December 12

Events

Pre-1600

• 627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• 1388 – Maria of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1601–1900

• 1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the US Constitution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1862 – American Civil War: Template:USS sinks on the Yazoo River.<ref>Template:Cite DANFS</ref>
• 1866 – Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• 1870 – Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman.<ref>Template:CongBio</ref>

1901–present

• 1901 – Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [•••] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.<ref>Belrose, John S. (5 September 1995) "Fessenden and Marconi: Their Differing Technologies and Transatlantic Experiments During the First Decade of this Century". International Conference on 100 Years of Radio.</ref>
• 1915 – Yuan Shikai declares the establishment of the Empire of China and proclaims himself Emperor.<ref>Spence, Jonathan D. (1999) The Search for Modern China, W.W. Norton and Company. p. 274. Template:ISBN.</ref>
• 1917 – Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1935 – The Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1936 – The beginning of Xi'an incident. As a result, Chiang Kai Shek is captured.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat Template:USS on the Yangtze river in China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1939 – Template:HMS sinks after a collision with Template:HMS off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1939 – Winter War: The Battle of Tolvajärvi, also known as the first major Finnish victory in the Winter War, begins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1941 – The Holocaust: Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery.<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link (in German)</ref>
• 1945 – The People's Republic of Korea is outlawed in the South, by order of the United States Army Military Government in Korea.<ref name="Buzo_2002">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1946 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 relating to acceptance of Siam (now Thailand) to the United Nations is adopted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1956 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 121 relating to acceptance of Japan to the United Nations is adopted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1963 – Kenya declares independence from Great Britain.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• 1969 – The Piazza Fontana bombing; a bomb explodes at the headquarters of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura (the National Agricultural Bank) in Piazza Fontana in Milan, Italy, killing 17 people and wounding 88. The same afternoon, three more bombs are detonated in Rome and Milan, and another is found unexploded.<ref name="bull">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1979 – The 8.2 Template:M Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1979 – Coup d'état of December Twelfth occurs in South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1985 – Arrow Air Flight 1285R, 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1999 – A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits the Philippines's main island of Luzon, killing six people, injuring 40, and causing power outages that affected the capital Manila.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2015 – The Paris Agreement relating to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is adopted.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2021 – Dutch Formula One racing driver Max Verstappen wins the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton to become the first Formula One World Champion to come from the Netherlands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju became the undisputed World Chess Champion in a tournament held in Singapore, making him the 18th and the youngest champion in chess history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Births

Pre-1600

• 1526 – Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral (d. 1588)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>

1601–1900

• 1685 – Lodovico Giustini, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1743)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1724 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician (d. 1816)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1786 – William L. Marcy, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 21st United States Secretary of State (d. 1857)<ref>Template:CongBio</ref>
• 1799 – Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (d. 1852)<ref>Template:Britannica</ref>
• 1805 – Henry Wells, American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (d. 1878)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1806 – Stand Watie, American general (d. 1871)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1812 – John Sandfield Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Ontario (d. 1872)<ref>Template:DictCanbio</ref>
• 1821 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (d. 1880)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1830 – Joseph Orville Shelby, Confederate general (d. 1897)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1842 – Adolf Bötticher, German journalist and historian (d. 1901)<ref>Bötticher, Adolf at Neue Deutsche Biographie</ref>
• 1845 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the American Surety Building and Bank of the Metropolis (d. 1903)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1863 – Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter (d. 1944)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1866 – Alfred Werner, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1870 – Walter Benona Sharp, American businessman, co-founded Hughes Tool Company (d. 1912)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1876 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and runner (d. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1881 – Louise Thuliez, French school teacher, resistance fighter during World War I and World War II and author (d. 1966)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1893 – Edward G. Robinson, American actor (d. 1973)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

1901–present

• 1901 – Harald Kaarmann, Estonian footballer (d. 1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1907 – Roy Douglas, English pianist and composer (d. 2015)<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• 1912 – Henry Armstrong, American boxer (d. 1988)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1914 – Patrick O'Brian, English author (d. 2000)<ref name="UPI">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1915 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer (d. 1998)<ref>Template:Britannica</ref>
• 1918 – Joe Williams, American singer and pianist (d. 1999)<ref name=anb>James Ross Moore (2002). Williams, Joe. American National Biography online edition. Retrieved 16 January 2020.</ref>
• 1920 – Josef Doležal, Czech race walker (d. 1999)<ref>Josef Dolezal. Sports Reference. Retrieved 2015-02-01.</ref>
• 1923 – Bob Barker, American game show host and producer (d. 2023)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1923 – Bob Dorough, American musician, composer, and producer (d. 2018)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
• 1923 – Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Ethiopian pianist, composer and nun (d. 2023)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• 1924 – Ed Koch, American politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (d. 2013)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1925 – Ted Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2009)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1925 – Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer (d. 1985)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1925 – Vladimir Shainsky, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer (d. 2017)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1927 – Robert Noyce, American inventor and businessman, co-founded the Intel Corporation (d. 1990)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1928 – Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and academic (d. 2011)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1929 – Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese pianist and composer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1932 – Bob Pettit, American basketball player and coach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1933 – Christa Stubnick, German sprinter (d. 2021)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1934 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican lawyer and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (d. 2012)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
• 1936 – Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator (d. 2016)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1937 – Connie Francis, American singer, musician, and actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1937 – Philip Ledger, English pianist, composer, and academic (d. 2012)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1940 – Sharad Pawar, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Agriculture<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1940 – Dionne Warwick, American singer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1942 – Bob Thompson, American jazz pianist, composer and arranger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1943 – Dickey Betts, American musician and songwriter (d. 2024)<ref name="AP" />
• 1943 – Grover Washington, Jr., American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer (d. 1999)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1945 – Gísli S. Einarsson, Icelandic politician<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1945 – Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer (d. 1997)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1946 – Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazilian racing driver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1947 – Wings Hauser, American actor (d. 2025)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="AP" />
• 1947 – Don Keith, American writer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1947 – Chris Mullin, English journalist and politician<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1948 – Randy Smith, American basketball player (d. 2009)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1948 – Colin Todd, English football player and coach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1949 – Bill Nighy, English actor<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• 1949 – Marc Ravalomanana, Malagasy businessman and politician, President of Madagascar<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1950 – Pedro Ferriz de Con, Mexican journalist<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1950 – Heiner Flassbeck, German economist and academic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1950 – Rajinikanth, Indian actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1950 – Billy Smith, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1950 – Gorman Thomas, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1951 – Rehman Malik, Pakistani politician, Pakistani Minister of Interior<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (d. 2022)
• 1952 – Cathy Rigby, American gymnast<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1953 – Martin Ferguson, Australian lawyer and politician<ref>Template:Cite Au Parliament</ref>
• 1953 – Rafael Septién, Mexican-American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1955 – Eddy Schepers, Belgian cyclist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1955 – Stephen Smith, Australian politician<ref>ParlInfo - Biography for SMITH, the Hon. Stephen Francis, Parliament of Australia.</ref>
• 1956 – Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1957 – Sheila E., American singer and musician<ref name="AP" />
• 1958 – Sheree J. Wilson, American actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1960 – Martina Hellmann, German discus thrower<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1961 – Andrey Perlov, Russian race walker<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1962 – Tracy Austin, American tennis player and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1962 – Arturo Barrios, Mexican-American runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1962 – Mike Golic, American football player and radio host<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1963 – Eduardo Castro Luque, Mexican businessman and politician<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (d. 2012)
• 1964 – Haywood Jeffires, American football player and coach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1964 – Sabu, American wrestler<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1965 – Russell Batiste Jr., American funk and R&B drummer (d. 2023)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1965 – Will Carling, English rugby union player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1967 – John Randle, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1968 – Sašo Udovič, Slovenian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – Wilfred Kirochi, Kenyan runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – Fiona May, English-Italian long jumper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – Michael Möllenbeck, German discus thrower<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1970 – Mädchen Amick, American actress and director<ref name="AP">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1970 – Jennifer Connelly, American actress<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1970 – Regina Hall, American actress<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1971 – Sammy Korir, Kenyan runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1972 – Nicky Eaden, English footballer and coach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1972 – Craig Field, Australian rugby league player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1972 – Wilson Kipketer, Kenyan-Danish runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1972 – Georgios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-American runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Nolberto Solano, Peruvian footballer and manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – Mayim Bialik, American actress, neuroscientist, and author<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – Craig Moore, Australian footballer and manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1977 – Yoel Hernández, Cuban hurdler<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1977 – Orlando Hudson, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1977 – Dean Macey, English decathlete and bobsledder<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1977 – Colin White, Canadian ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1979 – Garrett Atkins, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1979 – Nate Clements, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1979 – John Salmons, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1980 – Dejene Berhanu, Ethiopian runner (d. 2010)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1980 – Dorin Goian, Romanian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Eddie Kingston, American wrestler<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Pedro Ríos, Spanish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Stephen Warnock, English footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Andrew Whitworth, American football player and commentator<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1982 – Ervin Santana, Dominican baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1982 – Dmitry Tursunov, Russian tennis player and coach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Roni Porokara, Finnish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1984 – Daniel Agger, Danish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1985 – Pat Calathes, Greek-American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1985 – Andrew Ladd, Canadian ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1986 – Daddy Birori, Rwandan footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1986 – Përparim Hetemaj, Finnish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1986 – Nina Kolarič, Slovenian long jumper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1986 – T. J. Ward, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1988 – Isaac John, New Zealand rugby league player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1988 – Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, Israeli Olympic marathon runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Nixon Chepseba, Kenyan runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Dawin, American singer-songwriter<ref name=dadwin>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• 1990 – Victor Moses, Nigerian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Tyron Smith, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Joseph Leilua, Australian-Samoan rugby league player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1993 – Zeli Ismail, English footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Otto Warmbier, American student imprisoned in North Korea (d. 2017)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1996 – Lucas Hedges, American actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1997 – Ed Oliver, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2001 – Michael Olise, French footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 884 – King Carloman II of the Franks (born c.866; hunting accident)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1296 – Isabella of Mar, first wife of Robert Bruce VII (b. 1277)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1572 – Loredana Marcello, Dogaressa of Venice, botanist, author<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1601–1900

• 1751 – Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, English philosopher and politician, Secretary at War (b. 1678)<ref>Template:EB1911</ref>
• 1766 – Johann Christoph Gottsched, German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1700)<ref>Template:EB1911</ref>
• 1794 – Meshullam Feivush Heller, Ukrainian author (b. 1742)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1803 – Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden (b. 1750)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1858 – Jacques Viger, Canadian archeologist and politician, 1st Mayor of Montreal (b. 1787)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1889 – Viktor Bunyakovsky, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1894 – John Sparrow David Thompson, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1845)<ref>Template:EB1911</ref>

1901–present

• 1913 – Menelik II, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1844)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1921 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt, American astronomer and academic (b. 1868)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1923 – Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet (b. 1903)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1934 – Thorleif Haug, Norwegian skier (b. 1894)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1939 – Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1883)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1941 – César Basa, Filipino lieutenant and pilot (b. 1915)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1948 – Marjory Stephenson, British biochemist (b. 1885)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 1951 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (b. 1907)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1958 – Albert Walsh, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1900)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1966 – Karl Ruberl, Austrian-American swimmer (b. 1880)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1968 – Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (b. 1902)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1970 – Doris Blackburn, Australian politician (b. 1889)<ref>Template:Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography Published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, (MUP), 1993</ref>
• 1975 – Richard Baggallay, English colonel and cricketer (b. 1884)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1980 – Jean Lesage, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Premier of Quebec (b. 1912)<ref>Template:Quebec MNA biography</ref>
• 1985 – Anne Baxter, American actress (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1993 – József Antall, Hungarian historian and politician, 35th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1932)<ref>Jozsef Antall, Who Led Hungary After Communists, Is Dead at 61, The New York Times, 13 December 1993 Retrieved 8 January 2012</ref>
• 1994 – Stuart Roosa, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1996 – Vance Packard, American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1914)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1997 – Evgenii Landis, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1998 – Lawton Chiles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Governor of Florida (b. 1930)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1998 – Morris Udall, American captain and politician (b. 1922)<ref>Template:CongBio</ref>
• 1999 – Paul Cadmus, American painter and illustrator (b. 1904)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1999 – Joseph Heller, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright(b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2001 – Ardito Desio, Italian geologist and explorer (b. 1897)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2002 – Dee Brown, American historian and author (b. 1908)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2003 – Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijani general and politician, 3rd President of Azerbaijan (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2005 – Robert Newmyer, American actor and producer (b. 1956)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2005 – Annette Stroyberg, Danish actress (b. 1936)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2005 – Gebran Tueni, Lebanese journalist and politician (b. 1957)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 2006 – Paul Arizin, American basketball player (b. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2006 – Peter Boyle, American actor (b. 1935)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2006 – Raymond P. Shafer, American attorney and politician, 39th Governor of Pennsylvania (b. 1917)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2006 – Alan Shugart, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Seagate Technology (b. 1930)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2007 – François al-Hajj, Lebanese general (b. 1953)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2007 – Ike Turner, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2008 – Avery Dulles, American cardinal and theologian (b. 1918)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2008 – Van Johnson, American actor (b. 1916)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2010 – Tom Walkinshaw, Scottish race car driver, founded Tom Walkinshaw Racing (b. 1946)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Joe Allbritton, American banker, publisher, and philanthropist, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (b. 1924)<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• 2012 – David Tait, English rugby player (b. 1987)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2013 – Tom Laughlin, American actor, director, screenwriter, author, educator, and activist (b. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2013 – Abdul Quader Molla, Bangladeshi journalist and politician (b. 1948)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2013 – Audrey Totter, American actress (b. 1917)<ref>Notice of death of Audrey Totter, Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2013.</ref>
• 2014 – Norman Bridwell, American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog (b. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2014 – Ivor Grattan-Guinness, English mathematician, historian, and academic (b. 1941)<ref name="guardian">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="the">Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2014 – Herb Plews, American baseball player (b. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2015 – Frans Geurtsen, Dutch footballer (b. 1942)<ref>Oud voetballer Frans Geurtsen overleden - RTV Utrecht Template:In lang</ref>
• 2015 – Evelyn S. Lieberman, American politician, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (b. 1944)<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• 2016 – Shirley Hazzard, Australian-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1931)<ref>Shirley Hazzard, Novelist Who Charted Storm-Tossed Lives, Dies at 85, The New York Times, 13 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.</ref>
• 2017 – Ed Lee, American politician and attorney, 43rd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1952)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2017 – Pat DiNizio, American singer and songwriter (b. 1955)<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref name="Morris">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2019 – Danny Aiello, American actor (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2020 – John le Carré, English author (b. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2020 – Ann Reinking, American actress, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1949)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2021 – Vicente Fernández, Mexican actor, ranchera singer, and film producer (b. 1940)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2021 – Bernie Fowler, American politician and environmental advocate (b. 1924)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2021 – Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi, Tongan politician and military officer, Deputy Prime Minister (b. 1955)<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Corentin of Quimper<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Jane Frances de Chantal<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Finnian of Clonard<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Thomas Holland<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Ida of Nivelles<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Peter the Aleut<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Vicelinus<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • December 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Constitution Day (Russia)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Day of Neutrality (Turkmenistan)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• Template:NYT On this day
• Historical Events on December 12