1777

The French formally recognize the United States of America. AI analysis

The French recognition of the United States was a significant diplomatic victory for the young nation. It marked the start of French support in the American Revolution, including military aid, which played a crucial role in the eventual American victory over Britain. --AI Explanation

1790

The first U.S. patent law is enacted. AI analysis

The enactment of the first U.S. patent law laid the foundation for intellectual property protection in the United States. It incentivized innovation and played a key role in the country's economic development by encouraging technological advancement. --AI Explanation

1811

The first recorded earthquake in the U.S. Midwest occurs. AI analysis

The 1811 New Madrid earthquake was one of the largest seismic events in U.S. history. It caused widespread destruction in the Midwest and changed the course of the Mississippi River. The earthquake was a reminder of the unpredictable seismic activity in the region. --AI Explanation

1822

Jean-François Champollion announces the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs. AI analysis

Champollion’s translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs was a groundbreaking moment in archaeology and Egyptology. It unlocked the mysteries of ancient Egypt, allowing scholars to better understand its culture, history, and language. --AI Explanation

1903

The Wright brothers make their first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. AI analysis

The Wright brothers’ first successful flight marked the birth of modern aviation. This achievement revolutionized transportation and opened the door to the development of commercial and military aviation, transforming the global landscape. --AI Explanation

1939

The Soviet Union and Finland sign a peace treaty, ending the Winter War. AI analysis

The peace treaty between the Soviet Union and Finland ended the Winter War, in which Finland had put up fierce resistance against Soviet invasion. The treaty allowed Finland to retain its independence, but it had to cede some territories to the USSR. --AI Explanation

1941

The United States declares war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor. AI analysis

The U.S. declaration of war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack marked America’s official entry into World War II. This declaration led to the global expansion of the war and a decisive turning point in the conflict, contributing to the defeat of the Axis Powers. --AI Explanation

1944

The Battle of the Bulge begins during World War II. AI analysis

The Battle of the Bulge was the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies in Western Europe. Despite initial successes, the Germans were eventually repelled, and the battle marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany’s war effort. --AI Explanation

1957

The Soviet Union successfully tests an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). AI analysis

The successful ICBM test by the Soviet Union represented a major technological leap in the Cold War arms race. It heightened fears of a nuclear attack on the U.S. and led to the development of more advanced missile defense systems. --AI Explanation

1969

The Soviet Union launches the Luna 21 spacecraft, carrying the Lunokhod 2 rover. AI analysis

The Luna 21 mission, which sent the Lunokhod 2 rover to the Moon, marked a major achievement in the Soviet space program. It was one of the first successful long-distance operations of a robotic rover on the lunar surface, contributing valuable scientific data. --AI Explanation

1973

The Paris Peace Accords are signed, aimed at ending the Vietnam War. AI analysis

The Paris Peace Accords formally ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The treaty sought to bring peace to Vietnam, but it failed to stop the continued conflict between North and South Vietnam, leading to the fall of Saigon in 1975. --AI Explanation

1989

The European Union and the U.S. agree on the reduction of tariffs and trade barriers. AI analysis

The agreement between the EU and the U.S. to reduce trade barriers was a significant step in fostering transatlantic economic relations. It laid the groundwork for further global trade liberalization and economic cooperation. --AI Explanation

1990

Lech Wałęsa is elected President of Poland. AI analysis

Lech Wałęsa’s election as President of Poland marked the consolidation of the country's transition from communism to democracy. As a former leader of the Solidarity movement, Wałęsa played a pivotal role in the peaceful overthrow of the communist regime. --AI Explanation

1997

The Kyoto Protocol is adopted, setting international greenhouse gas emission targets. AI analysis

The adoption of the Kyoto Protocol marked an important moment in global efforts to combat climate change. It established binding commitments for industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, though its implementation faced challenges. --AI Explanation

2003

Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. forces in Iraq. AI analysis

The capture of Saddam Hussein was a symbolic victory for the U.S. in the Iraq War. It removed the long-time dictator from power, though it did not lead to the immediate peace and stability that the U.S. had hoped for in the region. --AI Explanation

2009

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) begins in Copenhagen. AI analysis

The COP15 conference in Copenhagen was a major global effort to address climate change. While expectations were high, the conference ended with limited progress on a binding climate agreement, leaving the future of global environmental cooperation uncertain. --AI Explanation

2013

The United States and Iran reach an agreement on nuclear talks. AI analysis

The agreement between the U.S. and Iran over nuclear talks marked a significant shift in diplomatic relations. It represented the first step toward a historic nuclear deal, which aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. --AI Explanation

2015

The United Nations adopts the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. AI analysis

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was a major international initiative aimed at addressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. The agenda set ambitious goals for global sustainability and equity. --AI Explanation

2017

The United Nations votes to condemn the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. AI analysis

The UN General Assembly’s vote against the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was a strong statement on the status of the city. It reflected international opposition to the move, which many viewed as a hindrance to peace efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. --AI Explanation

2020

The European Union and the United Kingdom sign a post-Brexit trade deal. AI analysis

The signing of the post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and the UK marked the end of years of negotiations. The agreement ensured continued trade between the two parties but introduced new complexities, especially in terms of customs and regulatory alignment. --AI Explanation

December 17 Birthdays
Events Birthdays Deaths

1239

Kujō Yoritsugu

Japanese shōgun

(d. 1256)

1554

Ernest of Bavaria

Roman Catholic bishop

(d. 1612)

1556

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana

poet in Mughal Empire

(d. 1627)

1574

Pedro Téllez-Girón

3rd Duke of Osuna, Spanish nobleman and politician

(d. 1624)

1616

Roger L'Estrange

English pamphleteer and author

(d. 1704)

1632

Anthony Wood

English historian and author

(d. 1695)

1685

Thomas Tickell

English poet

(d. 1740)

1699

Charles-Louis Mion

French composer and educator

(d. 1775)

1706

Émilie du Châtelet

French mathematician and physicist

(d. 1749)

1749

Domenico Cimarosa

Italian composer and educator

(d. 1801)

1778

Humphry Davy

English chemist and physicist

(d. 1829)

1796

Thomas Chandler Haliburton

Canadian judge and politician

(d. 1865)

1797

Joseph Henry

American physicist and engineer

(d. 1878)

1807

John Greenleaf Whittier

American poet and activist

(d. 1892)

1812

Vilhelm Petersen

Danish painter

(d. 1880)

1827

Alexander Wassilko von Serecki

Austrian lawyer and politician

(d. 1893)

1830

Jules de Goncourt

French author and critic

(d. 1870)

1835

Alexander Emanuel Agassiz

Swiss-American ichthyologist and engineer

(d. 1910)

1840

Nozu Michitsura

Japanese field marshal

(d. 1908)

1842

Sophus Lie

Norwegian mathematician and academic

(d. 1899)

1847

Émile Faguet

French author and critic

(d. 1916)

1853

Pierre Paul Émile Roux

French physician and immunologist, co-founded the Pasteur Institute

(d. 1933)

1858

Eva Nansen

Norwegian mezzo-soprano singer and pioneer on women's skiing

(d. 1907)

1859

Paul César Helleu

French painter and illustrator

(d. 1927)

1866

Kazys Grinius

Lithuanian physician and politician, third President of Lithuania

(d. 1950)

1873

Ford Madox Ford

English novelist, poet, and critic

(d. 1939)

1874

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Canadian economist and politician, tenth Prime Minister of Canada

(d. 1950)

1881

Aubrey Faulkner

South African-English cricketer and coach

(d. 1930)

1884

Alison Uttley

English children's book writer

(d. 1976)

1887

Josef Lada

Czech painter and illustrator

(d. 1957)

1892

Sam Barry

American basketball player and coach

(d. 1950)

1893

Charles C. Banks

English captain and pilot

(d. 1971)

1893

Erwin Piscator

German director and producer

(d. 1966)

1894

Arthur Fiedler

American conductor

(d. 1979)

1894

Patrick Flynn

Irish-American runner and soldier

(d. 1969)

1894

Wim Schermerhorn

Dutch cartographer, engineer, and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

(d. 1977)

1895

Gerald Patterson

Australian tennis player

(d. 1967)

1898

Loren Murchison

American sprinter

(d. 1979)

1900

Mary Cartwright

English mathematician and academic, one of the first people to analyze a dynamical system with chaos

(d. 1998)

1903

Erskine Caldwell

American novelist and short story writer

(d. 1987)

1903

Ray Noble

English bandleader, composer, and actor

(d. 1978)

1904

Paul Cadmus

American painter and illustrator

(d. 1999)

1905

Simo Häyhä

Finnish soldier and sniper

(d. 2002)

1905

Mohammad Hidayatullah

11th Chief Justice of India, and politician, sixth Vice President of India

(d. 1992)

1905

Erico Verissimo

Brazilian author and translator

(d. 1975)

1906

Fernando Lopes-Graça

Portuguese composer and conductor

(d. 1994)

1906

Russell C. Newhouse

American pilot and engineer

(d. 1998)

1908

Willard Libby

American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

(d. 1980)

1910

Eknath Easwaran

Indian-American educator and author

(d. 1999)

1910

Sy Oliver

American singer-songwriter and trumpet player

(d. 1988)

1912

Edward Short

Baron Glenamara, English captain and politician, Lord President of the Council

(d. 2012)

1913

Burt Baskin

American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins

(d. 1967)

1914

Mushtaq Ali

Indian cricketer

(d. 2005)

1914

Fernando Alonso

Cuban ballet dancer, co-founded the Cuban National Ballet

(d. 2013)

1916

Penelope Fitzgerald

English author and poet

(d. 2000)

1917

Kenneth Dike

Nigerian historian, author, and academic

(d. 1983)

1920

Kenneth E. Iverson

Canadian computer scientist, developed the APL programming language

(d. 2004)

1921

Lore Berger

German-Swiss author and translator

(d. 1943)

1922

Alan Voorhees

American engineer and academic

(d. 2005)

1923

Jaroslav Pelikan

American historian and scholar

(d. 2006)

1926

Ray Jablonski

American baseball player

(d. 1985)

1926

John Hans Krebs

American lawyer and politician

(d. 2014)

1926

Stephen Lewis

English actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright

(d. 2015)

1927

Richard Long

American actor and director

(d. 1974)

1927

Edward Meneeley

American painter and sculptor

(d. 2012)

1928

Marilyn Beck

American journalist

(d. 2014)

1928

Eli Beeding

American captain and pilot

(d. 2013)

1928

Doyle Conner

American farmer and politician, seventh Florida Commissioner of Agriculture

(d. 2012)

1929

William Safire

American journalist and author

(d. 2009)

1930

Bob Guccione

American photographer and publisher, founded Penthouse

(d. 2010)

1930

Armin Mueller-Stahl

German actor and painte

r

1930

Dorothy Rowe

Australian psychologist and author

(d. 2019)

1931

Gerald Finnerman

American director and cinematographer

(d. 2011)

1931

Dave Madden

Canadian-American actor

(d. 2014)

1931

James McGaugh

American neurobiologist and psychologis

t

1932

John Bond

English footballer and manager

(d. 2012)

1934

Irving Petlin

American painter and academic

(d. 2018)

1934

Ray Wilson

English footballer and manager

(d. 2018)

1935

Brian Langford

English cricketer

(d. 2013)

1935

Cal Ripken Sr.

American baseball player, coach, and manager

(d. 1999)

1936

Tommy Steele

English singer, guitarist, and acto

r

1937

Brian Hayes

Australian-English radio hos

t

1937

Art Neville

American singer and keyboard player

(d. 2019)

1937

Kerry Packer

Australian businessman, founded World Series Cricket

(d. 2005)

1937

John Kennedy Toole

American novelist

(d. 1969)

1937

Calvin Waller

American general

(d. 1996)

1938

Peter Snell

New Zealand runner

(d. 2019)

1939

James Booker

American pianist

(d. 1983)

1939

Eddie Kendricks

American R&B singer-songwriter

(d. 1992)

1940

Kåre Valebrokk

Norwegian journalist

(d. 2013)

1940

María Elena Velasco

Mexican actress, singer, director, and screenwriter

(d. 2015)

1941

Dave Dee

English singer-songwriter and guitarist

(d. 2009)

1941

Stan Mudenge

Zimbabwean historian and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs

(d. 2012)

1942

Muhammadu Buhari

Nigerian general and politician, 7th Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeri

a

1942

Paul Butterfield

American singer and harmonica player

(d. 1987)

1943

Ron Geesin

Scottish pianist and compose

r

1944

Jack L. Chalker

American author and educator

(d. 2005)

1944

Carlo M. Croce

Italian-American oncologist and academi

c

1944

Bernard Hill

English actor

(d. 2024)

1945

Ernie Hudson

American acto

r

1945

David Mallet

English directo

r

1945

Chris Matthews

American journalist and autho

r

1945

Jüri Talvet

Estonian poet and criti

c

1945

Jacqueline Wilson

English author and academi

c

1946

Simon Bates

English radio hos

t

1946

Eugene Levy

Canadian actor, director, and screenwrite

r

1947

Wes Studi

American actor and produce

r

1948

Valery Belousov

Russian ice hockey player and coach

(d. 2015)

1948

Jim Bonfanti

American rock drumme

r

1948

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

Turkish economist and politicia

n

1949

Joel Brooks

American acto

r

1949

Sotiris Kaiafas

Cypriot footballe

r

1949

Paul Rodgers

English singer-songwriter and produce

r

1950

Laurence F. Johnson

American educator and autho

r

1950

Maurice Peoples

American sprinter and coac

h

1951

Pat Hill

American football player and coac

h

1951

Ken Hitchcock

Canadian ice hockey player and coac

h

1951

Tatyana Kazankina

Russian runne

r

1953

Bill Pullman

American acto

r

1954

Sergejus Jovaiša

Lithuanian basketball playe

r

1955

Brad Davis

American basketball player, coach, and sportscaste

r

1956

Peter Farrelly

American director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1956

Dominic Lawson

English journalist and autho

r

1956

Totka Petrova

Bulgarian runne

r

1957

Wendy Hoyte

English sprinte

r

1957

Bob Ojeda

American baseball player and coac

h

1958

Mike Mills

American bass player, songwriter, and produce

r

1958

Donald Payne Jr.

American politician

(d. 2024)

1959

Bob Stinson

American songwriter and guitarist

(d. 1995)

1961

Mansoor al-Jamri

Bahraini journalist and autho

r

1961

Sara Dallin

English singe

r

1962

Paul Dobson

English footballe

r

1962

Galina Malchugina

Russian sprinte

r

1962

Rocco Mediate

American golfer and journalis

t

1964

Frank Musil

Czech ice hockey player and coac

h

1964

Joe Wolf

American basketball player and coac

h

1965

Craig Berube

Canadian ice hockey player and coac

h

1965

Jeff Grayer

American basketball player and coac

h

1966

Tracy Byrd

American singer-songwriter and guitaris

t

1966

Kristiina Ojuland

Estonian politician, 23rd Estonian Minister of Foreign Affair

s

1967

Vincent Damphousse

Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaste

r

1967

Gigi D'Agostino

Italian muscisian, singer and DJ

.

1967

Karsten Neitzel

German footballer and manage

r

1968

Claudio Suárez

Mexican footballe

r

1968

Paul Tracy

Canadian race car driver and sportscaste

r

1969

Laurie Holden

American actress and mode

l

1969

Inna Lasovskaya

Russian triple jumpe

r

1969

Chuck Liddell

American mixed martial artist and kick-boxe

r

1969

Mick Quinn

English singer-songwriter, guitarist and produce

r

1970

Sean Patrick Thomas

American acto

r

1971

Claire Forlani

English actres

s

1971

Alan Khan

South African radio and TV presente

r

1971

Nikki McCray-Penson

American basketball player and coach

(d. 2023)

1971

Antoine Rigaudeau

French basketball playe

r

1972

John Abraham

Indian actor and produce

r

1972

Iván Pedroso

Cuban long jumper and coac

h

1973

Eddie Fisher

American drumme

r

1973

Konstadinos Gatsioudis

Greek javelin throwe

r

1973

Rian Johnson

American director, producer, and screenwrite

r

1973

Paula Radcliffe

English runne

r

1973

Hasan Vural

German-Turkish footballe

r

1974

Charl Langeveldt

South African crickete

r

1974

Sarah Paulson

American actres

s

1974

Giovanni Ribisi

American acto

r

1974

Marissa Ribisi

American actres

s

1975

Nick Dinsmore

American wrestler and traine

r

1975

Susanthika Jayasinghe

Sri Lankan sprinte

r

1975

Milla Jovovich

Ukrainian-American actres

s

1976

Éric Bédard

Canadian speed skater and coac

h

1976

Nir Davidovich

Israeli footballer and manage

r

1976

Patrick Müller

Swiss footballe

r

1976

Andrew Simpson

English sailor

(d. 2013)

1976

Takeo Spikes

American football player and sportscaste

r

1977

Arnaud Clément

French tennis playe

r

1977

Samuel Påhlsson

Swedish ice hockey playe

r

1977

Katheryn Winnick

Canadian actres

s

1978

Alex Cintrón

Puerto Rican baseball player and sportscaste

r

1978

Riteish Deshmukh

Indian film actor, producer and architec

t

1978

Manny Pacquiao

Filipino boxer and politicia

n

1978

Neil Sanderson

Canadian drummer and songwrite

r

1978

Chase Utley

American baseball playe

r

1979

Matt Murley

American ice hockey playe

r

1979

Paul Smith

English footballe

r

1980

Suzy Batkovic

Australian basketball playe

r

1980

Ryan Hunter-Reay

American race car drive

r

1980

Alexandra Papageorgiou

Greek hammer throwe

r

1980

Eli Pariser

American activist and autho

r

1981

Jerry Hsu

American skateboarder and photographe

r

1981

Tim Wiese

German footballe

r

1982

Josh Barfield

American baseball playe

r

1982

Lorenzo Cittadini

Italian rugby playe

r

1982

Craig Kielburger

Canadian activist and autho

r

1982

Stéphane Lasme

Gabonese basketball playe

r

1983

Gregory Campbell

Canadian ice hockey player and executiv

e

1983

Erik Christensen

Canadian ice hockey playe

r

1983

Mikky Ekko

American singer and songwrite

r

1983

Haron Keitany

Kenyan runne

r

1983

Sébastien Ogier

French race car drive

r

1984

Luis Alfageme

Argentinian footballe

r

1984

Julian Bennett

English footballe

r

1984

Andrew Davies

English footballe

r

1984

Shannon Woodward

American actres

s

1985

Fernando Abad

Dominican baseball playe

r

1985

Łukasz Broź

Polish footballe

r

1985

Craig Reid

English footballe

r

1986

Emma Bell

American actres

s

1986

Frank Winterstein

Australian-Samoan rugby league playe

r

1986

Vanessa Zima

American actres

s

1987

Maryna Arzamasova

Belarusian middle-distance runne

r

1987

Bo Guagua

Chinese businessma

n

1987

Chelsea Manning

American soldier and intelligence analys

t

1987

Donovan Solano

Colombian baseball playe

r

1988

Liisa Ehrberg

Estonian cyclis

t

1988

Grethe Grünberg

Estonian ice dance

r

1988

Kris Joseph

Canadian basketball playe

r

1988

David Rudisha

Kenyan runne

r

1988

Craig Sutherland

Scottish footballe

r

1989

Taylor York

American musicia

n

1990

Graham Rogers

American acto

r

1991

Jordan Rankin

Australian rugby league playe

r

1991

Atsedu Tsegay

Ethiopian runne

r

1992

Quinton de Kock

South African crickete

r

1992

Buddy Hield

Bahamian basketball playe

r

1992

Joshua Ingram

Canadian drummer and percussionis

t

1993

Kiersey Clemons

American actres

s

1993

Patricia Kú Flores

Peruvian tennis playe

r

1994

Lloyd Perrett

New Zealand rugby league playe

r

1994

Nat Wolff

American singer-songwriter, keyboard player and acto

r

1995

Guerschon Yabusele

French basketball playe

r

1996

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

Russian figure skate

r

1997

Naiktha Bains

British-Australian tennis playe

r

1997

Shoma Uno

Japanese figure skate

r

1998

Jasmine Armfield

English actres

s

1998

Martin Ødegaard

Norwegian footballe

r

1999

Mirei Sasaki

Japanese singer, model, and actres

s

December 17 Deaths
Events Birthdays Deaths

779

Sturm

abbot of Fuld

a

908

al-Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Jarjara'i

Abbasid vizie

r

908

Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz

Abbasid prince and poet, anti-caliph for one da

y

942

William I

duke of Normand

y

1195

Baldwin V

Count of Hainaut

(b. 1150)

1273

Rumi

Persian jurist, theologian, and poet

(b. 1207)

1316

Juan Fernández

bishop-elect of Leó

n

1419

William Gascoigne

Chief Justice of Englan

d

1471

Infanta Isabel

Duchess of Burgundy

(b. 1397)

1559

Irene di Spilimbergo

Italian Renaissance poet and painter

(b. 1538)

1562

Eleonora di Toledo

Grand Duchess of Tuscany

(b. 1522)

1721

Richard Lumley

1st Earl of Scarbrough, English soldier and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

(b. 1640)

1830

Simón Bolívar

Venezuelan general and politician, second President of Venezuela

(b. 1783)

1833

Kaspar Hauser

German feral child

(b. 1812?)

1847

Marie Louise

Duchess of Parma

(b. 1791)

1857

Francis Beaufort

Irish hydrographer and officer in the Royal Navy

(b. 1774)

1891

José María Iglesias

Mexican politician and interim President

(1876–1877) (b. 1823)

1904

William Shiels

Irish-Australian politician, 16th Premier of Victoria

(b. 1848)

1907

William Thomson

1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer

(b. 1824)

1917

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

English physician and activist

(b. 1836)

1927

Rajendra Lahiri

Indian activist

(b. 1892)

1928

Frank Rinehart

American photographer

(b. 1861)

1929

Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa

Portuguese general and politician, tenth President of Portugal

(b. 1863)

1930

Peter Warlock

Welsh composer and critic

(b. 1894)

1932

Charles Winckler

Danish discus thrower, shot putter, and tug of war competitor

(b. 1867)

1935

Lizette Woodworth Reese

American poet

(b. 1856)

1940

Alicia Boole Stott

Anglo-Irish mathematician and academic

(b. 1860)

1942

Allen Bathurst

Lord Apsley, English lieutenant and politician

(b. 1895)

1947

Christos Tsigiridis

Greek engineer

(b. 1877)

1956

Eddie Acuff

American actor

(b. 1903)

1957

Dorothy L. Sayers

English author, poet, and playwright

(b. 1893)

1962

Thomas Mitchell

American actor

(b. 1892)

1964

Victor Francis Hess

Austrian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

(b. 1883)

1967

Harold Holt

Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Australia

(b. 1908)

1970

Oliver Waterman Larkin

American historian, author, and educator

(b. 1896)

1978

Don Ellis

American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader

(b. 1934)

1981

Antiochos Evangelatos

Greek composer and conductor

(b. 1903)

1982

Homer S. Ferguson

American lawyer, judge, and politician

(b. 1889)

1986

Guillermo Cano Isaza

Colombian journalist

(b. 1925)

1987

Bernardus Johannes Alfrink

Dutch cardinal

(b. 1900)

1987

Linda Wong

American porn actress

(b. 1951)

1987

Marguerite Yourcenar

Belgian-American author and poet

(b. 1903)

1992

Günther Anders

German journalist and philosopher

(b. 1902)

1992

Dana Andrews

American actor

(b. 1909)

1999

Rex Allen

American singer-songwriter and actor

(b. 1920)

1999

Grover Washington Jr.

American singer-songwriter and saxophonist

(b. 1943)

1999

C. Vann Woodward

American historian and academic

(b. 1908)

2002

K. W. Devanayagam

Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, tenth Sri Lankan Minister of Justice

(b. 1910)

2003

Otto Graham

American football player and coach

(b. 1921)

2004

Tom Wesselmann

American painter and sculptor

(b. 1931)

2005

Jack Anderson

American journalist and author

(b. 1922)

2005

Marc Favreau

Canadian actor and poet

(b. 1929)

2005

Haljand Udam

Estonian orientalist and academic

(d. 1936)

2006

Larry Sherry

American baseball player and coach

(b. 1935)

2008

Sammy Baugh

American football player and coach

(b. 1914)

2008

Freddy Breck

German singer-songwriter, producer, and journalist

(b. 1942)

2008

Dave Smith

American baseball player and coach

(b. 1955)

2008

Gregoire

Congolese chimpanzee, oldest recorded

(b. 1942)

2009

Chris Henry

American football player

(b. 1983)

2009

Jennifer Jones

American actress

(b. 1919)

2009

Alaina Reed Hall

American actress

(b. 1946)

2010

Captain Beefheart

American singer-songwriter

(b. 1941)

2010

Walt Dropo

American basketball and baseball player

(b. 1923)

2010

Ralph Coates

English footballer

(b. 1946)

2011

Eva Ekvall

Venezuelan journalist and author, Miss Venezuela 2000

(b. 1983)

2011

Kim Jong-il

North Korean commander and politician, second Supreme Leader of North Korea

(b. 1941)

2012

Richard Adams

Filipino-American activist

(b. 1947)

2012

James Gower

American priest and activist, co-founded the College of the Atlantic

(b. 1922)

2012

Daniel Inouye

American captain and politician

(b. 1924)

2012

Laurier LaPierre

Canadian historian, journalist, and politician

(b. 1929)

2012

Frank Pastore

American baseball player and radio host

(b. 1957)

2013

Fred Bruemmer

Latvian-Canadian photographer

(b. 1929)

2013

Ricardo María Carles Gordó

Spanish cardinal

(b. 1926)

2013

Richard Heffner

American historian and television host

(b. 1925)

2013

Tetsurō Kashibuchi

Japanese drummer, songwriter, and producer

(b. 1950)

2013

Janet Rowley

American geneticist and biologist

(b. 1925)

2013

Conny van Rietschoten

Dutch sailor

(b. 1926)

2014

Dieter Grau

German-American scientist and engineer

(b. 1913)

2014

Richard C. Hottelet

American journalist

(b. 1917)

2014

Oleh Lysheha

Ukrainian poet and playwright

(b. 1949)

2014

Lowell Steward

American captain

(b. 1919)

2014

Ivan Vekić

Croatian colonel, lawyer, and politician, Croatian Minister of the Interior

(b. 1938)

2015

Hal Brown

American baseball player and manager

(b. 1924)

2015

Osamu Hayaishi

American-Japanese biochemist and academic

(b. 1920)

2015

Michael Wyschogrod

German-American philosopher and theologian

(b. 1928)

2016

Benjamin A. Gilman

American soldier and politician

(b. 1922)

2016

Henry Heimlich

American doctor

(b. 1920)

2016

Gordon Hunt

American voice director

(b. 1929)

2020

Jeremy Bullock

English actor

(b. 1945)

2020

Allen Dines

American politician

(b. 1921)

2023

Ronaldo Valdez

Filipino actor

(b. 1947)

2023

James McCaffrey

American actor

(b. 1958)