December 12

Events

627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.

884 – King Carloman II dies after a hunting accident. He is succeeded by his cousin, emperor Charles the Fat, who for the last time reunites the Frankish Empire.

1098 – First Crusade: Siege of Ma'arrat al-Numan: Crusaders breach the town's walls and massacre about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they reportedly resort to cannibalism.

1388 – Mary of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.

1408 – The Order of the Dragon, a monarchical chivalric order, is created by Sigismund of Luxembourg, then king of Hungary.

1781 – American Revolutionary War: Second Battle of Ushant: A British fleet led by HMS Victory defeats a French fleet.

1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first.

1862 – American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by a controlled mine.

1866 – Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 383 miners and rescuers.

1870 – Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman, the first being Hiram Revels.

1897 – Belo Horizonte, the first planned city in Brazil, is founded.

1901 – Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [***] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.

1911 – Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.

1911 – King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are enthroned as Emperor and Empress of India.

1915 – President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai, announces his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China.

1917 – In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.

1918 – The Flag of Estonia is raised atop the Pikk Hermann for the first time.

1925 – The Majlis of Iran votes to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran, starting the Pahlavi dynasty.

1935 – Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.

1936 – Xi'an Incident: The Generalissimo of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang.

1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat USS Panay on the Yangtze river in China.

1939 – Winter War: Battle of Tolvajärvi: Finnish forces defeat those of the Soviet Union in their first major victory of the conflict.

1939 – HMS Duchess sinks after a collision with HMS Barham off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.

1940 – World War II: Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, as a result of a German air raid.

1941 – World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.

1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.

1941 – Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery

1942 – World War II: German troops begin Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad.

1946 – A fire at an ice plant in Hudson Heights, Manhattan spreads to an adjacent tenement, killing 37 people.

1948 – Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali massacre: Fourteen members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaya allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.

1950 – Paula Ackerman, the first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leads the congregation in her first services.

1956 – Beginning of the Irish Republican Army's "Border Campaign".

1963 – Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

1964 – Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta becomes the first President of the Republic of Kenya.

1969 – Years of Lead: Piazza Fontana bombing: The offices of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana, Milan, are bombed.

1979 – Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-ha, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung-hee.

1979 – President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam.

1979 – The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.

1979 – The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.

1983 – The Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floats the Australian dollar.

1984 – Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya becomes the third president of Mauritania after a coup d'état against Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla while the latter is attending a summit.

1985 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division.

1988 – The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.

1991 – The Russian Federation gains independence from the USSR.

2000 – The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore.

2001 – Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Văn Khải announces the decision on upgrading the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng nature reserve to a national park, providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps.

2012 – North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2, using an Unha-3 carrier rocket.

Births

1298 – Albert II, Duke of Austria (d. 1358)

1418 – Archduke Albert VI of Austria (d. 1463)

1526 – Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral (d. 1588)

1574 – Anne of Denmark (d. 1619)

1610 – Basil of Ostrog, Serbian monk and saint (d. 1671)

1685 – Lodovico Giustini, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1743)

1712 – Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine (d. 1780)

1724 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician (d. 1816)

1731 – Erasmus Darwin, English physician and poet (d. 1802)

1745 – John Jay, American jurist and politician, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1829)

1753 – William Beechey, English portrait-painter (d. 1839)

1766 – Nikolay Karamzin, Russian poet and historian (d. 1826)

1779 – Madeleine Sophie Barat, French nun and saint, founded the Society of the Sacred Heart (d. 1865)

1786 – William L. Marcy, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 21st United States Secretary of State (d. 1857)

1791 – Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (d. 1847)

1792 – Alexander Ypsilantis, Greek-Russian general and politician, Military ruler of Moldavia (d. 1828)

1799 – Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (d. 1852)

1805 – Henry Wells, American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (d. 1878)

1806 – Stand Watie, American general (d. 1871)

1812 – John Sandfield Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Ontario (d. 1872)

1814 – Juan Prim, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos, Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1870)

1821 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (d. 1880)

1842 – Adolf Bötticher, German journalist and historian (d. 1901)

1845 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the American Surety Building and Bank of the Metropolis (d. 1903)

1849 – William Kissam Vanderbilt, American businessman and horse breeder (d. 1920)

1862 – J. Bruce Ismay, English businessman (d. 1937)

1863 – Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter and illustrator (d. 1944)

1864 – Paul Elmer More, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 1937)

1866 – Alfred Werner, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)

1870 – Walter Benona Sharp, American businessman, co-founded Hughes Tool Company (d. 1912)

1875 – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (d. 1953)

1876 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and runner (d. 1928)

1881 – Harry Warner, Polish-American businessman, co-founded Warner Bros (d. 1958)

1882 – Ioannis Demestichas, Greek admiral and politician (d. 1960)

1884 – Zinaida Serebriakova, Ukrainian-French painter (d. 1967)

1887 – Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer (d. 1974)

1892 – Milko Kos, Slovenian historian and academic (d. 1972)

1893 – Edward G. Robinson, American actor (d. 1973)

1900 – Sammy Davis, Sr., American actor and dancer (d. 1988)

1901 – Harald Kaarmann, Estonian footballer (d. 1942)

1902 – Adele Dunlap, American educator and supercentenarian

1903 – Dagmar Nordstrom, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1976)

1903 – Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 1963)

1904 – Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker and journalist (d. 1981)

1905 – Manès Sperber, Austrian-French psychologist and author (d. 1984)

1905 – Vasily Grossman, Russian journalist and author (d. 1964)

1907 – Roy Douglas, English pianist and composer (d. 2015)

1908 – Gustav Ernesaks, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1993)

1909 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychologist, author, and poet (d. 2011)

1909 – Karen Morley, American actress and political activist (d. 2003)

1911 – Boun Oum, Laotian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Laos (d. 1980)

1912 – Henry Armstrong, American boxer (d. 1988)

1914 – Patrick O'Brian, English author and translator (d. 2000)

1915 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer (d. 1998)

1917 – James Wall, American actor and manager (d. 2010)

1918 – Joe Williams, American singer and pianist (d. 1999)

1919 – Olivia Barclay, English astrologer and author (d. 2001)

1919 – Dan DeCarlo, American soldier and illustrator (d. 2001)

1919 – B. B. Nimbalkar, Indian cricketer (d. 2012)

1920 – Josef Doležal, Czech race walker (d. 1999)

1920 – Fred Kida, American illustrator (d. 2014)

1922 – Christian Dotremont, Belgian painter and poet (d. 1979)

1923 – Bob Barker, American game show host and producer

1923 – Bob Dorough, American musician, composer, and producer

1924 – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (d. 2013)

1925 – Ted Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2009)

1925 – Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer (d. 1985)

1925 – Vladimir Shainsky, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer

1925 – Ahmad Shamloo, Iranian journalist and poet (d. 2000)

1927 – Robert Noyce, American inventor and businessman, co-founded the Intel Corporation (d. 1990)

1928 – Chinghiz Aitmatov, Kyrgyzstani diplomat and author (d. 2008)

1928 – Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and academic (d. 2011)

1929 – Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese pianist and composer

1929 – John Osborne, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1994)

1930 – Silvio Santos, Brazilian television host and businessman, founded Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão

1931 – Lionel Blair, English actor

1932 – Bob Pettit, American basketball player and coach

1933 – Manu Dibango, Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player

1933 – Christa Stubnick, German sprinter

1934 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican lawyer and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (d. 2012)

1935 – John Wise, Canadian farmer and politician, 23rd Minister of Agriculture (d. 2013)

1936 – Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator (d. 2016)

1936 – Denise Coffey, English actress and director

1937 – Michael Jeffery, Australian general and politician, 24th Governor-General of Australia

1937 – Philip Ledger, English pianist, composer, and academic (d. 2012)

1937 – Buford Pusser, American police officer (d. 1974)

1938 – Connie Francis, American singer and actress

1939 – Terry Kirkman, American singer-songwriter and musician

1940 – Sharad Pawar, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Agriculture

1940 – Dionne Warwick, American singer

1942 – Morris Sadek, Egyptian-American lawyer and activist

1942 – Brough Scott, English jockey and journalist

1943 – Vassilis Alexakis, Greek-French author and translator

1943 – Dickey Betts, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1943 – Sadeq Tabatabaei, Iranian journalist and politician (d. 2015)

1943 – Grover Washington, Jr., American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer (d. 1999)

1944 – Jean Doré, Canadian lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Montreal (d. 2015)

1944 – Cara Duff-MacCormick, Canadian actress

1944 – Rob Tyner, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 1991)

1945 – Portia Simpson-Miller, Jamaican politician, 7th Prime Minister of Jamaica

1945 – Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer (d. 1997)

1946 – Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazilian race car driver

1947 – Will Alsop, English architect and academic

1947 – Wings Hauser, American actor, director, and screenwriter

1947 – Chris Mullin, English journalist and politician

1948 – Colin Todd, English football player and coach

1949 – Gopinath Munde, Indian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2014)

1949 – Bill Nighy, English actor

1949 – Marc Ravalomanana, Malagasy businessman and politician, President of Madagascar

1950 – Pedro Ferriz de Con, Mexican journalist

1950 – Martina Hellmann, German athlete

1950 – Heiner Flassbeck, German economist and academic

1950 – Rajinikanth, Indian actor

1950 – Gorman Thomas, American baseball player

1950 – Billy Smith, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager

1951 – Rehman Malik, Pakistani politician, Pakistani Minister of Interior

1952 – Herb Dhaliwal, Indian-Canadian businessman and politician, 3rd Canadian Minister of Natural Resources

1952 – Sarah Douglas, English actress

1952 – Cathy Rigby, American gymnast

1953 – Martin Ferguson, Australian lawyer and politician

1953 – Bruce Kulick, American guitarist and songwriter

1953 – Rafael Septién, Mexican-American football player

1955 – Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Greek businesswoman

1955 – Eddy Schepers, Belgian cyclist

1955 – Stephen Smith, Australian lawyer and politician, 53rd Australian Minister of Defence

1956 – Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist

1957 – Cy Curnin, English singer-songwriter and musician

1957 – Sheila E., American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actress

1958 – Alexander Crutchfield, American businessman, financier and investor

1959 – Jasper Conran, English fashion designer

1960 – Martina Hellmann, German discus thrower

1961 – Andrey Perlov, Russian race walker

1962 – Tracy Austin, American tennis player and sportscaster

1962 – Arturo Barrios, Mexican-American runner

1962 – Peter Bergen, American-English journalist and author

1962 – Mike Golic, American football player and radio host

1962 – Ulrike Tillmann, German mathematician and academic

1963 – Eduardo Castro Luque, Mexican businessman and politician (d. 2012)

1964 – Reeta Chakrabarti, English journalist

1964 – Haywood Jeffires, American football player and coach

1965 – Will Carling, English rugby player

1966 – Royce Gracie, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and actor

1966 – Ian Paisley, Jr., Northern Irish politician

1967 – Yuzo Koshiro, Japanese composer and producer

1967 – John Randle, American football player

1968 – Rory Kennedy, American director and producer

1968 – Sašo Udovič, Slovenian footballer

1968 – Laurie Williams, Jamaican cricketer (d. 2002)

1969 – Sophie Kinsella, English author and educator

1969 – Wilfred Kirochi, Kenyan runner

1969 – Fiona May, English-Italian long jumper

1969 – Michael Möllenbeck, German discus thrower

1970 – Tahir Bilgic, Turkish-Australian comedian and actor

1970 – Jennifer Connelly, American actress

1970 – Regina Hall, American actress

1971 – Sammy Korir, Kenyan runner

1972 – Nicky Eaden, English footballer and coach

1972 – Craig Field, Australian rugby league player

1972 – Wilson Kipketer, Kenyan-Danish runner

1972 – Georgios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter

1972 – Hank Williams III, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1973 – Tony Hsieh, American businessman, founded LinkExchange

1973 – Walter Otta, Argentinian footballer

1974 – Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-American runner

1974 – Nolberto Solano, Peruvian footballer and manager

1975 – Mayim Bialik, American actress

1975 – Wesley Charles, Vincentian footballer

1975 – Craig Moore, Australian footballer and manager

1976 – Dan Hawkins, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer

1976 – Brent Johnson, Canadian football player

1976 – Lloyd Owusu, Ghanaian footballer

1976 – Asaka Seto, Japanese actress

1977 – Yoel Hernández, Cuban hurdler

1977 – Orlando Hudson, American baseball player

1977 – Dean Macey, English decathlete and bobsledder

1977 – Colin White, Canadian ice hockey player

1978 – Gbenga Akinnagbe, American actor and screenwriter

1978 – Shin Seung-hwan, South Korean actor

1979 – Garrett Atkins, American baseball player

1979 – Nate Clements, American football player

1979 – John Salmons, American basketball player

1980 – Dejene Berhanu, Ethiopian runner (d. 2010)

1980 – Dorin Goian, Romanian footballer

1980 – Berkant Göktan, Turkish-German footballer

1981 – Ronnie Brown, American football player

1981 – Jeret Peterson, American skier (d. 2011)

1981 – Pedro Ríos, Spanish footballer

1981 – Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer

1981 – Stephen Warnock, English footballer

1982 – Dmitry Tursunov, Russian tennis player

1984 – Daniel Agger, Danish footballer

1984 – Daniel Merrett, Australian footballer

1985 – Pat Calathes, Greek-American basketball player

1985 – Chris Jennings, American football player

1985 – David Veikune, American football player

1985 – Giannis Zaradoukas, Greek footballer

1986 – Daddy Birori, Rwandan footballer

1986 – Përparim Hetemaj, Finnish footballer

1986 – Nina Kolarič, Slovenian long jumper

1986 – T. J. Ward, American football player

1987 – Marte Eberson, Norwegian keyboard player and composer

1988 – Isaac John, New Zealand rugby league player

1988 – Tony Williams, Australian-Tongan rugby league player

1990 – Nixon Chepseba, Kenyan runner

1990 – Victor Moses, Nigerian footballer

1991 – Joseph Leilua, Australian-Samoan rugby league player

1993 – Zeli Ismail, English footballer

1994 – Mitchell Pinnock, English footballer

1996 – Lachlan Croker, Australian rugby league player

Deaths

884 – Carloman II, Frankish king (b. 866)

894 – Guy III, king of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor

1143 – Kogyo-Daishi, restorer of Shingon Buddhism in Japan (b. 1095)

1204 – Maimonides, Egyptian religious scholar, philosopher and physician (b. 1135)

1212 – Geoffrey, English archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1152)

1475 – Joan of Portugal, Queen of Castile (b. 1439)

1476 – Frederick I, Elector Palatine (b. 1425)

1569 – Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow (b. 1507)

1586 – Stephen Báthory, Polish king (b. 1533)

1685 – John Pell, English mathematician and linguist (b. 1610)

1751 – Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, English philosopher and politician, Secretary at War (b. 1678)

1758 – Françoise de Graffigny, French lettrist (b. 1695)

1766 – Johann Christoph Gottsched, German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1700)

1782 – Charles Gray, English lawyer and politician (b. 1696)

1789 – John Ponsonby, Irish lawyer and politician (b. 1713)

1790 – Mikhail Shcherbatov, Russian historian and philosopher (b. 1733)

1794 – Meshullam Feivush Heller, Ukrainian author (b. 1742)

1817 – Tekle Giyorgis I, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1751)

1843 – William I of the Netherlands (b. 1772)

1858 – Jacques Viger, Canadian archeologist and politician, 1st Mayor of Montreal (b. 1787)

1889 – Robert Browning, English poet and playwright (b. 1812)

1889 – Viktor Bunyakovsky, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804)

1894 – John Sparrow David Thompson, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1845)

1913 – Menelik II, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1844)

1921 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt, American astronomer and academic (b. 1868)

1923 – Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet (b. 1903)

1924 – Alexander Parvus, Russian-German theorist and politician (b. 1867)

1926 – Jean Richepin, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1849)

1934 – Thorleif Haug, Norwegian skier (b. 1894)

1939 – Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1883)

1941 – César Basa, Filipino lieutenant and pilot (b. 1915)

1951 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (b. 1907)

1952 – Bedřich Hrozný, Czech orientalist and linguist (b. 1879)

1958 – Albert Walsh, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1900)

1963 – Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1903)

1964 – Maithili Sharan Gupt, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1866)

1964 – William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes, English businessman, founded Rootes Group (b. 1894)

1966 – Karl Ruberl, Austrian-American swimmer (b. 1880)

1968 – Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (b. 1902)

1970 – Doris Blackburn, Australian politician (b. 1889)

1970 – George Terwilliger, American director and screenwriter (b. 1882)

1971 – Yechezkel Kutscher, Israeli philologist and linguist (b. 1909)

1971 – David Sarnoff, Belarusian-American businessman (b. 1891)

1975 – Richard Baggallay, English colonel and cricketer (b. 1884)

1976 – Jack Cassidy, American actor (b. 1927)

1978 – Fay Compton, English actress (b. 1894)

1980 – Jean Lesage, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Premier of Quebec (b. 1912)

1985 – Anne Baxter, American actress (b. 1923)

1985 – Ian Stewart, Scottish keyboard player and manager (b. 1938)

1986 – Paul Verner, German politician (b. 1911)

1987 – Enrique Jorrín, Cuban violinist and composer (b. 1926)

1992 – Suzanne Lilar, Belgian author and playwright (b. 1901)

1993 – József Antall, Hungarian historian and politician, 35th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1932)

1994 – Stuart Roosa, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1933)

1994 – Donna J. Stone, American poet and philanthropist (b. 1933)

1996 – Vance Packard, American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1914)

1997 – Evgenii Landis, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)

1998 – Lawton Chiles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Governor of Florida (b. 1930)

1998 – Marco Denevi, Argentinian author and screenwriter (b. 1922)

1998 – Mo Udall, American captain and politician (b. 1922)

1999 – Paul Cadmus, American painter and illustrator (b. 1904)

1999 – Joseph Heller, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright(b. 1923)

2000 – George Montgomery, American actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1916)

2000 – Ndabaningi Sithole, Zimbabwean militant leader, founded Zimbabwe African National Union (b. 1920)

2001 – Ardito Desio, Italian geologist and explorer (b. 1897)

2002 – Dee Brown, American historian and author (b. 1908)

2003 – Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijani general and politician, 3rd President of Azerbaijan (b. 1923)

2003 – Gangodawila Soma Thero, Sri Lankan monk and educator (b. 1948)

2005 – Robert Newmyer, American actor and producer (b. 1956)

2005 – Ramanand Sagar, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1917)

2005 – Annette Stroyberg, Danish actress (b. 1936)

2005 – Gebran Tueni, Lebanese journalist and politician (b. 1957)

2006 – Paul Arizin, American basketball player (b. 1928)

2006 – Peter Boyle, American actor (b. 1935)

2006 – Kenny Davern, American clarinet player and saxophonist (b. 1935)

2006 – Raymond P. Shafer, American lawyer and politician, 38th Governor of Pennsylvania (b. 1917)

2006 – Alan Shugart, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Seagate Technology (b. 1930)

2007 – François al-Hajj, Lebanese general (b. 1953)

2007 – Ike Turner, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1931)

2008 – Avery Dulles, American cardinal and theologian (b. 1918)

2008 – Van Johnson, American actor (b. 1916)

2008 – Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 5th President of Cyprus (b. 1934)

2010 – Tom Walkinshaw, Scottish race car driver, founded Tom Walkinshaw Racing (b. 1946)

2012 – Joe Allbritton, American banker, publisher, and philanthropist, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (b. 1924)

2012 – Nityanand Swami, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (b. 1927)

2012 – David Tait, English rugby player (b. 1987)

2013 – Tom Laughlin, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1931)

2013 – Abdul Quader Molla, Bangladeshi journalist and politician (b. 1948)

2013 – Leo Sachs, German-Israeli biologist and academic (b. 1924)

2013 – Jang Sung-taek, North Korean general and politician (b. 1946)

2013 – Audrey Totter, American actress (b. 1917)

2014 – Norman Bridwell, American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog (b. 1928)

2014 – Ivor Grattan-Guinness, English mathematician, historian, and academic (b. 1941)

2014 – Herb Plews, American baseball player (b. 1928)

2014 – Yury Shutov, Russian politician (b. 1946)

2015 – Luis Bermejo, Spanish illustrator (b. 1931)

2015 – Frans Geurtsen, Dutch footballer (b. 1942)

2015 – Sharad Anantrao Joshi, Indian farmer and politician (b. 1935)

2015 – Evelyn S. Lieberman, American politician, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (b. 1944)

2016 – Shirley Hazzard, Australian-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances

Christian feast day:

Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Vicelinus

December 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Constitution Day (Russia)

Croatian Air Force Day (Croatia)

Feast of Masá'il ("Questions"), the first day of the 15th month of the Bahá'í calendar (Bahá'í Faith)

Ground Forces Day (Ukraine)

Jamhuri Day, celebrates the independence of Kenya from Britain in 1963.

Kanji Day (Japan)

Neutrality Day (Turkmenistan)