1619

First American Thanksgiving by 38 English settlers in Virginia AI analysis

This lesser-known first Thanksgiving predated the Plymouth celebration and represented early attempts at establishing English cultural practices in the New World, though the Plymouth celebration would later become the recognized origin of the holiday. --AI Explanation

1783

George Washington bids farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern AI analysis

This emotional farewell marked the transition from military to civilian leadership in America, setting a crucial precedent for civilian control of the military in democratic societies. --AI Explanation

1791

The Observer, world's first Sunday newspaper, is published in Britain AI analysis

This pioneering publication transformed journalism by creating the Sunday newspaper tradition, influencing media consumption patterns that would last for centuries. --AI Explanation

1867

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry is founded AI analysis

The formation of this agricultural organization marked a significant moment in American farming history, leading to important social and economic reforms for rural communities. --AI Explanation

1872

The Mary Celeste is found abandoned near the Azores AI analysis

This mysterious discovery became one of maritime history's most enduring mysteries, inspiring countless theories and stories while highlighting the dangers of sea travel. --AI Explanation

1881

The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published AI analysis

This newspaper's founding marked the beginning of Los Angeles's emergence as a major American city and established what would become a powerful voice in national media. --AI Explanation

1892

Francisco Franco is born in Spain AI analysis

The birth of Spain's future dictator marked the beginning of a life that would profoundly impact Spanish and European history through civil war and decades of authoritarian rule. --AI Explanation

1918

President Wilson sails for the Versailles Peace Conference AI analysis

This journey marked America's emergence as a global diplomatic power and Wilson's attempt to reshape international relations through the League of Nations. --AI Explanation

1945

Senate approves U.S. participation in the United Nations AI analysis

This historic vote marked America's commitment to international cooperation after World War II, fundamentally shaping post-war global governance. --AI Explanation

1952

Heavy smog begins to hover over London AI analysis

The Great Smog of 1952 led to crucial environmental legislation and raised awareness about air pollution's health impacts, influencing environmental policy worldwide. --AI Explanation

1954

The first Burger King opens in Miami AI analysis

This opening marked the beginning of one of the world's largest fast-food chains, symbolizing the rise of American fast-food culture and franchise business models. --AI Explanation

1956

Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash record together AI analysis

This impromptu "Million Dollar Quartet" session represented a unique moment in rock and roll history, bringing together four pioneering artists who would shape popular music. --AI Explanation

1965

The United States launches Gemini 7 AI analysis

This mission demonstrated long-duration spaceflight capabilities and included the first spacecraft rendezvous, crucial steps toward the moon landing. --AI Explanation

1971

McGraw-Hill halts publication of Howard Hughes autobiography AI analysis

The revelation of this fraudulent autobiography highlighted issues of media verification and celebrity exploitation in publishing. --AI Explanation

1978

Pioneer Venus 1 reaches Venus orbit AI analysis

This mission provided unprecedented data about Venus's atmosphere and surface, advancing our understanding of planetary formation and evolution. --AI Explanation

1980

Led Zeppelin officially disbands following John Bonham's death AI analysis

The end of this influential band marked a significant moment in rock history, while their legacy continued to influence multiple generations of musicians. --AI Explanation

1991

Pan American World Airways ceases operations AI analysis

The collapse of this pioneering airline symbolized the end of an era in aviation history and reflected the challenges of deregulation in the airline industry. --AI Explanation

1996

NASA's Mars Pathfinder launches AI analysis

This mission revolutionized Mars exploration with its innovative landing system and captured public imagination with the first Mars rover. --AI Explanation

2005

The Civil Partnership Act comes into force in the UK AI analysis

This legislation marked a crucial step toward LGBTQ+ equality in Britain, paving the way for full marriage equality. --AI Explanation

2016

Standing Rock pipeline protest victory AI analysis

This temporary victory for Native American activists and environmentalists highlighted indigenous rights and environmental protection issues in modern America. --AI Explanation

December 04 Birthdays

AD 34

Persius

Roman poet

(d. 62)

1428

Bernard VII

Lord of Lippe

(d. 1511)

1506

Thomas Darcy

1st Baron Darcy of Chiche

(d. 1558)

1555

Heinrich Meibom

German poet and historian

(d. 1625)

1575

Sister Virginia Maria

Italian nun

(d. 1650)

1580

Samuel Argall

English adventurer and naval officer

(d. 1626)

1585

John Cotton

English-American minister and theologian

(d. 1652)

1595

Jean Chapelain

French poet and critic

(d. 1674)

1647

Daniel Eberlin

German composer

(d. 1715)

1660

André Campra

French composer and conductor

(d. 1744)

1667

Michel Pignolet de Montéclair

French composer and educator

(d. 1737)

1670

John Aislabie

English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer

(d. 1742)

1713

Gasparo Gozzi

Italian playwright and critic

(d. 1786)

1727

Johann Gottfried Zinn

German anatomist and botanist

(d. 1759)

1777

Juliette Récamier

French businesswoman

(d. 1849)

1795

Thomas Carlyle

Scottish-English historian, philosopher, and academic

(d. 1881)

1798

Jules Armand Dufaure

French lawyer and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of France

(d. 1881)

1817

Nikoloz Baratashvili

Georgian poet and author

(d. 1845)

1835

Samuel Butler

English author and critic

(d. 1902)

1844

Franz Xavier Wernz

German religious leader, 25th Superior General of the Society of Jesus

(d. 1914)

1861

Hannes Hafstein

Icelandic poet and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Iceland

(d. 1922)

1865

Edith Cavell

English nurse, humanitarian, and saint

(Anglicanism) (d. 1915)

1867

Stanley Argyle

Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Victoria

(d. 1940)

1868

Jesse Burkett

American baseball player, coach, and manager

(d. 1953)

1875

Agnes Forbes Blackadder

Scottish medical doctor

(d. 1964)

1875

Joe Corbett

American baseball player and coach

(d. 1945)

1875

Rainer Maria Rilke

Austrian-Swiss poet and author

(d. 1926)

1877

Morris Alexander

South African politician

(d. 1946)

1881

Erwin von Witzleben

Polish-German field marshal

(d. 1944)

1882

Constance Davey

Australian psychologist

(d. 1963)

1883

Katharine Susannah Prichard

Australian author and playwright

(d. 1969)

1884

R. C. Majumdar

Indian historian

(d. 1980)

1887

Winifred Carney

Irish suffragist, trade unionist, and Irish republican

(d. 1943)

1892

Francisco Franco

Spanish general and dictator, Prime Minister of Spain

(d. 1975)

1892

Liu Bocheng

Chinese commander and politician

(d. 1986)

1893

Herbert Read

English poet and critic

(d. 1968)

1895

Feng Youlan

Chinese philosopher and academic

(d. 1990)

1897

Robert Redfield

American anthropologist of Mexico

(d. 1958)

1899

Karl-Günther Heimsoth

German physician and politician

(d. 1934)

1899

Charlie Spencer

English footballer and manager

(d. 1953)

1903

Cornell Woolrich

American author

(d. 1968)

1904

Albert Norden

German journalist and politician

(d. 1982)

1908

Alfred Hershey

American bacteriologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate

(d. 1997)

1910

Alex North

American composer and conductor

(d. 1991)

1910

R. Venkataraman

Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India

(d. 2009)

1912

Pappy Boyington

American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient

(d. 1988)

1913

Mark Robson

Canadian-American director and producer

(d. 1978)

1914

Rudolf Hausner

Austrian painter and sculptor

(d. 1995)

1914

Claude Renoir

French cinematographer

(d. 1993)

1915

Eddie Heywood

American pianist and composer

(d. 1989)

1916

Ely Jacques Kahn Jr.

American journalist and author

(d. 1994)

1919

I. K. Gujral

Indian poet and politician, 12th Prime Minister of India

(d. 2012)

1920

Nadir Afonso

Portuguese painter and architect

(d. 2013)

1920

Michael Bates

English actor

(d. 1978)

1920

Jeanne Manford

American educator and activist, co-founded PFLAG

(d. 2013)

1921

Deanna Durbin

Canadian actress and singer

(d. 2013)

1923

Charles Keating

American lawyer and financier

(d. 2014)

1923

Eagle Keys

American-Canadian football player and coach

(d. 2012)

1923

John Krish

English director and screenwriter

(d. 2016)

1924

John C. Portman Jr.

American architect, designed the Renaissance Center and Tomorrow Square

(d. 2017)

1925

Albert Bandura

Canadian-American psychologist and academic

(d. 2021)

1926

Ned Romero

American actor and opera singer

(d. 2017)

1929

Şakir Eczacıbaşı

Turkish pharmacist, photographer, and businessman

(d. 2010)

1930

Ronnie Corbett

Scottish actor

(d. 2016)

1930

Jim Hall

American guitarist and composer

(d. 2013)

1931

Alex Delvecchio

Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manage

r

1931

Wally George

American radio and television host

(d. 2003)

1932

Roh Tae-woo

South Korean general and politician, 6th President of South Korea

(d. 2021)

1933

Horst Buchholz

German actor

(d. 2003)

1933

Wink Martindale

American game show host and produce

r

1933

Dick Ricketts

American baseball and basketball player

(d. 1988)

1934

Bill Collins

Australian film critic and author

(d. 2019)

1934

Victor French

American actor and director

(d. 1989)

1935

Paul O'Neill

American businessman and politician, 72nd United States Secretary of the Treasury

(d. 2020)

1936

Freddy Cannon

American singer and guitaris

t

1936

John Giorno

American poet and performance artist

(d. 2019)

1937

Max Baer Jr.

American actor, director, and produce

r

1938

Andre Marrou

American lawyer and politicia

n

1938

Yvonne Minton

Australian-English soprano and actres

s

1939

Stephen W. Bosworth

American academic and diplomat, United States Ambassador to South Korea

(d. 2016)

1939

Joan Brady

American-British author

(d. 2024)

1940

Gerd Achterberg

German footballer and manage

r

1940

Gary Gilmore

American murderer

(d. 1977)

1941

Marty Riessen

American tennis player and coac

h

1942

Bob Mosley

American singer-songwriter and bass playe

r

1944

Chris Hillman

American singer-songwriter and guitaris

t

1944

Anna McGarrigle

Canadian musician and singer-songwrite

r

1944

François Migault

French race car driver

(d. 2012)

1944

Dennis Wilson

American singer-songwriter, producer, and drummer

(d. 1983)

1945

Roberta Bondar

Canadian neurologist, academic, and astronau

t

1946

Karina

Spanish singer/actres

s

1947

Jane Lubchenco

American ecologist, academic, and diploma

t

1948

Southside Johnny

American singer-songwrite

r

1949

Jeff Bridges

American acto

r

1949

Jock Stirrup

Baron Stirrup, English air marshal and politicia

n

1950

Bjørn Kjellemyr

Norwegian bassist and compose

r

1951

Gary Rossington

American guitarist

(d. 2023)

1951

Patricia Wettig

American actress and playwrigh

t

1953

Rick Middleton

Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaste

r

1953

Jean-Marie Pfaff

Belgian footballer and manage

r

1954

Tony Todd

American acto

r

1955

Philip Hammond

English businessman and politician, former Chancellor of the Excheque

r

1955

Dave Taylor

Canadian-American ice hockey player and manage

r

1955

Cassandra Wilson

American singer-songwriter and produce

r

1956

Nia Griffith

Welsh educator and politician, former Shadow Secretary of State for Wale

s

1956

Bernard King

American basketball player and sportscaste

r

1957

Raul Boesel

Brazilian race car driver and radio hos

t

1957

Eric S. Raymond

American computer programmer and autho

r

1957

Lee Smith

American baseball playe

r

1958

Sergei Starikov

Russian ice hockey player and coac

h

1960

David Green

Nicaraguan-American baseball playe

r

1960

Glynis Nunn

Australian heptathlete and hurle

r

1961

Frank Reich

American football player and coac

h

1961

Naomi Robson

American-Australian television hos

t

1962

Vinnie Dombroski

American singer-songwriter and musicia

n

1962

Gary Freeman

New Zealand rugby league player, coach, and sportscaste

r

1962

Nixon Kiprotich

Kenyan runne

r

1962

Kevin Richardson

English footballer and manage

r

1963

Sergey Bubka

Ukrainian pole vaulte

r

1963

Nigel Heslop

English rugby playe

r

1964

Scott Hastings

Scottish rugby player and sportscaste

r

1964

Chelsea Noble

American actres

s

1964

Marisa Tomei

American actres

s

1965

Álex de la Iglesia

Spanish director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1965

Shaun Hollamby

English race car driver and businessma

n

1965

Ulf Kirsten

German footballer and manage

r

1966

Fred Armisen

American actor and musicia

n

1966

Andy Hess

American bass playe

r

1966

Suzanne Malveaux

American journalis

t

1966

Suzette M. Malveaux

American lawyer and academi

c

1967

Guillermo Amor

Spanish footballer and manage

r

1968

Tahir Dawar

Pakistani police officer and Pashto poet

(d. 2018)

1969

Dionne Farris

American singer-songwriter, producer and actres

s

1969

Jay-Z

American rapper, producer, and actor, co-founded Roc-A-Fella Record

s

1969

Plum Sykes

English journalist and autho

r

1970

Kevin Sussman

American actor and comedia

n

1971

Shannon Briggs

American boxer and acto

r

1972

Jassen Cullimore

Canadian ice hockey playe

r

1972

Yūko Miyamura

Japanese voice actress and singe

r

1973

Tyra Banks

American model, actress, and produce

r

1973

Frank Boeijen

Dutch keyboard playe

r

1973

Mina Caputo

American singer-songwriter and keyboard playe

r

1973

Michael Jackson

English footballer and manage

r

1973

Steven Menzies

Australian rugby league playe

r

1973

Kate Rusby

English singer-songwriter and guitaris

t

1973

Corliss Williamson

American basketball player and coac

h

1974

Tadahito Iguchi

Japanese baseball playe

r

1976

Kristina Groves

Canadian speed skate

r

1976

Betty Lennox

American basketball playe

r

1977

Ajit Agarkar

Indian crickete

r

1977

Darvis Patton

American sprinte

r

1977

Morten Veland

Norwegian guitarist and songwrite

r

1978

Jaclyn Victor

Malaysian singer and actres

s

1979

Ysabella Brave

American singer-songwrite

r

1979

Jay DeMerit

American soccer playe

r

1980

Brian Cook

American basketball playe

r

1980

Viktor

Canadian wrestler and manage

r

1981

Brian Vandborg

Danish cyclis

t

1982

Nathan Douglas

English triple jumpe

r

1982

Waldo Ponce

Chilean footballe

r

1982

Ho-Pin Tung

Dutch-Chinese race car drive

r

1982

Nick Vujicic

Australian evangelis

t

1983

Jimmy Bartel

Australian footballe

r

1983

Chinx

American rapper

(d. 2015)

1984

Lindsay Felton

American actres

s

1984

Marco Giambruno

Italian footballe

r

1984

Anna Petrakova

Russian basketball playe

r

1984

Joe Thomas

American football playe

r

1985

Andrew Brackman

American baseball playe

r

1985

Stephen Dawson

Irish footballe

r

1985

Carlos Gómez

Dominican baseball playe

r

1986

Kaija Udras

Estonian skie

r

1986

Martell Webster

American basketball playe

r

1987

Orlando Brown

American actor and rappe

r

1988

Yeng Constantino

Filipina singer and songwrite

r

1988

Andriy Pylyavskyi

Ukrainian footballe

r

1990

Lukman Haruna

Nigerian footballe

r

1990

Blake Leary

Australian rugby league playe

r

1990

Igor Sjunin

Estonian triple jumpe

r

1991

Duje Dukan

Croatian basketball playe

r

1991

André Roberson

American basketball playe

r

1991

Reality Winner

American intelligence specialist convicted of espionag

e

1992

Robin Bruyère

Belgian politicia

n

1992

Peta Hiku

New Zealand rugby league playe

r

1992

Jean-Claude Iranzi

Rwandan footballe

r

1992

Jin

South Korean singer, songwriter and acto

r

1992

Joe Musgrove

American baseball playe

r

1992

Blake Snell

American baseball playe

r

1994

Gabriel Lundberg

Danish basketball playe

r

1996

Ivan Belikov

Russian footballe

r

1996

Diogo Jota

Portuguese footballe

r

1996

Sebastián Vegas

Chilean footballe

r

1999

Kim Do-yeon

South Korean singer and actres

s

December 04 Deaths

530 BC

Cyrus the Great

king of Persia

(b. 600 BC)

749

John of Damascus

Syrian priest and saint

(b. 676)

771

Carloman I

Frankish king

(b. 751)

870

Suairlech ind Eidnén mac Ciaráin

Irish bisho

p

1075

Anno II

German archbishop and saint

(b. 1010)

1131

Omar Khayyám

Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher

(b. 1048)

1214

William the Lion

Scottish king

(b. 1143)

1260

Aymer de Valence

Bishop of Winchester

(b. 1222)

1340

Henry Burghersh

English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of England

(b. 1292)

1341

Janisław

Archbishop of Gniezn

o

1408

Valentina Visconti

wife of Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléan

s

1456

Charles I

Duke of Bourbon

(b. 1401)

1459

Adolphus VIII

Count of Holstein

(b. 1401)

1576

Georg Joachim Rheticus

Austrian-Slovak mathematician and cartographer

(b. 1514)

1585

John Willock

Scottish minister and reformer

(b. 1515)

1603

Maerten de Vos

Flemish painter and draughtsman

(b. 1532)

1609

Alexander Hume

Scottish poet

(b. 1560)

1637

Nicholas Ferrar

English trader

(b. 1592)

1642

Cardinal Richelieu

French cardinal and politician, Chief Minister to the French Monarch

(b. 1585)

1649

William Drummond of Hawthornden

Scottish poet

(b. 1585)

1679

Thomas Hobbes

English philosopher and theorist

(b. 1588)

1680

Thomas Bartholin

Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian

(b. 1616)

1732

John Gay

English poet and playwright

(b. 1685)

1798

Luigi Galvani

Italian physician, physicist, and philosopher

(b. 1737)

1828

Robert Jenkinson

2nd Earl of Liverpool, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

(b. 1770)

1839

John Leamy

Irish–American merchant

(b. 1757)

1841

David Daniel Davis

Welsh-English physician and academic

(b. 1777)

1845

Gregor MacGregor

Scottish soldier and explorer

(b. 1786)

1850

William Sturgeon

English physicist, invented the electric motor

(b. 1783)

1893

John Tyndall

Irish-English physicist and chemist

(b. 1820)

1897

Griffith Rhys Jones

Welsh conductor

(b. 1834)

1902

Charles Dow

American journalist and publisher, co-founded the Dow Jones & Company

(b. 1851)

1926

Ivana Kobilca

Slovenian painter

(b. 1861)

1933

Stefan George

German-Swiss poet and translator

(b. 1868)

1935

Johan Halvorsen

Norwegian violinist, composer, and conductor

(b. 1864)

1935

Charles Richet

French physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

(b. 1850)

1938

Tamanishiki San'emon

Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna

(b. 1903)

1942

Juhan Kukk

Estonian politician, 3rd Head of State of Estonia

(b. 1885)

1942

Fritz Löhner-Beda

Jewish Austrian librettist, lyricist and writer

(b. 1883)

1944

Roger Bresnahan

American baseball player and manager

(b. 1879)

1945

Thomas Hunt Morgan

American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate

(b. 1866)

1945

Richárd Weisz

Hungarian Olympic champion wrestler

(b. 1879)

1948

Frank Benford

American physicist and engineer

(b. 1883)

1950

Jesse L. Brown

1st African-American Naval aviator

(b. 1926)

1954

George Shepherd

1st Baron Shepherd

(b. 1881)

1955

József Galamb

Hungarian-American engineer

(b. 1881)

1963

Constance Davey

Australian psychologist

(b. 1882)

1967

Bert Lahr

American actor

(b. 1895)

1969

Fred Hampton

American Black Panthers activist

(b. 1948)

1971

Shunryū Suzuki

Japanese-American monk and educator, founded the San Francisco Zen Center

(b. 1904)

1975

Hannah Arendt

German-American historian, theorist, and academic

(b. 1906)

1976

Tommy Bolin

American guitarist and songwriter

(b. 1951)

1976

Benjamin Britten

English pianist, composer, and conductor

(b. 1913)

1976

W. F. McCoy

Irish soldier, lawyer, and politician

(b. 1886)

1980

Francisco de Sá Carneiro

Portuguese lawyer and politician, 111th Prime Minister of Portugal

(b. 1934)

1980

Stanisława Walasiewicz

Polish-American runner

(b. 1911)

1980

Don Warrington

Canadian football player

(b. 1948)

1981

Jeanne Block

American psychologist

(b. 1923)

1984

Jack Mercer

American animator, screenwriter, voice actor, and singer

(b. 1910)

1987

Arnold Lobel

American author and illustrator

(b. 1933)

1987

Rouben Mamoulian

Georgian-American director and screenwriter

(b. 1897)

1988

Osman Achmatowicz

Polish chemist and academic

(b. 1899)

1992

Henry Clausen

American lawyer and author

(b. 1905)

1993

Margaret Landon

American missionary and author

(b. 1903)

1993

Frank Zappa

American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

(b. 1940)

1999

Rose Bird

American academic and judge, 25th Chief Justice of California

(b. 1936)

2000

Henck Arron

Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname

(b. 1936)

2003

Iggy Katona

American race car driver

(b. 1916)

2004

Elena Souliotis

Greek soprano and actress

(b. 1943)

2005

Errol Brathwaite

New Zealand soldier and author

(b. 1924)

2005

Gregg Hoffman

American film producer

(b. 1963)

2006

K. Ganeshalingam

Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo

(b. 1938)

2006

Ross A. McGinnis

American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient

(b. 1987)

2007

Pimp C

American rapper

(b. 1973)

2009

Liam Clancy

Irish singer, actor, and guitarist

(b. 1935)

2010

King Curtis Iaukea

American wrestler

(b. 1937)

2011

Sonia Pierre

Haitian-Dominican activist

(b. 1965)

2011

Sócrates

Brazilian footballer and manager

(b. 1954)

2011

Hubert Sumlin

American singer and guitarist

(b. 1931)

2012

Vasily Belov

Russian author, poet, and playwright

(b. 1932)

2012

Jack Brooks

American colonel, lawyer, and politician

(b. 1922)

2012

Miguel Calero

Colombian footballer and manager

(b. 1971)

2012

Anthony Deane-Drummond

English general

(b. 1917)

2013

Joana Raspall i Juanola

Spanish author and poet

(b. 1913)

2014

Claudia Emerson

American poet and academic

(b. 1957)

2014

V. R. Krishna Iyer

Indian lawyer and judge

(b. 1914)

2014

Vincent L. McKusick

American lawyer and judge

(b. 1921)

2014

Jeremy Thorpe

English lawyer and politician

(b. 1929)

2015

Bill Bennett

Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of British Columbia

(b. 1932)

2015

Robert Loggia

American actor and director

(b. 1930)

2015

Yossi Sarid

Israeli journalist and politician, 15th Israeli Minister of Education

(b. 1940)

2016

Patricia Robins

British writer and WAAF officer

(b. 1921)

2017

Shashi Kapoor

Indian actor

(b. 1938)

2022

Bob McGrath

American singer and actor

(b. 1932)

2022

Patrick Tambay

French race car driver

(b. 1949)