Editing December 16

{{redirect|16 December|the 2002 Hindi-language film|16 December (film)}}
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{{This date in recent years}}
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==Events==
===Pre-1600===
* [[714]] &ndash; [[Pepin of Herstal]], mayor of the [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] palace, dies at [[Jupille-sur-Meuse|Jupille]] (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson [[Theudoald]], while his widow [[Plectrude]] holds actual power in the [[Francia|Frankish Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite book|last=David|first=Saul|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Warfare: From Ancient Egypt to Iraq|location=New York|publisher=DK Publishing|date=2009|isbn=9780756695484|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpRT7qBPDAwC|page=68}}</ref>
* [[755]] &ndash; [[An Lushan]] revolts against [[Chancellor of the Tang dynasty|Chancellor]] [[Yang Guozhong]] at [[Yanjing]], initiating the [[An Lushan Rebellion]] during the [[Tang dynasty]] of China.<ref>{{cite book|last=Beckwith|first=Christopher|title=The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia: A History of the Struggle for Great Power Among Tibetans, Turks, Arabs and Chinese During the Early Middle Ages|location=Princeton, N.J.|publisher=Princeton University Press|date=1993|isbn=9780691024691|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fF3sDwAAQBAJ|pages=142–143}}</ref>
*[[1431]] &ndash; [[Hundred Years' War]]: [[Henry VI of England]] is crowned [[King of France]] at [[Notre Dame de Paris|Notre Dame]] in Paris.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grummitt |first1=David |title=Henry VI |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-48260-4 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aOcjCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA79 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1497]] &ndash; [[Vasco da Gama]] passes the [[Great Fish River]] at the southern tip of [[Africa]], where [[Bartolomeu Dias]] had previously turned back to Portugal.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rich|first=Jeremy|chapter=Gama, Vasco da|title=Dictionary of African Biography. Vol. 2: Brath—Haile|editor-last1=Akyeampong|editor-first1=Emmanuel Kwaku|editor-last2=Gates|editor-first2=Henry Louis Jr. |location=New York City|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2012|isbn=9780195382075|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ|page=415}}</ref>
*[[1575]] &ndash; [[1575 Valdivia earthquake|An earthquake]] with an estimated magnitude of 8.5{{M|w}} strikes Valdivia, Chile.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lomnitz|first=Cinna|title=Major Earthquakes of Chile: A Historical Survey, 1535-1960|journal=Seismological Research Letters|date=May 2004|volume=75|issue=3|page=370|doi=10.1785/gssrl.75.3.368|bibcode=2004SeiRL..75..368L }}</ref>
*[[1598]] &ndash; [[Japanese invasions of Korea (1592&ndash;98)|Seven-Year War]]: [[Battle of Noryang]]: The final battle of the Seven-Year War is fought between the China and the Korean allied forces and Japanese navies, resulting in a decisive allied forces victory.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rucker|first=Spencer C.|chapter=Imjin War: 1582-1598|title=Wars That Changed History: 50 of the World's Greatest Conflicts|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|publisher=ABC-CLIO|date=2015|isbn=9781610697859|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xhGFCgAAQBAJ|page=159}}</ref>

===1601–1900===
*[[1653]] &ndash; [[Interregnum (England)|English Interregnum]]: [[The Protectorate]]: [[Oliver Cromwell]] becomes [[Lord Protector]] of the [[Commonwealth of England]], Scotland and Ireland.
*[[1689]] &ndash; [[Convention Parliament (1689)|Convention Parliament]]: The ''Declaration of Right'' is embodied in the ''[[Bill of Rights 1689|Bill of Rights]]''.
*[[1707]] &ndash; Most Recent [[Hōei eruption|Eruption of Mount Fuji]].<ref name="National Geographic">{{cite news|url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/last-eruption-mount-fuji/|title=Dec 16, 1707 CE: Most Recent Eruption of Mount Fuji|location=Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan|publisher=[[National Geographic Society]]|date=19 October 2023|language=en}}</ref>
*[[1761]] &ndash; [[Seven Years' War]]: After a [[Siege of Kolberg (Seven Years' War)|four-month siege]], the Russians under [[Pyotr Rumyantsev]] take the [[Prussia]]n fortress of [[Kołobrzeg]].
*[[1773]] &ndash; [[American Revolution]]: [[Boston Tea Party]]: Members of the [[Sons of Liberty]] disguised as [[Mohawk people|Mohawk Indians]] dump hundreds of crates of tea into [[Boston]] harbor as a protest against the [[Tea Act]].
*[[1777]] &ndash; Virginia becomes the first state to ratify the [[Articles of Confederation]]. [https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/ar/91719.htm]
*[[1782]] &ndash; [[British East India Company]]: [[Muharram Rebellion]]: Hada and Mada Miah lead the first anti-British uprising in [[the subcontinent]] against [[Robert Lindsay (Sylhet)|Robert Lindsay]] and his contingents in [[Sylhet Shahi Eidgah]].<ref name="shirsha">{{cite news|last=Ahmed|first=M Shamim|url=https://www.sheershakhobor.com/sylhet-news/2018/06/12/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%88%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE/|title=সিলেটের শাহী ঈদগাহ ইতিহাস ঐতিহ্য|location=Sylhet|publisher=Sheersha Khobor|date=12 June 2018|language=bn|access-date=1 February 2019|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402194508/https://www.sheershakhobor.com/sylhet-news/2018/06/12/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%88%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE/|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
*[[1811]] &ndash; [[1811&ndash;12 New Madrid earthquakes|The first two in a series]] of four severe [[earthquake]]s occur in the vicinity of [[New Madrid Seismic Zone|New Madrid, Missouri]].
*[[1826]] &ndash; [[Benjamin W. Edwards]] rides into Mexican-controlled [[Nacogdoches, Texas]], and declares himself ruler of the [[Fredonian Rebellion|Republic of Fredonia]].
*[[1838]] &ndash; [[Great Trek]]: [[Battle of Blood River]]: ''[[Voortrekkers]]'' led by [[Andries Pretorius]] and [[Sarel Cilliers]] defeat [[Zulu people|Zulu]] ''[[impi]]s'', led by Dambuza (Nzobo) and [[Ndlela kaSompisi]] in what is today [[KwaZulu-Natal]], South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gov.za/about-sa/public-holidays#reconciliation|title=Public holidays in South Africa|publisher=Government of South Africa|access-date=3 May 2017}}</ref>
*[[1850]] &ndash; The ''[[Charlotte Jane]]'' and the ''[[Randolph (ship)|Randolph]]'' bring the first of the [[Canterbury Association|Canterbury Pilgrims]] to [[Lyttelton, New Zealand]].
*[[1863]] &ndash; [[American Civil War]]: [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] President [[Jefferson Davis]] appoints General [[Joseph E. Johnston]] to replace General [[Braxton Bragg]] as commander of the [[Army of Tennessee]].
*[[1864]] &ndash; American Civil War: The [[Battle of Nashville]] ends as the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] [[Army of the Cumberland]] under General [[George Henry Thomas|George H. Thomas]] routs and destroys the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General [[John Bell Hood]], ending its effectiveness as a combat unit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nashville Battle Facts and Summary|url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/nashville|website=battlefields.org|publisher=American Battlefield Trust|access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>
*[[1880]] &ndash; Outbreak of the [[First Boer War]] between the [[Boer]] [[South African Republic]] and the [[British Empire]].
*[[1882]] &ndash; [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and [[England national rugby union team|England]] contest the first Home Nations (now [[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]]) rugby union match.
*[[1883]] &ndash; [[Tonkin Campaign]]: [[French Third Republic|French]] forces [[Sơn Tây Campaign|capture]] the [[Sơn Tây (Hanoi)|Sơn Tây]] citadel.

===1901–present===
*[[1905]] &ndash; In [[Rugby Union]], The "''[[Match of the Century (Rugby Union)|Match of the Century]]''" is played between [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] at [[Cardiff Arms Park]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=1083 |title=All Blacks vs. Wales |website=All Blacks.com |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The history of WALES v NEW ZEALAND |url=http://www.rugbyrelics.com/Museum/exhibits/WvNZ.htm |website=World Rugby Museum.com |publisher=RugbyRelics}}</ref>
*[[1912]] &ndash; [[First Balkan War]]: The [[Hellenic Navy|Royal Hellenic Navy]] defeats the [[Ottoman Navy]] at the [[Battle of Elli]].
*[[1914]] &ndash; [[World War I]]: Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]] commands a [[raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby]].
*[[1920]] &ndash; The [[1920 Haiyuan earthquake|Haiyuan earthquake]] of 8.5{{M|w}}, rocks the [[Gansu]] province in China, killing an estimated 200,000. 
*[[1942]] &ndash; [[The Holocaust]]: [[Schutzstaffel]] chief [[Heinrich Himmler]] orders that [[Romani people|Roma]] candidates for extermination be deported to [[Auschwitz concentration camp|Auschwitz]].
*[[1944]] &ndash; [[World War II]]: The [[Battle of the Bulge]] begins with the surprise offensive of three [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German armies]] through the [[Ardennes]] forest.
*[[1951]] &ndash; A Miami Airlines [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]] [[1951 Miami Airlines C-46 crash|crashes]] in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]], killing all 58 aboard including dancer [[Doris Ruby]].<ref name="dead">{{Cite news |date=December 17, 1951 |title=List of Dead in Crash of Plane in New Jersey |pages=2 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
*[[1960]] &ndash; A [[United Airlines|United Air Lines]] Douglas DC-8 and a [[Trans World Airlines|TWA]] Lockheed Super Constellation [[1960 New York mid-air collision|collide]] over [[Staten Island]], [[New York City|New York]] and crash, killing all 128 people aboard both aircraft and six more on the ground.
*[[1968]] &ndash; [[Second Vatican Council]]: Official revocation of the [[Alhambra Decree|Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Timeline of the Spanish Inquisition |url=https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-the-spanish-inquisition |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=27 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1971]] &ndash; [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] and [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]: The [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|surrender]] of the [[Pakistan Army]] brings an end to both conflicts. This is commemorated annually as [[Victory Day (Bangladesh)|Victory Day]] in Bangladesh and Vijay Diwas in India respectively.
*  1971 &ndash; The United Kingdom recognizes [[Bahrain]]'s independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's [[Independence Day (Bahrain)|National Day]].
* [[1972]] &ndash; [[Constitution of Bangladesh|The Constitution]] of the [[People's Republic of Bangladesh]] was enacted.
*  [[1973]] &ndash; [[Aeroflot Flight 2022]] crashes in the Soviet Union's (now Russia) [[Volokolamsky District]], killing all 51 aboard, including four Lithuanian doctors.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dargis |first=Dailius |date=19 April 2010 |title=Gydytojų tragedijos žaizdų neužgydė dešimtmečiai |trans-title=The wounds of the doctors' tragedy did not heal for decades |url=https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/naujienos/385040/gydytoju-tragedijos-zaizdu-neuzgyde-desimtmeciai |access-date=11 May 2019 |publisher=TV3.lt |language=lt}}</ref>
*  [[1986]] &ndash; [[Jeltoqsan]]: Riots erupt in [[Almaty|Alma-Ata]], [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]], in response to Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]'s dismissal of ethnic Kazakh [[Dinmukhamed Kunaev]], the First Secretary of the [[Communist Party of Kazakhstan (Soviet Union)|Communist Party of Kazakhstan]], and his replacement with [[Gennady Kolbin]], an ethnic Russian from the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Putz |first=Catherine |date=2016-12-16 |title=1986: Kazakhstan's Other Independence Anniversary |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/12/1986-kazakhstans-other-independence-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[1989]] &ndash; [[Romanian Revolution]]: Protests break out in [[Timișoara]], [[Romania]], in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor [[László Tőkés]].
*[[2011]] &ndash; [[Zhanaozen massacre]]: Violent protests by oil workers take place in [[Zhanaozen]], [[Kazakhstan]], leading to 16 people dead and 100 injured by the security forces.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sindelar |first1=Daisy |last2=Toiken |first2=Saniya |date=2012-12-16 |title=A Year After Deadly Riots, Zhanaozen Is Quiet But Angry |language=en |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/zhanaozen-a-year-after-the-riots/24798726.html |access-date=2023-08-17}}</ref>
*[[2013]] &ndash; A [[2013 Manila Skyway bus accident|bus falls]] from an elevated highway in the Philippines capital [[Manila]] killing at least 18 people with 20 injured.
*[[2014]] &ndash; [[Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan]] militants [[2014 Peshawar school massacre|attack]] an Army Public School in [[Peshawar]], [[Pakistan]], killing 150 people, 132 of them schoolchildren.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan remembers school attack |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-35103616/pakistan-remembers-peshawar-army-public-school-attack |access-date=27 June 2020}}</ref>
*[[2022]] &ndash; [[2022 Batang Kali landslide|A landslide occurs at a camp at an organic farm]] near the town of [[Batang Kali]] in [[Selangor]], Malaysia, trapping 92 people and killing 31.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-16 |title=Malaysia landslide: At least 21 campers dead and more missing |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63995931 |access-date=2022-12-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-24 |title=Malaysia finds body of last person unaccounted for in campsite landside |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysia-finds-body-last-person-unaccounted-campsite-landside-2022-12-24/ |access-date=2022-12-29}}</ref>
*[[2024]] – A [[Abundant Life Christian School shooting]]: A mass shooting occurs at [[Abundant Life Christian School]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin]], killing 3 people (including the shooter) and injuring several others.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2024 |title=Live updates: 3 dead in shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/abundant-life-school-shooting-madison-live-updates-rcna184404 |access-date=December 16, 2024 |website=NBC News |language=en |archive-date=December 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216181839/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/abundant-life-school-shooting-madison-live-updates-rcna184404 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Births==
===Pre-1600===
*[[1364]] &ndash; Emperor [[Manuel III of Trebizond]] (d. 1417)
*[[1485]] &ndash; [[Catherine of Aragon]], Spanish princess, later queen consort of England (d. 1536)
*[[1534]] &ndash; [[Hans Bol]], Flemish artist (d. 1593)
*[[1582]] &ndash; [[Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey]] (d. 1642)
*[[1584]] &ndash; [[John Selden]], English jurist and scholar (d. 1654)
*[[1585]] &ndash; [[Livia della Rovere]], Italian noble (d. 1641)

===1601–1900===
*[[1605]] &ndash; [[Jerome Weston, 2nd Earl of Portland]], English diplomat (d. 1663)
*[[1614]] &ndash; [[Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg]] (d. 1674)
*[[1630]] &ndash; [[Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort (1630–1715)|Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort]], British botanist (d. 1715)
*[[1714]] &ndash; [[George Whitefield]], English Anglican priest (d. 1770)
*[[1716]] &ndash; [[Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini]], French poet and diplomat (d. 1798)
*[[1717]] &ndash; [[Elizabeth Carter]], English poet and scholar (d. 1806)<ref>{{cite web |title=Elizabeth Carter {{!}} British author |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Carter |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=24 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1730]] &ndash; [[Diego Silang]], Filipino revolutionary leader (d. 1763)<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Palanco|first1=Fernando|title=Diego Silang's Revolt: A New Approach|journal=Philippine Studies|date=2002|volume=50|issue=4|pages=518, 529|url=http://philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/view/482/490|access-date=18 November 2018}}</ref>
*[[1742]] &ndash; [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher]], German field marshal (d. 1819)
*[[1770]] &ndash; [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], composer (d. 1827)
*[[1775]] &ndash; [[Jane Austen]], English novelist (d. 1817)<ref>{{cite web |title=Jane Austen {{!}} Biography & Novels |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jane-Austen |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=11 January 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
*  1775   &ndash; [[François-Adrien Boieldieu]], French pianist and composer (d. 1834)
*[[1776]] &ndash; [[Johann Wilhelm Ritter]], German chemist, physicist, and philosopher (d. 1810)
*[[1778]] &ndash; [[John Ordronaux (privateer)|John Ordronaux]], French-American soldier (d. 1841)
*[[1787]] &ndash; [[Mary Russell Mitford]], English author and playwright (d. 1855)
*[[1790]] &ndash; [[Leopold I of Belgium]] (d. 1865)
*[[1804]] &ndash; [[Viktor Bunyakovsky]], Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1889)
*[[1812]] &ndash; [[Stuart Donaldson]], English-Australian politician, 1st [[Premier of New South Wales]] (d. 1867)
*[[1834]] &ndash; [[Léon Walras]], French-Swiss economist and theorist (d. 1910)
*[[1836]] &ndash; [[Ernst von Bergmann]], Latvian-German surgeon and academic (d. 1907)
*[[1849]] &ndash; [[Mary Hartwell Catherwood]], American author and poet (d. 1902)<ref>{{cite book|first=Price|last=Robert|chapter=Catherwood, Mary Hartwell|editor-first=Edward T.|editor-last=James|title=Notable American Women, 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary|volume=1|year=1971|isbn=978-0-67462-734-5|page=308|publisher=Harvard University Press }}</ref>
*[[1861]] &ndash; [[Antonio de La Gándara]], French painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
*[[1863]] &ndash; [[George Santayana]], Spanish philosopher, novelist, and poet (d. 1952)
*[[1865]] &ndash; [[Olavo Bilac]], Brazilian journalist and poet (d. 1918)
*[[1866]] &ndash; [[Wassily Kandinsky]], Russian-French painter and theorist (d. 1944)
*[[1867]] &ndash; [[Amy Carmichael]], Irish missionary and humanitarian (d. 1951)<ref>{{cite book|first=Lois|last=Hoadley Dick|title=Amy Carmichael: Let the Little Children Come|location=Chicago|publisher=Moody Press|year=1984|page=5|isbn=978-0-80240-433-6}}</ref>
*[[1869]] &ndash; [[Hristo Tatarchev]], Bulgarian physician and activist, co-founded the [[Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization]] (d. 1952)
*  1869   &ndash; [[Bertha Lamme Feicht]], American electrical engineer (d. 1943)
*[[1872]] &ndash; [[Anton Denikin]], Russian general (d. 1947)
*[[1882]] &ndash; [[Jack Hobbs]], English cricketer and journalist (d. 1963)
*  1882   &ndash; [[Zoltán Kodály]], Hungarian composer, conductor, and musicologist (d. 1967)
*  1882   &ndash; [[Walther Meissner]], German physicist and engineer (d. 1974)
*[[1883]] &ndash; [[Károly Kós]], Hungarian-Romanian architect, ethnologist, and politician (d. 1977)
*  1883   &ndash; [[Max Linder]], French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1925)
*[[1884]] &ndash; [[John Gunn (Australian politician)|John Gunn]], Australian politician, 29th [[Premier of South Australia]] (d. 1959)
*  1884   &ndash; [[Seibo Kitamura]], Japanese sculptor (d. 1987)
*[[1888]] &ndash; [[Alexander I of Yugoslavia]] (d. 1934)
*  1888   &ndash; [[Alphonse Juin]], Algerian-French general (d. 1967)
*[[1889]] &ndash; [[Kim Chwa-chin]], South Korean [[guerrilla]] leader (d. 1930)
*[[1895]] &ndash; [[Marie Hall Ets]], American author and illustrator (d. 1984)
*[[1896]] &ndash; [[Anna Anderson]], an imposter who claimed to be [[Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia|Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia]] (d. 1984)
*[[1899]] &ndash; [[Noël Coward]], English actor, playwright, and composer (d. 1973)
*[[1900]] &ndash; [[Lucille Lortel]], American actress and producer (d. 1999)
*  1900   &ndash; [[V. S. Pritchett]], British writer and literary critic (d. 1997)

===1901–present===
*[[1901]] &ndash; [[Margaret Mead]], American anthropologist and author (d. 1978)<ref>{{cite web |title=Margaret Mead {{!}} Biography, Theory, Books, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-Mead |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=16 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1902]] &ndash; [[Rafael Alberti]], Spanish poet and playwright (d. 1999)
*[[1903]] &ndash; [[Hardie Albright]], American actor (d. 1975)
*  1903   &ndash; [[Harold Whitlock]], English race walker and coach (d. 1985)
*[[1905]] &ndash; [[Piet Hein (scientist)|Piet Hein]], Danish mathematician, author, and poet (d. 1996)
*  1905   &ndash; [[Ruben Nirvi]], Finnish linguist and professor (d. 1986)<ref>Ellonen, Leena (ed.): ''Suomen professorit 1640–2007'', p. 575. Helsinki: Professoriliitto, 2008. {{ISBN|978-952-99281-1-8}}.</ref>
*[[1907]] &ndash; [[Barbara Kent]], Canadian-born American film actress (d. 2011)
*[[1908]] &ndash; [[Remedios Varo]], Spanish-Mexican surrealist painter & anarchist (d. 1963)
*[[1910]] &ndash; [[Freddie Brown (cricketer)|Freddie Brown]], Peruvian-English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 1991)
*[[1913]] &ndash; [[George Ignatieff]], Russian-Canadian scholar and diplomat, 8th [[List of Canadian ambassadors to the United Nations|Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations]] (d. 1989)
*[[1914]] &ndash; [[O. Winston Link]], American photographer (d. 2001)
*[[1916]] &ndash; [[Ruth Johnson Colvin]], American author and educator, founded [[ProLiteracy Worldwide]] (d. 2024)<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ruth Johnson Colvin, who founded Literacy Volunteers of America, has died at 107 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ruth-johnson-colvin-founded-literacy-volunteers-america-died-112960561 |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1917]] &ndash; [[Nabi Bux Khan Baloch]], Pakistani author and scholar (d. 2011)
*  1917   &ndash; [[Pete T. Cenarrusa]], American soldier, pilot, and politician, [[Secretary of State of Idaho]] (d. 2013)
*  1917   &ndash; [[Arthur C. Clarke]], English science fiction writer (d. 2008)<ref>{{cite web |title=Arthur C. Clarke {{!}} Biography, Works, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-C-Clarke |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=13 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1920]] &ndash; [[Frederick Rotimi Williams]], Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 2005)
*[[1921]] &ndash; [[Eulalio González]], Mexican singer-songwriter, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2003)
*[[1922]] &ndash; [[Cy Leslie]], American record producer, founded [[Pickwick Records]] (d. 2008)
*[[1923]] &ndash; [[Menahem Pressler]], German-American pianist (d. 2023)
*  1923   &ndash; [[Ernst Florian Winter]], Austrian-American historian and political scientist (d. 2014)
*[[1924]] &ndash; [[Nicolas Sidjakov]], Latvian-American illustrator (d. 1993)
*[[1926]] &ndash; [[James McCracken]], American tenor and actor (d. 1988)
*  1926   &ndash; [[A. N. R. Robinson]], [[Tobagonian]] lawyer and politician, 3rd [[List of Presidents of Trinidad and Tobago|President of Trinidad and Tobago]] (d. 2014)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bourne |first1=Richard |title=ANR Robinson obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/13/anr-robinson |access-date=16 May 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=13 April 2014}}</ref>
*  1926   &ndash; [[Jeffrey Stone]], American actor and screenwriter (d. 2012)
*[[1927]] &ndash; [[Peter Dickinson]], Rhodesian-English author and poet (d. 2015)
*  1927   &ndash; [[Randall Garrett]], American author and poet (d. 1987)
*[[1928]] &ndash; [[Terry Carter]], American actor, director, and producer (d. 2024)
*  1928   &ndash; [[Philip K. Dick]], American philosopher and author (d. 1982)<ref name="UPI">{{cite web |title=Famous birthdays for Dec. 16: Krysten Ritter, Lesley Stahl |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/12/16/Famous-birthdays-for-Dec-16-Krysten-Ritter-Lesley-Stahl/3051671154498/ |publisher=[[UPI]] |access-date=15 December 2023 |date=16 December 2022}}</ref>
*[[1929]] &ndash; [[Nicholas Courtney]], Egyptian-English actor (d. 2011)
*[[1930]] &ndash; [[Bill Brittain]], American author (d. 2011)
*  1930   &ndash; [[Sam Most]], American flute player and saxophonist (d. 2013)
*  1930   &ndash; [[Bill Young (Florida politician)|Bill Young]], American sergeant and politician (d. 2013)
*[[1932]] &ndash; [[Grace Alele-Williams]], Nigerian mathematician and academic (d. 2022) <ref>{{cite news |last1=Egbejule |first1=Michael |title=First female VC, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, dies at 89 |url=https://guardian.ng/news/first-female-vc-prof-grace-alele-williams-dies-at-89/ |access-date=27 March 2022 |work=The Guardian Nigeria |date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=27 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327070039/https://guardian.ng/news/first-female-vc-prof-grace-alele-williams-dies-at-89/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*  1932   &ndash; [[Quentin Blake]], English author and illustrator
*  1932   &ndash; [[Lin Zhao]], Chinese dissident and Christian executed during the [[Cultural Revolution]] (d. 1968)
*[[1936]] &ndash; [[Morris Dees]], American lawyer and activist, co-founded the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]
*[[1937]] &ndash; [[Joyce Bulifant]], American actress<ref name="AP"></ref> 
*  1937   &ndash; [[Edward Ruscha]], American painter and photographer
*[[1938]] &ndash; [[Frank Deford]], American journalist and author (d. 2017)<ref name="UPI"></ref>
*  1938   &ndash; [[Liv Ullmann]], Norwegian actress, director, and screenwriter<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1939]] &ndash; [[Philip Langridge]], English tenor (d. 2010)
*  1939   &ndash; [[Gordon Miller (athlete)|Gordon Miller]], English high jumper
*[[1941]] &ndash; [[Lesley Stahl]], American journalist and actress<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1941   &ndash; [[Roger Wheeler (British Army officer)|Roger Neil Wheeler]], English general
*[[1942]] &ndash; [[Donald Carcieri]], American educator and politician, 73rd [[Governor of Rhode Island]]
*[[1943]] &ndash; [[Steven Bochco]], American television writer and producer (d. 2018)<ref name="UPI"></ref>
*  1943   &ndash; [[Patti Deutsch]], American actress and comedian (d. 2017)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=patti-deutsch-ross&pid=186216724 |title=Patti Deutsch Ross |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=July 28, 2017}}</ref>
*[[1944]] &ndash; [[Jeff Kanew]], American director and screenwriter
*  1944   &ndash; [[Don Meyer]], American basketball player and coach (d. 2014)
*[[1945]] &ndash; [[Tony Hicks]], English singer and guitarist<ref name="AP"></ref> 
*[[1946]] &ndash; [[Benny Andersson]], Swedish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer<ref name="AP">{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Mike |title=Today's famous birthdays list for December 16, 2022 includes celebrities Benjamin Bratt, Benny Andersson |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/12/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-december-16-2022-includes-celebrities-benjamin-bratt-benny-andersson.html |website=[[The Plain Dealer]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=15 December 2023 |date=16 December 2022}}</ref>
*  1946   &ndash; [[Charles Dennis]], Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter 
*  1946   &ndash; [[Trevor Pinnock]], English [[harpsichord]] player and conductor
*  1946   &ndash; [[Tom Stern (cinematographer)|Tom Stern]], American cinematographer
*[[1947]] &ndash; [[Ben Cross]], English actor (d. 2020)<ref name="UPI"></ref>
*  1947   &ndash; [[Vincent Matthews (athlete)|Vincent Matthews]], American sprinter
*  1947   &ndash; [[Martyn Poliakoff]], English chemist and academic
*  1947   &ndash; [[Trevor Żahra]], Maltese novelist, poet and illustrator<ref>{{cite web |title=Trevor Zahra |url=http://artsmalta.org/award/trezor-zahra/ |website=Malta Society of Arts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213212937/http://artsmalta.org/award/trezor-zahra/ |archive-date=13 February 2017}}</ref>
*[[1949]] &ndash; [[Billy Gibbons]], American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1949   &ndash; [[Heather Hallett]], English lawyer and judge
*[[1950]] &ndash; [[Claudia Cohen]], American journalist (d. 2007)
*  1950   &ndash; [[Roy Schuiten]], Dutch cyclist and manager (d. 2006)
*[[1951]] &ndash; [[Aykut Barka]], Turkish scientist (d. 2002)
*  1951   &ndash; [[Sally Emerson]], English author and poet
*  1951   &ndash; [[Mike Flanagan (baseball)|Mike Flanagan]], American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2011)
*  1951   &ndash; [[Robben Ford]], American guitarist and songwriter 
*  1951   &ndash; [[Mark Heard]], American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1992)
*[[1952]] &ndash; [[Joel Garner]], Barbadian cricketer and manager
*  1952   &ndash; [[Francesco Graziani]], Italian footballer and manager
*[[1953]] &ndash; [[Rebecca Forstadt]], American voice actress and screenwriter
*[[1955]] &ndash; [[Xander Berkeley]], American actor and producer<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1955   &ndash; [[Carol Browner]], American lawyer and environmentalist, 8th [[Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency]]
*  1955   &ndash; [[Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este]]
*  1955   &ndash; [[Chiharu Matsuyama]], Japanese singer-songwriter
*[[1956]] &ndash; [[Lizzy Mercier Descloux]], French musician, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, writer and painter (d. 2004)
*[[1957]] &ndash; [[Antonio Vega (singer)|Antonio Vega]], Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
*[[1958]] &ndash; [[Bart Oates]], American football player and lawyer
*  1958   &ndash; [[Jeff Ruland]], American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeff Ruland |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/78041/career |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1959]] &ndash; [[H. D. Kumaraswamy]], Indian social worker and politician, 18th [[Chief Minister of Karnataka]]
*  1959   &ndash; [[Alison La Placa]], American actress<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1959   &ndash; [[Alexander Lebedev]], Russian businessman and politician
*  1959   &ndash; [[Steve Mattsson]], American author and illustrator
*[[1960]] &ndash; [[Pat Van Den Hauwe]], Belgian footballer and manager
*[[1961]] &ndash; [[André Andersen]], Russian-Danish keyboard player, songwriter, and producer 
*  1961   &ndash; [[Shane Black]], American actor, director, and screenwriter
*  1961   &ndash; [[Bill Hicks]], American comedian and musician (d. 1994)
*  1961   &ndash; [[LaChanze]], American actress, singer, and dancer
*  1961   &ndash; [[Sam Robards]], American actor<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1961   &ndash; [[Jon Tenney]], American actor and director<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1962]] &ndash; [[Maruschka Detmers]], Dutch-French actress
*  1962   &ndash; [[William Perry (American football)|William Perry]], American football player and wrestler
*[[1963]] &ndash; [[Benjamin Bratt]], American actor and producer<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1963   &ndash; [[Cathy Johnston-Forbes]], American golfer
*  1963   &ndash; [[James Mangold]], American director, producer, and screenwriter
*  1963   &ndash; [[Nadia Moscufo]], Belgian politician<ref>{{cite web |title=Les Députés: Nadia Moscufo |url=https://www.lachambre.be/kvvcr/showpage.cfm?section=/depute&language=fr&cfm=cvview54.cfm?key=07270&lactivity=56 |publisher=[[Chamber of Representatives (Belgium)|Chamber of Representatives]] |access-date=4 September 2024 |location=Brussels, Belgium |language=fr}}</ref>
*[[1964]] &ndash; [[Heike Drechsler]], German sprinter and long jumper
*  1964   &ndash; [[Todd Glass]], American comedian
*  1964   &ndash; [[John Kirwan (rugby)|John Kirwan]], New Zealand rugby player and coach
*  1964   &ndash; [[Georgie Parker]], Australian actress
*  1964   &ndash; [[Billy Ripken]], American baseball player and sportscaster
*[[1965]] &ndash; [[Melanie Sloan]], American lawyer and activist
*  1965   &ndash; [[J. B. Smoove]], American comedian, writer, and actor<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1966]] &ndash; [[Fatima Lamarti]], Belgian politician<ref>{{cite web |title=De Kamerleden: Fatima Lamarti |url=https://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/showpage.cfm?section=/depute&language=nl&cfm=cvview54.cfm?key=07990&lactivity=56 |publisher=[[Chamber of Representatives (Belgium)|Chamber of Representatives]] |access-date=10 September 2024 |location=Brussels, Belgium |language=nl}}</ref>
*  1966   &ndash; [[Paul McGinley]], Irish golfer
*  1966   &ndash; [[Clifford Robinson (basketball, born 1966)|Clifford Robinson]], American basketball player (d. 2020)
*  1966   &ndash; [[Dennis Wise]], English footballer and manager
*[[1967]] &ndash; [[Donovan Bailey]], Canadian sprinter and sportscaster
*  1967   &ndash; [[Indrek Kaseorg]], Estonian decathlete
*  1967   &ndash; [[Miranda Otto]], Australian actress<ref name="AP"></ref> 
*[[1968]] &ndash; [[Wendy Doolan]], Australian golfer
*  1968   &ndash; [[Lalah Hathaway]], American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
*  1968   &ndash; [[Greg Kovacs]], Canadian bodybuilder (d. 2013)
*[[1969]] &ndash; [[Simon Grayson]], English footballer and manager
*  1969   &ndash; [[Kent Hehr]], Canadian politician
*  1969   &ndash; [[Adam Riess]], American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize]] laureate
*  1969   &ndash; [[Michelle Smith]], Irish swimmer
*  1969   &ndash; [[Dmitri Tymoczko]], American composer and theorist
*  1969   &ndash; [[Craig White]], English cricketer and coach
*[[1970]] &ndash; [[Valerie Chow]], Canadian-Hong Kong actress and publicist
*  1970   &ndash; [[Daniel Cosgrove]], American actor<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1971]] &ndash; [[Seyhan Kurt]], French-Turkish poet and sociologist
*  1971   &ndash; [[Paul van Dyk]], German musician, producer and DJ<ref>{{cite book|last1=Krech|first1=Eva-Maria|last2=Stock|first2=Eberhard|last3=Hirschfeld|first3=Ursula|last4=Anders|first4=Lutz Christian|title=Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch|language=de|year=2009|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|location=Berlin|isbn=978-3-11-018202-6|pages=731 and 810}}</ref>
*  1971   &ndash; [[Michael McCary]], American R&B singer<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1972]] &ndash; [[Charles Gipson]], American baseball player
*  1972   &ndash; [[Zeljko Kalac]], Australian soccer player and manager<ref>{{cite web|title=Zeljko Kalac|url=https://int.soccerway.com/coaches/zeljko-kalac/701/|website=Soccerway|access-date=16 December 2024}}</ref>
*  1972   &ndash; [[Paul Leyden]], Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
*  1972   &ndash; [[Travis Morrison]], American singer-songwriter 
*[[1973]] &ndash; [[Themba Mnguni]], South African footballer
*  1973   &ndash; [[Scott Storch]], American songwriter and producer, founded [[Storch Music Company]]
*[[1975]] &ndash; [[Valentin Bădoi]], Romanian footballer and manager
*  1975   &ndash; [[Kaba Diawara]], French-Guinean footballer
*  1975   &ndash; [[Benjamin Kowalewicz]], Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist 
*  1975   &ndash; [[Paul Maynard]], English politician
*[[1976]] &ndash; [[Jen Golbeck]], American computer scientist and academic
*[[1977]] &ndash; [[Éric Bélanger]], Canadian ice hockey player
*  1977   &ndash; [[Sylvain Distin]], French footballer
*[[1978]] &ndash; [[John Morris (curler)|John Morris]], Canadian curler and firefighter
*  1978   &ndash; [[Gunter Van Handenhoven]], Belgian footballer and manager
*[[1979]] &ndash; [[Trevor Immelman]], South African golfer
*  1979   &ndash; [[Brodie Lee]], American wrestler (d. 2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=Harper |url=https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/17173804/wwe-profile-page-harper |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=15 December 2023 |date=29 July 2016}}</ref>
*  1979   &ndash; [[Daniel Narcisse]], French handball player<ref>{{cite web|title=Daniel Narcisse|url=https://www.olympic.org/daniel-narcisse|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref>
*  1979   &ndash; [[Mihai Trăistariu]], Romanian singer-songwriter
*  1979   &ndash; [[Jessie Ward]], American wrestler and producer
*[[1980]] &ndash; [[Danish Kaneria]], Pakistani cricketer
*[[1981]] &ndash; [[Krysten Ritter]], American actress, musician, and model<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1981   &ndash; [[Reanna Solomon]], Nauruan weightlifter (d. 2022)<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|url=http://m2002.thecgf.com/results/default.asp?ath=5164|title=Athlete Biography|publisher=[[2002 Commonwealth Games]]|access-date=July 21, 2022|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115023059/http://m2002.thecgf.com/results/default.asp?ath=5164|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*  1981   &ndash; [[Gareth Williams (Scottish footballer)|Gareth Williams]], Scottish footballer
*[[1982]] &ndash; [[Antrel Rolle]], American football player
*  1982   &ndash; [[Anna Sedokova]], Ukrainian singer, actress and television presenter
*  1982   &ndash; [[Stanislav Šesták]], Slovak footballer
*[[1983]] &ndash; [[Kelenna Azubuike]], Nigerian-American basketball player
*  1983   &ndash; [[Frankie Ballard]], American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*  1983   &ndash; [[Joey Dorsey]], American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Joey Dorsey |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203144/career |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1984]] &ndash; [[Theo James]], English actor<ref name="AP"></ref> 
*[[1985]] &ndash; [[Stanislav Manolev]], Bulgarian footballer
*  1985   &ndash; [[James Nash (racing driver)|James Nash]], English race car driver
*  1985   &ndash; [[Amanda Setton]], American actress<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1986]] &ndash; [[Alcides Escobar]], Venezuelan baseball player
*  1986   &ndash; [[Zoltán Kovács (footballer, born 1986)|Zoltán Kovács]], Hungarian footballer (d. 2013)
*  1986   &ndash; [[Pärt Uusberg]], Estonian actor, composer, and conductor.
*[[1987]] &ndash; [[Mame Biram Diouf]], Senegalese footballer
*  1987   &ndash; [[Beau Dowler]], Australian footballer
*  1987   &ndash; [[Hallee Hirsh]], American actress<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1988]] &ndash; [[Mats Hummels]], German footballer
*  1988   &ndash; [[Anna Popplewell]], English actress<ref name="AP"></ref>
*  1988   &ndash; [[Alexey Shved]], Russian basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Alexey Shved |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203144/career |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1989]] &ndash; [[Mikkel Bødker]], Danish ice hockey player<ref>{{cite web |title=Mikkel Boedker |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/mikkel-boedker-8474571 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1990]] &ndash; [[Rebecca Marino]], Canadian tennis player<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/313485/rebecca-marino|title=WTAtennis.com Profile: Rebecca Marina|publisher=[[Women's Tennis Association]]|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
*[[1991]] &ndash; [[Craig Goodwin]], Australian footballer 
*  1991   &ndash; [[David Johnson (running back)|David Johnson]], American football player<ref>{{cite web |title=David Johnson |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2508176/david-johnson |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
*[[1992]] &ndash; [[Ulrikke Eikeri]], Norwegian tennis player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ulrikke Eikeri {{!}} Player Stats & More – WTA Official |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/315314/name |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=Women's Tennis Association |language=en}}</ref>
*  1992   &ndash; [[Anamul Haque]], Bangladeshi cricketer
*  1992   &ndash; [[Pietro Perdichizzi]], Belgian footballer
*  1992   &ndash; [[Tom Rogic]], Australian footballer
*[[1993]] &ndash; [[Jyoti Amge]], Indian actress<ref name="UPI"></ref>
*  1993   &ndash; [[Stephan James (actor)|Stephan James]], Canadian actor<ref name="AP"></ref>
*[[1994]] &ndash; [[Nigel Hayes]], American basketball player<ref>{{cite web |title=Nigel Hayes |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628502/career |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
*  1994   &ndash; [[Elliot Lee]], English footballer
*  1994   &ndash; [[Nicola Murru]], Italian footballer
*  1994   &ndash; [[José Rodríguez (footballer, born 1994)|José Rodríguez]], Spanish footballer
*[[1996]] &ndash; [[Wilfred Ndidi]], Nigerian footballer<ref>{{cite web|title=Wilfred Ndidi|url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/20479/Wilfred-Ndidi/overview|website=[[Premier League]]|access-date=16 December 2024}}</ref>
*  1996  &ndash; [[Sergio Reguilón]], Spanish footballer<ref>{{cite web|title=Sergio Reguilón|url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/39606/Sergio-Reguil%C3%B3n/overview|website=[[Premier League]]|access-date=16 December 2024}}</ref>
*  1996  &ndash; [[Henry Thornton (cricketer)|Henry Thornton]], Australian cricketer<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/837611.html |title=Henry Thornton |access-date=10 January 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>
*[[1998]] &ndash; [[Mira Antonitsch]], Austrian tennis player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mira Antonitsch - Player Profile - Tennis |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/mira-antonitsch_prs448276/person.shtml |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}</ref>
*  1998   &ndash; [[Zhou Jieqiong]], Chinese singer and actress<ref>{{cite web|title=주결경, 23번째 생일 맞아 해맑게 “축하해줘서 감사해요”[SNS★컷]|url=https://m.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202012181603366210|work=뉴스엔|date=18 December 2020|access-date=16 March 2025|language=ko}}</ref>
*[[2001]] &ndash; [[Kai Cenat]], American streamer<ref>{{cite news |title=Who is Twitch streamer Kai Cenat? |url=https://abc7ny.com/kai-cenat-twitch-youtube-union-square-riot/13600003/ |access-date=December 14, 2024 |work=ABC7 New York |date=August 4, 2023}}</ref>
<!--Please do not add yourself, non-notable people, fictional characters, or people without Wikipedia articles to this list. No food in the gym please. Do not link multiple occurrences of the same year, just link the first occurrence. If there are multiple people in the same birth year, put them in alphabetical order. Do not trust "this year in history" websites for accurate date information.-->

==Deaths==
===Pre-1600===
* [[604]] &ndash; [[Chen Shubao|Houzhu]], emperor of the Chen dynasty (b. 553)
* [[705]] &ndash; [[Wu Zetian]], Empress of the Zhou dynasty (b. 624)
* [[714]] &ndash; [[Pepin of Herstal]], Frankish statesman (b. 635)
* [[867]] &ndash; [[Eberhard of Friuli]], Frankish duke (b. 815)
* [[874]] &ndash; [[Ado of Vienne|Ado]], archbishop of Vienne 
* [[882]] &ndash; [[Pope John VIII|John VIII]], pope of the Catholic Church
* [[902]] &ndash; [[Wei Yifan]], chancellor of the Tang dynasty
*[[AD 999|999]] &ndash; [[Adelaide of Italy]], Holy Roman Empress (b. 931)
*[[1153]] &ndash; [[Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester]], Norman nobleman
*[[1263]] &ndash; [[Haakon IV of Norway|Haakon IV]], king of Norway (b. 1204)
*[[1316]] &ndash; [[Öljaitü]], Mongolian ruler (b. 1280)
*[[1325]] &ndash; [[Charles, Count of Valois|Charles]], French nobleman (b. 1270)
*[[1378]] &ndash; [[Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat|Secondotto]], marquess of Montferrat (b. 1360)
*[[1379]] &ndash; [[John FitzAlan, 1st Baron Arundel]], English general and politician, [[Earl Marshal#Lords Marshal of England, 1135&ndash;1397|Lord Marshall of England]] (b. 1348)
*[[1470]] &ndash; [[John II, Duke of Lorraine|John II]], duke of Lorraine (b. 1424)
*[[1474]] &ndash; [[Ali Qushji]], Uzbek astronomer, mathematician, and physicist (b. 1403)
*[[1515]] &ndash; [[Afonso de Albuquerque]], Portuguese admiral and politician, 3rd [[List of governors of Portuguese India|Viceroy of Portuguese India]] (b. 1453)
*[[1558]] &ndash; [[Thomas Cheney]], English diplomat and Lord Warden of the ''Cinque Ports''
*[[1583]] &ndash; [[Ivan Fyodorov (printer)|Ivan Fyodorov]], Russian printer
*[[1594]] &ndash; [[Allison Balfour]], Scottish witch 
*[[1598]] &ndash; [[Yi Sun-sin]], Korean general (b. 1545)

===1601–1900===
*[[1669]] &ndash; [[Nathaniel Fiennes]], English soldier and politician (b. 1608)
*[[1687]] &ndash; [[William Petty]], English economist and philosopher (b. 1623)<ref>{{cite web |title=Petty, Sir William {{!}} Dictionary of Irish Biography |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/petty-sir-william-a7303 |website=www.dib.ie |access-date=27 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1751]] &ndash; [[Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau]] (b. 1700)
*[[1774]] &ndash; [[François Quesnay]], French economist, physician, and philosopher (b. 1694)
*[[1783]] &ndash; [[Johann Adolph Hasse]], German composer and educator (b. 1699)
*  1783   &ndash; [[Sir William James, 1st Baronet]], Welsh-English commander and politician (b. 1720)
*[[1805]] &ndash; [[Saverio Cassar]], Gozitan priest and rebel leader (b. 1746)
*[[1809]] &ndash; [[Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy]], French chemist and entomologist (b. 1755)
*[[1859]] &ndash; [[Wilhelm Grimm]], German anthropologist and author (b. 1786)
*[[1892]] &ndash; [[Henry Yesler]], American businessman and politician, 7th [[Mayor of Seattle]] (b. 1810)
*[[1897]] &ndash; [[Alphonse Daudet]], French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1840)
*[[1898]] &ndash; [[Pavel Tretyakov]], Russian businessman and art collector (b. 1832)

===1901–present===
*[[1908]] &ndash; [[American Horse]], American tribal leader and educator (b. 1840)
*[[1917]] &ndash; [[Frank Gotch]], American wrestler (b. 1878)
*[[1921]] &ndash; [[Camille Saint-Saëns]], French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1835)
*[[1922]] &ndash; [[Gabriel Narutowicz]], Lithuanian–Polish engineer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Poland (b. 1865)
*[[1928]] &ndash; [[Elinor Wylie]], American poet and author (b. 1885)
*[[1935]] &ndash; [[Thelma Todd]], American actress and comedian (b. 1905)
*[[1936]] &ndash; [[Frank Eugene]], American-German photographer and educator (b. 1865)
*[[1940]] &ndash; [[Eugène Dubois]], Dutch paleoanthropologist (b. 1858)
*  1940   &ndash; [[Billy Hamilton (baseball, born 1866)|Billy Hamilton]], American baseball player and manager (b. 1866)
*[[1943]] &ndash; [[George Bambridge]], English diplomat (b. 1892)
*[[1944]] &ndash; [[Betsie ten Boom]], Dutch Holocaust victim (b. 1885)
*[[1945]] &ndash; [[Giovanni Agnelli]], Italian businessman, founded Fiat (b. 1866)
*  1945   &ndash; [[Fumimaro Konoe]], Japanese lawyer and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1891)
*[[1949]] &ndash; [[Sidney Olcott]], Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1873)
*[[1952]] &ndash; [[Robert Henry Best]], American journalist (b. 1896)
*[[1956]] &ndash; [[Nina Hamnett]], Welsh painter and author (b. 1890)
*[[1961]] &ndash; [[Hans Rebane]], Estonian journalist and politician, 8th Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1882)
*[[1965]] &ndash; [[W. Somerset Maugham]], British playwright, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1874)
*[[1968]] &ndash; [[Futabayama Sadaji]], Japanese sumo wrestler, the 35th [[Makuuchi#Yokozuna|Yokozuna]] (b. 1912)
*  1968   &ndash; [[Muhammad Suheimat]], Jordanian general and politician (b. 1916)
*[[1969]] &ndash; [[Alphonse Castex]], French rugby union player (b. 1899)
*  1969   &ndash; [[Soe Hok Gie]], Indonesian activist and academic (b. 1942)
*[[1970]] &ndash; [[Oscar Lewis]], American anthropologist of Latin America (b. 1914)
*[[1974]] &ndash; [[Kostas Varnalis]], Greek poet and playwright (b. 1884)
*[[1976]] &ndash; [[Réal Caouette]], Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1917)
*[[1977]] &ndash; [[Risto Jarva]], Finnish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
*[[1980]] &ndash; [[Colonel Sanders]], American businessman, founded [[KFC]] (b. 1890)
*  1980   &ndash; [[Hellmuth Walter]], German-American engineer (b. 1900)
*[[1982]] &ndash; [[Colin Chapman]], English engineer and businessman, founded [[Lotus Cars]] (b. 1928)
*[[1983]] &ndash; [[Debs Garms]], American baseball player (b. 1907)
*1983 – [[Mitchell WerBell III]], American [[mercenary]] (b. 1918)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1983-12-19 |title=Mitchell Livingston WerBell obituary |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1983/12/19/5c79a35d-b5bc-4900-977b-a019d0b3669f/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=The Washington Post |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1984]] &ndash; [[Karl Deichgräber]], German philologist and academic (b. 1903)
*[[1985]] &ndash; [[Thomas Bilotti]], American mobster (b. 1940)
*  1985   &ndash; [[Paul Castellano]], American mobster (b. 1915)
*[[1989]] &ndash; [[Oscar Alfredo Gálvez]], Argentinian race car driver (b. 1913)
*  1989   &ndash; [[Silvana Mangano]], Italian actress (b. 1930)
*  1989   &ndash; [[Aileen Pringle]], American actress (b. 1895)
*  1989   &ndash; [[Lee Van Cleef]], American actor (b. 1925)
*[[1991]] &ndash; [[Eszter Tamási]], Hungarian actress and journalist (b. 1938)
*[[1993]] &ndash; [[Moses Gunn]], American actor (b. 1929)
*  1993   &ndash; [[Kakuei Tanaka]], Japanese soldier and politician, 64th [[Prime Minister of Japan]] (b. 1918)
*[[1996]] &ndash; [[Quentin Bell]], English historian and author (b. 1910)
*[[1997]] &ndash; [[Lillian Disney]], American illustrator and philanthropist (b. 1899)
*[[1998]] &ndash; [[William Gaddis]], American author and academic (b. 1922)
*[[2001]] &ndash; [[Stuart Adamson]], English-Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
*  2001   &ndash; [[Stefan Heym]], German-American soldier and author (b. 1913)
*[[2003]] &ndash; [[Robert Stanfield]], Canadian economist, lawyer, and politician, 17th [[Premier of Nova Scotia]] (b. 1914)
*  2003   &ndash; [[Gary Stewart (singer)|Gary Stewart]], American singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
*[[2004]] &ndash; [[Ted Abernathy]], American baseball player (b. 1933)
*  2004   &ndash; [[Deyda Hydara]], Gambian journalist, co-founded ''[[The Point (the Gambia)|The Point]]'' (b. 1946)
*  2004   &ndash; [[Agnes Martin]], American painter and educator (b. 1912)
*[[2005]] &ndash; [[Kenneth Bulmer]], English author (b. 1921)
*  2005   &ndash; [[Ed Hansen]], American director and screenwriter (b. 1937)
*  2005   &ndash; [[John Spencer (actor)|John Spencer]], American actor (b. 1946)
*[[2006]] &ndash; [[Don Jardine]], Canadian wrestler and trainer (b. 1940)
*  2006   &ndash; [[Taliep Petersen]], South African singer-songwriter and director (b. 1950)
*  2006   &ndash; [[Pnina Salzman]], Israeli pianist and educator (b. 1922)
*  2006   &ndash; [[Stanford J. Shaw]], American historian and academic (b. 1930)
*[[2007]] &ndash; [[Dan Fogelberg]], American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1951)
*[[2009]] &ndash; [[Roy E. Disney]], American businessman (b. 1930)
*  2009   &ndash; [[Yegor Gaidar]], Russian economist and politician, [[Prime Minister of Russia]] (b. 1956)
*  2009   &ndash; [[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang]], South African physician and politician, 22nd [[Minister of Health (South Africa)|South African Minister of Health]] (b. 1940)
*[[2010]] &ndash; [[Melvin E. Biddle]], American soldier, [[Medal of Honor]] recipient (b. 1923)
*  2010   &ndash; [[Ayinde Barrister]], Nigerian fuji musician (b. 1948)
*[[2011]] &ndash; [[Robert Easton (actor)|Robert Easton]], American actor and screenwriter (b. 1930)
*  2011   &ndash; [[Nicol Williamson]], Scottish actor (b. 1938)
*[[2012]] &ndash; [[Elwood V. Jensen]], American biologist and academic (b. 1920)
*  2012   &ndash; [[Jake Adam York]], American poet and academic (b. 1972)
*[[2013]] &ndash; [[James Flint (RAF officer)|James Flint]], English commander (b. 1913)
*  2013   &ndash; [[Ray Price (musician)|Ray Price]], American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1926)
*  2013   &ndash; [[Marta Russell]], American journalist, author, and activist (b. 1951)
*[[2014]] &ndash; [[Martin Brasier]], English paleontologist, biologist, and academic (b. 1947)
*  2014   &ndash; [[Tim Cochran]], American mathematician and academic (b. 1955)
*[[2015]] &ndash; [[Peter Dickinson]], Rhodesian-English author and poet (b. 1927)
*  2015   &ndash; [[Lizmark]], Mexican wrestler (b. 1950)
*  2015   &ndash; [[George Earl Ortman]], American painter and sculptor (b. 1926)
*[[2017]] &ndash; [[Keely Smith]], American singer and actress (b. 1928)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vacher |first1=Peter |title=Keely Smith obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/dec/17/keely-smith-obituary |website=The Guardian |access-date=27 January 2020 |date=17 December 2017}}</ref>
*[[2024]] &ndash; [[Dick Van Arsdale]], American basketball player (b. 1943)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Araton |first=Harvey |date=December 16, 2024 |title=Dick Van Arsdale, 81, One of First Identical Twins in the N.B.A., Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/sports/basketball/dick-van-arsdale-dead.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217005116/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/sports/basketball/dick-van-arsdale-dead.html |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en}}</ref>
<!--Please do not add non-notable people, fictional characters, or people without Wikipedia articles to this list. Do not link multiple occurrences of the same year, just link the first occurrence. If there are multiple people in the same birth year, put them in alphabetical order. Do not trust "this year in history" websites for accurate date information.-->

==Holidays and observances==
*Christian [[feast day]]:
**[[Adelaide of Italy]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=J. C. |title=Dictionary of Christianity |date=2013 |location=Abingdon, Oxon |isbn=9781315074047 |page=3}}</ref>
**[[Haggai]]
**[[Ralph Adams Cram]], [[Richard Upjohn]] and [[John La Farge]] ([[Episcopal Church (USA)]])
**[[December 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)]]
*[[Day of Reconciliation]], formerly celebrated as [[Day of the Vow]] by the [[Afrikaner]]s (South Africa)
*[[Independence Day (Kazakhstan)|Independence Day]], celebrates the [[Declaration of independence of Kazakhstan|independence]] of [[Kazakhstan]] from the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-16 |title=Kazakhstan celebrates Independence Day Dec.16 |url=https://akipress.com/news:600012:Kazakhstan_celebrates_Independence_Day_Dec_16/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=akipress.com}}</ref>
*[[National Day]], celebrates the withdrawal of [[United Kingdom]] from [[Bahrain]], making Bahrain an independent emirate in 1971.
*[[National Sports Day (Thailand)]]
*The beginning of the nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24, celebrating the trials which [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]] and [[Saint Joseph|Joseph]] endured before finding a place to stay where [[Jesus]] could be born ([[Hispanidad]]):
**The first day of ''[[Las Posadas]]'' (Mexico, [[Latin America]])
**The first day of the ''[[Simbang Gabi]]'' [[novena]] of [[Mass (liturgy)|masses]] ([[Philippines]])
*[[Victory Day (Bangladesh)|Victory Day]] observances, celebration of the Indo-Bangla allied victory over [[Pakistan armed forces]] and the Liberation of Bangladesh. ([[Bangladesh]] and [[India]]{{efn|As 'Vijay Diwas'}})

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16 BBC: On This Day]
* {{NYT On this day|month=12|day=16}}
* [https://www.onthisday.com/events/december/16 Historical Events on December 16]

{{months}}

[[Category:Days of December]]