December 17

December 17 in recent years

2023 (Sunday)

2022 (Saturday)

2021 (Friday)

2020 (Thursday)

2019 (Tuesday)

2018 (Monday)

2017 (Sunday)

2016 (Saturday)

2015 (Thursday)

2014 (Wednesday)

December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 14 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

• 497 BC – The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.
• 546 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoths under king Totila plunder the city, by bribing the Byzantine garrison.
• 920 – Romanos I Lekapenos is crowned co-emperor of the underage Constantine VII.
• 942 – Assassination of William I of Normandy.
• 1398 – Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by Timur.
• 1538 – Pope Paul III excommunicates Henry VIII of England.
• 1577 – Francis Drake sails from Plymouth, England, on a secret mission to explore the Pacific coast of the Americas for Queen Elizabeth I of England.
• 1583 – Cologne War: Forces under Ernest of Bavaria defeat troops under Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg at the Siege of Godesberg.
• 1586 – Go-Yōzei becomes Emperor of Japan.
• 1600 – Marriage of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici.
• 1718 – War of the Quadruple Alliance: Great Britain declares war on Spain.
• 1777 – American Revolution: France formally recognizes the United States.
• 1790 – Discovery of the Aztec calendar stone.
• 1807 – Napoleonic Wars: France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System.
• 1812 – War of 1812: U.S. forces attack a friendly Lenape village in the Battle of the Mississinewa.
• 1819 – Simón Bolívar declares the independence of Gran Colombia in Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar in Venezuela).
• 1837 – A fire in the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg kills 30 guards.
• 1862 – American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
• 1865 – First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert.
• 1892 – First issue of Vogue is published
• 1896 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Schenley Park Casino, which was the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America, is destroyed in a fire.
• 1903 – The Wright brothers make their first powered, heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• 1907 – Ugyen Wangchuck is crowned first King of Bhutan
• 1918 – Darwin Rebellion: Up to 1,000 demonstrators march on Government House in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
• 1919 – Uruguay becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
• 1926 – Antanas Smetona assumes power in Lithuania as the 1926 coup d'état is successful.
• 1927 – Indian revolutionary Rajendra Lahiri is hanged in Gonda jail, Uttar Pradesh, India, two days before the scheduled date.
• 1928 – Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru assassinate British police officer James Saunders in Lahore, Punjab, to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai at the hands of the police. The three were executed in 1931.
• 1935 – First flight of the Douglas DC-3.
• 1938 – Otto Hahn discovers the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy.
• 1939 – World War II: Battle of the River Plate – The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.
• 1941 – World War II: Japanese forces land in Northern Borneo.
• 1944 – World War II: Battle of the Bulge – Malmedy massacre – American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion POWs are shot by Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe Peiper.
• 1947 – First flight of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber.
• 1950 – The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea.
• 1951 – The American Civil Rights Congress delivers "We Charge Genocide" to the United Nations.
• 1957 – The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• 1960 – Troops loyal to Haile Selassie I in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt.
• 1960 – 1960 Munich Convair 340 crash: 20 passengers and crew on board as well as 32 people on the ground are killed.
• 1961 – Niterói circus fire: Fire breaks out during a performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing more than 500.
• 1967 – Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappears while swimming near Portsea, Victoria, and is presumed drowned.
• 1969 – The SALT I talks begin.
• 1969 – Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs.
• 1970 – Polish 1970 protests: In Gdynia, soldiers fire at workers emerging from trains, killing dozens.
• 1973 – Thirty passengers are killed in an attack by Palestinian terrorists on Rome's Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport.
• 1981 – American Brigadier General James L. Dozier is abducted by the Red Brigades in Verona, Italy.
• 1983 – Provisional IRA members detonate a car bomb at Harrods Department Store in London, England, United Kingdom. Three police officers and three civilians are killed.
• 1989 – The first episode of television series The Simpsons, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", airs in the United States.
• 1989 – Romanian Revolution: Protests continue in Timișoara, Romania, with rioters breaking into the Romanian Communist Party's District Committee building and attempting to set it on fire.
• 1989 – Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years.
• 1997 – The British Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 comes into force, banning all handguns with the exception of antique and show weapons.
• 2002 – Second Congo War: The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years.
• 2003 – The Soham murder trial ends at the Old Bailey in London, England, with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend Maxine Carr is found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
• 2003 – SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes its first supersonic flight.
• 2005 – Anti-World Trade Organization protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
• 2005 – Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates the throne as King of Bhutan.
• 2009 – MV Danny F II sinks off the coast of Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 44 people and over 28,000 animals.
• 2010 – Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire. This act became the catalyst for the Tunisian revolution and the wider Arab Spring.

Births

• 1239 – Kujō Yoritsugu, Japanese shogun (d. 1256)
• 1267 – Emperor Go-Uda of Japan (d. 1324)
• 1556 – Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Indian poet (d. 1627)
• 1619 – Prince Rupert of the Rhine, German-English soldier, privateer and scientist (d. 1682)
• 1632 – Anthony Wood, English antiquarian (d. 1695)
• 1685 – Thomas Tickell, English poet (d. 1740)
• 1699 – Charles-Louis Mion, French composer (d. 1775)
• 1706 – Émilie du Châtelet, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1749)
• 1734 – Maria I of Portugal (d. 1816)
• 1749 – Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer (d. 1801)
• 1778 – Humphry Davy, English chemist and physicist (d. 1829)
• 1796 – Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Nova Scotian politician and author (d. 1865)
• 1797 – Joseph Henry, American physicist (d. 1878)
• 1807 – John Greenleaf Whittier, American poet and activist (d. 1892)
• 1827 – Alexander Wassilko von Serecki, Austro-Hungarian lawyer and politician (d. 1893)
• 1830 – Jules de Goncourt, French author (d. 1870)
• 1835 – Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, Swiss-American scientist and engineer (d. 1910)
• 1842 – Sophus Lie, Norwegian mathematician (d. 1899)
• 1847 – Émile Faguet, French author and critic (d. 1916)
• 1853 – Pierre Paul Émile Roux, French physician, co-founded the Pasteur Institute (d. 1933)
• 1859 – Paul César Helleu, French painter (d. 1927)
• 1866 – Konrad Stäheli, Swiss target shooter (d. 1931)
• 1873 – Ford Madox Ford, English author (d. 1939)
• 1874 – William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canadian politician, 10th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1950)
• 1881 – Aubrey Faulkner, South African cricketer (d. 1930)
• 1887 – Josef Lada, Czech painter (d. 1957)
• 1887 – Hermine Reuss of Greiz, German wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor (d. 1947)
• 1892 – Sam Barry, American sports coach (d. 1950)
• 1893 – Erwin Piscator, German director (d. 1966)
• 1894 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (d. 1979)
• 1894 – Wim Schermerhorn, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1977)
• 1895 – Nils Asheim, Norwegian politician (d. 1966)
• 1900 – Mary Cartwright, English mathematician (d. 1998)
• 1900 – Katina Paxinou, Greek actress (d. 1973)
• 1903 – Erskine Caldwell, American author (d. 1987)
• 1903 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, and actor (d. 1978)
• 1904 – Paul Cadmus, American painter (d. 1999)
• 1905 – Simo Häyhä, Finnish sniper (d. 2002)
• 1905 – Mohammad Hidayatullah, Indian judge, 11th Chief Justice of India (d. 1992)
• 1905 – Erico Verissimo, Brazilian writer (d. 1975)
• 1906 – Fernando Lopes-Graça, Portuguese composer and conductor (d. 1994)
• 1906 – Russell C. Newhouse, American aeronautical engineer (d. 1998)
• 1908 – Willard Libby, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
• 1910 – Eknath Easwaran, Indian-American spiritual teacher and author (d. 1999)
• 1910 – Sy Oliver, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (d. 1988)
• 1912 – Edward Short, Baron Glenamara, English politician (d. 2012)
• 1913 – Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (d. 1967)
• 1914 – Fernando Alonso, Cuban ballet dancer (d. 2013)
• 1914 – Raymond Fernandez, American murderer (d. 1951)
• 1915 – André Claveau, French singer (d. 2003)
• 1916 – Penelope Fitzgerald, English author and poet (d. 2000)
• 1917 – Kenneth Dike, Nigerian historian (d. 1983)
• 1920 – Kenneth E. Iverson, Canadian computer scientist, developed the APL programming language (d. 2004)
• 1921 – Lore Berger, Swiss author (d. 1943)
• 1922 – Alan Voorhees, American transportation engineer (d. 2005)
• 1923 – Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian and scholar (d. 2006)
• 1924 – Gopalan Kasturi, Indian journalist (d. 2012)
• 1926 – Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (d. 1985)
• 1927 – Ivar Ivask, Estonian poet and literary scholar (d. 1992)
• 1927 – Richard Long, American actor (d. 1974)
• 1927 – Edward Meneeley, American painter and sculptor (d. 2012)
• 1928 – Doyle Conner, American politician (d. 2012)
• 1928 – George Lindsey, American actor (d. 2012)
• 1929 – Jacqueline Hill, English actress (d. 1993)
• 1929 – William Safire, American journalist, author and speechwriter (d. 2009)
• 1930 – Bob Guccione, American publisher, founded Penthouse (d. 2010)
• 1930 – Armin Mueller-Stahl, German actor
• 1931 – Gerald Finnerman, American cinematographer (d. 2011)
• 1931 – Dave Madden, Canadian-American actor
• 1931 – James McGaugh, American neurobiologist
• 1932 – John Bond, English footballer and manager (d. 2012)
• 1932 – Jorma Kortelainen, Finnish skier (d. 2012)
• 1934 – Ray Wilson, English footballer
• 1935 – Brian Langford, English cricketer (d. 2013)
• 1935 – Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball coach and manager (d. 1999)
• 1936 – Pope Francis
• 1936 – Tommy Steele, English singer, guitarist, and actor
• 1937 – Art Neville, American singer and keyboard player (The Neville Brothers and The Meters)
• 1937 – Kerry Packer, Australian businessman, founded World Series Cricket (d. 2005)
• 1937 – John Kennedy Toole, American author (d. 1969)
• 1937 – Calvin Waller, American general (d. 1996)
• 1938 – Carlo Little, English drummer (Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages and All-Stars) (d. 2005)
• 1938 – Peter Snell, New Zealand runner
• 1939 – James Booker, American pianist (d. 1983)
• 1939 – Eddie Kendricks, American singer-songwriter (The Temptations) (d. 1992)
• 1940 – Kåre Valebrokk, Norwegian journalist (d. 2013)
• 1941 – Stan Mudenge, Zimbabwean politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2012)
• 1942 – Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian general and politician, 7th Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
• 1942 – Paul Butterfield, American singer and harmonica player (d. 1987)
• 1943 – Mary Brunner, American criminal
• 1943 – Ron Geesin, Scottish pianist and composer
• 1944 – Jack L. Chalker, American author (d. 2005)
• 1944 – Carlo M. Croce, Italian-American oncologist
• 1944 – Bernard Hill, English actor
• 1944 – Timo K. Mukka, Swedish-Finnish author (d. 1973)
• 1945 – Ernie Hudson, American actor
• 1945 – Chris Matthews, American journalist
• 1945 – Jüri Talvet, Estonian poet, translator and literary critic
• 1945 – Jacqueline Wilson, English author
• 1945 – Cees de Wolf, Dutch footballer (d. 2011)
• 1946 – Eugene Levy, Canadian actor
• 1947 – Wes Studi, American actor
• 1949 – Sotiris Kaiafas, Cypriot footballer
• 1949 – Paul Rodgers, English singer-songwriter and musician (Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law)
• 1950 – Laurence F. Johnson, American educator and author
• 1951 – Ken Hitchcock, Canadian ice hockey coach
• 1951 – Tatyana Kazankina, Russian runner
• 1953 – Samuel Hadida, Moroccan film producer
• 1953 – Barry Livingston, American actor
• 1953 – Sally Menke, American film editor (d. 2010)
• 1953 – Bill Pullman, American actor
• 1954 – Sergėjus Jovaiša, Soviet-Lithuanian basketball player
• 1955 – Brad Davis, American basketball player
• 1956 – Peter Farrelly, American director
• 1957 – Earl Hudson, American drummer (Bad Brains)
• 1957 – Bob Ojeda, American baseball player
• 1958 – Boy Abunda, Filipino television host
• 1958 – Mike Mills, American musician, composer and producer (R.E.M., Hindu Love Gods, and Automatic Baby)
• 1959 – Albert King, American basketball player
• 1960 – Moreno Argentin, Italian cyclist
• 1961 – Mansoor Al-Jamri, Bahraini journalist and author
• 1961 – Sara Dallin, English singer and bass player (Bananarama)
• 1961 – Marek Kaleta, Soviet-Estonian javelin thrower
• 1962 – Paul Dobson, English footballer
• 1962 – Richard Jewell, American police officer (d. 2007)
• 1962 – Rocco Mediate, American golfer
• 1964 – Ginger, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Wildhearts, Ginger & The Sonic Circus, and Silver Ginger 5)
• 1964 – Frank Musil, Czech ice hockey player
• 1964 – Michele Tafoya, American sportscaster
• 1964 – Joe Wolf, American basketball player
• 1965 – Craig Berube, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1966 – Tracy Byrd, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1966 – Valeri Liukin, Soviet gymnast
• 1966 – Kristiina Ojuland, Estonian politician, 23rd Minister of Foreign Affairs for Estonia
• 1967 – Gigi D'Agostino, Italian DJ and producer
• 1967 – Vincent Damphousse, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1967 – Karsten Neitzel, German footballer
• 1968 – Andrey Golovatiuk, Russian politician
• 1968 – Claudio Suárez, Mexican footballer
• 1968 – Paul Tracy, Canadian race car driver
• 1969 – Chuck Liddell, American mixed martial artist
• 1969 – Chris Mason, English darts player
• 1969 – Mick Quinn, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer (Supergrass)
• 1969 – Michael V., Filipino comedian, actor and singer
• 1970 – Sean Patrick Thomas, American actor
• 1971 – Sinan Akkuş, Turkish-German actor and director
• 1971 – Alan Khan, South African radio host
• 1971 – Antoine Rigaudeau, French basketball player
• 1972 – John Abraham, Indian actor
• 1972 – Laurie Holden, American actress
• 1973 – Konstadinos Gatsioudis, Greek javelin thrower
• 1973 – Rian Johnson, American screenwriter, director and producer
• 1973 – Paula Radcliffe, English runner
• 1973 – Codrin Ţapu, Romanian psychologist
• 1973 – Hasan Vural, Turkish footballer
• 1974 – Duff Goldman, American chef and television personality
• 1974 – Sarah Paulson, American actress
• 1974 – Ian Petrella, American actor
• 1974 – Giovanni Ribisi, American actor
• 1974 – Marissa Ribisi, American actress
• 1975 – Mayuko Aoki, Japanese voice actress
• 1975 – Nick Dinsmore, American wrestler
• 1975 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress and singer
• 1975 – Bree Sharp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1976 – Éric Bédard, Canadian speed skater
• 1976 – Nir Davidovich, Israeli footballer
• 1976 – Patrick Müller, Swiss footballer
• 1976 – Andrew Simpson, English sailor (d. 2013)
• 1976 – Takeo Spikes, American football player
• 1977 – Arnaud Clément, French tennis player
• 1977 – Samuel Påhlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1977 – Katheryn Winnick, Canadian actress
• 1977 – Oxana Fedorova, Russian model, actress, and singer, Miss Universe 2002
• 1978 – Alex Cintrón, Puerto Rican baseball player
• 1978 – Riteish Deshmukh, Indian actor
• 1978 – Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politician
• 1978 – Neil Sanderson, Canadian drummer and songwriter (Three Days Grace and Thousand Foot Krutch)
• 1978 – Chase Utley, American baseball player
• 1979 – Jaimee Foxworth, American actress
• 1979 – Ryan Key, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Yellowcard and Craig's Brother)
• 1979 – Matt Murley, American ice hockey player
• 1980 – Stella, Singaporean singer and actress
• 1980 – Ryan Hunter-Reay, American race car driver
• 1980 – Alexandra Papageorgiou, Greek hammer thrower
• 1980 – Eli Pariser, American Internet activist and author
• 1981 – Jerry Hsu, American skateboarder
• 1981 – Rena Takeshita, Japanese model and actress
• 1981 – Tim Wiese, German footballer
• 1982 – Josh Barfield, American baseball player
• 1982 – Lorenzo Cittadini, Italian rugby player
• 1982 – Benjamin Goldwasser, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (MGMT)
• 1982 – Craig Kielburger, Canadian children's rights activist, co-founded Free the Children and Me to We
• 1982 – Stephane Lasme, Gabonese basketball player
• 1982 – Ryan Moats, American football player
• 1982 – Dynamo, English illusionist
• 1983 – Erik Christensen, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1983 – Bryan Jurynec, American ice hockey player
• 1983 – Kosuke Saito, Japanese DJ and composer
• 1984 – Luis Maria Alfageme, Argentine footballer
• 1984 – Sahara Davenport, American drag queen performer (d. 2012)
• 1984 – Andrew Davies, English footballer
• 1985 – Ryuichi Ogata, Japanese singer and dancer (W-inds)
• 1985 – Katie Kox, American porn actress
• 1986 – Emma Bell, American actress
• 1986 – Vanessa Zima, American actress
• 1987 – Bo Guagua, Chinese son of Bo Xilai
• 1987 – Chelsea Manning, American soldier and convict
• 1988 – Grethe Grünberg, Estonian ice dancer
• 1988 – Kris Joseph, Canadian basketball player
• 1988 – Rin Takanashi, Japanese actress
• 1989 – Taylor York, American guitarist and songwriter (Paramore)
• 1990 – Henri Anier, Estonian footballer
• 1990 – Ashley Edner, American actress
• 1991 – Nadech Kugimiya, Thai actor
• 1993 – Patricia Kú Flores, Peruvian tennis player
• 1994 – Nat Wolff, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player and actor (Nat & Alex Wolff)
• 1998 – Flo Zander, German Intellect (Flo Zander)
• 2007 – James, Viscount Severn, British prince, son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Deaths

• 942 – William I of Normandy (b. c. 900)
• 1187 – Pope Gregory VIII (b. c. 1100/1105)
• 1195 – Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut (b. 1150)
• 1273 – Rumi, Persian jurist, theologian, and poet (b. 1207)
• 1663 – Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (b. c. 1583)
• 1721 – Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough, English solder and politician (b. 1640)
• 1830 – Simón Bolívar, Venezuelan military leader and politician, 2nd President of Venezuela (b. 1783)
• 1833 – Kaspar Hauser, German feral child (b. c. 1812)
• 1847 – Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Austrian wife of Napoleon (b. 1791)
• 1860 – Désirée Clary, French wife of Charles XIV John of Sweden (b. 1777)
• 1907 – William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-British physicist (b. 1824)
• 1909 – Leopold II of Belgium (b. 1835)
• 1917 – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, English physician and feminist (b. 1836)
• 1925 – George Gibb, Scottish transport administrator (b. 1850)
• 1927 – Rajendra Lahiri, Indian revolutionary (b. 1892)
• 1929 – Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, Portuguese politician, 10th President of Portugal (b. 1863)
• 1930 – Peter Warlock, Welsh composer (b. 1894)
• 1932 – Charles Winckler, Danish tug of war competitor (b. 1867)
• 1933 – Thubten Gyatso 13th Dalai Lama (b. 1876)
• 1940 – Alicia Boole Stott, Irish mathematician (b. 1860)
• 1947 – Christos Tsigiridis, Greek engineer (b. 1877)
• 1957 – Dorothy L. Sayers, English author (b. 1893)
• 1962 – Thomas Mitchell, American actor (b. 1892)
• 1964 – Victor Francis Hess, Austrian-American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1883)
• 1967 – Harold Holt, Australian politician, 17th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1908)
• 1967 – Jack Perrin, American actor (b. 1896)
• 1970 – Oliver Waterman Larkin, American art historian (d. 1970)
• 1978 – Don Ellis, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (b. 1934)
• 1981 – Antiochos Evangelatos, Greek composer and conductor (b. 1903)
• 1981 – Ada Kramm, Norwegian actress (b. 1899)
• 1982 – Homer S. Ferguson, American politician, Senator from Michigan (b. 1889)
• 1986 – Guillermo Cano Isaza, Colombian journalist (b. 1925)
• 1987 – Linda Wong, American porn actress (b. 1951)
• 1987 – Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian author (b. 1903)
• 1992 – Günther Anders, German philosopher (b. 1902)
• 1992 – Dana Andrews, American actor (b. 1909)
• 1998 – Allan D'Arcangelo, American painter (b. 1930)
• 1999 – Rex Allen, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1920)
• 1999 – Grover Washington, Jr., American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (b. 1943)
• 1999 – C. Vann Woodward, American historian (b. 1908)
• 2002 – K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan Tamil politician, MP for Kalkudah (b. 1910)
• 2002 – James Hazeldine, English actor (b. 1947)
• 2003 – Ed Devereaux, Australian actor (b. 1925)
• 2003 – Otto Graham, American football player (b. 1921)
• 2004 – Tom Wesselmann, American painter and sculptor (b. 1931)
• 2005 – Jack Anderson, American journalist (b. 1922)
• 2005 – Marc Favreau, Canadian actor and poet (b. 1929)
• 2005 – Haljand Udam, Estonian Orientalist and translator (d. 1936)
• 2006 – Larry Sherry, American baseball player (b. 1935)
• 2008 – Sammy Baugh, American football player (b. 1914)
• 2008 – Freddy Breck, German singer-songwriter, producer, and journalist (b. 1942)
• 2008 – Dave Smith, American baseball player (b. 1955)
• 2009 – Chris Henry, American football player (b. 1983)
• 2009 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (b. 1919)
• 2009 – Dan O'Bannon, American actor, screenwriter, and director (b. 1943)
• 2010 – Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter and artist (b. 1941)
• 2010 – Walt Dropo, American baseball player (b. 1923)
• 2011 – Eva Ekvall, Venezuelan journalist and author, Miss Venezuela 2000 (b. 1983)
• 2011 – Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean singer (b. 1941)
• 2011 – Kim Jong-il, North Korean politician, 2nd Supreme Leader of North Korea (b. 1941)
• 2012 – Charlie Adam, Scottish footballer (b. 1962)
• 2012 – Richard Adams, Filipino-American gay rights activist (b. 1947)
• 2012 – Tony Charlton, Australian sportscaster (b. 1929)
• 2012 – Jesse Hill, Jr., American businessman and civil rights leader (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Daniel Inouye, American politician, Senator from Hawaii (b. 1924)
• 2012 – Laurier LaPierre, Canadian journalist and politician, Senator from Ontario (b. 1929)
• 2012 – Dina Manfredini, Italian-American super-centenarian (b. 1897)
• 2012 – Arnaldo Mesa, Cuban boxer (b. 1967)
• 2012 – Frank Pastore, American radio personality and baseball player (b. 1957)

Holidays and observances

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Daniel the Prophet
  • Lazarus of Bethany (local commemoration in Cuba)
  • O antiphon (Catholic Church)
  • December 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch (commemoration), (Anglicanism)
• International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers (United States)
• National Day (Bhutan)
• Saturnalia, in honor of Saturn (Roman festivals)
• Wright Brothers Day, a United States federal observance by Presidential Proclamation

External links

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