sweden – Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day

• Oaxaca – Night of the Radishes

• Secular humanism (American) – HumanLight observed

• Saint Abassad, in the Coptic Church

• Saint Psote, in the Coptic Church

• Festivus, a holiday made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld.