December 18

December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 13 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 218 BC – Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia – Hannibal's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Roman Republic.
• 1271 – Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia and China.
• 1622 – Portuguese forces score a military victory over the Kingdom of Kongo at the Battle of Mbumbi in present-day Angola.
• 1655 – The Whitehall Conference ends with the determination that there was no law preventing Jews from re-entering England after the Edict of Expulsion of 1290.
• 1777 – The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the Americans over British General John Burgoyne in the Battle of Saratoga in October.
• 1787 – New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
• 1793 – Surrender of the frigate La Lutine by French Royalists to Lord Samuel Hood; renamed HMS Lutine, she later becomes a famous treasure wreck.
• 1865 – US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the United States.
• 1867 – The Angola Horror train wreck occurred.
• 1878 – John Kehoe, the last of the Molly Maguires is executed in Pennsylvania.
• 1878 – The Al-Thani family become the rulers of the state of Qatar
• 1888 – Richard Wetherill and his brother in-law discover the ancient Indian ruins of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde.
• 1892 – Premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
• 1898 – Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 39.245 mph (63.159 km/h) in a Jeantaud electric car
• 1900 – The Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, Victoria Narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in or 762 mm) Railway (now the Puffing Billy Railway) in Victoria, Australia is opened for traffic.
• 1912 – The Piltdown Man, later discovered to be a hoax, is announced by Charles Dawson.
• 1916 – World War I: The Battle of Verdun ends when German forces under Chief of staff Erich von Falkenhayn are defeated by the French, and suffer 337,000 casualties.
• 1917 – The resolution containing the language of the Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition is passed by the United States Congress.
• 1932 – The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL Championship Game.
• 1935 – The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is founded in Ceylon.
• 1939 – World War II: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first major air battle of the war, takes place.
• 1944 – World War II: Seventy-seven B-29 Superfortress and 200 other aircraft of U.S. Fourteenth Air Force bomb Hankow, China, a Japanese supply base.
• 1956 – Japan joins the United Nations.
• 1958 – Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, is launched.
• 1966 – Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by Richard L. Walker.
• 1969 – Capital punishment in the United Kingdom: Home Secretary James Callaghan's motion to make permanent the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, which had temporarily suspended capital punishment in England, Wales and Scotland for murder (but not for all crimes) for a period of five years.
• 1971 – Capitol Reef National Park is established in Utah.
• 1972 – Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th.
• 1973 – Soviet Soyuz Programme: Soyuz 13, crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev and Pyotr Klimuk, is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union.
• 1973 – The Islamic Development Bank is founded.
• 1978 – Dominica joins the United Nations.
• 1987 – Larry Wall releases the first version of the Perl programming language.
• 1989 – The European Economic Community and the Soviet Union sign an agreement on trade and commercial and economic cooperation.
• 1997 – HTML 4.0 is published by the World Wide Web Consortium.
• 1999 – NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT.
• 2002 – 2003 California recall: Then Governor of California Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier.
• 2005 – The Chadian Civil War begins when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adré.
• 2006 – The first of a series of floods strikes Malaysia. The death toll of all flooding is at least 118, with over 400,000 people displaced.
• 2006 – United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections.

Births

• 1507 – Ōuchi Yoshitaka, Japanese daimyo (d. 1551)
• 1602 – Simonds d'Ewes, English historian and politician (d. 1650)
• 1610 – Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange, French philologist and historian (d. 1688)
• 1620 – Heinrich Roth, German missionary and scholar (d. 1668)
• 1626 – Christina, Queen of Sweden (d. 1689)
• 1660 – Countess Johanna Magdalene of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1715)
• 1661 – Christopher Polhem, Swedish physicist and inventor (d. 1751)
• 1662 – James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry, Scottish colonel and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (d. 1711)
• 1707 – Charles Wesley, English missionary and composer (d. 1788)
• 1725 – Johann Salomo Semler, German historian and theologian (d. 1791)
• 1734 – Jean-Baptiste Rey, French conductor and composer (d. 1810)
• 1778 – Joseph Grimaldi, English actor and dancer (d. 1837)
• 1825 – Charles Griffin, American general (d. 1876)
• 1825 – John S. Harris, American surveyor and politician (d. 1906)
• 1835 – Lyman Abbott, American minister, theologian, and author (d. 1922)
• 1847 – Augusta Holmès, French pianist and composer (d. 1903)
• 1849 – Henrietta Edwards, Canadian activist and author (d. 1931)
• 1851 – Graciano López Jaena, Filipino journalist (d. 1896)
• 1856 – J. J. Thomson, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940)
• 1860 – Edward MacDowell, American pianist and composer (d. 1908)
• 1861 – Lionel Monckton, English composer and critic (d. 1924)
• 1863 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (d. 1914)
• 1867 – Foxhall P. Keene, American polo player and horse breeder (d. 1941)
• 1869 – Edward Willis Redfield, American painter (d. 1965)
• 1870 – Saki, Burmese-English author and playwright (d. 1916)
• 1873 – Francis Burton Harrison, American general and politician, 6th Governor-General of the Philippines (d. 1957)
• 1875 – Matt McGrath, Irish-American hammer thrower (d. 1941)
• 1878 – Joseph Stalin, Georgian-Russian marshal and politician, 4th Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1953)
• 1879 – Paul Klee, Swiss-German painter and educator (d. 1940)
• 1882 – Richard Maury, American-Argentinian engineer, designed the Salta–Antofagasta railway (d. 1950)
• 1883 – Raimu, French actor (d. 1946)
• 1884 – Emil Starkenstein, Czech pharmacologist, co-founded clinical pharmacology (d. 1942)
• 1886 – Ty Cobb, American baseball player and manager (d. 1961)
• 1886 – Martin Dooling, American soccer player (d. 1966)
• 1887 – Bhikhari Thakur, Indian actor, singer, and playwright (d. 1971)
• 1888 – Gladys Cooper, English actress and singer (d. 1971)
• 1888 – Robert Moses, American urban planner, designed the Northern State Parkway and Southern State Parkway (d. 1981)
• 1890 – Edwin Howard Armstrong, American engineer, invented FM radio (d. 1954)
• 1897 – Fletcher Henderson, American pianist and composer (d. 1952)
• 1899 – Peter Wessel Zapffe, Norwegian philosopher and author (d. 1990)
• 1904 – George Stevens, American director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer (d. 1975)
• 1907 – Bill Holland, American race car driver (d. 1984)
• 1907 – Lawrence Lucie, American guitarist (Mills Blue Rhythm Band) (d. 2009)
• 1908 – Celia Johnson, English actress (d. 1982)
• 1908 – Paul Siple, American geographer and explorer (d. 1969)
• 1910 – Abe Burrows, American author, playwright, and director (d. 1985)
• 1910 – Eric Tindill, New Zealand rugby player, cricketer, and umpire (d. 2010)
• 1911 – Jules Dassin, American-Greek actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
• 1912 – Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., American pilot and general (d. 2002)
• 1913 – Alfred Bester, American author and screenwriter (d. 1987)
• 1913 – Willy Brandt, German politician, 4th Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)
• 1913 – Ray Meyer, American basketball player and coach (d. 2006)
• 1916 – Douglas Fraser, Scottish-American union leader and academic (d. 2008)
• 1916 – Betty Grable, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 1973)
• 1917 – Ossie Davis, American actor and activist (d. 2005)
• 1920 – Robert Leckie, American soldier and author (d. 2001)
• 1922 – Jack Brooks, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012)
• 1923 – Edwin Bramall, Baron Bramall, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London
• 1924 – Cicely Tyson, American actress
• 1927 – Ramsey Clark, American lawyer and politician, 66th United States Attorney General
• 1927 – Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian journalist and politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (d. 2009)
• 1928 – Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Indian-English caliph and author (d. 2003)
• 1929 – Gino Cimoli, American baseball player (d. 2011)
• 1929 – Józef Glemp, Polish cardinal (d. 2013)
• 1930 – Moose Skowron, American baseball player (d. 2012)
• 1931 – Allen Klein, American talent agent and businessman (d. 2009)
• 1931 – Alison Plowden, English historian and author (d. 2007)
• 1931 – Bill Thompson, American television host (d. 2014)
• 1932 – Roger Smith, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1933 – Lonnie Brooks, American singer and guitarist
• 1934 – Marc Rich, Belgian-American businessman, founded Glencore (d. 2013)
• 1934 – Boris Volynov, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
• 1935 – Rosemary Leach, English actress
• 1935 – Jacques Pépin, French-American chef and author
• 1936 – Malcolm Kirk, English rugby player and wrestler (d. 1987)
• 1938 – Chas Chandler, English bass player and producer (The Animals) (d. 1996)
• 1938 – Joel Hirschhorn, American songwriter and composer (d. 2005)
• 1938 – Roger E. Mosley, American actor
• 1939 – Michael Moorcock, English author and songwriter
• 1939 – Harold E. Varmus, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1940 – John Cooper, English sprinter and hurdler (d. 1974)
• 1941 – Sam Andrew, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Big Brother and the Holding Company)
• 1941 – Wadada Leo Smith, American trumpet player and composer (Creative Construction Company)
• 1941 – Joan Wallach Scott, American historian, author, and academic
• 1942 – Harvey Atkin, Canadian actor
• 1943 – Bobby Keys, American saxophonist (d. 2014)
• 1943 – Keith Richards, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (The Rolling Stones, The Dirty Mac, and The New Barbarians)
• 1943 – Alan Rudolph, American director and screenwriter
• 1944 – Crispian Steele-Perkins, English trumpet player and educator
• 1945 – Jean Pronovost, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1946 – Steve Biko, South African activist, founded the Black Consciousness Movement (d. 1977)
• 1946 – Alex Ligertwood, Scottish singer (Average White Band and The Senate)
• 1946 – Steven Spielberg, American director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded DreamWorks
• 1947 – Leonid Yuzefovich, Russian author and screenwriter
• 1948 – Edmund Kemper, American serial killer
• 1948 – Bill Nelson, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Be-Bop Deluxe and Bill Nelson's Red Noise)
• 1948 – Mimmo Paladino, Italian visual artist
• 1948 – Laurent Voulzy, French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1949 – David A. Johnston, American volcanologist and geologist (d. 1980)
• 1950 – Gillian Armstrong, Australian director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1950 – Randy Castillo, American drummer (Red Square Black and Mötley Crüe) (d. 2002)
• 1950 – Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lankan general and politician
• 1950 – Leonard Maltin, American historian, author, and critic
• 1952 – John Leventhal, American songwriter and producer
• 1953 – Elliot Easton, American guitarist and singer (The Cars, The New Cars, and Creedence Clearwater Revisited)
• 1953 – Khas-Magomed Hadjimuradov, Kazakhstani singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1954 – John Booth, English race car driver
• 1954 – Ray Liotta, American actor, singer, and producer
• 1954 – Willi Wülbeck, German runner
• 1955 – Vijay Mallya, Indian businessman and politician
• 1955 – Bogusław Mamiński, Polish runner
• 1956 – Ron White, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1957 – Jonathan Cainer, English astrologer and author
• 1958 – Geordie Walker, English guitarist (Killing Joke, The Damage Manual, and Murder, Inc.)
• 1958 – Julia Wolfe, American composer and educator
• 1960 – Kazuhide Uekusa, Japanese economist and academic
• 1961 – Brian Orser, Canadian figure skater and coach
• 1961 – Leila Steinberg, American singer, producer, author, and poet
• 1961 – Daniel S. Loeb, American businessman
• 1962 – Renaldo Lapuz, Filipino-American singer-songwriter
• 1963 – Norman Brown, American singer and guitarist (BWB)
• 1963 – Greg D'Angelo, American drummer (White Lion, Britny Fox, Pride and Glory, and AntiProduct)
• 1963 – Karl Dorrell, American football player and coach
• 1963 – Pauline Ester, French singer
• 1963 – Allan Kayser, American actor
• 1963 – Rikiya Koyama, Japanese actor
• 1963 – Pierre Nkurunziza, Burundian soldier and politician, President of Burundi
• 1963 – Charles Oakley, American basketball player and coach
• 1963 – Brad Pitt, American actor and producer
• 1964 – Stone Cold Steve Austin, American wrestler, actor, and producer
• 1964 – Don Beebe, American football player and coach
• 1964 – Robson Green, English actor, singer, and producer
• 1965 – Shawn Christian, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1965 – Mick Collins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Gories and The Dirtbombs)
• 1965 – Manuel Peña Escontrela, Spanish footballer (d. 2012)
• 1965 – Fawna MacLaren, American model and actress
• 1966 – Makiko Esumi, Japanese actress
• 1966 – Gianluca Pagliuca, Italian footballer and sportscaster
• 1966 – Mille Petrozza, German singer-songwriter and guitarist (Kreator and Voodoocult)
• 1967 – Mario Frangoulis, Greek tenor and actor
• 1967 – Toine van Peperstraten, Dutch journalist
• 1968 – Mario Basler, German footballer and manager
• 1968 – Rachel Griffiths, Australian actress, director, and screenwriter
• 1968 – Alejandro Sanz, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1968 – Casper Van Dien, American actor and producer
• 1968 – Nina Wadia, Indian-English actress
• 1969 – Santiago Cañizares, Spanish footballer
• 1969 – Justin Edinburgh, English footballer and manager
• 1969 – Akira Iida, Japanese race car driver
• 1970 – DMX, American rapper and actor
• 1970 – Lucious Harris, American basketball player
• 1970 – Giannis Ploutarhos, Greek singer-songwriter
• 1970 – Victoria Pratt, Canadian actress and model
• 1970 – Cowboy Troy, American rapper (MuzikMafia)
• 1970 – Rob Van Dam, American wrestler and actor
• 1970 – Jonathan Yeo, English painter
• 1971 – Barkha Dutt, Indian journalist
• 1971 – Jason Hughes, Welsh actor
• 1971 – Noriko Matsueda, Japanese pianist and composer
• 1971 – Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Spanish tennis player and sportscaster
• 1972 – Anzhela Balakhonova, Ukrainian pole vaulter
• 1972 – Rah Digga, American rapper and actress (The Conglomerate)
• 1972 – Raymond Herrera, American drummer (Fear Factory, Arkaea, and Brujeria)
• 1972 – DJ Lethal, Latvian-American DJ and producer (House of Pain, Limp Bizkit, and La Coka Nostra)
• 1973 – Leila Arcieri, American actress and model
• 1973 – Neil Busch, American singer-songwriter and bass player (...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead)
• 1973 – Fatuma Roba, Ethiopian runner
• 1974 – Peter Boulware, American football player and politician
• 1974 – Kari Byron, American sculptor and television host
• 1974 – Bill Duggan, American actor
• 1974 – Mutassim Gaddafi, Libyan colonel (d. 2011)
• 1974 – Knut Schreiner, Norwegian singer, guitarist, and producer (Turbonegro, Euroboys, and Mirror Lakes)
• 1975 – Sia, Australian singer-songwriter
• 1975 – Jessica Feshbach, former official and spokesperson in the Church of Scientology
• 1975 – Randy Houser, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1975 – David O'Doherty, Irish comedian, actor, and singer
• 1975 – Trish Stratus, Canadian wrestler and actress
• 1975 – Masaki Sumitani, Japanese wrestler and comedian
• 1975 – Vincent van der Voort, Dutch darts player
• 1976 – Koyuki, Japanese actress and model
• 1977 – Axwell, Swedish DJ and producer (Swedish House Mafia)
• 1977 – José Acevedo, Dominican baseball player
• 1977 – Maria Brink, American singer-songwriter (In This Moment)
• 1977 – Claudia Gesell, German runner
• 1978 – Daniel Cleary, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1978 – Ali Curtis, American soccer player
• 1978 – Katie Holmes, American actress
• 1978 – Naomi Lang, American ice dancer
• 1979 – Eric Pérez, Puerto Rican wrestler
• 1979 – Mamady Sidibé, Malian footballer
• 1980 – Christina Aguilera, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1980 – Heinz Inniger, Swiss snowboarder
• 1980 – Benjamin Watson, American football player
• 1983 – Andy Fantuz, Canadian football player
• 1984 – Paul Harrison, English footballer
• 1984 – Derrick Tribbett, American bass player and singer (Twisted Method and Dope)
• 1985 – Tara Conner, American model, Miss USA 2006
• 1985 – Natalie Gal, Russian-American model and actress
• 1985 – Hana Soukupová, Czech model
• 1986 – François Hamelin, Canadian speed skater
• 1986 – Usman Khawaja, Australian cricketer
• 1986 – Bill Stull, American football player
• 1987 – Miki Ando, Japanese figure skater
• 1987 – Ayaka, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
• 1987 – Yuki Furukawa, Japanese actor
• 1987 – Fernando Jara, Panamanian jockey
• 1987 – Minami Tsukui, Japanese actress
• 1988 – Lizzie Armitstead, English cyclist
• 1988 – Seth Doege, American football player
• 1988 – Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Canadian heptathlete
• 1989 – Emily Atack, English actress
• 1989 – Ashley Benson, American actress
• 1989 – Ashley Slanina-Davies, English actress
• 1990 – Sierra Kay, American singer-songwriter (Versa)
• 1992 – Bridgit Mendler, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1993 – Byron Buxton, American baseball player
• 1993 – Riria, Japanese actress

Deaths

• 821 – Theodulf of Orléans, Spanish bishop and poet (b. 750)
• 1075 – Edith of Wessex (b. 1025)
• 1133 – Hildebert, French poet and scholar (b. 1055)
• 1495 – Alfonso II of Naples (b. 1448)
• 1591 – Marigje Arriens, Dutch woman accused of witchcraft (b. 1520)
• 1692 – Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff, German scholar and politician (b. 1626)
• 1737 – Antonio Stradivari, Italian instrument maker (b. 1644)
• 1787 – Soame Jenyns, English poet and politician (b. 1704)
• 1799 – Jean-Étienne Montucla, French mathematician and historian (b. 1725)
• 1803 – Johann Gottfried Herder, German philosopher, theologian, and poet (b. 1744)
• 1829 – Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, French soldier, biologist, and academic (b. 1744)
• 1843 – Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch, Scottish-English general and politician (b. 1748)
• 1848 – Bernard Bolzano, Bohemian priest and mathematician (b. 1781)
• 1869 – Louis Moreau Gottschalk, American pianist and composer (b. 1829)
• 1880 – Michel Chasles, French mathematician and academic (b. 1793)
• 1892 – Richard Owen, English biologist, anatomist, and paleontologist (b. 1804)
• 1922 – Sir Carl Meyer, 1st Baronet, German-English banker and businessman (b. 1851)
• 1936 – Andrija Mohorovičić, Croatian meteorologist and seismologist (b. 1857)
• 1939 – Ernest Lawson, Canadian-American painter (b. 1873)
• 1944 – Alexander Cudmore, American soccer player (b. 1888)
• 1950 – Johnny Hyde, Russian-American talent agent (b. 1895)
• 1968 – Joan Tabor, American actress (b. 1932)
• 1969 – Charles Dvorak, American pole vaulter and coach (b. 1878)
• 1971 – Bobby Jones, American golfer and lawyer (b. 1902)
• 1971 – Diana Lynn, American actress and singer (b. 1926)
• 1973 – Allamah Rasheed Turabi, Indian-Pakistani religious leader and philosopher (b. 1908)
• 1974 – Harry Hooper, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1887)
• 1975 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian geneticist and biologist (b. 1900)
• 1977 – Michio Nishizawa, Japanese baseball player and manager (b. 1921)
• 1980 – Dobriša Cesarić, Croatian poet and translator (b. 1902)
• 1980 – Alexei Kosygin, Russian soldier and politician, 8th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1904)
• 1980 – Gabrielle Robinne, French actress (b. 1886)
• 1982 – Hans-Ulrich Rudel, German colonel and pilot (b. 1916)
• 1984 – Aris Maliagros, Greek actor and tenor (b. 1895)
• 1985 – Xuân Diệu, Vietnamese poet and author (b. 1916)
• 1987 – Conny Plank, German keyboard player and producer (Moebius & Plank and Cluster) (b. 1940)
• 1988 – Niyazi Berkes, Cypriot-English sociologist and academic (b. 1908)
• 1990 – Anne Revere, American actress (b. 1903)
• 1990 – Paul Tortelier, French cellist and composer (b. 1914)
• 1990 – Joseph Zubin, Lithuanian-American psychologist and academic (b. 1900)
• 1991 – George Abecassis, English race car driver (b. 1913)
• 1992 – Mark Goodson, American game show producer, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (b. 1915)
• 1993 – Helm Glöckler, German racing driver (b. 1909)
• 1993 – Sam Wanamaker, American-English actor, director, and producer (b. 1919)
• 1994 – Roger Apéry, Greek-French mathematician and academic (b. 1916)
• 1995 – Brian Brockless, English organist, composer, and conductor (b. 1926)
• 1995 – Ross Thomas, American author (b. 1926)
• 1995 – Konrad Zuse, German engineer, designed the Z3 computer (b. 1910)
• 1996 – Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist and academic (b. 1904)
• 1997 – Chris Farley, American comedian and actor (b. 1964)
• 1998 – Lev Dyomin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1926)
• 1999 – Robert Bresson, French director and screenwriter (b. 1901)
• 2000 – Stan Fox, American race car driver (b. 1952)
• 2000 – Randolph Apperson Hearst, American businessman (b. 1915)
• 2000 – Kirsty MacColl, English singer-songwriter (b. 1959)
• 2001 – Gilbert Bécaud, French singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (b. 1927)
• 2001 – Dimitris Dragatakis, Greek violinist and composer (b. 1914)
• 2001 – Marcel Mule, French saxophonist and educator (b. 1901)
• 2002 – Ray Hnatyshyn, Canadian lawyer and politician, 24th Governor General of Canada (b. 1934)
• 2002 – Wayne Owens, American lawyer and politician (b. 1937)
• 2004 – Anthony Sampson, English journalist and author (b. 1926)
• 2005 – Alan Voorhees, American engineer and urban planner (b. 1922)
• 2006 – Joseph Barbera, American animator, director, and producer, co-founded Hanna-Barbera (b. 1911)
• 2006 – Ruth Bernhard, German-American photographer (b. 1905)
• 2006 – Mike Dickin, English radio host (b. 1943)
• 2006 – Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani author and activist (b. 1923)
• 2007 – Hans Billian, German film director, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1918)
• 2007 – Gerald Le Dain, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1924)
• 2007 – Jack Linkletter, American television host (b. 1937)
• 2007 – William Strauss, American author and playwright (b. 1947)
• 2007 – Alan Wagner, American businessman and critic (b. 1931)
• 2008 – Majel Barrett, American actress and producer (b. 1932)
• 2008 – Mark Felt, American FBI agent (b. 1913)
• 2010 – Phil Cavarretta, American baseball player and manager (b. 1916)
• 2010 – Jacqueline de Romilly, French philologist, author, and scholar (b. 1913)
• 2010 – Tasso Kavadia, Greek actress (b. 1921)
• 2010 – Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Italian economist and politician, Italian Minister of Economy and Finances (b. 1940)
• 2010 – James Pickles, English judge and journalist (b. 1925)
• 2011 – Václav Havel, Czech poet, playwright, and politician, 1st President of the Czech Republic (b. 1936)
• 2012 – Koko, Australian acting dog (b. 2005)
• 2012 – Frank Macchiarola, American lawyer and academic (b. 1941)
• 2012 – Mustafa Ould Salek, Mauritanian colonel and politician, President of Mauritania (b. 1936)
• 2012 – Jim Whalen, American football player (b. 1943)
• 2012 – Anatoliy Zayaev, Ukrainian footballer, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Ronnie Biggs, English criminal (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Ken Hutcherson, American football player (b. 1952)
• 2013 – Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza, Mexican drug lord (b. 1971)
• 2013 – Larry Lujack, American radio host (b. 1940)
• 2013 – Graham Mackay, South African-English businessman (b. 1949)
• 2014 – Donald J. Albosta, American soldier and politician (b. 1925)
• 2014 – Gideon Ben-Yisrael, Israeli politician (b. 1923)
• 2014 – Larry Henley, American singer-songwriter (The Newbeats) (b. 1937)
• 2014 – Virna Lisi, Italian actress (b. 1936)
• 2014 – Mandy Rice-Davies, English model and actress (b. 1944)
• 2014 – Robert Simpson, American meteorologist and author (b. 1912)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • Flannán
  • Gatianus of Tours
  • O Adonai
  • Our Lady of Expectation
  • Sebastian (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • Winibald
  • December 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Eponalia, feast of Epona, celebrated during Saturnalia. (Roman Empire)
• International Migrants Day (International)
• National Day (Qatar)
• Republic Day (Niger)
• UN Arabic Language Day (United Nations)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada