Editing 1939 (section)

=== December ===
{{main|December 1939}}
* [[December 1]] &ndash; The [[Soviet Union]] establishes the [[Finnish Democratic Republic]] puppet state in [[Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg|Terijoki]].<ref>{{cite book| title= Terijoen hallitus | last= Jussila | first= Osmo | year= 1985 | location= Porvoo, Helsinki | publisher= [[Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö|WSOY]] | isbn= 951-0-12686-1 | language= fi}}</ref>
* [[December 4]] &ndash; WWII:
** British battleship {{HMS|Nelson|28|6}} strikes a [[Naval mine|mine]] (laid by {{GS|U-31|1936|2}}) off the coast of Scotland, and is laid up for repairs until August 1940.
** [[German submarine U-36 (1936)|German submarine ''U-36'']] is torpedoed and sunk by British submarine [[HMS Salmon (N65)|HMS ''Salmon'']] off [[Stavanger]], the first enemy submarine lost to a British one during the war.
* [[December 6]] &ndash; WWII: [[Winter War]] – The [[Red Army]]'s advance on the [[Karelian Isthmus]] is stopped by Finns at the [[Mannerheim Line]] during the [[Battle of Taipale]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/2020/11/11/what-was-the-winter-war-1939-1940/|title=What was the Winter War (1939-1940)?|first=Andrew|last=Marshall|publisher=Boot Camp & Military Fitness|date=11 November 2020|access-date=6 December 2024}}</ref>
* [[December 9]] &ndash; WWII: The first soldier of the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]] is killed: Corporal Thomas Priday triggers a French land mine.
* [[December 12]] &ndash; WWII: {{HMS|Duchess|H64|6}} sinks after a collision with {{HMS|Barham|04|6}} off the coast of Scotland, with the loss of 124 men.
* [[December 13]] &ndash; WWII &ndash; [[Battle of the River Plate]]: The [[German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee|German heavy cruiser ''Admiral Graf Spee'']] is trapped by cruisers {{HMS|Ajax|22|6}}, [[HMNZS Achilles|HMNZS ''Achilles'']], and {{HMS|Exeter|68|6}} after a running battle off the coast of [[Uruguay]]. ''Graf Spee'' is [[Scuttling|scuttled]] by its crew off [[Montevideo]] Harbor, on [[December 17]].
* [[December 14]] &ndash; WWII: [[Winter War]] &ndash; The [[League of Nations]] expels the USSR for attacking Finland.
* [[December 15]] &ndash; The epic historical romance film ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', starring [[Vivien Leigh]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Olivia de Havilland]] and [[Leslie Howard (actor)|Leslie Howard]], premieres at [[Loew's Grand Theatre]] in [[Atlanta]]. Based on [[Margaret Mitchell]]'s [[Gone with the Wind (novel)|best-selling novel]] of 1936, it is the longest American film made up to this date (at nearly four hours) and rapidly becomes the [[Timeline of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film up to this time]].
* [[December 18]] &ndash; WWII: [[Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939)|Battle of the Heligoland Bight]] &ndash; [[RAF Bomber Command]], on a daylight mission to attack ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' ships in the [[Heligoland Bight]], is repulsed by ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' [[fighter aircraft]].
* [[December 26]] &ndash; Miners [[Strike action|strike]] in [[Borinage]], Belgium.
* [[December 27]] &ndash; The 7.8 {{M|w}} [[1939 Erzincan earthquake|Erzincan earthquake]] shakes eastern [[Turkey]] with a maximum [[Mercalli intensity scale|Mercalli intensity]] of XII (''Extreme''), causing $20&nbsp;million in damage, and leaving 32,700–32,968 dead.