December 10
December 10 is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 21 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
- 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V.
- 1508 - The League of Cambrai is formed by Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand II of Aragon as an alliance against Venice.
- 1520 - Martin Luther burns his copy of the papal bull Exsurge Domine outside Wittenberg's Elster Gate.
- 1541 - Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham are executed for having affairs with Catherine Howard, Queen of England and wife of Henry VIII.
- 1665 - The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps was founded by Michiel de Ruyter
- 1684 - Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, is read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley.
- 1817 - Mississippi becomes the 20th U.S. state.
- 1836 - Emory College (now Emory University) is chartered in Oxford, Georgia.
- 1861 - American Civil War: the Confederate States of America accept a rival state government's pronouncement that declares Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea - Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union Army troops reach Savannah, Georgia.
- 1868 - The first traffic lights are installed outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Resembling railway signals, they use semaphore arms and are illuminated at night by red and green gas lamps.
- 1869 - Wyoming grants women the right to vote.
- 1869 - The first American chapter of Kappa Sigma is founded at the University of Virginia.
- 1898 - Spanish-American War: The Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the conflict.
- 1898 - The first western pilgrims were welcomed at The House of `Abdu'lláh Páshá
- 1899 - The Delta Sigma Phi fraternity is founded at the City College of New York.
- 1901 - The first Nobel Prizes are awarded.
- 1902 - Women are given the right to vote in Tasmania.
- 1904 - Founding of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.
- 1906 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt wins the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first American to win a Nobel Prize.
- 1907 - The worst night of the Brown Dog riots in London, when 1,000 medical students clash with 400 police officers over the existence of a memorial for animals who have been vivisected.
- 1932 - Thailand adopts a Constitution and becomes a constitutional monarchy.
- 1935 - The Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, later renamed the Heisman Trophy, was given to halfback Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago. This award was given to the best college football player east the Mississippi River.
- 1936 - Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII signs the Instrument of Abdication.
- 1941 - World War II: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers near Malaya.
- 1941 - World War II: Battle of the Philippines - Imperial Japanese forces under the command of General Masaharu Homma land on the Philippine mainland.
- 1948 - The UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today is also International Human Rights Day.
- 1949 - Chinese Civil War: The People's Liberation Army begins its siege of Chengdu, the last Kuomintang-held city in mainland China, forcing President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and his government to retreat to Taiwan.
- 1968 - Japan's biggest heist, the still-unsolved "300 million yen robbery", occurs in Tokyo.
- 1978 - Arab-Israeli conflict: Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin and President of Egypt Anwar Sadat are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
- 1981 - The United Nations General Assembly approves Pakistan's proposal for establishing nuclear free-zone in South Asia.
- 1981 - During the Ministerial Session of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels, Spain signes the Protocol of Accession to NATO.
- 1983 - Democracy is restored in Argentina with the assumption of President Raúl Alfonsín.
- 1989 - Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announces the establishment of Mongolia's democratic movement that peacefully changed the second oldest communist country into a democratic society.
- 1994 - Theater fire in Karamay, notrhwestern Xinjiang Uygur, China, 324 killed.
- 1996 - Rwandan Genocide: Military advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General and head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Maurice Baril recommends that the UN multi-national forces in Zaire stand down.
- 2006 - One million Lebanese opposition supporters gather in downtown Beirut, calling for the government to resign.
Births
- 1394 - King James I of Scotland (d. 1437)
- 1452 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1531)
- 1588 - Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher (d. 1637)
- 1750 - Tipu Sultan, ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore (d. 1799)
- 1751 - George Shaw, English botanist and zoologist (d. 1813)
- 1787 - Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, American educator (d. 1851)
- 1804 - Carl Gustav Jakob Jacobi, German mathematician (d. 1851)
- 1805 - Josef Skoda, Bohemian physician (d. 1881)
- 1815 - Ada Lovelace, English mathematician (d. 1852)
- 1820 - Princess Elizabeth of Clarence (d. 1821)
- 1821 - Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov, Russian poet (d. 1877)
- 1822 - César Franck, Belgian composer and organist (d. 1890)
- 1824 - George MacDonald, Scottish writer and preacher (d. 1905)
- 1827 - Eugene O'Keefe, Canadian businessman and brewer (d. 1913)
- 1830 - Emily Dickinson, American poet (d. 1886)
- 1851 - Melvil Dewey, American librarian, (d. 1931)
- 1855 - Marios Varvoglis, Greek Composer (d. 1967)
- 1870 - Mary Bonaparte, pretender to the French imperial throne (d. 1947)
- 1870 - Adolf Loos, Austrian architect (d. 1933)
- 1870 - Pierre Louÿs, French author (d. 1925)
- 1878 - Rajaji, India's freedom fighter and the first Governor General of independent India (d.1972)
- 1880 - Fred Immler, German actor (d. 1965)
- 1882 - Otto Neurath, Austrian philosopher (d. 1945)
- 1884 - Zinaida Serebriakova, Russian-born painter (d. 1967)
- 1891 - Sir Harold Alexander, British Army Field Marshal, first Earl of Tunis (d. 1969)
- 1891 - Nelly Sachs, German-born writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1970)
- 1903 - Una Merkel, American actress (d. 1986)
- 1907 - Rumer Godden, English writer (d. 1998)
- 1907 - Lucien Laurent, French footballer (d. 2005)
- 1908 - Olivier Messiaen, French composer and ornithologist (d. 1992)
- 1909 - Hermes Pan, American choreographer and dancer (d. 1990)
- 1911 - Chet Huntley, American journalist (d. 1974)
- 1912 - Philip A. Hart, U.S. Senator (d. 1976)
- 1913 - Morton Gould, American composer (d. 1996)
- 1913 - Harry Locke, English actor (d. 1987)
- 1914 - Dorothy Lamour, American actress (d. 1996)
- 1917 - Sultan Yahya Petra, King of Malaysia (d. 1979)
- 1918 - Anne Gwynne, American actress (d. 2003)
- 1918 - Anatoli Tarasov, Russian ice hockey coach (d. 1995)
- 1919 - Alexander Courage, American composer
- 1920 - Clarice Lispector, Ukrainian-Brazilian writer (d. 1977)
- 1920 - Reginald Rose, American writer (d. 2002)
- 1922 - Lucía Hiriart, First Lady of Chile (1974-1990), wife of Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet
- 1923 - Harold Gould, American actor
- 1924 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 1997)
- 1925 - Jean Byron, American actress (d. 2006)
- 1925 - Carolyn Kizer, American poet
- 1928 - Dan Blocker, American actor (d. 1972)
- 1928 - John Colicos, Canadian actor (d. 2000)
- 1933 - Mako, Japanese-born American actor (d. 2006)
- 1934 - Howard Martin Temin, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (d. 1994)
- 1935 - Terry Allcock, English footballer
- 1938 - Yuri Temirkanov, Russian orchestral conductor
- 1938 - Porter Goss, American politician, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- 1939 - Barry Cunliffe, English university professor
- 1941 - Fionnula Flanagan, Irish actress
- 1941 - Tommy Kirk, American actor
- 1941 - Tommy Rettig, American actor (d. 1996)
- 1941 - Chad Stuart, English singer (Chad and Jeremy)
- 1944 - Steve Renko, American baseball player
- 1946 - Thomas Lux, American poet
- 1947 - Douglas Kenney, American humorist (d. 1980)
- 1947 - Rəsul Quliyev, Azerbaijani politician
- 1947 - Rainer Seifert, German field hockey player
- 1948 - Abu Abbas, founder of the Palestine Liberation Front (d. 2004)
- 1950 - Tom Towles, American actor
- 1951 - Ellen Nikolaysen, Norwegian singer
- 1952 - Clive Anderson, English television presenter
- 1952 - Susan Dey, American actress
- 1954 - Jack Hues, English musician
- 1956 - Tim Kurkjian, American baseball writer and analyst for ESPN
- 1957 - Michael Clarke Duncan, American actor
- 1957 - Paul Hardcastle, English composer and musician
- 1957 - Prem Rawat, known also as Guru Maharaj Ji and Maharaji, American Indian spiritual leader and speaker
- 1959 - Mark Aguirre, American basketball player
- 1960 - Kenneth Branagh, Northern Irish actor and director
- 1962 - John de Wolf, former Dutch International footballer
- 1965 - J Mascis, American musician
- 1965 - Stephanie Morgenstern, Canadian actress
- 1966 - Mel Rojas, Dominican baseball player
- 1969 - Rob Blake, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1971 - Brian Nichols, American spree killer
- 1972 - Marcos di Palma, Argentine racing driver
- 1972 - Brian Molko, Belgian-born singer and songwriter (Placebo)
- 1972 - Dimitri Tikovoi, French-born record producer
- 1974 - Meg White, American drummer (The White Stripes)
- 1975 - Josip Skoko, Australian footballer
- 1977 - Emmanuelle Chriqui, Canadian actress
- 1978 - Brandon Novak, American skateboarder
- 1978 - Summer Phoenix, American actress
- 1978 - Donna Williams, co-founder of Neopets
- 1979 - Matt Bentley, American professional wrestler
- 1980 - Sarah Chang, American violinist
- 1980 - Ledley King, English footballer
- 1980 - Massari, Lebanese-born Canadian singer
- 1981 - Ryan Pini, Papua New Guinea swimmer
- 1981 - Fábio Rochemback, Brazilian footballer
- 1981 - Taufik Batisah, Singaporean singer
- 1982 - Tim Deegan, Canadian MuchMusic VJ
- 1982 - Shilpa Anand, an Indian film and television actress
- 1983 - Patrick Flueger, American actor
- 1983 - Habib Mohamed, Ghanaian footballer
- 1983 - Katrin Siska, Estonian singer
- 1983 - Zé Kalanga, Angolan footballer
- 1984 - Jayson Paul, American professional wrestler
- 1985 - T. J. Hensick, American ice hockey player
- 1985 - Raven-Symoné, American actress and singer
- 1986 - Matthew Bates, English footballer
- 1986 - Ryoichi Tsukada, Japanese acrobat
- 1987 - Gonzalo Higuaín, French-born Argentine footballer
- 1990 - Giulia Boverio, Italian actress
Deaths
- 949 - Herman I, Duke of Swabia
- 1041 - Michael IV the Paphlagonian, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1010)
- 1198 - Averroes, Arab physician and philosopher (b. 1126)
- 1508 - René II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1451)
- 1603 - William Gilbert, English scientist (b. 1544)
- 1618 - Giulio Caccini, Italian composer
- 1626 - Edmund Gunter, English mathematician (b. 1581)
- 1665 - Tarquinio Merula, Italian composer
- 1736 - António Manoel de Vilhena, Portuguese ruler of Malta (b. 1663)
- 1831 - Thomas Seebeck, Baltic German physicist (b. 1770)
- 1850 - François Sulpice Beudant, French mineralogist and geologist (b. 1787)
- 1865 - King Léopold I of Belgium (b. 1790)
- 1896 - Alfred Nobel, Swedish inventor and founder of the Nobel Prize (b. 1833)
- 1911 - Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, English botanist (b. 1817)
- 1917 - Sir Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1823)
- 1920 - Horace Elgin Dodge, American automobile manufacturing pioneer (b. 1868)
- 1928 - Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish architect, designer, and illustrator (b. 1868)
- 1936 - Bobby Abel, English cricketer (b. 1857)
- 1936 - Luigi Pirandello, Italian writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1867)
- 1941 - Colin Kelly, American pilot (b. 1915)
- 1944 - John Henry Cound Brunt, Victoria Cross holder (b. 1922)
- 1945 - Theodor Dannecker, SS officer (b. 1913)
- 1946 - Walter Johnson, American baseball player (b. 1887)
- 1946 - Damon Runyon, American writer (b. 1884)
- 1951 - Algernon Blackwood, English writer (b. 1869)
- 1953 - Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Indian-born scholar and translator (b. 1872)
- 1958 - Adolfo Camarillo, American horse breeder (b.1864)
- 1967 - Otis Redding, American soul singer (b. 1941)
- 1968 - Karl Barth, Swiss theologian (b. 1886)
- 1968 - George Forrest, Northern Irish MP (b. 1921)
- 1968 - Thomas Merton, American monk and author (b. 1915)
- 1973 - Wolf Vishniac, American microbiologist (b. 1922)
- 1977 - Adolph Rupp, American basketball coach (b. 1901)
- 1978 - Edward D. Wood, Jr., American filmmaker (b. 1924)
- 1979 - Ann Dvorak, American film actress (b. 1912)
- 1982 - Freeman Gosden, American actor (b. 1899)
- 1986 - Susan Cabot, American actress (b. 1927)
- 1986 - Kate Wolf, American folk singer and songwriter (b. 1942)
- 1987 - Jascha Heifetz, Russian-born violinist (b. 1901)
- 1988 - Richard S. Castellano, American actor (b. 1933)
- 1990 - Armand Hammer, American industrialist and art collector (b. 1898)
- 1991 - Greta Kempton, American artist (b. 1901)
- 1991 - Headman Shabalala, South African singer (Ladysmith Black Mambazo) (b. 1945)
- 1992 - Dan Maskell, English tennis commentator (b. 1908)
- 1994 - Keith Joseph, English politician (b. 1918)
- 1994 - Alexander Wilson, Canadian athlete (b. 1905)
- 1995 - Darren Robinson, American rapper (The Fat Boys) (b. 1967)
- 1996 - Faron Young, American singer (b. 1932)
- 1999 - Rick Danko, Canadian bassist and singer (The Band) (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Shirley Hemphill, American actress (b. 1947)
- 1999 - Franjo Tuđman, President of Croatia (b. 1922)
- 2000 - Marie Windsor, American film actress (b. 1919)
- 2001 - Ashok Kumar, Indian actor (b. 1911)
- 2002 - Andres Küng, Swedish-Estonian politician, journalist (b. 1945)
- 2005 - Eugene McCarthy, U.S. Senator (b. 1916)
- 2005 - Richard Pryor, American comedian and actor (b. 1940)
- 2006 - Augusto Pinochet, Chilean President (b. 1915)
- 2007 - Aqsa Parvez, Canadian victim of an honor crime (b. 1991)
Holidays and observances
- Human Rights Day - United Nations
- Presentation Ceremony of the Nobel Prize