Editing December 15

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{{This date in recent years}}
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==Events==
===Pre-1600===
* [[533]] &ndash; [[Vandalic War]]: [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] general [[Belisarius]] defeats the [[Vandals]], commanded by King [[Gelimer]], at the [[Battle of Tricamarum]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Jacobsen|first=Torsten Cumberland|title=The Gothic War: Rome's Final Conflict in the West|location=Yardley, Pa.|publisher=Westholme|date=2009|isbn=9781594160844|page=345}}</ref>
* [[687]] &ndash; [[Pope Sergius I]] is elected as a compromise between [[antipope]]s Paschal and Theodore.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ekonomou|first=Andrew|date=2007|title=Byzantine Rome and the Greek Popes: Eastern influences on Rome and the papacy from Gregory the Great to Zacharias, A.D. 590–752|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0739119778}}</ref>
*[[1025]] &ndash; [[Constantine VIII]] becomes sole [[Byzantine Emperor|emperor]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]], 63 years after being crowned co-emperor.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vogt|first=Albert|chapter=The Macedonian Dynasty From 976 to 1057 A.D.|title=The Cambridge Medieval History. Vol. 4: The Eastern Roman Empire|editor-last1=Tanner|editor-first1=J.R.|editor-last2=Previté-Orton|editor-first2=C.W.|editor-last3=Brooke|editor-first3=Z.N.|location=New York|publisher=Macmillan|date=1926|oclc=14739796|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ihg_2ZXHB1cC|page=96}}</ref>
*[[1161]] &ndash; [[Jin–Song wars]]: Military officers conspire against the emperor [[Wanyan Liang]] of the [[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jin dynasty]] after a military defeat at the [[Battle of Caishi]], and assassinate the emperor at his camp.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kuhn|first=Dieter|title=The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China|location=Cambridge, Mass.|publisher=Belknap Press of Harvard University Press|date=2011|isbn=9780674031463|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FnCbDwAAQBAJ|page=81}}</ref>
*[[1167]] &ndash; [[Kingdom of Sicily (Medieval and Early Modern)|Sicilian]] [[Chancellor]] [[Stephen du Perche]] moves the royal court to [[Messina]] to prevent a rebellion.
*[[1256]] &ndash; [[Mongols|Mongol]] forces under [[Hulagu Khan|Hulagu]] enter and dismantle the [[Nizari Ismaili state|Nizari Ismaili]] ([[Order of Assassins|Assassin]]) stronghold at [[Alamut Castle]] (in present-day [[Iran]]) as part of [[Mongol campaign against the Nizaris|their offensive]] on Islamic southwest Asia.
*[[1270]] &ndash; The [[Nizari Ismaili state|Nizari Ismaili]] garrison of [[Gerdkuh]], Persia surrender after 17 years to the [[Mongol campaign against the Nizaris|Mongols]].<ref name="Daftary1992p429">{{cite book |last1=Daftary |first1=Farhad |title=The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines |date=1992 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-42974-0 |page=429 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1467]] &ndash; [[Stephen III of Moldavia]] defeats [[Matthias Corvinus]] of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the [[Battle of Baia]].
*[[1546]] &ndash; The town of [[Ekenäs, Finland|Ekenäs]] ({{langx|fi|Tammisaari}}) is founded by [[Gustav I of Sweden|King Gustav Vasa of Sweden]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kansallisbiografia.fi/paimenmuisto/seurakunta/5105|title=Tammisaari (Ekenäs)|publisher=[[Kansallisbiografia]]|access-date=8 January 2023|language=fi}}</ref>

===1601–1900===
*[[1651]] &ndash; [[Castle Cornet]] in [[Guernsey]], the last stronghold which had supported the King in the [[Third English Civil War]], surrenders.
*[[1778]] &ndash; [[American Revolutionary War]]: [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] and French fleets clash in the [[Battle of St. Lucia]].
*[[1791]] &ndash; The [[United States Bill of Rights]] becomes law when ratified by the [[Virginia General Assembly]].
*[[1836]] &ndash; The [[Old Patent Office Building|U.S. Patent Office]] building in Washington, D.C., nearly [[1836 U.S. Patent Office fire|burns to the ground]], destroying all 9,957 patents issued by the federal government to that date, as well as 7,000 related [[patent model]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Niemann|first=Paul|title=More Invention Mysteries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tx9Zkz0XqA4C&q=%22In%201877%22|location=Quincy, Ill.|publisher=Horsefeathers Publishing Company|year=2006|isbn=9780974804118|page=130}}</ref>
*[[1862]] &ndash; [[American Civil War]]: The [[Battle of Fredericksburg]] ends in a [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] defeat as General [[Ambrose Burnside]] withdraws the [[Army of the Potomac]] across the [[Rappahannock River]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Battle of Fredericksburg History: Marye's Heights|url=https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/historyculture/fburg-hist-maryesh.htm|website=nps.gov|publisher=National Park Service|date=July 25, 2015|access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>
*[[1864]] &ndash; American Civil War: The [[Battle of Nashville]] begins at [[Nashville, Tennessee]], and ends the following day with the destruction of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[Army of Tennessee]] under General [[John Bell Hood]] as a fighting force by the Union [[Army of the Cumberland]] under General [[George Henry Thomas|George H. Thomas]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Rigdon|first=John C.|title=Historical Sketch and Roster of the Mississippi 29th Infantry Regiment|location=Cartersville, Ga.|publisher=Eastern Digital Resources|date=2005|isbn=9780359384303|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HlmIDwAAQBAJ|page=58}}</ref>
*[[1869]] &ndash; The short-lived [[Republic of Ezo]] is proclaimed in the [[Ezo]] area of [[Japan]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Lu|first=Sidney Xu|title=The Making of Japanese Settler Colonialism|location=New York|publisher=Cambridge University Press|date=2019|isbn=9781108482424|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IDGdDwAAQBAJ|page=94, fn. 95}}</ref> It is the first attempt to establish a [[democracy]] in Japan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Willcock|first=Hiroko|title=The Japanese Political Thought of Uchimura Kanzō (1861-1930): Synthesizing Bushidō, Christianity, Nationalism, and Liberalism|location=Lewiston, N.Y.|publisher=Edwin Mellen Press|date=2008|isbn=9780773451513|page=10}}</ref>
*[[1871]] &ndash; Sixteen-year-old [[telegraphist]] [[Ella Stewart Udall|Ella Stewart]] keys and sends the first telegraphed message from [[Arizona Territory]] at the [[Deseret Telegraph Company]] office in [[Pipe Spring National Monument|Pipe Spring]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=McKoy |first=Kathleen L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JsD9o6SQQ6UC&q=%22The%20first%20message%20was%20sent%20from%20there%20on%20December%2015,%201871.%22 |title=Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History of Pipe Spring National Monument |publisher=[[United States Department of the Interior|U. S. Department of the Interior]], [[National Park Service]], Intermountain Region |year=2000 |pages=35}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Boren |first=Ray |date=February 28, 2013 |title=A Visit to Pioneer Oasis: Arizona's Pipe Spring |work=Deseret News |url=https://www.deseret.com/2013/2/28/20515246/a-visit-to-pioneer-oasis-arizona-s-pipe-spring |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109160947/https://www.deseret.com/2013/2/28/20515246/a-visit-to-pioneer-oasis-arizona-s-pipe-spring#a-year-round-water-source-and-range-lands-south-of-the-vermilion-cliffs-drew-pioneer-cattlemen-to-pipe-spring-in-the-mid-1800s-however-drought-and-over-grazing-turned-the-once-grassy-plain-into-a-terrain-dominated-by-sagebrush-and-tumbleweeds-by-the-late-19th-century |archive-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref>
*[[1890]] &ndash; [[Hunkpapa]] [[Lakota people|Lakota]] leader [[Sitting Bull]] is killed on [[Standing Rock Indian Reservation]], leading to the [[Wounded Knee Massacre]].
*[[1893]] &ndash; [[Symphony No. 9 (Dvořák)|''Symphony No. 9'' ("From the New World" {{aka}} the "New World Symphony")]] by [[Antonín Dvořák]] premieres in a public afternoon rehearsal at [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York City, followed by a concert premiere on the evening of December 16.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Philharmonic Society|work=The New York Times|date=December 16, 1893|page=8|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1893/12/16/109271873.html?pageNumber=8|access-date=December 15, 2020|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|title=Dr. Dvorak's Latest Work|work=The New York Times|date=December 17, 1893|page=19|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1893/12/17/109272197.html?pageNumber=19|access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref>
*[[1899]] &ndash; [[British Army]] forces are defeated at the [[Battle of Colenso]] in [[Natal (province)|Natal]], [[South Africa]], the third and final battle fought during the [[Black Week]] of the [[Second Boer War]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Bunting|first=Tony|chapter=Colenso|title=1001 Battles That Changed the Course of World History|editor-last=Grant|editor-first=R.G.|location=New York|publisher=Chartwell Books|date=2017|isbn=9780785835530|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ZNADwAAQBAJ|page=683}}</ref>

===1901–present===
*[[1903]] &ndash; [[Italian American]] food cart vendor Italo Marchiony receives a [[United States patent law|U.S. patent]] for inventing a machine that makes [[ice cream cone]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Barth|first=Linda J.|title=A History of Inventing in New Jersey: From Thomas Edison to the Ice Cream Cone|location=Charleston, S.C.|publisher=The History Press|date=2013|isbn=9781626192065|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lex2CQAAQBAJ|page=61}}</ref>
*[[1905]] &ndash; The [[Pushkin House]] is established in [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia, to preserve the cultural heritage of [[Alexander Pushkin]].
*[[1906]] &ndash; The [[London Underground]]'s [[Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway]] opens.
*[[1914]] &ndash; [[World War I]]: The [[Serbian Army]] recaptures [[Belgrade]] from the invading [[Austro-Hungarian Army]].
*  1914   &ndash; [[Hōjō Coal Mine Disaster|A gas explosion]] at [[Mitsubishi]] Hōjō coal mine, in [[Kyushu]], Japan, kills 687.
*[[1917]] &ndash; World War I: An [[armistice between Russia and the Central Powers]] is signed.
*[[1933]] &ndash; [[Anarchist insurrection of December 1933|Anarchist insurrection]] suppressed in [[Zaragoza]], [[Second Spanish Republic|Spain]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Casanova|first=Julián|author-link=Julián Casanova|year=2005|chapter=On the road to insurrection|title=Anarchism, the Republic and Civil War in Spain: 1931–1939|publisher=[[Routledge]]|translator-first1=Andrew|translator-last1=Dowling|translator-first2=Graham|translator-last2=Pollok|editor-first=Paul|editor-last=Preston|editor-link=Paul Preston|pages=75–76|isbn=0-415-32095-X}}</ref>
*[[1939]] &ndash; ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (highest inflation adjusted grossing film) receives its premiere at [[Loew's Grand Theatre]] in [[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]], United States.
*[[1941]] &ndash; [[The Holocaust in Ukraine]]: [[Nazi Germany|German]] troops murder over 15,000 Jews at [[Drobytsky Yar]], a ravine southeast of the city of [[Kharkiv]].
*[[1942]] &ndash; [[World War II]]: The [[Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse]] begins during the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]].
*[[1943]] &ndash; World War II: The [[Battle of Arawe]] begins during the [[New Britain campaign]].
*[[1944]] &ndash; World War II: a single-engine [[UC-64A Norseman]] aeroplane carrying [[United States Army Air Forces]] Major [[Glenn Miller]] is lost in a flight over the English Channel.
*[[1945]] &ndash; [[Occupation of Japan]]/[[Shinto Directive]]: General [[Douglas MacArthur]] orders that [[Shinto]] be abolished as the state religion of Japan.
*[[1960]] &ndash; [[Richard Paul Pavlick|Richard Pavlick]] is arrested for plotting to assassinate [[President-elect of the United States|U.S. President-Elect]] [[John F. Kennedy]].
*  1960   &ndash; King [[Mahendra of Nepal]] suspends the country's constitution, dissolves parliament, dismisses the cabinet, and imposes direct rule.
*[[1961]] &ndash; [[Eichmann trial]]: [[Adolf Eichmann]] is sentenced to death after being found guilty by an [[Judicial system of Israel|Israeli court]] of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership of an outlawed organization.
*[[1965]] &ndash; [[Project Gemini]]: [[Gemini 6A]], crewed by [[Wally Schirra]] and [[Thomas P. Stafford|Thomas Stafford]], is launched from [[Cape Canaveral|Cape Kennedy]], [[Florida]]. Four orbits later, it achieves the first [[space rendezvous]], with [[Gemini 7]].
*[[1970]] &ndash; Soviet spacecraft [[Venera 7]] successfully lands on [[Venus]]. It is the first successful soft [[List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies|landing on another planet]].
*[[1973]] &ndash; [[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   &ndash; The [[American Psychiatric Association]] votes 13–0 to remove [[homosexuality]] from its official list of [[Mental disorder|psychiatric disorder]]s, the [[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]].
*[[1978]] &ndash; U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] announces that the United States will [[China–United States relations|recognize the People's Republic of China]] and [[Taiwan–United States relations|sever diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan)]].
*[[1981]] &ndash; A [[1981 Iraqi embassy bombing|suicide car bombing targeting the Iraqi embassy]] in [[Beirut|Beirut, Lebanon]], levels the embassy and kills 61 people, including Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon. The attack is considered the first modern [[Suicide attack|suicide bombing]].
*[[1989]] &ndash; [[Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] relating the [[abolition of capital punishment]] is adopted.
*[[1993]] &ndash; [[The Troubles]]: The [[Downing Street Declaration]] is issued by British [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[John Major]] and Irish [[Taoiseach]] [[Albert Reynolds]].
*[[1997]] &ndash; [[Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183]] crashes in the desert near [[Emirate of Sharjah|Sharjah]], [[United Arab Emirates]], killing 85.
*[[2000]] &ndash; The third reactor at the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]] is shut down.
*[[2001]] &ndash; The [[Leaning Tower of Pisa]] reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 spent to stabilize it, without fixing its famous lean.
*[[2005]] &ndash; Introduction of the [[Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor]] into [[United States Air Force|USAF]] active service.
*[[2010]] &ndash; A boat carrying 90 [[Refugee#Asylum seekers|asylum seeker]]s [[2010 Christmas Island boat disaster|crashes into rocks]] off the coast of [[Christmas Island]], Australia, killing 48 people.
*[[2013]] &ndash; The [[South Sudanese Civil War]] begins when opposition leaders Dr. [[Riek Machar]], [[Pagan Amum]] and [[Rebecca Nyandeng]] vote to boycott the meeting of the National Liberation Council at Nyakuron.
*[[2014]] &ndash; Gunman [[Man Haron Monis]] takes [[2014 Sydney hostage crisis|18 hostages]] inside a café in [[Martin Place, Sydney|Martin Place]] for 16 hours in Sydney. Monis and two hostages are killed when police raid the café the following morning.
*[[2017]] &ndash; A 6.5{{M|w}}[[2017 Java earthquake|earthquake]] strikes the Indonesian island of [[Java]] in the city of [[Tasikmalaya]], resulting in four deaths.

==Births==
===Pre-1600===
*[[AD 37]] &ndash; [[Nero]], Roman emperor (died 68)<ref>{{cite web |title=Nero {{!}} Biography, Claudius, Rome, Burning, Fate, Accomplishments, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nero-Roman-emperor |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=4 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[AD 130|130]] &ndash; [[Lucius Verus]], Roman emperor (died 169)
*[[1242]] &ndash; [[Prince Munetaka]], Japanese [[List of shōguns|shōgun]] (died 1274)
*[[1447]] &ndash; [[Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria]] (died 1508)
*[[1567]] &ndash; [[Christoph Demantius]], German composer, poet, and theorist (died 1643)

===1601–1900===
*[[1610]] &ndash; [[David Teniers the Younger]], Flemish painter (died 1690)
*[[1657]] &ndash; [[Michel Richard Delalande]], French organist and composer (died 1726)
*[[1686]] &ndash; [[Jean-Joseph Fiocco]], Flemish violinist and composer (died 1746)
*[[1710]] &ndash; [[Francesco Zahra]], Maltese painter (died 1773)
*[[1789]] &ndash; [[Carlos Soublette]], Venezuelan general and politician, 11th [[President of Venezuela]] (died 1870)
*[[1832]] &ndash; [[Gustave Eiffel]], French architect and engineer, co-designed the [[Eiffel Tower]] (died 1923)
*[[1837]] &ndash; [[E. W. Bullinger]], English minister, scholar, and theologian (died 1913)
*[[1846]] &ndash; [[Amunda Kolderup]], Norwegian opera singer (died 1882)<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Haavet |first=Inger Elisabeth|title=Amunda Kolderup |url=https://nbl.snl.no/Amunda_Kolderup|encyclopedia=[[Norsk biografisk leksikon]]|access-date=20 January 2025|language=no}}</ref>
*[[1852]] &ndash; [[Henri Becquerel]], French physicist and chemist, [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize]] laureate (died 1908)
*[[1859]] &ndash; [[L. L. Zamenhof]], Polish linguist and ophthalmologist, created [[Esperanto]] (died 1917)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Korzhenkov |first1=Aleksander |editor1-last=Tonkin |editor1-first=Humphrey |title=Zamenhof: The Life, Works and Ideas of the Author of Esperanto |date=2010 |publisher=Mondial |isbn=9781595691675 |page=3 |translator-first1=Ian M. |translator-last1=Richmond}}</ref>
*[[1860]] &ndash; [[Niels Ryberg Finsen]], Faroese-Danish physician and educator, [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize]] laureate (died 1904)
*  1860   &ndash; [[Abner Powell]], American baseball player and manager (died 1953)
*[[1861]] &ndash; [[Charles Duryea]], American engineer and businessman, co-founded the [[Duryea Motor Wagon Company]] (died 1938)
*  1861   &ndash; [[Pehr Evind Svinhufvud]], Finnish lawyer, judge, and politician, 3rd [[President of Finland]] (died 1944)
*[[1863]] &ndash; [[Arthur Dehon Little]], American chemist and engineer (died 1935)
*[[1869]] &ndash; [[Leon Marchlewski]], Polish chemist and academic (died 1946)
*[[1875]] &ndash; [[Emilio Jacinto]], Filipino journalist and activist (died 1899)
*[[1878]] &ndash; [[Hans Carossa]], German author and poet (died 1956)
*[[1885]] &ndash; [[Leonid Pitamic]], Slovenian lawyer, philosopher, and academic (died 1971)
*[[1886]] &ndash; [[Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz]], Polish politician and resistance fighter (died 1968)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sprawiedliwi.org.pl/en/stories-of-rescue/story-wanda-krahelska-filipowiczowa|title=The story of Wanda Krahelska-Filipowiczowa {{!}} Polscy Sprawiedliwi|website=sprawiedliwi.org.pl|access-date=2019-01-10}}</ref>
*  1886   &ndash; [[Florence Jepperson Madsen]], American [[contralto]] singer and professor of music (died 1977)
*[[1888]] &ndash; [[Maxwell Anderson]], American journalist and playwright (died 1959)
*[[1890]] &ndash; [[Harry Babcock (pole vaulter)|Harry Babcock]], American pole vaulter (died 1965)
*[[1891]] &ndash; [[A.P. Carter]], American country singer-songwriter and musician (died 1960)
*[[1892]] &ndash; [[J. Paul Getty]], American-English businessman and art collector, founded [[Getty Oil]] (died 1976)
*[[1894]] &ndash; [[Vibert Douglas]], Canadian astrophysicist and astronomer (died 1988)
*  1894   &ndash; [[Josef Imbach (athlete)|Josef Imbach]], Swiss sprinter (died 1964)
*[[1896]] &ndash; [[Betty Smith]], American author and playwright (died 1972)
*[[1899]] &ndash; [[Harold Abrahams]], English sprinter, lawyer, and journalist (died 1978)

===1901–present===
*[[1902]] &ndash; [[Robert F. Bradford]], American lawyer and politician, 57th [[Governor of Massachusetts]] (died 1983)
*[[1903]] &ndash; [[Tamanishiki San'emon]], Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd [[Makuuchi#Yokozuna|Yokozuna]] (died 1938)
*[[1907]] &ndash; [[Gordon Douglas (director)|Gordon Douglas]], American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1993)
*  1907   &ndash; [[Oscar Niemeyer]], Brazilian architect, designed the [[United Nations Headquarters]] and the [[Cathedral of Brasília]] (died 2012)
*[[1908]] &ndash; [[Swami Ranganathananda]], Indian monk, scholar, and author (died 2005)
*[[1909]] &ndash; [[Sattar Bahlulzade]], Azerbaijani-Russian painter (died 1974)
*  1909   &ndash; [[Eliza Atkins Gleason]], American librarian (died 2009)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://louisville.edu/womenscenter/our-programs/faculty-staff/womens-empowerment-luncheon/past-luncheons/obituary-dr.-eliza-atkins-gleason|title=Obituary – Dr. Eliza Atkins Gleason — Women's Center|website=louisville.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-07-28}}</ref>
*[[1910]] &ndash; [[John Hammond (producer)|John Hammond]], American record producer and critic (died 1987)
*[[1911]] &ndash; [[Nicholas P. Dallis]], American psychiatrist and illustrator (died 1991)
*  1911   &ndash; [[Stan Kenton]], American pianist and composer (died 1979)
*[[1913]] &ndash; [[Roger Gaudry]], Canadian chemist and businessman (died 2001)
*  1913   &ndash; [[Muriel Rukeyser]], American poet, academic, and activist (died 1980)
*[[1915]] &ndash; [[Eila Campbell]], English geographer and cartographer (died 1994)<ref>{{cite web |title=Obituary: Professor Eila Campbell |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-professor-eila-campbell-1416267.html |website=The Independent |access-date=9 January 2020 |language=en |date=26 July 1994}}</ref>
*[[1916]] &ndash; [[Miguel Arraes]], Brazilian lawyer and politician, [[Governor of Pernambuco]] (died 2005)
*  1916   &ndash; [[Buddy Cole (musician)|Buddy Cole]], American pianist and conductor (died 1964)
*  1916   &ndash; [[Maurice Wilkins]], New Zealand-English physicist and biologist, [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize]] laureate (died 2004)
*[[1917]] &ndash; [[Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee]], Indian-Pakistani linguist and lexicographer (died 2005)
*[[1918]] &ndash; [[Jeff Chandler (actor)|Jeff Chandler]], American actor (died 1961)
*  1918   &ndash; [[Chihiro Iwasaki]], Japanese painter and illustrator (died 1974)
*[[1919]] &ndash; [[Max Yasgur]], American dairy farmer and host of the [[Woodstock|Woodstock Music & Art Fair]] (died 1973)
*[[1920]] &ndash; [[Gamal al-Banna]], Egyptian author and scholar (died 2013)
*  1920   &ndash; [[Kurt Schaffenberger]], German-American sergeant and illustrator (died 2002)
*[[1921]] &ndash; [[Alan Freed]], American radio host (died 1965)
*[[1923]] &ndash; [[Pierre Cossette]], American producer and manager (died 2009)
*  1923   &ndash; [[Freeman Dyson]], English-American physicist and mathematician (died 2020)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stone |first1=Andrea |title=Freeman Dyson, legendary theoretical physicist, dies at 96 |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/freeman-dyson-legendary-theoretical-physicist-dies-at-96/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228195322/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/freeman-dyson-legendary-theoretical-physicist-dies-at-96/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 28, 2020 |website=National Geographic |access-date=3 March 2020|language=en |date=28 February 2020}}</ref>
*  1923   &ndash; [[Uziel Gal]], German-Israeli engineer, designed the [[Uzi|Uzi gun]] (died 2002)
*  1923   &ndash; [[Valentin Varennikov]], Russian general and politician (died 2009)
*[[1924]] &ndash; [[Frank W. J. Olver]], English-American mathematician and academic (died 2013)
*  1924   &ndash; [[Ruhi Sarıalp]], Turkish triple jumper and educator (died 2001)
*[[1925]] &ndash; [[Kasey Rogers]], American actress and author (died 2006)
*[[1926]] &ndash; [[Bill Pitt (racing driver)|Bill Pitt]], Australian race car driver (died 2017) <ref>{{cite web|title=Driver Bill Pitt Career Statistics|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Bill_Pitt|access-date=6 December 2020}}</ref>
*[[1928]] &ndash; [[Ernest Ashworth]], American singer-songwriter (died 2009)
*  1928   &ndash; [[Ida Haendel]], Polish-English violinist and educator (died 2020)
*  1928   &ndash; [[Friedensreich Hundertwasser]], Austrian-New Zealand painter and architect (died 2000)
*[[1930]] &ndash; [[Edna O'Brien]], Irish novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer (died 2024)<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-07-28 |title=Edna O'Brien, groundbreaking Irish novelist, dies at 93 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/07/28/edna-obrien-irish-novelist-country-girls-dead/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
*[[1931]] &ndash; [[Klaus Rifbjerg]], Danish author and poet (died 2015)
*[[1932]] &ndash; [[Jesse Belvin]], American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1960)
*  1932   &ndash; [[John Meurig Thomas]], Welsh chemist and academic<ref>{{cite news |title=Happy Birthday: Professor Sir John Meurig Thomas, 80 |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/happy-birthday-professor-sir-john-meurig-thomas-80-z8g8zkchsxg |access-date=6 August 2020 |work=[[The Times]] |date=15 December 2012 |language=en}}</ref> (died 2020)
*[[1933]] &ndash; [[Bapu (director)|Bapu]], Indian director and screenwriter (died 2014)
*  1933   &ndash; [[Tim Conway]], American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2019)<ref name="UPI">{{cite web |title=Famous birthdays for Dec. 15: Charlie Cox, Lee Jung-Jae |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/12/15/Famous-birthdays-for-Dec-15-Charlie-Cox-Lee-Jung-Jae/2081671066556/#:~:text=15%3A%20Charlie%20Cox%2C%20Lee%20Jung%2DJae,-By%20UPI%20Staff |publisher=[[UPI]] |access-date=12 December 2023 |date=15 December 2022}}</ref>
*  1933   &ndash; [[Donald Woods]], South African journalist and activist (died 2001)
*[[1936]] &ndash; [[Joe D'Amato]], Italian director and producer (died 1999)
*[[1938]] &ndash; [[Michael Bogdanov]], Welsh director and screenwriter (died 2017)
*  1938 &ndash; [[Billy Shaw]], American football player (died 2024)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-05 |title=HOF guard Shaw, 'driving force' for Bills, dies |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41612623/billy-shaw-bills-great-star-afl-guard-dies-85 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1939]] &ndash; [[Cindy Birdsong]], American singer-songwriter<ref name="AP" /> 
*  1939   &ndash; [[Dave Clark (musician)|Dave Clark]], English musician and songwriter<ref name="UPI" />
*[[1940]] &ndash; [[Nick Buoniconti]], American football player and sportscaster (died 2019)
*[[1942]] &ndash; [[Kathleen Blanco]], American educator and politician, 54th [[Governor of Louisiana]] (died 2019)
*[[1943]] &ndash; [[Lucien den Arend]], Dutch sculptor
*[[1944]] &ndash; [[Jim Leyland]], American baseball player and manager
*  1944   &ndash; [[Chico Mendes]], Brazilian trade union leader and activist (died 1988)
*[[1945]] &ndash; [[Heather Booth]], American civil rights activist, feminist, and political strategist
*  1945   &ndash; [[Ivor Crewe]], English political scientist and academic
*[[1946]] &ndash; [[Carmine Appice]], American drummer and songwriter<ref name="AP" />
*  1946   &ndash; [[Art Howe]], American baseball player and manager
*  1946   &ndash; [[Genny Lim]], American writer<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQI3FR5Elg0C&q=Genny+Lim+%22born%22&pg=PA189|title=Asian American Playwrights: A Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook|last=Liu|first=Miles Xian|date=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-31455-1|language=en}}</ref>
*  1946   &ndash; [[Comunardo Niccolai]], Italian footballer ([[SEF Torres 1903|Torres]], [[Cagliari Calcio|Cagliari]], [[Italy national football team|national team]]) (died 2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=È morto Comunardo Niccolai, campione del Cagliari dello scudetto |url=https://www.lanuovasardegna.it/sport/2024/07/02/news/addio-a-comunardo-nicolai-campione-del-cagliari-dello-scudetto-1.100547751 |website=La Nuova Sardegna |access-date=2 July 2024 |archive-date=2 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240702064045/https://www.lanuovasardegna.it/sport/2024/07/02/news/addio-a-comunardo-nicolai-campione-del-cagliari-dello-scudetto-1.100547751 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Comunardo Niccolai è morto: re degli autogol, vinse lo scudetto con il Cagliari |url=https://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/24_luglio_02/comunardo-niccolai-morto-autogol-fa3010c6-b5e8-42ae-b53a-95b29bf98xlk.shtml |website=Corriere della Sera |date=2 July 2024 |access-date=5 July 2024}}</ref>
*[[1948]] &ndash; [[Cassandra Harris]], Australian actress (died 1991)
*  1948   &ndash; [[Charlie Scott (basketball)|Charlie Scott]], American basketball player<ref>{{cite web|title=Charlie Scott|url=http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/charles-scott/|publisher=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|access-date=8 February 2020}}</ref>
*[[1949]] &ndash; [[Don Johnson]], American actor<ref name="AP">{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Mike |title=Today's famous birthdays list for December 15, 2022 includes celebrities Don Johnson, Charlie Cox |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/12/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-december-15-2022-includes-celebrities-don-johnson-charlie-cox.html |website=[[The Plain Dealer]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=12 December 2023 |date=15 December 2022}}</ref>
*  1949   &ndash; [[Brian Roper (academic)|Brian Roper]], English economist and academic
*[[1950]] &ndash; [[Melanie Chartoff]], American actress and comedian<ref name="AP" /> 
*  1950   &ndash; [[Sylvester James Gates]], American theoretical physicist and professor 
*[[1951]] &ndash; [[George Donikian]], Australian journalist
*  1951   &ndash; [[Joe Jordan]], Scottish footballer and manager
*  1951   &ndash; [[Tim Webster]], Australian journalist and sportscaster
*[[1952]] &ndash; [[Rudi Protrudi]], American singer-songwriter and producer  
*  1952   &ndash; [[Allan Simonsen]], Danish footballer and manager
*  1952   &ndash; [[Julie Taymor]], American director, producer, and screenwriter<ref name="AP" />
*[[1953]] &ndash; [[John R. Allen]], American general and diplomat
*  1953   &ndash; [[J. M. DeMatteis]], American author
*  1953   &ndash; [[Robert Charles Wilson]], American-Canadian author
*[[1954]] &ndash; [[Alex Cox]], English film director, screenwriter, actor, non-fiction author and broadcaster
*  1954   &ndash; [[Oliver Heald]], English lawyer and politician, [[Solicitor General for England and Wales]]
*  1954   &ndash; [[Mark Warner]], American businessman and politician, 69th [[Governor of Virginia]]
*[[1955]] &ndash; [[Hector Sants]], English banker
*  1955   &ndash; [[Paul Simonon]], English singer-songwriter and bass player<ref name="AP" /> 
*[[1956]] &ndash; [[John Lee Hancock]], American screenwriter, film director, and producer
*  1956   &ndash; [[Tony Leon]], South African lawyer and politician
*[[1957]] &ndash; [[Mario Marois]], Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
*  1957   &ndash; [[Mike McAlary]], American journalist and author (died 1998)
*  1957   &ndash; [[Tim Reynolds]], German-American singer-songwriter and guitarist 
*[[1958]] &ndash; [[Carlo J. Caparas]], Filipino director and producer
*  1958   &ndash; [[Richard Kastle]], American classical pianist
*[[1959]] &ndash; [[Greg Matthews]], Australian cricketer
*  1959   &ndash; [[Alan Whetton]], New Zealand rugby player
*  1959   &ndash; [[Gary Whetton]], New Zealand rugby player
*[[1960]] &ndash; [[Walter Werzowa]], Austrian composer and producer
*[[1961]] &ndash; [[Karin Resetarits]], Austrian journalist and politician
*[[1962]] &ndash; [[Tim Gaines]], American bass player 
*  1962   &ndash; [[Simon Hodgkinson]], English rugby player and coach
*[[1963]] &ndash; [[Ellie Cornell]], American actress and producer
*  1963   &ndash; [[Norman J. Grossfeld]], American screenwriter and producer
*  1963   &ndash; [[Helen Slater]], American actress<ref name="AP" /> 
*  1963   &ndash; [[David Wingate (basketball)|David Wingate]], American basketball player
*[[1964]] &ndash; [[Paul Kaye]], English actor<ref name="AP" />
*[[1966]] &ndash; [[Carl Hooper]], Guyanese cricketer and coach
*  1966   &ndash; [[Molly Price]], American actress
*[[1967]] &ndash; [[David Howells]], English footballer and coach
*  1967   &ndash; [[Mo Vaughn]], American baseball player
*[[1968]] &ndash; [[Garrett Wang]], American actor<ref name="AP" />
*[[1969]] &ndash; [[Ralph Ineson]], English actor
*  1969   &ndash; [[Chantal Petitclerc]], Canadian wheelchair racer and senator
*  1969   &ndash; [[Adam Setliff]], American discus thrower and lawyer
*[[1970]] &ndash; [[Frankie Dettori]], Italian jockey
*  1970   &ndash; [[Lawrence Funderburke]], American basketball player
*  1970   &ndash; [[Michael Shanks]], Canadian actor, screenwriter and director<ref name="AP" />
*[[1971]] &ndash; [[Clint Lowery]], American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer 
*[[1972]] &ndash; [[Rodney Harrison]], American football player and sportscaster
*  1972   &ndash; [[Lee Jung-jae]], South Korean actor<ref>{{cite web |title=Lee Jung-jae |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/lee-jung-jae |publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |access-date=9 December 2022}}</ref>
*  1972   &ndash; [[Stuart Townsend]], Irish actor<ref name="AP" /> 
*  1972   &ndash; [[Alexandra Tydings]], American actress, director, writer and producer
*[[1973]] &ndash; [[Surya Bonaly]], French figure skater
*  1973   &ndash; [[Ryoo Seung-wan]], South Korean actor, director, and screenwriter
*[[1974]] &ndash; [[Garath Archer]], English rugby player
*  1974   &ndash; [[P. J. Byrne]], American actor
*[[1975]] &ndash; [[Samira Saraya]],  Palestinian actor, filmmaker, poet and rapper 
*[[1976]] &ndash; [[Baichung Bhutia]], Indian footballer and manager
*  1976   &ndash; [[Kim Eagles]], Canadian sport shooter<ref>{{cite web |title=Kimberley-Anne Eagles |url=https://olympic.ca/team-canada/kimberley-anne-eagles/ |website=Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website |access-date=10 January 2020 |language=en |date=19 September 2011}}</ref>
*  1976   &ndash; [[Aaron Miles]], American baseball player and coach
*  1976   &ndash; [[Todd Tichenor]], American baseball player and umpire
*[[1977]] &ndash; [[Mehmet Aurélio]], Brazilian-Turkish footballer and manager
*  1977   &ndash; [[Geoff Stults]], American actor and producer
*[[1978]] &ndash; [[Ned Brower]], American drummer 
*  1978   &ndash; [[Mark Jansen]], Dutch guitarist and songwriter 
*  1978   &ndash; [[Jerome McDougle]], American football player
*[[1979]] &ndash; [[Adam Brody]], American actor<ref name="AP" />
*  1979   &ndash; [[Eric Young (wrestler)|Eric Young]], Canadian-American wrestler
*[[1980]] &ndash; [[Élodie Gossuin]], French beauty pageant titleholder and model
*  1980   &ndash; [[Sergio Pizzorno]], English singer-songwriter and guitarist 
*  1980   &ndash; [[Manuel Wilhelm]], German rugby player
*[[1981]] &ndash; [[Michelle Dockery]], English actress<ref name="AP" /> 
*  1981   &ndash; [[Brendan Fletcher]], Canadian actor and screenwriter
*  1981   &ndash; [[Andy González (baseball)|Andy González]], Puerto Rican-American baseball player
*  1981   &ndash; [[Thomas Herrion]], American football player (died 2005)
*  1981   &ndash; [[Roman Pavlyuchenko]], Russian footballer
*[[1982]] &ndash; [[Charlie Cox]], English actor<ref name="AP" />
*  1982   &ndash; [[Borja García (racing driver)|Borja García]], Spanish race car driver
*  1982   &ndash; [[George O. Gore II]], American actor and comedian<ref name="AP" />
*  1982   &ndash; [[Tatiana Perebiynis]], Ukrainian tennis player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women's Tennis Association - Official Website |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/160405/name |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=Women's Tennis Association |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1983]] &ndash; [[Delon Armitage]], Trinidadian-English rugby player
*  1983   &ndash; [[René Duprée]], Canadian professional wrestler
*  1983   &ndash; [[Camilla Luddington]], English actress<ref name="AP" />
*  1983   &ndash; [[Ronnie Radke]], American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer  
*  1983   &ndash; [[Sophia Young]], Vincentian-American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Sophia Young-Malcolm |url=https://www.wnba.com/player/200674/sophia-young-malcolm |publisher=[[WNBA]] |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1984]] &ndash; [[Martyn Bernard]], English high jumper
*  1984   &ndash; [[Martin Škrtel]], Slovak footballer<ref>{{cite web |title=Martin Skrtel: Overview |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/3404/Martin-Skrtel/overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=3 October 2021}}</ref>
*[[1985]] &ndash; [[Diogo Fernandes (footballer)|Diogo Fernandes]], Brazilian footballer
*[[1986]] &ndash; [[Kim Junsu]], South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
*  1986   &ndash; [[Iveta Mazáčová]], Czech sprinter
*  1986   &ndash; [[Keylor Navas]], Costa Rican footballer
*  1986   &ndash; [[Snejana Onopka]], Ukrainian model
*[[1987]] &ndash; [[Josh Norman]], American football player
*[[1988]] &ndash; [[Erik Gustafsson (ice hockey, born 1988)|Erik Gustafsson]], Swedish ice hockey player<ref>{{cite web |title=Erik Gustafsson |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/erik-gustafsson-8475640 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
*  1988   &ndash; [[Emily Head]], English actress
*  1988   &ndash; [[Steven Nzonzi]], French footballer
*[[1989]] &ndash; [[Nichole Bloom]], American actress and model
*[[1991]] &ndash; [[Conor Daly]], American race car driver
*  1991   &ndash; [[Yanni Gourde]], Canadian ice hockey player<ref>{{cite web |title=Yanni Gourde |url=https://www.nhl.com/kraken/player/yanni-gourde-8476826 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
*  1991   &ndash; [[Alana Haim]], American musician and actress<ref name="AP" />
*[[1992]] &ndash; [[Daiamami Genki]], Japanese sumo wrestler
*  1992   &ndash; [[Jesse Lingard]], English footballer
*  1992   &ndash; [[Maximiliano Meza (footballer, born 1992)|Maximiliano Meza]], Argentine footballer<ref>{{cite web|title=Maximiliano Meza|url=https://www.cariverplate.com.ar/ver-jugador-maximiliano-meza-1887|website=[[Club Atlético River Plate]]|access-date=15 December 2024}}</ref>
*  1992   &ndash; [[Alex Telles]], Brazilian footballer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/5467/Alex-Telles/overview|title=Alex Telles|website=Premier League|access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>
*[[1993]] &ndash; [[Daniel Ochefu]], American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Daniel Ochefu |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1627849/career |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1995]] &ndash; [[Jahlil Okafor]], American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Jahlil Okafor |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1626143/career |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1996]] &ndash; [[Jenifer Brening]], German singer<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-29 |title=Jenifer Brening - KHB Music - Dance & Pop Label |url=http://www.khb-music.de/artist/jenifer-brening/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929210539/http://www.khb-music.de/artist/jenifer-brening/ |archive-date=29 September 2020 }}</ref>
*  1996   &ndash; [[Oleksandr Zinchenko (footballer)|Oleksandr Zinchenko]], Ukrainian footballer
*[[1997]] &ndash; [[Maude Apatow]], American actress<ref name="AP" />
*  1997   &ndash; [[Zach Banks]], American race car driver
*  1997   &ndash; [[Magdalena Fręch]], Polish tennis player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Magdalena Frech {{!}} Player Stats & More – WTA Official |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/320277/name |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=Women's Tennis Association |language=en}}</ref>
*  1997   &ndash; [[Stefania LaVie Owen]], New Zealand-American actress
*[[1998]] &ndash; [[Chandler Canterbury]], American actor
*[[2000]] &ndash; [[Kayvon Thibodeaux]], American football player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kayvon Thibodeaux Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/ThibKa00.htm |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Deaths==
===Pre-1600===
* [[933]] &ndash; [[Li Siyuan]], Chinese emperor (born 867)
*[[1025]] &ndash; [[Basil II]], Byzantine emperor (born 958)
*[[1072]] &ndash; [[Alp Arslan]], Turkish sultan (born 1029)
*[[1161]] &ndash; [[Wanyan Liang]], Chinese emperor (born 1122)
*[[1230]] &ndash; [[Ottokar I of Bohemia|Ottokar I]], duke of Bohemia (born 1155)
*[[1283]] &ndash; [[Philip I, Latin Emperor|Philip I]], Latin emperor (born 1243)
*[[1343]] &ndash; [[Hasan Kucek]], Chopanid prince (born c. 1319)
*[[1467]] &ndash; [[Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna]], archbishop and regent of Sweden (born 1417)
*[[1574]] &ndash; [[Selim II]], Ottoman sultan (born 1524)
*[[1598]] &ndash; [[Philips of Marnix, Lord of Saint-Aldegonde]], Dutch nobleman (born 1540)

===1601–1900===
*[[1621]] &ndash; [[Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes]], French courtier, [[Constable of France]] (born 1578)
*[[1673]] &ndash; [[Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], English noblewoman (born 1623)
*[[1675]] &ndash; [[Johannes Vermeer]], Dutch painter and educator (born 1632)
*[[1683]] &ndash; [[Izaak Walton]], English author (born 1593)
*[[1688]] &ndash; [[Gaspar Fagel]], Dutch lawyer and politician (born 1634)
*  1698   &ndash; [[Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart]], French nobleman (born 1636)
*[[1715]] &ndash; [[George Hickes (divine)|George Hickes]], English minister and scholar (born 1642)
*[[1753]] &ndash; [[Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington]], English architect and politician, designed [[Chiswick House]] (born 1694)
*[[1792]] &ndash; [[Joseph Martin Kraus]], Swedish pianist, violinist, and composer (born 1756)
*[[1812]] &ndash; [[Shneur Zalman]], Russian rabbi, author and founder of [[Chabad]] (born 1745)
*[[1817]] &ndash; [[Federigo Zuccari]], astronomer, director of the Astronomical Observatory of Naples (born [[1783]])
*[[1819]] &ndash; [[Daniel Rutherford]], Scottish chemist and physician (born 1749)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Waterston|first1=Charles D.|last2=Macmillan Shearer|first2=A.|title=Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002: Biographical Index|url=http://www.rse.org.uk/fellowship/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=8 February 2011|volume=II|date=July 2006|publisher=[[The Royal Society of Edinburgh]]|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-0-902198-84-5|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004113303/http://www.rse.org.uk/fellowship/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 October 2006}}</ref>
*[[1855]] &ndash; [[Jacques Charles François Sturm]], French mathematician and academic (born 1803)
*[[1878]] &ndash; [[Alfred Bird]], English chemist and businessman, invented [[baking powder]] (born 1811)
*[[1890]] &ndash; [[Sitting Bull]], [[Hunkpapa]] [[Lakota people|Lakota]] tribal chief (born 1831)

===1901–present===
*[[1943]] &ndash; [[Fats Waller]], American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1904)
*[[1944]] &ndash; [[Glenn Miller]], American bandleader and composer (born 1904)<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.glennmiller.org/history.html|title= Glenn Miller History|publisher= Glenn Miller Birthplace Society|access-date= 8 March 2011|archive-date= 13 May 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110513114207/http://www.glennmiller.org/history.html|url-status= dead|language=en}}</ref>
*[[1947]] &ndash; [[Arthur Machen]], Welsh journalist and author (born 1863)
*  1947   &ndash; [[Crawford Vaughan]], Australian politician, 27th [[Premier of South Australia]] (born 1874)
*[[1950]] &ndash; [[Vallabhbhai Patel]], Indian lawyer and politician, 1st [[Deputy Prime Minister of India]] (born 1875)
*[[1958]] &ndash; [[Wolfgang Pauli]], Austrian-Swiss physicist and academic, [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize]] laureate (born 1900)
*[[1962]] &ndash; [[Charles Laughton]], English-American actor, director, and producer (born 1899)
*[[1965]] &ndash; [[M. Balasundaram]], Sri Lankan journalist, lawyer, and politician (born 1903)
*[[1966]] &ndash; [[Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott]], Indian-Scottish general and politician, [[Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire]] (born 1897)
*  1966   &ndash; [[Walt Disney]], American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded [[The Walt Disney Company]] (born 1901)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ryan |first1=James Gilbert |last2=Schlup |first2=Leonard C. |title=Historical Dictionary of the 1940s |date=26 March 2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-46865-3 |page=107 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TnmsBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1968]] &ndash; [[Antonio Barrette]], Canadian politician, 18th [[List of premiers of Quebec|Premier of Quebec]] (born 1899)
*  1968   &ndash; [[Jess Willard]], American boxer and actor (born 1881)
*[[1969]] &ndash; [[Karl Theodor Bleek]], German lawyer and politician, 12th [[List of mayors of Marburg|Mayor of Marburg]] (born 1898)
*[[1971]] &ndash; [[Paul Lévy (mathematician)|Paul Lévy]], French mathematician and theorist (born 1886)
*[[1974]] &ndash; [[Anatole Litvak]], Russian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1902)
*[[1977]] &ndash; [[Wilfred Kitching]], English 7th [[General of The Salvation Army]] (born 1893)
*[[1978]] &ndash; [[Chill Wills]], American actor (born 1903)
*[[1980]] &ndash; [[Peter Gregg (racing driver)|Peter Gregg]], American race car driver (born 1940)<ref>{{cite web|title=On this day in motoring - Monday 15th December 1980|url=http://www.365daysofmotoring.com/showonthisday/article/10893}}</ref>
*[[1984]] &ndash; [[Jan Peerce]], American tenor and actor (born 1904)
*[[1985]] &ndash; [[Seewoosagur Ramgoolam]], Mauritian physician and politician, 1st [[List of Prime Ministers of Mauritius|Prime Minister of Mauritius]] (born 1900)
*[[1986]] &ndash; [[Serge Lifar]], Russian-French ballet dancer and choreographer (born 1905)
*[[1989]] &ndash; [[Edward Underdown]], English actor and jockey (born 1908)
*[[1991]] &ndash; [[Vasily Zaitsev (sniper)|Vasily Zaytsev]], Russian captain (born 1915)
*[[1993]] &ndash; [[William Dale Phillips]], American chemist and engineer (born 1925)
*[[2000]] &ndash; [[Haris Brkić]], Bosnian-Serbian basketball player (born 1974)
*[[2003]] &ndash; [[Vincent Apap]], Maltese sculptor (born 1909)
*  2003   &ndash; [[George Fisher (cartoonist)|George Fisher]], American cartoonist (born 1923)
*  2003   &ndash; [[Keith Magnuson]], Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1947)
*[[2004]] &ndash; [[Vassal Gadoengin]], Nauruan educator and politician, [[List of Speakers of the Parliament of Nauru|Speaker of the Nauru Parliament]] (born 1943)
*[[2005]] &ndash; [[Heinrich Gross]], Austrian physician and psychiatrist (born 1914)
*  2005   &ndash; [[Stan Leonard]], Canadian golfer (born 1915)
*  2005   &ndash; [[William Proxmire]], American soldier, journalist, and politician (born 1915)
*  2005   &ndash; [[Darrell Russell (American football)|Darrell Russell]], American football player (born 1976)
*[[2006]] &ndash; [[Clay Regazzoni]], Swiss race car driver (born 1939)
*  2006   &ndash; [[Mary Stolz]], American journalist and author (born 1920)
*[[2007]] &ndash; [[Julia Carson]], American lawyer and politician (born 1938)
*[[2008]] &ndash; [[León Febres Cordero]], Ecuadorian engineer and politician, 46th [[List of heads of state of Ecuador|President of Ecuador]] (born 1931)
*[[2009]] &ndash; [[Eliza Atkins Gleason]], American librarian (born 1909)<ref name=":0" /> 
*  2009   &ndash; [[Oral Roberts]], American evangelist, founded the [[Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association]] (born 1918)
*[[2010]] &ndash; [[Blake Edwards]], American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1922)
*  2010   &ndash; [[Bob Feller]], American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1918)
*  2010   &ndash; [[Eugene Victor Wolfenstein]], American psychoanalyst and theorist (born 1940)
*[[2011]] &ndash; [[Bob Brookmeyer]], American trombone player and composer (born 1929)
*  2011   &ndash; [[Christopher Hitchens]], English-American essayist, literary critic, and journalist (born 1949)
*[[2012]] &ndash; [[Owoye Andrew Azazi]], Nigerian general (born 1952)
*  2012   &ndash; [[Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa]], Nigerian politician, 18th [[List of Governors of Kaduna State|Governor of Kaduna State]] (born 1948)
*  2012   &ndash; [[Olga Zubarry]], Argentinian actress (born 1929)
*[[2013]] &ndash; [[Harold Camping]], American evangelist, author, radio host (born 1921)
*  2013   &ndash; [[Joan Fontaine]], British-American actress (born 1917)
*  2013   &ndash; [[Dyron Nix]], American basketball player (born 1967)
*[[2014]] &ndash; [[Donald Metcalf]], Australian physiologist and immunologist (born 1929)
*  2014   &ndash; [[Fausto Zapata]],  Mexican journalist, lawyer, and politician, [[Governor of San Luis Potosí]] (born 1940)
*[[2015]] &ndash; [[Harry Zvi Tabor]], English-Israeli physicist and engineer (born 1917)
*[[2016]] &ndash; [[Craig Sager]], American sports journalist (born 1951)
*[[2017]] &ndash; [[Heinz Wolff]], scientist and TV presenter (born 1928)<ref name="Buchanunn">{{cite web|last1=Buchanunn|first1=Joe|title=Professor Heinz Wolff, scientist and TV presenter, dies aged 89|url=http://www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/Professor-Heinz-Wolff-scientist-and-TV-presenter-dies-aged-89|access-date=16 December 2017|date=16 December 2017}}</ref>
*  2017   &ndash; [[Calestous Juma]], academic (born 1953)
*[[2018]] &ndash; [[Eryue He]], Chinese historical fiction writer (born1945) <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201812/15/WS5c1471c1a3107d4c3a000fb0.html|title=Famous Chinese writer Ling Jiefang passed away|date=2018-12-15|newspaper=China Daily/China/Society}}</ref>
*  2018   &ndash; [[Girma Wolde-Giorgis]], President of [[Ethiopia]] (born 1924)
*[[2020]] &ndash; [[Saufatu Sopoanga]], Tuvaluan politician, 8th [[Prime Minister of Tuvalu]] (born 1952)<ref name=":02">{{cite web|date=21 December 2020|title=外交部對吐瓦魯前總理索法圖逝世表達深切哀悼|url=https://www.mofa.gov.tw/News_Content_M_2.aspx?n=8742DCE7A2A28761&s=0573FD177C2A572E|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224084707/https://www.mofa.gov.tw/News_Content_M_2.aspx?n=8742DCE7A2A28761&s=0573FD177C2A572E|archive-date=24 December 2020|access-date=22 December 2020|website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan)|language=zh-tw}}</ref>
*[[2024]] &ndash; [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]], Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer (born 1951)<ref>{{cite news |work=The Times of India |date=15 December 2024|access-date=15 December 2024 |title=Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain passes away at 73 in the US |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/tabla-maestro-ustad-zakir-hussain-passes-away-at-73-in-the-us/articleshow/116341416.cms}}</ref>

==Holidays and observances==
*[[Bill of Rights Day]] (United States)
**[[2nd Amendment Day]] ([[South Carolina]])
*Christian [[feast day]]:
**[[Drina Martyrs]]
**[[Drostan]] ([[Aberdeen Breviary]])
**[[John Horden]] and [[Robert McDonald (missionary)|Robert McDonald]] ([[Episcopal Church (USA)]])
**[[Maria Crocifissa di Rosa]]
**[[Mesmin]]
**[[Valerian of Abbenza]]
**[[Virginia Centurione Bracelli]]
**[[December 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)]]
*[[Homecoming Day (Alderney)]]
*[[Koninkrijksdag|Kingdom Day]] ([[Netherlands]]), moves to December 16 if the 15th is on a Sunday
*[[Zamenhof Day]] ([[Esperantist|International Esperanto Community]])

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/15 BBC: On This Day]
* {{NYT On this day|month=12|day=15}}
* [https://www.onthisday.com/events/december/15 Historical Events on December 15]

{{months}}

[[Category:Days of December]]