December 2

Events

Pre-1600

• 1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1409 – The University of Leipzig opens.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1601–1900

• 1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1763 – Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1766 – Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech.
• 1804 – At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1805 – War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1823 – Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
• 1845 – Manifest Destiny: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James K. Polk proposes that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
• 1848 – Franz Joseph I becomes Emperor of Austria.
• 1851 – French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
• 1852 – Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of the French as Napoleon III.
• 1859 – Origins of the American Civil War: Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1865 – Alabama ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.
• 1867 – At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
• 1899 – Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, known as the "Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.

1901–present

• 1908 – Puyi becomes Emperor of China at the age of two.
• 1917 – World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.
• 1927 – Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.
• 1930 – Great Depression: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
• 1939 – New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.
• 1942 – World War II: During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
• 1943 – World War II: A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks numerous cargo and transport ships, including the American Template:SS, which is carrying a stockpile of mustard gas.
• 1947 – Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Arabs riot in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
• 1949 – Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is adopted.
• 1950 – Korean War: The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ends with a decisive Chinese victory and UN forces are completely expelled from North Korea.
• 1954 – Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".
• 1954 – The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Taiwan, is signed in Washington, D.C.
• 1956 – The Granma reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente Province. Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution.
• 1957 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 126 relating to the Kashmir conflict is adopted.
• 1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba will adopt Communism.
• 1962 – Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
• 1968 – Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 crashes into Pedro Bay, Alaska, killing all 39 people on board.<ref name="asn">Template:ASN accident</ref>
• 1970 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
• 1971 – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.
• 1972 – Gough Whitlam is elected the 21st Prime Minister of Australia in the 1972 Australian federal election, defeating William McMahon and leading the Australian Labor Party back into office after 23 years in Opposition.<ref name="National Museum of Australia">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
• 1976 – Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.
• 1977 – A Tupolev Tu-154 crashes near Benghazi, Libya, killing 59.<ref name="ASN">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1980 – Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.
• 1982 – At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
• 1988 – Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.
• 1988 – Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-27, a classified mission for the United States Department of Defense.<ref name="AmericaSpace 2012-01-30">Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1989 – The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai is signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand, ending the over two-decade-long communist insurgency in Malaysia.
• 1990 – Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-35, carrying the ASTRO-1 spacelab observatory.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1991 – Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.
• 1992 – Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-53 for the United States Department of Defense.<ref name="STS53KSC">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref>
• 1993 – Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed by police in Medellín.
• 1993 – Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
• 1999 – The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive following the Good Friday Agreement.
• 2001 – Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• 2015 – San Bernardino attack: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik kill 14 people and wound 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California.
• 2016 – Thirty-six people die in a fire at a converted Oakland, California, warehouse serving as an artist collective.
• 2020 – Cannabis is removed from the list of most dangerous drugs of the international drug control treaty by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Births

Pre-1600

• 503 – Emperor Jianwen of Liang, emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty (d. 551)
• 1501 – Queen Munjeong, Korean queen (d. 1565)
• 1578 – Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1641)
• 1599 – Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, Scottish nobleman (d. 1663)

1601–1900

• 1629 – Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg, Catholic cardinal (d. 1704)
• 1694 – William Shirley, English-American lawyer and politician, Governor of the province of Massachusetts Bay (d. 1771)
• 1703 – Ferdinand Konščak, Croatian missionary and explorer (d. 1759)
• 1738 – Richard Montgomery, Irish-American general (d. 1775)
• 1754 – William Cooper, American judge and politician, founded Cooperstown, New York (d. 1809)
• 1759 – James Edward Smith, English botanist and mycologist, founded the Linnean Society (d. 1828)
• 1760 – John Breckinridge, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th United States Attorney General (d. 1806)
• 1760 – Joseph Graetz, German organist, composer, and educator (d. 1826)
• 1798 – António Luís de Seabra, 1st Viscount of Seabra, Portuguese magistrate and politician (d. 1895)
• 1810 – Henry Yesler, American businessman and politician, 7th Mayor of Seattle (d. 1892)
• 1811 – Jean-Charles Chapais, Canadian farmer and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Agriculture (d. 1885)
• 1817 – Heinrich von Sybel, German historian, academic, and politician (d. 1895)
• 1825 – Pedro II of Brazil (d. 1891)
• 1827 – William Burges, English architect and designer (d. 1881)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1846 – Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau, French lawyer and politician, 68th Prime Minister of France (d. 1904)
• 1847 – Deacon White, American baseball player and manager (d. 1939)
• 1859 – Kateryna Melnyk-Antonovych, Ukrainian historian and archaeologist (d. 1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1859 – Georges Seurat, French painter (d. 1891)
• 1860 – Charles Studd, England cricketer and missionary (d. 1931)
• 1863 – Charles Edward Ringling, American businessman, co-founded the Ringling Brothers Circus (d. 1926)
• 1866 – Harry Burleigh, American singer-songwriter (d. 1949)
• 1876 – Yusuf Akçura, Tatar-Turkish activist and ideologue of Turanism (d. 1935)
• 1877 – Cahir Healy, Northern Irish Anti Partitionist, writer and politician (d. 1970)<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
• 1884 – Erima Harvey Northcroft, New Zealand soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 1953)
• 1884 – Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Turkish poet and author (d. 1958)
• 1885 – George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
• 1891 – Otto Dix, German painter and illustrator (d. 1969)
• 1891 – Charles H. Wesley, American historian and author (d. 1987)
• 1894 – Warren William, American actor (d. 1948)
• 1895 – Harriet Cohen, English pianist (d. 1967)
• 1897 – Ivan Bagramyan, Russian general (d. 1982)
• 1897 – Rewi Alley, New Zealand writer and political activist (d. 1987)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1898 – Indra Lal Roy, Indian lieutenant and first Indian fighter aircraft pilot (d. 1918)
• 1899 – John Barbirolli, English cellist and conductor (d. 1970)
• 1899 – John Cobb, English race car driver and pilot (d. 1952)
• 1899 – Ray Morehart, American baseball player (d. 1989)
• 1900 – Elisa Godínez Gómez de Batista, former First Lady of Cuba (d. 1993)
• 1900 – Herta Hammerbacher, German landscape architect and professor (d. 1985)

1901–present

• 1901 – Raimundo Orsi, Argentinian-Italian footballer (d. 1986)
• 1906 – Peter Carl Goldmark, Hungarian-American engineer (d. 1977)
• 1909 – Arvo Askola, Finnish runner (d. 1975)
• 1909 – Walenty Kłyszejko, Estonian–Polish basketball player and coach (d. 1987)
• 1909 – Joseph P. Lash, American activist and author (d. 1987)
• 1910 – Russell Lynes, American photographer, historian, and author (d. 1991)
• 1910 – Taisto Mäki, Finnish runner (d. 1979)
• 1912 – George Emmett, English cricketer and coach (d. 1976)
• 1913 – Marc Platt, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 2014)
• 1914 – Bill Erwin, American actor (d. 2010)
• 1914 – Adolph Green, American playwright and composer (d. 2002)
• 1915 – Takahito, Prince Mikasa of Japan (d. 2016)
• 1916 – Howard Finster, American minister and painter (d. 2001)
• 1917 – Sylvia Syms, American singer (d. 1992)
• 1921 – Carlo Furno, Italian cardinal (d. 2015)
• 1922 – Iakovos Kambanelis, Greek author, poet, and screenwriter (d. 2011)
• 1923 – Maria Callas, American-Greek soprano and actress (d. 1977)<ref name="UPI">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1924 – Jonathan Frid, Canadian actor (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (d. 2010)<ref name="UPI" />
• 1924 – Else Marie Pade, Danish composer (d. 2016)
• 1924 – Vilgot Sjöman, Swedish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2006)
• 1925 – Julie Harris, American actress (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Ralph Beard, American basketball player (d. 2007)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1928 – Guy Bourdin, French photographer (d. 1991)
• 1929 – Dan Jenkins, American journalist and author (d. 2019)
• 1929 – Leon Litwack, American historian and author (d. 2021)
• 1930 – Gary Becker, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
• 1930 – David Piper, English race car driver
• 1931 – Nigel Calder, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
• 1931 – Masaaki Hatsumi, Japanese martial artist and educator, founded Bujinkan
• 1931 – Wynton Kelly, American pianist and composer (d. 1971)
• 1931 – Edwin Meese, American lawyer, 75th United States Attorney General<ref name="UPI" />
• 1931 – Gareth Wigan, British film studio executive (d. 2010)
• 1933 – Peter Robin Harding, English marshal and pilot (d. 2021)
• 1933 – Mike Larrabee, American sprinter and educator (d. 2003)
• 1934 – Tarcisio Bertone, Italian cardinal
• 1935 – David Hackett Fischer, American historian, author, and academic
• 1937 – Manohar Joshi, Indian lawyer and politician, 15th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2024)
• 1939 – Yael Dayan, Israeli journalist, author, and politician
• 1939 – Francis Fox, Canadian lawyer and politician, 48th Secretary of State for Canada
• 1939 – Harry Reid, American lawyer and politician, 25th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada (d. 2021) <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1940 – Willie Brown, American football player, coach, and manager (d. 2019)
• 1941 – Mike England, Welsh footballer and manager
• 1941 – Tom McGuinness, English guitarist, songwriter, author, and producer
• 1942 – Anna G. Jónasdóttir, Icelandic political scientist and academic
• 1943 – Wayne Allard, American veterinarian and politician
• 1944 – Cathy Lee Crosby, American actress and tennis player<ref name="AP" />
• 1944 – Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovan journalist and politician, 1st President of Kosovo (d. 2006)
• 1944 – Dionysis Savvopoulos, Greek singer-songwriter
• 1944 – Botho Strauß, German author and playwright
• 1945 – Penelope Spheeris, American director, producer, and screenwriter<ref name="AP" />
• 1945 – Alan Thomson, Australian cricketer (d. 2022)
• 1946 – John Banks, New Zealand businessman and politician, 38th Mayor of Auckland City
• 1946 – David Macaulay, English-American author and illustrator
• 1946 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, founded Versace (d. 1997)<ref name="UPI" />
• 1947 – Isaac Bitton, Moroccan-French drummer and songwriter
• 1947 – Tommy Jenkins, English footballer and manager
• 1947 – Ivan Atanassov Petrov, Bulgarian neurologist and author
• 1948 – Elizabeth Berg, American nurse and author
• 1948 – T. Coraghessan Boyle, American novelist and short story writer
• 1948 – Patricia Hewitt, Australian-English educator and politician, English Secretary of State for Health
• 1948 – Toninho Horta, Brazilian guitarist and composer
• 1948 – Antonín Panenka, Czech footballer
• 1950 – John Wesley Ryles, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist<ref name="AP" />
• 1950 – Amin Saikal, Afghan-Australian political scientist and academic
• 1950 – Benjamin Stora, Algerian-French historian and author
• 1950 – Paul Watson, Canadian activist, founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
• 1952 – Carol Shea-Porter, American social worker, academic, and politician
• 1952 – Keith Szarabajka, American actor<ref name="AP" />
• 1954 – Dan Butler, American actor, director, and screenwriter<ref name="AP" />
• 1956 – Steven Bauer, Cuban-American actor and producer<ref name="AP" />
• 1957 – Dagfinn Høybråten, Norwegian political scientist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Health
• 1958 – Randy Gardner, American figure skater<ref name="UPI" />
• 1958 – Andrew George, English politician
• 1958 – Vladimir Parfenovich, Belarusian canoe racer and politician
• 1958 – George Saunders, American short story writer and essayist
• 1959 – Kelefa Diallo, Guinean general (d. 2013)
• 1960 – Peter Blakeley, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1960 – Deb Haaland, American politician, 54th United States Secretary of the Interior<ref name="UPI" />
• 1960 – Razzle, English rock drummer (d. 1984)
• 1960 – Rick Savage, English singer-songwriter and bass player<ref name="AP" />
• 1960 – Silk Smitha, Indian film actress<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1962 – John Dyegh, Nigerian businessman and politician
• 1963 – Brendan Coyle, English actor<ref name="AP" />
• 1963 – Ann Patchett, American author<ref name="UPI" />
• 1963 – Rich Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and scout
• 1963 – Ron Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1965 – Shane Flanagan, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1966 – Philippe Etchebest, French chef and television host
• 1966 – Jinsei Shinzaki, Japanese wrestler and promoter, co-founded Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling
• 1967 – Mary Creagh, English scholar and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
• 1968 – David Batty, English footballer
• 1968 – Jiří Dopita, Czech ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1968 – Darryl Kile, American baseball player (d. 2002)
• 1968 – Lucy Liu, American actress and producer<ref name="AP">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1968 – Nate Mendel, American singer-songwriter and bass player<ref name="AP" />
• 1968 – Rena Sofer, American actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1969 – Ulrika Bergquist, Swedish journalist
• 1969 – Chris Kiwomya, English footballer
• 1969 – Pavel Loskutov, Estonian runner
• 1969 – Tanya Plibersek, Australian journalist and politician, 45th Australian Minister of Health
• 1970 – Joe Lo Truglio, American actor and comedian<ref name="AP" />
• 1970 – Maksim Tarasov, Russian pole vaulter
• 1970 – Treach, American rapper and actor<ref name="AP" />
• 1971 – Wilson Jermaine Heredia, American actor and singer
• 1971 – Rachel McQuillan, Australian tennis player
• 1971 – Jüri Reinvere, Estonian-German composer and poet
• 1971 – Francesco Toldo, Italian footballer
• 1971 – Mine Yoshizaki, Japanese illustrator
• 1972 – Alan Henderson, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1972 – Sergei Zholtok, Latvian ice hockey player (d. 2004)
• 1973 – Graham Kavanagh, Irish footballer and manager
• 1973 – Monica Seles, Serbian-American tennis player<ref name="AP" />
• 1973 – Lee Steele, English footballer
• 1973 – Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
• 1975 – Mark Kotsay, American baseball player and manager
• 1976 – Masafumi Gotoh, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1977 – Siyabonga Nomvethe, South African footballer
• 1978 – Jarron Collins, American basketball player and coach
• 1978 – Jason Collins, American basketball player
• 1978 – Nelly Furtado, Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1978 – Luigi Malafronte, Italian footballer
• 1978 – Peter Moylan, Australian baseball player
• 1978 – Maëlle Ricker, Canadian snowboarder
• 1978 – David Rivas, Spanish footballer
• 1978 – Andrew Ryan, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
• 1978 – Christopher Wolstenholme, English singer-songwriter and bass player
• 1979 – Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer-songwriter and actress
• 1979 – Michael McIndoe, Scottish footballer
• 1979 – Abdul Razzaq, Pakistani cricketer
• 1980 – Adam Kreek, Canadian rower
• 1980 – Darryn Randall, South African cricketer (d. 2013)
• 1980 – Joel Ward, Canadian ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Maria Ferekidi, Greek canoe racer
• 1981 – Eric Jungmann, American actor
• 1981 – Thomas Pöck, Austrian ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Danijel Pranjić, Croatian footballer
• 1981 – Britney Spears, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1982 – Christos Karipidis, Greek footballer
• 1982 – Matt Walsh, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Action Bronson, American rapper, songwriter, chef, and television host<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Chris Burke, Scottish footballer
• 1983 – Bibiana Candelas, Mexican volleyball player
• 1983 – Jaime Durán, Mexican footballer
• 1983 – Eugene Jeter, American-Ukrainian basketball player, coach, and executive<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Jana Kramer, American actress and singer<ref name="AP" />
• 1983 – Aaron Rodgers, American football player
• 1983 – Daniela Ruah, Portuguese-American actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1984 – Péter Máté, Hungarian footballer
• 1985 – Amaury Leveaux, French swimmer
• 1985 – Dorell Wright, American basketball player
• 1986 – Song Ha-yoon, South Korean actress
• 1986 – Claudiu Keșerü, Romanian footballer
• 1986 – Renee Montgomery, American basketball player and executive<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1986 – Tal Wilkenfeld, Australian bass player and composer
• 1988 – Alfred Enoch, English actor<ref name="AP" />
• 1988 – Stephen McGinn, Scottish footballer
• 1989 – Etta Bond, English singer-songwriter
• 1989 – Matteo Darmian, Italian footballer
• 1989 – Cassie Steele, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
• 1989 – Robert Turbin, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian footballer
• 1990 – Gastón Ramírez, Uruguayan footballer
• 1991 – Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier
• 1991 – Brandon Knight, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Charlie Puth, American singer-songwriter and pianist<ref name="AP" />
• 1992 – Sim Bhullar, Canadian basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Gary Sánchez, Dominican baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1993 – Haruka Ishida, Japanese singer and actress
• 1993 – Kostas Stafylidis, Greek footballer
• 1994 – Zach Cunningham, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Aaron Jones, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Elias Lindholm, Swedish ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Fumika Shimizu, Japanese actress and model
• 1994 – Tomokaze Yūta, Japanese sumo wrestler
• 1995 – Uladzislau Hancharou, Belarusian trampolinist
• 1995 – Inori Minase, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer
• 1996 – Jake Doran, Australian cricketer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1997 – De'Andre Hunter, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1998 – Annalise Basso, American actress<ref name="UPI" />
• 1998 – Anna Kalinskaya, Russian tennis player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1998 – Juice Wrld, American rapper, singer and songwriter (d. 2019)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2003 – Neil Erasmus, South African-Australian footballer<ref name=afltables>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2004 – Ilia Malinin, American competitive figure skater<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 537 – Pope Silverius
• 930 – Ma Yin, Chinese warlord, king of Chu (Ten Kingdoms) (b. 853)
• 949 – Odo of Wetterau, German nobleman
• 1022 – Elvira Menéndez, queen of Alfonso V of Castile (b. 996)
• 1255 – Muhammad III of Alamut, Nizari Ismaili Imam<ref name=Daftary1992p422>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1340 – Geoffrey le Scrope, Chief Justice of King Edward III of England
• 1348 – Emperor Hanazono of Japan (b. 1297)
• 1381 – John of Ruusbroec, Flemish priest and mystic (b. 1293)
• 1455 – Isabel of Coimbra, queen of Portugal (b. 1432)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1463 – Albert VI, Archduke of Austria (b. 1418)
• 1469 – Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, Italian banker and politician (b. 1416)
• 1510 – Muhammad Shaybani, Khan of Bukhara (b. 1451)
• 1515 – Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Spanish general (b. 1453)
• 1547 – Hernán Cortés, Spanish general and explorer (b. 1485)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1594 – Gerardus Mercator, Flemish mathematician, cartographer, and philosopher (b. 1512)

1601–1900

• 1615 – Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, French general (b. 1541)
• 1665 – Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet, French author (b. 1588)
• 1694 – Pierre Puget, French painter, sculptor, and architect (b. 1622)
• 1719 – Pasquier Quesnel, French theologian and author (b. 1634)
• 1723 – Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (b. 1674)
• 1726 – Samuel Penhallow, English-American historian and author (b. 1665)
• 1747 – Vincent Bourne, English poet and scholar (b. 1695)
• 1748 – Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, English politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1662)
• 1774 – Johann Friedrich Agricola, German organist and composer (b. 1720)
• 1814 – Marquis de Sade, French philosopher, author, and politician (b. 1740)
• 1844 – Eustachy Erazm Sanguszko, Polish general and politician (b. 1768)
• 1849 – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (b. 1792)
• 1859 – John Brown, American abolitionist (b. 1800)
• 1881 – Jenny von Westphalen, German author (b. 1814)
• 1885 – Allen Wright, Principal chief of the Choctaw Nation (1866–1870); proposed the name "Oklahoma", from Choctaw words okra and umma, meaning "Territory of the Red People." (b. 1826)
• 1888 – Namık Kemal, Turkish journalist, poet, and playwright (b. 1840)
• 1892 – Jay Gould, American businessman and financier (b. 1836)
• 1899 – Gregorio del Pilar, Filipino general and politician, 1st Governor of Bulacan (b. 1875)

1901–present

• 1918 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (b. 1868)
• 1924 – Kazimieras Būga, Lithuanian linguist and philologist (b. 1879)
• 1927 – Paul Heinrich von Groth, German scientist who systematically classified minerals and founded the journal Zeitschrift für Krystallographie und Mineralogie (b. 1843)
• 1931 – Vincent d'Indy, French composer and educator (b. 1851)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1936 – John Ringling, American businessman, co-founded Ringling Brothers Circus (b. 1866)
• 1943 – Nordahl Grieg, Norwegian journalist and author (b. 1902)
• 1944 – Josef Lhévinne, Russian pianist and educator (b. 1874)
• 1944 – Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Egyptian-Italian poet and composer (b. 1876)
• 1944 – Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (b. 1917)
• 1950 – Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist and composer (b. 1917)
• 1953 – Reginald Baker, Australian rugby player (b. 1884)
• 1953 – Trần Trọng Kim, Vietnamese historian, scholar, and politician, Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1883)
• 1957 – Harrison Ford, American actor (b. 1884)
• 1957 – Manfred Sakel, Ukrainian-American neurophysiologist and psychiatrist (b. 1902)
• 1966 – L. E. J. Brouwer, Dutch mathematician and philosopher (b. 1881)
• 1966 – Giles Cooper, Irish author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1918)
• 1967 – Francis Spellman, American cardinal (b. 1889).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1969 – José María Arguedas, Peruvian anthropologist, author, and poet (b. 1911)
• 1969 – Kliment Voroshilov, Ukrainian-Russian marshal and politician, 3rd Head of State of The Soviet Union (b. 1881)
• 1974 – Sylvi Kekkonen, Finnish writer and wife of President of Finland Urho Kekkonen (b. 1900)<ref name="kb">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Max Weber, Swiss lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
• 1976 – Danny Murtaugh, American baseball player and manager (b. 1917)
• 1980 – Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1905)
• 1980 – Romain Gary, Lithuanian-French author, director, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
• 1981 – Wallace Harrison, American architect, co-founded Harrison & Abramovitz (b. 1895)
• 1982 – Marty Feldman, English actor and comedian (b. 1934)
• 1982 – Giovanni Ferrari, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1907)
• 1983 – Fifi D'Orsay, Canadian-American actress and singer (b. 1904)
• 1985 – Philip Larkin, English poet, author, and librarian (b. 1922)
• 1986 – Desi Arnaz, Cuban-American actor, singer, businessman, and television producer (b. 1917)
• 1986 – John Curtis Gowan, American psychologist and academic (b. 1912)
• 1987 – Luis Federico Leloir, French-Argentinian physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
• 1987 – Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, Belarusian physicist, astronomer, and cosmologist (b. 1914)
• 1988 – Karl-Heinz Bürger, German colonel (b. 1904)
• 1988 – Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1922)
• 1990 – Aaron Copland, American composer and conductor (b. 1900)
• 1990 – Robert Cummings, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1908)
• 1993 – Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord (b. 1949)
• 1995 – Robertson Davies, Canadian author, playwright, and critic (b. 1913)
• 1995 – Roxie Roker, American actress (b. 1929)
• 1995 – Mária Telkes, Hungarian–American biophysicist and chemist (b. 1900)
• 1997 – Shirley Crabtree, English wrestler (b. 1930)
• 1997 – Michael Hedges, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1953)
• 1999 – Charlie Byrd, American guitarist (b. 1925)
• 2000 – Gail Fisher, American actress (b. 1935)
• 2002 – Ivan Illich, Austrian priest and philosopher (b. 1926)
• 2002 – Arno Peters, German cartographer and historian (b. 1916)
• 2003 – Alan Davidson, British soldier, historian, and author (b. 1924)
• 2004 – Alicia Markova, English ballerina and choreographer (b. 1910)
• 2004 – Mona Van Duyn, American poet and academic (b. 1921)
• 2005 – William P. Lawrence, American admiral and pilot (b. 1930)
• 2005 – Van Tuong Nguyen, Australian convicted drug trafficker (b. 1980)
• 2006 – Mariska Veres, Dutch singer (b. 1947)
• 2007 – Jennifer Alexander, Canadian-American ballerina and actress (b. 1972)
• 2007 – Elizabeth Hardwick, American literary critic, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1916)
• 2008 – Odetta, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (b. 1930)
• 2008 – Henry Molaison, American memory disorder patient (b. 1926)
• 2008 – Edward Samuel Rogers, Canadian lawyer and businessman (b. 1933)
• 2008 – Renato de Grandis, Italian composer, musicologist, and writer (b. 1927)
• 2009 – Foge Fazio, American football player and coach (b. 1938)
• 2009 – Eric Woolfson, Scottish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1945)
• 2012 – Tom Hendry, Canadian playwright, co-founded the Manitoba Theatre Centre (b. 1929)
• 2012 – Ehsan Naraghi, Iranian sociologist and author (b. 1926)
• 2013 – William Allain, American soldier and politician, 58th Governor of Mississippi (b. 1928)
• 2013 – Jean-Claude Beton, Algerian-French engineer and businessman, founded Orangina (b. 1925)
• 2013 – Marcelo Déda, Brazilian lawyer and politician (b. 1960)
• 2013 – Junior Murvin, Jamaican singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
• 2014 – A. R. Antulay, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (b. 1929)
• 2014 – Jean Béliveau, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1931)
• 2014 – Josie Cichockyj, English basketball player and coach (b. 1964)
• 2014 – Bobby Keys, American saxophonist (b. 1943)
• 2014 – Don Laws, American figure skater and coach (b. 1929)
• 2015 – Sandy Berger, American lawyer and politician, 19th United States National Security Advisor (b. 1945)
• 2015 – Will McMillan, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1944)
• 2015 – George T. Sakato, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1921)
• 2020 – Pat Patterson, American wrestler (b. 1941)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Ed Botterell, Canadian Olympic sailor (b. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Helmut Duckadam, Romanian footballer (b. 1959)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Neale Fraser, Australian tennis player (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Paul Maslansky, American film producer and writer (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Debbie Mathers, Mother of Eminem (b. 1955)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2024 – Israel Vázquez, Mexican boxer (b. 1977)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Holidays and observances

• Armed Forces Day (Cuba)
• Christian feast day:
  • Avitus of Rouen
  • Bibiana
  • Channing Moore Williams (Anglicanism)
  • Chromatius
  • Habakkuk (Eastern Orthodox)
  • December 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (United Nations)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Lao National Day
• National Day (United Arab Emirates)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• Template:NYT On this day
• Historical Events on December 2