Events

• 43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated.

• 1696 – Connecticut Route 108, third oldest highway in Connecticut laid out to Trumbull.

• 1724 – Tumult of Thorn – religious unrest was followed by the execution of nine Protestant citizens and the mayor of Thorn (Toruń) by Polish authorities.

• 1732 – The Royal Opera House opens at Covent Garden, London.

• 1776 – Marquis de Lafayette attempts to enter the American military as a major general.

• 1787 – Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the US Constitution.

• 1862 – US Civil War: Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.

• 1900 – Max Planck, in his house at Grunewald, on the outskirts of Berlin, discovers the law of black body emission.

• 1917 – World War I: The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary.

• 1930 – W1XAV in Boston, Massachusetts broadcasts video from the CBS radio orchestra program, The Fox Trappers. The broadcast also includes the first television commercial in the United States, an advertisement for I.J. Fox Furriers, who sponsored the radio show.

• 1940 – The first prototype Fairey Barracuda flew

• 1941 – World War II: Attack on Pearl Harbor – The Imperial Japanese Navy attacks the US Pacific Fleet and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine air forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Because of the time difference due to the International Date Line, the events of December 8 occurred while the date was still December 7 to the east of this line.

• 1946 – A fire at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia kills 119 people, the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history.

• 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The government of Republic of China moves from Nanking to Taipei.

• 1962 – Prince Rainier III of Monaco revises the principality's constitution, devolving some of his power to advisory and legislative councils.

• 1963 – Instant replay is used for the first time in a Army-Navy game.

• 1965 – Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras simultaneously lift mutual excommunications that had been in place since 1054.

• 1966 – A fire at an army barracks in Erzurum, Turkey kills 68 people.

• 1970 – The first ever general election on the basis of direct adult franchise is held in Pakistan for 313 National Assembly seats.

• 1971 – Pakistan President Yahya Khan announces formation of a Coalition Government at Centre with Nurul Amin as Prime Minister and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as Vice-Prime Minister.

• 1972 – Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission, is launched. The crew takes the photograph known as "The Blue Marble" as they leave the Earth.

• 1975 – Indonesia invades East Timor.

• 1982 – In Texas, Charles Brooks, Jr. becomes the first person to be executed by lethal injection in the United States.

• 1983 – An Iberia Airlines Boeing 727 collides with an Aviaco DC-9 in dense fog while the two airliners are taxiing down the runway at Madrid Barajas International Airport, killing 93 people.

• 1987 – Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashes near Paso Robles, California, killing all 43 on board, after a disgruntled passenger shoots his ex-boss traveling on the flight, then shoots both pilots and himself.

• 1987 – Alianza Lima air disaster. A plane crashed killing all Alianza Lima team in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru.

• 1988 – Spitak Earthquake: In Armenia an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale kills nearly 25,000, injures 15,000 and leaves 400,000 homeless.

• 1988 – Yasser Arafat recognizes the right of Israel to exist.

• 1993 – The Long Island Rail Road massacre: Passenger Colin Ferguson murders six people and injures 19 others on the LIRR in Nassau County, New York.

• 1994 – Norfolk Southern ends its steam excursion program. This is the last time that Norfolk and Western 611 was under steam.

• 1995 – The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter, a little more than six years after it was launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS-34.

• 1999 – The RIAA files a lawsuit against the Napster file-sharing client, on charges of copyright infringement.

• 2003 – The Conservative Party of Canada is officially recognized after the merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

• 2005 – Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of U.S. federal air marshals at Miami International Airport.

• 2006 – A tornado struck Kensal Green, North West London, seriously damaging around 150 properties.

• 2007 – The Hebei Spirit oil spill began in South Korea after a crane barge being towed by tug collided with the Very Large Crude Carrier, Hebei Spirit.

Births

• 521 – Saint Columba, Irish Christian missionary to Scotland (d. 597)

• 903 – Abd Al-Rahman Al Sufi, Persian astronomer (d. 986)

• 1302 – Azzone Visconti lord of Milan (d. 1339)

• 1545 – Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, consort of Mary I of Scotland (d. 1567)

• 1561 – Kikkawa Hiroie, Japanese politician (d. 1625)

• 1598 – Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Italian artist (d. 1680)

• 1637 – Bernardo Pasquini, Italian composer (d. 1710)

• 1670 – John Aislabie, English director of the South Sea Company (d. 1742)

• 1724 – Louise of Great Britain, queen of Denmark and Norway (d. 1751)

• 1764 – Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno, French marshal (d. 1841)

• 1784 – Allan Cunningham, British poet (d. 1842)

• 1801 – Johann Nestroy, Austrian dramatist and actor (d. 1862)

• 1803 – Maria Josepha of Saxony, queen consort of Spain (d. 1829)

• 1810 – Josef Hyrtl, Austrian anatomist (d. 1894)

• 1810 – Theodor Schwann, German physiologist (d. 1882)

• 1823 – Leopold Kronecker, German mathematician (d. 1891)

• 1847 – George Grossmith, British actor and writer (d. 1912)

• 1860 – Joseph Cook, 6th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1947)

• 1862 – Paul Adam, French novelist (d. 1920)

• 1863 – Felix Calonder, Swiss politician (d. 1952)

• 1863 – Pietro Mascagni, Italian composer (d. 1945)

• 1863 – Richard Sears, American department store founder (d. 1914)

• 1873 – Willa Cather, American novelist (d. 1947)

• 1879 – Rudolf Friml, American composer (d. 1972)

• 1887 – Ernst Toch, Austrian composer (d. 1964)

• 1888 – Joyce Cary, Irish author (d. 1957)

• 1888 – Hamilton Fish III, American politician (d. 1991)

• 1891 – Fay Bainter, Academy Award-winning American actress (d. 1968)

• 1903 – Danilo Blanuša, Croatian mathematician (d. 1987)

• 1904 – Konstantin Sokolsky, Russian singer (d. 1991)

• 1905 – Gerard Kuiper, Dutch-born American astronomer (d. 1973)

• 1907 – Fred Rose, Canadian communist politician (d. 1983)

• 1910 – Louis Prima, American musician (d. 1978)

• 1910 – Edmundo Ros, Trinidadian musician

• 1912 – Daniel Jones, British composer (d. 1993)

• 1913 – Kersti Merilaas, Estonian author, poet (d. 1986)

• 1915 – Eli Wallach, American actor

• 1916 – Yekaterina Budanova, Soviet pilot, one of only two female flying aces (d. 1943)

• 1916 – Jean Carignan, French Canadian fiddler (d. 1988)

• 1920 – Fiorenzo Magni, Italian cyclist

• 1920 – Walter Nowotny, Austrian fighter pilot (d. 1944)

• 1920 – Tatamkulu Afrika, South African poet and writer (d. 2002)

• 1921 – Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Indian spiritual leader

• 1923 – Ted Knight, American actor (d. 1986)

• 1924 – John Love, Zimbabwean Formula One driver (d. 2005)

• 1924 – Mário Soares, President of Portugal

• 1925 – Hernando da Silva Ramos, Brazilian racing driver

• 1927 – Helen Watts, British contralto

• 1928 – Noam Chomsky, American linguist and political writer

• 1930 – Hal Smith, American baseball player

• 1932 – Ellen Burstyn, American actress

• 1932 – Paul Caponigro, American photographer

• 1937 – Thad Cochran, American politician, senator from Mississippi

• 1940 – Stan Boardman, English comedian

• 1940 – Gerry Cheevers, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1942 – Harry Chapin, American singer and songwriter (d. 1981)

• 1942 – Alex Johnson, American baseball player

• 1942 – Peter Tomarken, American game show host (d. 2006)

• 1943 – Nicholas Katz, American mathematician

• 1943 – Göran Lennmarker, Swedish politician

• 1943 – Bernard C. Parks, Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department

• 1944 – Jamiel Chagra, American drug trafficker

• 1944 – Daniel Chorzempa, American organist

• 1945 – Marion Rung, Finnish singer

• 1947 – Johnny Bench, American baseball player

• 1947 – Tony Thomas, American TV and film producer

• 1947 – Garry Unger, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1948 – Gary Morris, American singer and actor

• 1948 – Mads Vinding, Danish bassist

• 1949 – Tom Waits, American singer, composer, and actor

• 1952 – Georges Corraface, Greek actor, president of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival

• 1952 – Susan Collins, American politician, junior senator from Maine

• 1954 – Mark Hofmann, American forger and bomber

• 1954 – Mike Nolan, Irish singer (Bucks Fizz)

• 1955 – Priscilla Barnes, American actress

• 1955 – John Watkins, Australian politician

• 1956 – Larry Bird, American basketball player

• 1957 – Tom Winsor, British lawyer and economic regulator

• 1958 – Tim Butler, English musician (The Psychedelic Furs)

• 1958 – Rick Rude, American professional wrestler (d. 1999)

• 1961 – Lisa Fischer, American R&B singer

• 1960 – Craig Scanlon, English guitarist (The Fall)

• 1962 – Grecia Colmenares, Venezuelan actress

• 1963 – Theo Snelders, former Dutch footballer

• 1964 – Roberta Close, Brazilian model

• 1964 – Tadao Uematsu, Japanese racing driver

• 1964 – Peter Laviolette, head coach Carolina Hurricanes

• 1965 – Colin Hendry, Scottish footballer

• 1965 – Jeffrey Wright, American actor

• 1966 – C. Thomas Howell, American actor

• 1966 – Shinichi Itoh, Japanese motorcycle racer

• 1967 – Tino Martinez, American baseball player

• 1968 – Mark Geyer, Australian rugby league footballer

• 1969 – Andrea Claudio Galluzzo, Italian writer and journalist

• 1970 – Carmen Campuzano, Mexican actress and fashion model

• 1971 – Vladimir Akopian, Armenian chess player

• 1971 – Chasey Lain, American pornographic actress

• 1972 – Hermann Maier, Austrian skier

• 1972 – Tammy Lynn Sytch, American professional wrestler

• 1973 – Terrell Owens, American football player

• 1973 – Fabien Pelous, French international rugby player

• 1973 – Damien Rice, Irish musician

• 1974 – Nicole Appleton, Canadian-born singer

• 1974 – Kang Full, South Korean webcomic artist

• 1975 – Jamie Clapham, English footballer

• 1976 – Alan Faneca, American football player

• 1976 – Brent Johnson, Canadian football player

• 1976 – Georges Laraque, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1976 – Vanessa Lorenzo, Spanish fashion model

• 1977 – Dominic Howard, English drummer (Muse)

• 1977 – Eric Chavez, American baseball player

• 1978 – Shiri Appleby, American actress

• 1978 – Frankie J, Mexican-born American singer

• 1978 – Chad Dukes, Radio Personality

• 1979 – Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress

• 1979 – Derek Ramsay, Filipino actor and model

• 1979 – Lampros Choutos, Greek footballer

• 1979 – Sara Bareilles, American singer

• 1979 – Jennifer Carpenter, American actress

• 1980 – John Terry, English footballer

• 1983 – Fausto Carmona, Dominican baseball player

• 1984 – Robert Kubica, the first Polish Formula One racing driver

• 1984 – Aaron Gray, American basketball player

• 1984 – Luca Rigoni, Italian footballer

• 1987 – Aaron Carter, American singer and actor

• 1987 – Thomas Fiss, American singer (Varsity Fanclub)

• 1988 – Emily Browning, Australian actress

• 1988 – Asia Ray Smith, American actress

• 1989 – Nicholas Hoult, English actor

• 1990 – Urszula Radwańska, Polish tennis player

• 2003 – Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands

Deaths

• 43 BC – Cicero, Roman politician and author (b. 106 BC)

• 283 – Pope Eutychian

• 983 – Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 955)

• 1254 – Pope Innocent IV

• 1279 – King Boleslaus V of Poland (b. 1226)

• 1295 – Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford, English politician (b. 1243)

• 1498 – Alexander Hegius von Heek, German humanist (b. 1433)

• 1562 – Adrian Willaert, Flemish composer

• 1649 – Charles Garnier, French Jesuit missionary (b. 1606)

• 1672 – Richard Bellingham, English-born Massachusetts colonial magistrate (b. 1592)

• 1683 – John Oldham, English poet (b. 1653)

• 1683 – Algernon Sydney, English politician (b. 1623)

• 1723 – Jan Santini Aichel, Bohemian architect (b. 1677)

• 1725 – Florent Carton Dancourt, French dramatist and actor (b. 1661)

• 1775 – Charles Saunders, British admiral

• 1793 – Joseph Bara, French revolutionary (b. 1780)

• 1815 – Michel Ney, French marshall (b. 1769)

• 1817 – William Bligh, British naval officer (b. 1745)

• 1842 – Thomas Hamilton, Scottish writer (b. 1789)

• 1874 – Constantin von Tischendorf, German biblical scholar (b. 1815)

• 1894 – Ferdinand de Lesseps, French diplomat and entrepreneur (Suez Canal) (b. 1805)

• 1902 – Thomas Nast, German-born American cartoonist (b. 1840)

• 1906 – Élie Ducommun, Swiss journalist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1833)

• 1913 – Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano, Italian Catholic Cardinal (b. 1828)

• 1917 – Léon Minkus, German-Czech composer and violinist (b. 1826)

• 1938 – Anna Marie Hahn, German-born American serial killer (b. 1906)

• 1941 – Notable casualties of the attack on Pearl Harbor

• 1946 – Sada Yacco, Japanese stage actress (b. 1871)

• 1947 – Nicholas M. Butler, American university president, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1862)

• 1947 – Tristan Bernard, French playwright and novelist (b. 1866)

• 1956 – Huntley Gordon, Canadian actor (b. 1887)

• 1960 – Clara Haskil, Swiss pianist (b. 1895)

• 1969 – Lefty O'Doul, American baseball player (b. 1897)

• 1969 – Eric Portman, English actor (b. 1903)

• 1970 – Rube Goldberg, American cartoonist (b. 1883)

• 1975 – Thornton Wilder, American playwright (b. 1897)

• 1977 – Peter Carl Goldmark, Hungarian-born American engineer (b. 1906)

• 1978 – Alexander Wetmore, American ornithologist (b. 1886)

• 1980 – Darby Crash, American punk-rock musician (b. 1958)

• 1982 – Will Lee, American Actor

• 1983 – Fanny Cano, Mexican actress (b. 1944)

• 1984 – Lee Roy Yarbrough, American race car driver (Nascar) (b. 1938)

• 1985 – Robert Graves, British author (b. 1895)

• 1985 – Potter Stewart, American U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1915)

• 1989 – William Calhoun, professional wrestler (b. 1934)

• 1990 – Joan Bennett, American actress (b. 1910)

• 1990 – Jean Duceppe, Quebec stage, television and film actor (b. 1923)

• 1990 – Jean Paul Lemieux, Quebec painter (b. 1904)

• 1993 – Félix Houphouët-Boigny, President of Côte d'Ivoire (b. 1905)

• 1993 – Wolfgang Paul, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)

• 1994 – J.C. Tremblay, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1939)

• 1997 – Billy Bremner, Scottish former footballer (b. 1942)

• 1998 – Martin Rodbell, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1925)

• 1998 – John Addison, British composer (b. 1920)

• 2000 – Vladimir Gotovac, Croatian poet and politician (b. 1930)

• 2001 – Charles McClendon, American college football coach (LSU Tigers) (b. 1923)

• 2003 – Carl F. H. Henry American theologian and publisher (b. 1913)

• 2003 – Azie Taylor Morton, Treasurer of the United States (b. 1936)

• 2004 – Frederick Fennell, American conductor (b. 1914)

• 2004 – Jerry Scoggins, American singer (b. 1913)

• 2004 – Jay Van Andel, American entrepreneur, co-founder and former chairman of Amway (b. 1924)

• 2005 – Bud Carson, American football player and coach (b. 1931)

• 2005 – Lucy d'Abreu, Scottish supercentenarian (b. 1892)

• 2005 – Rigoberto Alpizar, Costa Rican-born American airline passenger (b. 1961)

• 2006 – Jeane Kirkpatrick, American diplomat (b. 1926)

• 2006 – Jay McShann, American musician (b. 1910)

• 2008 – Marky Cielo, Filipino and Igorot dancer and actor (b. 1988)

Holidays and observances

• R.C. Saints – Saint Ambrose: Memorial

• Eastern Orthodox Saints:

• *Julian Calendar (November 24): Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria

• *Revised Julian Calendar: Saint Aemilianus

• US – Pearl Harbor Day (observance)

• Colombia – Día de las Velitas (Day of the Candles): Festivity

• India – The Armed Forces Flag Day

• International Civil Aviation Day