December 2

Events
Up to 1950
1409 - The University of Leipzig opens.
1697 - The new St. Paul's Cathedral in London, designed by Christopher Wren, opens.
1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse on the English coast is destroyed by fire.
1763 - Dedication of the Touro Synagogue in Rhode Island.
1804 - At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French, the first French Emperor in a thousand years.
1805 - Napoleonic Wars: French troops under Napoleon defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
1823 - US President James Monroe delivers a speech establishing American neutrality in future European conflicts.
1845 - US President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
1848 - Franz Joseph I of Austria becomes Emperor.
1851 - French President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
1854 - Napoleon III crowns himself Emperor of France.
1859 - Militant abolitionist John Brown is hanged for the October 16 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia.
1867 - In a New York City theater, British writer Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
1879 - British passenger ship Borussia sinks in the North Atlantic Ocean, killing 169 people.
1899 - Philippine-American War: Battle of Tirad Pass.
1908 - Child Emperor Pu Yi ascends the Chinese throne at the age of two.
1917 - World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk.
1927 - Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its automobile.
1930 - Great Depression: US President Herbert Hoover goes before the United States Congress and asks for a US$150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
1939 - LaGuardia Airport, belonging to New York City, opens.
1942 - Manhattan Project: A team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
1943 - A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks an American ship with a mustard gas stockpile.
1949 - Convention against human trafficking and prostitution is adopted by United Nations.
1951 2000
1954 - The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."
1956 - Fidel Castro and 80 other members of the 26th July Movement start on their journey to start the Cuban Revolution, landing in Oriente province.
1959 - The Malpasset Dam breaks in Southern France, killing 421 people.
1961 - In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
1970 - The US Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
1971 - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates. Ras al-Khaimah joins in February 1972.
1972 - Gough Whitlam becomes Prime Minister of Australia.
1975 - The Communist political party Pathet Lao takes power in Laos, creating the Lao People's Democratic Republic, with Souphanouvong as its first leader.
1976 - Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba replacing Osvaldo Dorticos Torrado.
1980 - El Salvador Civil War: Four American nuns and a churchwoman are murdered by military death squad.
1982 - At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
1988 - Benazir Bhutto becomes Prime Minister of Pakistan, making her the first woman to lead a mainly-Muslim country.
1990 - A coalition led by Chancellor Helmut Kohl wins the first free all-German elections since 1932.
1993 - Drug dealer Pablo Escobar is shot dead by Colombian police.
1999 - The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive.
From 2001
2001 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
2004 - Typhoon Nanmadol kills about 1,000 people in the Philippines.
2008 - Somchai Wongsawat resigns as Prime Minister of Thailand.
2010 - Russia and Qatar are announced as hosts of the FIFA World Cup, for 2018 and 2022 respectively.
2019 - Climate change talks begin in Madrid.
Births
Up to 1900
885 - Li Cunxu, Chinese Emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty (d. 926)
1578 - Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and music theorist (d. 1640)
1694 - William Shirley, colonial Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1771)
1710 - Bertinazzi, Italian actor and author (d. 1783)
1754 - William Cooper, American judge and politician (d. 1809)
1760 - John Breckinridge, American politician (d. 1806)
1760 - Joseph Graetz, German composer, organist and educator (d. 1826)
1810 - Henry Yesler, 7th Mayor of Seattle (d. 1892)
1825 - Emperor Pedro II of Brazil (d. 1891)
1827 - William Burges, English architect and designer (d. 1881)
1837 - Joseph Bell, Scottish surgeon, physician and forensics pioneer (d. 1911)
1846 - Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau, French statesman (d. 1904)
1859 - Georges Seurat, French painter (d. 1891)
1866 - Harry Burleigh, American composer (d. 1949)
1873 - Eduardo Schaerer, President of Paraguay (d. 1941)
1874 - Joseph Olivier, French rugby player (d. 1901)
1885 - George Richards Minot, American physician (d. 1950)
1891 - Otto Dix, German painter and graphic artist (d. 1969)
1891 - Charles H. Wesley, American historian and author (d. 1987)
1893 - Leo Ornstein, Russian-American pianist and composer (d. 2002)
1895 - Harriet Cohen, English pianist (d. 1967)
1897 - Hovhannes Bagramyan, Soviet politician (d. 1982)
1898 - Indra Lal Roy, Indian pilot (d. 1918)
1899 - John Barbirolli, English conductor (d. 1970)
1899 - John Cobb, British racing driver (d. 1952)
1901 1950
1901 - Raimundo Orsi, Argentine-Italian footballer (d. 1986)
1909 - Pietro Arcari, Italian footballer (d. 1988)
1909 - Marion Donhoff, German journalist and Resistance activist (d. 2002)
1913 - Marc Platt, American ballet dancer, musical theatre performer and actor (d. 2014)
1914 - Ray Walston, American actor (d. 2001)
1915 - Prince Mikasa, Japanese royal (d. 2016)
1921 - Carlo Furno, Italian cardinal (d. 2015)
1923 - Maria Callas, Greek-American soprano (d. 1977)
1924 - Alexander Haig, American politician, United States Secretary of State (d. 2010)
1925 - Julie Harris, American actress (d. 2013)
1929 - Leon Litwack, American historian and author
1930 - Gary Becker, American economist (d. 2014)
1931 - Nigel Calder, English science writer (d. 2014)
1931 - Masaaki Hatsumi, Japanese martial artist
1931 - Edwin Meese, 75th United States Attorney General
1933 - Mike Larrabee, American sprinter
1934 - Tarcisio Bertone, Italian cardinal and diplomat
1934 - Sissela Bok, Swedish philosopher and ethicist
1937 - Manohar Joshi, 15th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, India
1939 - Harry Reid, American politician (d. 2021)
1943 - Wayne Allard, American politician
1944 - Cathy Lee Crosby, American actress
1944 - Ibrahim Rugova, President of Kosovo (d. 2006)
1946 - Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (d. 1997)
1947 - Andy Rouse, English racing driver
1947 - Rudolf Scharping, German politician
1948 - Antonin Manenka, Czechoslovakian footballer
1948 - Patricia Hewitt, British politician
1948 - Toninho Horta, Brazilian guitarist
1950 - Paul Watson, Canadian-American conservationist
1951 1975
1954 - Dan Butler, American actor
1956 - Steven Bauer, American actor
1957 - Dagfinn Hoybraten, Norwegian politician
1958 - Vladimir Parfenovich, Belarus canoe racer
1960 - Justus von Dohnanyi, German actor
1960 - Deb Haaland, American politician
1960 - Rick Savage, British musician (Def Leppard)
1962 - Kardam, Prince of Turnovo, Spanish-Bulgarian nobleman
1963 - Don Gaulthier, American actor
1963 - Brendan Coyle, British actor
1967 - Mary Creagh, British politician
1967 - Laurie Morgan, 1st Chief Minister of Guernsey
1968 - David Batty, English footballer
1968 - Nate Mendel, American musician (Foo Fighters)
1968 - Lucy Liu, American actress
1968 - Rena Sofer, American actress
1970 - Yang Hyuk-suk, South Korean singer-songwriter and producer
1971 - Francesco Toldo, Italian footballer
1971 - Mine Yoshizaki, Japanese illustrator
1972 - Sergei Zholtok, Latvian ice hockey player (d. 2004)
1973 - Monica Seles, Yugoslavian-born tennis player
1973 - Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
From 1976
1976 - Masafumi Gotch, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
1978 - Maelle Ricker, Canadian snowboarder
1978 - Nelly Furtado, Canadian singer and songwriter
1978 - Chris Wolstenholme, English bassist (Muse)
1978 - Jarron Collins, American basketball player
1978 - Jason Collins, American basketball player
1979 - Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
1979 - Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer and actress
1981 - Britney Spears, American singer
1983 - Chris Burke, Scottish footballer
1983 - Aaron Rodgers, American football player
1983 - Daniela Ruah, Portuguese-American actress
1985 - Amaury Leveaux, French swimmer
1985 - Dorrell Wright, American basketball player
1986 - Adam le Fondre, English footballer
1987 - Teairra Mari, American singer-songwriter and actress
1988 - Soniya Mehra, Indian actress
1988 - Stephen McGinn, Scottish footballer
1989 - Cassie Steele, Canadian singer-songwriter
1989 - Richard Tait, Scottish footballer
1990 - Gaston Ramirez, Uruguayan footballer
1990 - Hikaru Yaotome, Japanese singer-songwriter
1990 - Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian footballer
1991 - Brandon Knight, American basketball player
1991 - Charlie Puth, American singer and songwriter
1993 - Dylan McLaughlin, American actor
1994 - Cauley Woodrow, English footballer
1998 - Amber Montana, American actress
1998 - Juice Wrld, American rapper (d. 2019)
Deaths
Up to 1900
1348 - Emperor Hanazano of Japan (b. 1297)
1463 - Albert IV, Archduke of Austria (b. 1418)
1469 - Piero di Cosimo de' Medici of Florence (b. 1416)
1547 - Hernan Cortes, Spanish explorer (b. 1485)
1594 - Gerardus Mercator, Flemish mapmaker (b. 1512)
1694 - Pierre Paul Puget, French painter, sculptor and architect (b. 1622)
1723 - Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, French nobleman (b. 1674)
1774 - Johann Friedrich Agricola, German composer and organist (b. 1720)
1794 - Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost, German physician and theologian (b. 1715)
1810 - Philipp Otto Runge, German painter (b. 1777)
1814 - Marquis de Sade, French philosopher (b. 1740)
1815 - Jan Potocki, Polish writer and historian (b. 1761)
1844 - Eustachy Erazm-Sanguszko, Polish general and politician (b. 1768)
1849 - Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen Consort of William IV of the United Kingdom (b. 1792)
1859 - John Brown, American abolitionist (b. 1800)
1863 - Jane Pierce, American First Lady, wife of Franklin Pierce (b. 1806)
1881 - Jenny von Westphalen, German writer, wife of Karl Marx (b. 1814)
1888 - Namik Kemal, Turkish poet (b. 1840)
1889 - Gregorio del Pilar, Filipino general (b. 1825)
1901 2000
1918 - Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (b. 1868)
1943 - Nordahl Grieg, Norwegian writer and journalist (b. 1902)
1944 - Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Italian writer (b. 1876)
1944 - Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player (b. 1917)
1950 - Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist and composer (b. 1917)
1953 - Tran Kong Kim, Vietnamese scholar and politician (b. 1883)
1966 - Luitzen Egbertus Jon Brouwer, Dutch mathematician and philosopher (b. 1881)
1969 - Jose Maria Arguedas, Peruvian author, poet and anthropologist (b. 1911)
1969 - Kliment Voroshilov, Soviet politician (b. 1881)
1972 - Yip Man, Chinese martial artist (b. 1893)
1974 - Max Weber, Swiss politician (b. 1897)
1980 - Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1905)
1980 - Romain Gary, Lithuanian-born French writer (b. 1914)
1982 - Marty Feldman, British-American actor and director (b. 1934)
1982 - Giovanni Ferrari, Italian footballer (b. 1907)
1985 - Philip Larkin, English poet (b. 1922)
1986 - Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born actor and bandleader (b. 1917)
1986 - Lee Dorsey, American singer (b. 1924)
1987 - Luis Federico Leloir, French-Argentine chemist (b. 1906)
1987 - Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, Belarussian physicist, astronomer and cosmologist (b. 1914)
1988 - Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1922)
1990 - Aaron Copland, American composer (b. 1900)
1993 - Pablo Escobar, Colombian druglord (b. 1949)
1995 - Robertson Davies, Canadian author (b. 1913)
1999 - Charlie Byrd, American jazz musician (b. 1925)
From 2001
2004 - Alicia Markova, British ballet dancer (b. 1910)
2005 - Kenneth Lee Boyd, American convicted murderer (b. 1948)
2009 - Eric Woolfson, British musician and producer (b. 1945)
2010 - Ron Santo, American baseball player (b. 1940)
2011 - Chiyono Hasegawa, Japanese supercentenarian (b. 1896)
2011 - Bill Tapia, American musician (b. 1908)
2012 - Ehsan Naraghi, Iranian sociologist and author (b. 1926)
2013 - Pedro Rocha, Uruguayan footballer (b. 1942)
2013 - William Allain, 58th Governor of Mississippi (b. 1928)
2013 - Christopher Evan Welch, American actor (b. 1965)
2013 - Vernon Shaw, President of Dominica (b. 1930)
2013 - Salim Kallas, Syrian actor and politician (b. 1936)
2013 - Brian Hitchen, English newspaper editor (b. 1936)
2014 - Bobby Keys, American saxophonist (b. 1943)
2014 - A. R. Antulay, Indian politician, Chief Minister of Maharashtra (b. 1929)
2014 - Jean Beliveau, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1931)
2014 - Don Laws, American figure skater and coach (b. 1929)
2015 - Sandy Berger, American political consultant (b. 1945)
2015 - Gabriele Ferzetti, Italian actor (b. 1925)
2015 - George Sakato, American soldier (b. 1921)
2016 - Sammy Lee, American diver (b. 1920)
2016 - Gisela May, German actress (b. 1924)
2017 - Ulli Lommel, German actor and director (b. 1944)
2017 - Mundell Lowe, American jazz guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
2017 - Edwin Mosquera, Colombian weightlifter (b. 1985)
2017 - Ewald Schurer, German politician (b. 1954)
2017 - Nava Semel, Israeli author and playwright (b. 1954)
2018 - Sery Bailly, Ivorian writer and politician (b. 1948)
2018 - Ugo De Censi, Italian-Peruvian priest (b. 1924)
2018 - Paul Sherwen, English racing cyclist (b. 1956)
2019 - George Atkinson III, American football player (b. 1992)
2019 - Jimmy Cavallo, American rock music saxophonist (b. 1927)
2019 - D. C. Fontana, American television scriptwriter and story editor (b. 1939)
2019 - Francesco Janich, Italian footballer (b. 1937)
2019 - Robert K. Massie, American historian (b. 1929)
Holidays and observances
Laos - National Day
United Arab Emirates - National Day (independence from Britain, 1971)
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery - United Nations
December 02