December 2
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| December 2 in recent years |
| 2015 (Wednesday) |
| 2014 (Tuesday) |
| 2013 (Monday) |
| 2012 (Sunday) |
| 2011 (Friday) |
| 2010 (Thursday) |
| 2009 (Wednesday) |
| 2008 (Tuesday) |
| 2007 (Sunday) |
| 2006 (Saturday) |
December 2 is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 29 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events
- 1409 – The University of Leipzig opens.
- 1697 – St Paul's Cathedral is consecrated in London.
- 1755 – The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire.
- 1763 – Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.
- 1775 – The USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); the flag is hoisted by John Paul Jones.
- 1804 – At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.
- 1805 – War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
- 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 – Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16 raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
- 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, termed "The Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.
- 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 (equivalent to $2,125,000,000 in 2015) 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 SS John Harvey, which is carrying a stockpile of World War I-era mustard gas.
- 1947 – Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Riots break out in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
- 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.
- 1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1983 – The American music group Phish was started by Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, and Jeff Holdsworth at the University of Vermont.
- 1988 – Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state.
- 1991 – Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.
- 1993 – Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed in Medellín.
- 1993 – Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
- 1999 – Glenbrook rail accident: Seven passengers are killed when two trains collide near Sydney, New South Wales.
- 1999 – The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive.
- 1999 – Ireland renounces its legal claim to sovereignty over Northern Ireland.
- 2001 – Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- 2015 – San Bernardino attack: 14 people are killed and 22 are wounded when multiple gunmen open fire at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California.
Births
- 1578 – Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1641)
- 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)
- 1710 – Bertinazzi, Italian actor and author (d. 1783)
- 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)
- 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)
- 1846 – Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau, French lawyer and politician, 68th Prime Minister of France (d. 1904)
- 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)
- 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)
- 1893 – Leo Ornstein, Russian-American pianist and composer (d. 2002)
- 1894 – Warren William, American actor and singer (d. 1948)
- 1895 – Harriet Cohen, English pianist (d. 1967)
- 1897 – Ivan Bagramyan, Russian general (d. 1982)
- 1898 – Indra Lal Roy, Indian lieutenant and 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)
- 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)
- 1909 – Sybille Schmitz, German actress (d. 1955)
- 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
- 1916 – Howard Finster, American minister and painter (d. 2001)
- 1917 – Sylvia Syms, American singer and actress (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)
- 1924 – Jonathan Frid, Canadian actor (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (d. 2010)
- 1924 – Vilgot Sjöman, Swedish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2006)
- 1925 – Julie Harris, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Guy Bourdin, French photographer (d. 1991)
- 1929 – Dan Jenkins, American journalist and author
- 1929 – Leon Litwack, American historian and author
- 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 colonel, lawyer, and politician, 75th United States Attorney General
- 1933 – Peter Robin Harding, English marshal and pilot
- 1933 – Mike Larrabee, American sprinter and educator (d. 2003)
- 1933 – K. Veeramani, Indian lawyer and academic
- 1934 – Tarcisio Bertone, Italian cardinal
- 1934 – Sissela Bok, Swedish-American philosopher and ethicist
- 1934 – Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball player (d. 2004)
- 1935 – David Hackett Fischer, American historian, author, and academic
- 1937 – Manohar Joshi, Indian lawyer and politician, 15th Chief Minister of Maharashtra
- 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
- 1941 – Mike England, Welsh footballer and manager
- 1942 – Anna G. Jónasdóttir, Icelandic political scientist and academic
- 1943 – Wayne Allard, American veterinarian and politician
- 1944 – Cathy Lee Crosby, American actress
- 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
- 1946 – John Banks, New Zealand businessman and politician, 38th Mayor of Auckland City
- 1946 – Pedro Borbón, Dominican-American baseball player (d. 2012)
- 1946 – David Macaulay, English-American author and illustrator
- 1946 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, founded Versace (d. 1997)
- 1947 – Isaac Bitton, Moroccan-French drummer and songwriter (Les Variations)
- 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 author and academic
- 1948 – Patricia Hewitt, Australian-English educator and politician, Secretary of State for Health
- 1948 – Toninho Horta, Brazilian guitarist and composer
- 1949 – Shūichi Ikeda, Japanese actor
- 1949 – Ron Raines, American actor and singer
- 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
- 1951 – Adrian Devine, American baseball player
- 1952 – James Lancelot, English organist and conductor
- 1952 – Rob Mounsey, American keyboard player, composer, and producer (Joe Cool)
- 1952 – Carol Shea-Porter, American social worker, academic, and politician
- 1954 – Dan Butler, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1956 – Steven Bauer, Cuban-American actor and producer
- 1957 – Dagfinn Høybråten, Norwegian political scientist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Health
- 1958 – Andrew George, English politician
- 1958 – Vladimir Parfenovich, Belarusian canoe racer and politician
- 1958 – George Saunders, American journalist, author, and academic
- 1959 – Kelefa Diallo, Guinean general (d. 2013)
- 1959 – Boman Irani, Indian actor and singer
- 1960 – Razzle, English drummer (Hanoi Rocks) (d. 1984)
- 1960 – Rick Savage, English singer-songwriter and bass player (Def Leppard and Atomic Mass)
- 1960 – Justus von Dohnányi, German actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1962 – John Dyegh, Nigerian businessman and politician
- 1962 – Kardam, Prince of Turnovo (d. 2015)
- 1963 – Brendan Coyle, English actor
- 1963 – Dan Gauthier, American actor
- 1963 – Ann Patchett, American author
- 1963 – Rich Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and scout
- 1963 – Ron Sutter, Canadian ice hockey 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 – Darryl Kile, American baseball player (d. 2002)
- 1968 – Lucy Liu, American actress and producer
- 1968 – Nate Mendel, American singer-songwriter and bass player (Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Fire Theft, and Juno)
- 1968 – Rena Sofer, American actress
- 1969 – Yang Hyun-suk, South Korean singer-songwriter and producer (Seo Taiji and Boys)
- 1969 – Pavel Loskutov, Estonian runner
- 1969 – Ulrika Bergquist , Swedish journalist
- 1969 – Tanya Plibersek, Australian journalist and politician, 45th Australian Minister of Health
- 1970 – Treach, American rapper and actor (Naughty by Nature)
- 1970 – Joe Lo Truglio, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1970 – Maksim Tarasov, Russian pole vaulter
- 1971 – Wilson Jermaine Heredia, American actor and singer
- 1971 – Jüri Reinvere, Estonian-German composer and poet
- 1971 – Francesco Toldo, Italian footballer
- 1971 – Mine Yoshizaki, Japanese illustrator
- 1972 – Sergejs Žoltoks, Latvian ice hockey player (d. 2004)
- 1973 – Graham Kavanagh, Irish footballer and manager
- 1973 – Lee Steele, English footballer
- 1973 – Nana Rokusha, Japanese model and actress
- 1973 – Monica Seles, Serbian-American tennis player
- 1973 – Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
- 1976 – Erik Everhard, Canadian porn actor, director, and producer
- 1976 – Eddy Garabito, Dominican baseball player
- 1976 – Masafumi Gotoh, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Asian Kung-Fu Generation)
- 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
- 1978 – Luigi Malafronte, Italian footballer
- 1978 – Peter Moylan, Australian baseball player
- 1978 – Maëlle Ricker, Canadian snowboarder
- 1978 – David Rivas, Spanish footballer
- 1978 – Christopher Wolstenholme, English singer-songwriter and bass player (Muse)
- 1979 – Melissa Archer, American actress
- 1979 – Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
- 1979 – Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer-songwriter and actress
- 1979 – Michael McIndoe, Scottish footballer
- 1980 – Adam Kreek, Canadian rower
- 1980 – Darryn Randall, South African cricketer (d. 2013)
- 1981 – Maria Ferekidi, Greek canoe racer
- 1981 – Danijel Pranjić, Croatian footballer
- 1981 – Britney Spears, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1982 – Michelle Banzer, American model, Miss Kentucky 2007
- 1982 – Christos Karipidis, Greek footballer
- 1982 – Matt Ware, American football player
- 1983 – Action Bronson, American rapper
- 1983 – Chris Burke, Scottish footballer
- 1983 – Bibiana Candelas, Mexican volleyball player
- 1983 – Jaime Durán, Mexican footballer
- 1983 – Jana Kramer, American actress and singer
- 1983 – Aaron Rodgers, American football player
- 1983 – Daniela Ruah, American actress
- 1983 – Sarah Vandella, American porn actress
- 1984 – Péter Máté, Hungarian footballer
- 1985 – Amaury Leveaux, French swimmer
- 1985 – Dorell Wright, American basketball player
- 1986 – Edson Décimo Alves Araújo, Brazilian footballer (d. 2014)
- 1986 – Veronika Kapshay, Ukrainian tennis player
- 1986 – Claudiu Keșerü, Romanian footballer
- 1986 – Adam le Fondre, English footballer
- 1986 – Seann Walsh, English comedian and actor
- 1986 – Tal Wilkenfeld, Australian bass player and composer
- 1987 – Mari-Leen, Estonian singer
- 1987 – Teairra Marí, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1988 – Alfred Enoch, English actor
- 1988 – Stephen McGinn, Scottish footballer
- 1988 – Soniya Mehra, Indian actress
- 1989 – Etta Bond, English singer-songwriter
- 1989 – Cassie Steele, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
- 1990 – Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian footballer
- 1990 – Jamille Matt, Jamaican footballer
- 1990 – Gastón Ramírez, Uruguayan footballer
- 1990 – Fausto Rossi, Italian footballer
- 1990 – Hikaru Yaotome, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor (Hey! Say! JUMP and Ya-ya-yah)
- 1991 – Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier
- 1991 – Charlie Puth, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1993 – Haruka Ishida, Japanese singer and actress (AKB48)
- 1993 – Kostas Stafylidis, Greek footballer
- 1994 – Fumika Shimizu, Japanese actress and model
- 1994 – Cauley Woodrow, English footballer
- 1998 – Amber Montana, American actress
Deaths
- 1348 – Emperor Hanazono of Japan (b. 1297)
- 1381 – John of Ruusbroec, Flemish priest and mystic (b. 1293)
- 1463 – Albert VI, Archduke of Austria (b. 1418)
- 1469 – Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, Italian banker and politician (b. 1416)
- 1510 – Muhammad Shaybani, Uzbek leader (b. 1451)
- 1515 – Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Spanish general (b. 1453)
- 1547 – Hernán Cortés, Spanish general and explorer (b. 1485)
- 1594 – Gerardus Mercator, Flemish mathematician, cartographer, and philosopher (b. 1512)
- 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 activist and murderer (b. 1800)
- 1881 – Jenny von Westphalen, German author (b. 1814)
- 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)
- 1918 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (b. 1868)
- 1924 – Kazimieras Būga, Lithuanian linguist and philologist (b. 1879)
- 1931 – Vincent d'Indy, French composer and educator (b. 1851)
- 1935 – Albert Ayat, French fencer (b. 1875)
- 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 and actor (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)
- 1963 – Sabu Dastagir, Indian-American actor and singer (b. 1924)
- 1966 – L. E. J. Brouwer, Dutch mathematician and philosopher (b. 1881)
- 1966 – Giles Cooper, Irish author, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1918)
- 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)
- 1972 – Yip Man, Chinese martial artist (b. 1893)
- 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 – Roza Eskenazi, Turkish-Greek singer (Smyrna Trio) (b. 1890)
- 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, singer, director, and screenwriter (b. 1933)
- 1982 – Giovanni Ferrari, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1907)
- 1983 – Fifi D'Orsay, Canadian-American actress and singer (b. 1904)
- 1985 – Aniello Dellacroce, American gangster (b. 1914)
- 1985 – Philip Larkin, English poet, author, and librarian (b. 1922)
- 1986 – Desi Arnaz, Cuban-American actor, singer, businessman, and television producer (Desilu Productions) (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 (Quartetto Cetra) (b. 1922)
- 1990 – Aaron Copland, American composer and conductor (b. 1900)
- 1990 – Robert Cummings, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1908)
- 1992 – Michael Gothard, English actor (b. 1939)
- 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)
- 2000 – Rosemarie Frankland, Welsh actress, model and 1961 Miss World (b. 1943)
- 2002 – Ivan Illich, Austrian priest and philosopher (b. 1926)
- 2002 – Arno Peters, German cartographer and historian (b. 1916)
- 2002 – Mehmet Emin Toprak, Turkish actor (b. 1974)
- 2003 – Alan Davidson, British soldier, historian, and author (b. 1924)
- 2004 – Alicia Markova, English ballerina and choreographer (b. 1910)
- 2004 – Leonid Telyatnikov, Kazakh-Ukrainian firefighter (b. 1951)
- 2004 – Mona Van Duyn, American poet and academic (b. 1921)
- 2005 – Kenneth Lee Boyd, American murderer (b. 1948)
- 2005 – William P. Lawrence, American admiral and pilot (b. 1930)
- 2005 – Van Tuong Nguyen, Thai-Australian drug trafficker (b. 1980)
- 2006 – Mariska Veres, Dutch singer (Shocking Blue) (b. 1947)
- 2007 – Jennifer Alexander, Canadian-American ballerina and actress (b. 1972)
- 2008 – Odetta, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (b. 1930)
- 2008 – Kathleen Baskin-Ball, American minister (b. 1958)
- 2008 – Henry Molaison, American memory disorder patient (b. 1926)
- 2008 – Edward Samuel Rogers, Canadian lawyer and businessman (b. 1933)
- 2009 – Foge Fazio, American football player and coach (b. 1938)
- 2009 – Maggie Jones, English actress (b. 1934)
- 2009 – Eric Woolfson, Scottish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (The Alan Parsons Project) (b. 1945)
- 2012 – Preeti Ganguly, Indian actress (b. 1953)
- 2012 – Tom Hendry, Canadian playwright, co-founded the Manitoba Theatre Centre (b. 1929)
- 2012 – Hiroshi Kato, Japanese martial artist (b. 1935)
- 2012 – Israel Keyes, American murderer (b. 1978)
- 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 – Rex Garvin, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (b. 1940)
- 2013 – Salim Kallas, Syrian actor and politician (b. 1936)
- 2013 – Junior Murvin, Jamaican singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
- 2013 – Christopher Evan Welch, American actor (b. 1965)
- 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)
- 2014 – Deven Verma, Indian actor, director, and producer (b. 1937)
- 2015 – Sandy Berger, American lawyer and politician, 19th United States National Security Advisor (b. 1945)
- 2015 – Gabriele Ferzetti, Italian actor (b. 1925)
- 2015 – Will McMillan, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1944)
- 2015 – George T. Sakato, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1921)
- 2015 – Luz Marina Zuluaga, Colombian model, Miss Universe 1958 (b. 1938)
Holidays and observances
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