December 17th Events in History
| 2004 | President Bush signs the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Act of 2004 which reorganizes intelligence agencies and creates position of national security director |
| 1995 | School after Scandal closes at Lyceum Theater New York City after 23 performances |
| 1994 | KLM's last DC-10 goes out of service |
| 1993 | Bangladesh moslem call for murder of feminist Taslima Nasrin |
| 1993 | Kevin Scott skates world record 1000 m (1:12.54) |
| 1993 | Northern Exposure star Barry Corbin falls off his horse |
| 1993 | Tennis star Boris Becker (26) weds Barbara Feltus (27) |
| 1992 | Christmas Carol opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 22 performances |
| 1992 | General Suwa finds tooth of 4.4 million year old Australopithecus ramidus |
| 1991 | Cleveland Cavaliers beat Miami Heat 148-80, by record 68 pts |
| 1991 | NBA's most lopsided game Cleveland beats Miami 148-80 |
| 1991 | Patrick Manning becomes premier of Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1991 | Soap opera "One Life To Live" airs its 6,000th episode |
| 1990 | KTBN, Salt Lake City Utah, begins shortwave radio transmissions |
| 1989 | 78th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Stuttgart (3-2) |
| 1989 | Brazil elects conservative Fernando Collor de Mello president |
| 1989 | Michael Bevan scores cricket century on 1st-class debut (114 SA vs. WA) |
| 1989 | Patti Rizzo/Mike Hill wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship |
| 1988 | 77th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Gothenburg (4-1) |
| 1988 | Bryan Murray becomes 17th NHL coach to win 300 games (Washington Caps) |
| 1988 | New York Islanders break 12 game losing streak, beat Devils 5-2 |
| 1988 | USS Tennessee, 1st sub to carry Trident 2 missiles, commissioned |
| 1988 | U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R. |
| 1987 | Czechoslovakian party leader Gustav Husak resigns |
| 1986 | U.S. Congress forms Irangate committee |
| 1986 | Mrs Davina Thompson makse medical history by having the 1st heart, lung and liver transplant (Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England) |
| 1984 | New Jersey Devils 1st penalty shot-Rocky Trottier scores against Edmonton |
| 1984 | New Jersey Devils 1st shutout, Glenn Resch makes 42 saves beat Minn, 2-0 |
| 1983 | Peg closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City after 5 performances |
| 1983 | Bomb attack on Harrod's war house in London, 5 killed, 94 injured |
| 1983 | Disco in Madrid catches fire; 83 die |
| 1981 | Members of Red Brigades kidnap Brigadier General James L Dozier |
| 1980 | Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site |
| 1980 | Mauritania provisional constitution published |
| 1979 | Budweiser rocket car reaches 1190 kph |
| 1978 | OPEC raises oil prices 18% |
| 1978 | Referendum approves new constitution of Rwanda |
| 1977 | Bobby Simpson scores 176 Australia vs. India at the WACA, aged 41 |
| 1977 | Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1st U.S. TV appearance (SNL) |
| 1977 | France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island |
| 1976 | Superstation WTBS in Atlanta went national |
| 1975 | 1st time New York Islanders shut-out New York Rangers, 3-0-Billy Smith's 5th |
| 1975 | Lynette Fromme sentenced to life for attempt on President Ford's life |
| 1973 | Arabs terrorists shoot passengers on Boeing 737 to Kuwait |
| 1972 | New line of control agreed to in Kashmir between India and Pakistan |
| 1972 | WGVC (now WUCX) TV channel 35 in Grand Rapids, MI (PBS) 1st broadcast |
| 1971 | Diamonds are Forever premieres in US |
| 1971 | Cease fire between India and Pakistan in Kashmir |
| 1971 | Radio Bangladesh begins transmitting |
| 1970 | Gdansk, Poland shipworkers strike |
| 1970 | U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site |
| 1970 | U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R. |
| 1969 | 50m TV viewers saw singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky, on Tonight Show |
| 1969 | USAF closes Project Blue Book, concluding no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings |
| 1967 | WEDW TV channel 49 in Bridgeport, CT (PBS) begins broadcasting |
| 1965 | Astrodome opens, 1st event is Judy Garland and Supremes concert |
| 1965 | British government proclaims ends oil-embargo against Rhodesia |
| 1965 | David Levy begins his search for comets |
| 1965 | Dutch government shuts Limburgs coal mine |
| 1965 | Largest newspaper-Sunday New York Times at 946 pages (50 cents ) |
| 1963 | Tsjoi Doo Sun forms government in South Korea |
| 1963 | West and East Berlin sign accord about travel rules |
| 1962 | Beatles 1st British TV appearance (People and Places) |
| 1962 | Current constitution of Monaco promulgated |
| 1961 | Disgruntled employee set fire to a circus tent in Niteroi Brazil |
| 1961 | India seizes Goa and 2 other Portuguese colonies |
| 1961 | Niteroi Circus of Rio de Janeiro catches fire; 323 die |
| 1960 | La Plume de Ma Tante closes at Royale Theater New York City after 835 performances |
| 1960 | Take Me Along closes at Shubert Theater New York City after 448 performances |
| 1960 | Pablo Casals' oratorio "El Pesebrio," premieres |
| 1959 | On The Beach, is 1st film to premiere on both sides of Iron Curtain |
| 1959 | 1st movie opening simultaneously in major cities (On The Beach) |
| 1957 | U.S. successfully test-fires Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile |
| 1954 | 1st fully automated railroad freight yard (Gary, Indiana) |
| 1954 | WEAU TV channel 13 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (NBC) begins broadcasting |
| 1953 | Dmitri Shostakovich' 10th Symphony, premieres in Leningrad |
| 1953 | FCC approves RCA's black and white - compatible color TV specifications |
| 1951 | Dutch Communist Party members forbidden to be civil servants |
| 1949 | Regina closes at 46th St. Theater New York City after 86 performances |
| 1949 | Burma recognizes People's Republic of China |
| 1947 | NY struck by a blizzard, resulting with 27" of snow |
| 1947 | WEWS TV channel 5 in Cleveland, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting |
| 1946 | Bradman and Barnes complete 405 run 5th wkt stand, score 234 ea |
| 1946 | U.S. V-2 rocket reaches 183 km, White Sands Proving Grounds, NM |
| 1944 | Green Bay Packers win NFL championship |
| 1944 | Japanese-Americans released from detention camps |
| 1944 | M-Ocean View streetcar resumes service and is extended to Market St |
| 1944 | U.S. Army announces end of excluding Japanese-Americans from West Coast |
| 1944 | U.S. destroyers sink in storm off Philippines, 790 killed |
| 1943 | Transport 63 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany |
| 1942 | Allies in London sentence German war criminals |
| 1941 | Dutch and Australian troops lands on Portuguese-Timor |
| 1941 | German submarine U-31 sunk |
| 1941 | German troops led by Rommel begin retreating in North Africa |
| 1940 | British troops occupies Sollum |
| 1939 | German pocket battleship Graf Spee scuttled by its crew off Uruguay |
| 1938 | Utrecht Central Station destroyed by fire |
| 1936 | Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and dummy Charlie McCarthy, appear on TV |
| 1933 | B H Valentine scores 133 on Test Cricket debut, England vs. India at Bombay |
| 1933 | Lala Amarnath scores century on Test Cricket debut (went on to 118) |
| 1933 | Spain's 2nd Government of Lerroux forms |
| 1933 | NFL starts official stats as Bears beat Giants 23-21 in champ game |
| 1932 | Cards trade Jim Bottomley to Reds for Estel Crabtree and Ownie Carroll |
| 1928 | John McGraw backs NL President John Heydler's designated hitter idea |
| 1927 | U.S. submarine 'S-4' sinks after collision kills all 34 aboard |
| 1927 | Victoria score 793 against Queensland, Bill Ponsford 437 |
| 1926 | German Marx government falls due to cooperation with red army |
| 1926 | KYA-AM in San Francisco, California begins radio transmissions |
| 1926 | Lithuanian military state under General Augustine Woldemaras |
| 1925 | Col William "Billy" Mitchell court-martial for insubordination |
| 1925 | Russia and Turkey sign non-aggresion pact |
| 1924 | 1st U.S. diesel electric locomotive enters service, Bronx, New York |
| 1923 | Greek king George II overthrown by army/republic |
| 1922 | Last British troops leave Ireland Freestate |
| 1920 | AL votes to let spitball pitchers to continue using it |
| 1920 | British Empire receives League of Nations mandate to Nauru |
| 1920 | Japan receives League of Nations mandate over Pacific islands |
| 1920 | South Africa receives League of Nations mandate over SW Africa |
| 1919 | Austria parliament approves 8-hour day |
| 1914 | Austrian troops beat Russians in Limanova Poland |
| 1914 | Great Britain declares Egypt a protectorate |
| 1914 | Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv by Turkish authorities |
| 1909 | Leopold II, king of Belgium, buried in Brussels |
| 1907 | Ugyen Wangchuck became 1st hereditary king of Bhutan |
| 1903 | At 10:35 AM, 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight (Orville Wright) |
| 1902 | Frank Wedekind's "Der Erdgeist," premieres in Berlin |
| 1900 | 1st prize of 100,00 francs offered for communications with extraterrestrials. Martians excluded-considered too easy |
| 1900 | New Ellis Island Immigration station completed costing $1.5 million |
| 1895 | Anti-Saloon League of America formed, Washington, D.C. |
| 1895 | George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine (Mass) |
| 1893 | Russia ratifies Duple Alliance with France |
| 1892 | Tsjaikovski's ballet "Casse-noisette," premieres in St. Petersburg |
| 1887 | Georges Feydeaus' "Tailleur Pour Dames" premieres in Paris |
| 1885 | France declares Madagascar a protectorate |
| 1875 | Violent bread riots in Montreal |
| 1865 | Franz Schubert's "Unvolendete" Symphony," premieres |
| 1864 | Battle of Franklin, TN |
| 1862 | General U.S. Grant issues order #11, expelling Jews from Tennessee |
| 1860 | Anaheim Township created in Los Angeles County |
| 1852 | 1st Hawaiian cavalry organized |
| 1832 | HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin sails in Strait Le Maire |
| 1821 | Kentucky abolishes debtors prisons |
| 1819 | Congress of Angostura establishes Colombia's independence from Spain |
| 1798 | 1st impeachment trial against a U.S. senator (Wm Blount, TN) begins |
| 1792 | Opening of 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city |
| 1791 | New York City traffic regulation creates 1st 1-way street |
| 1790 | Aztec calendar stone discovered in Mexico City |
| 1788 | Russian army of Grigorij Potemkin occupies Ocharov |
| 1777 | France recognizes independence of English colonies in America |
| 1777 | ,George Washingtons army returns to Valley Forge Pennsylvania |
| 1745 | Bonnie Prince Charles army retreats to Scotland |
| 1728 | Congregation Shearith Israel of New York purchases a lot on Mill Street in lower Manhattan, to build New York's 1st synagogue |
| 1718 | England declares war on Spain |
| 1638 | French/Swedish troops occupy Breisach on the Rhine |
| 1587 | Earl Leicesters army leaves Netherlands |
| 1572 | Spanish army begins fires in Haarlem Netherlands |
| 1538 | Pope Paul III excommunicated England's King Henry VIII |
| 1526 | Ferdinand of Austria chosen as King of Bohemia |
| 1526 | Pope Clemens VII publishes degree Cum ad zero - forms Inquisition |
| 283 | St. Gaius begins his reign as Catholic Pope |
December 17th Birthdays in History
| 1981 | Emma Laaksonen, ice hockey defenseman, Finland, 1998 Olympics |
| 1979 | Cheri Vivette Alexander, Miss District of Columbia Teen USA 1997 |
| 1975 | Milla Jovovich, born in Kiev, Ukraine, actress, Return to Blue Lagoon, Chaplin |
| 1975 | Napiera Danielle Groves, Miss USA-Washington D.C., 1997, Miss Congeniality |
| 1975 | Nick Farrell, East York Ontario, boxer 1996 Olympics |
| 1974 | Giovonni Ribisi, actor, Cory-My 2 Dads, New Leave it To Beaver |
| 1974 | Giovanni Ribisi, American Actor |
| 1973 | Paula Radcliffe, English Athlete |
| 1972 | Brian Williams, NFL linebacker, Green Bay Packers Superbowl 31 |
| 1972 | Dewayne Washington, cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings |
| 1972 | Don Davis, linebacker for the New Orleans Saints |
| 1972 | Ivan Pedroso, Cuba, long jumper, Olympics-4th-92 |
| 1971 | Alyson Habetz, Crowley, Louisiana, female pitcher, Colorado Silver Bullets |
| 1971 | Carl Reeves, NFL defensive end for the Chicago Bears |
| 1971 | Mark Byers, WLAF linebacker for the Frankfurt Galaxy |
| 1971 | Nikki McCray, Collierville Tennessee, basketball guard, 1996 Olympics gold |
| 1971 | Sari Kristiina Fisk, ice hockey defenseman, Finland, 1998 Olympics |
| 1971 | Tony Richardson, NFL fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1970 | Benedictine, St. Bernard]; becomes heaviest known dog, 137 kg |
| 1970 | Earl Dotson, NFL tackle, Green Bay Packers Superbowl 31 |
| 1970 | Michael Mols, soccer player, FC Twente |
| 1970 | Sean Patrick Thomas, American Actor |
| 1969 | Dean Wilson, Kaneohe Hawaii, golfer, 1991 Western Athletic |
| 1969 | Marc Davis, Oceanside California, 3K steeplechase runner, Goodwill-gold-94 |
| 1969 | Marty Carter, NFL safety for the Chicago Bears |
| 1969 | Rob Maas, Dutch soccer player, Feyenoord |
| 1969 | Scott Player, WLAF punter for the Frankfurt Galaxy |
| 1968 | Curtis Pride, Washington D.C., outfielder for the Detroit Tigers |
| 1968 | Jeff[rey] Klepacki, Kearny, New Jersey, rower, Olympics-1992, 1996 |
| 1967 | Alan Nolet, born in Toronto, Ontario, gymnast 1996 Olympics |
| 1967 | Pauline Maurice, Welland Ontario, softball outfielder 1996 Olympics |
| 1967 | Vincent Damphousse, Montreal, NHL center, Montreal Canadiens |
| 1966 | Hans Visser, Dutch soccer player, MVV, FC Utrecht |
| 1966 | Tracy Byrd, born in Vidor, Texas, Tracy Lynn Byrd, country singer, musician, known for Number One Billboard hit single 'Holdin' Heaven', recorded nine studio albums, 30 hit singles, 11 top ten hits |
| 1965 | Craig Berube, Calahoo, NHL left wing for the Washington Capitals |
| 1965 | Jeff Grayer, NBA guard, Charlotte Hornets, Olympics-bronze-1988 |
| 1965 | Scott Edward Gump, Rockledge, Florida, PGA golfer, 1991 International-2nd |
| 1964 | Eric Brown, born in New York City, actor, Buzz-Mama's Family |
| 1964 | Frank Musil, born in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia, NHL defenseman, Ottawa Senators |
| 1964 | Joe Wolf, NBA forward and center, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets |
| 1964 | Tyrone Braxton, NFL safety, Denver Broncos Superbowl 32 |
| 1962 | Giulla Boschi, Italian actress, Act of Contrition, Bonus Malus |
| 1962 | Rocco Anthony Mediate, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, PGA golfer, 1991 Doral-Ryder |
| 1962 | Richard Jewell, American Celebrity |
| 1961 | Sarah Dallin, rocker, Bananarama-Venus |
| 1961 | Venice Kong, St. Mary Jamaica, playmate, September, 1985 |
| 1959 | Albert King, actor, BB King and Friends, Blues Alive |
| 1959 | Michelle Mackall, Washington D.C., LPGA golfer, 1995 Friendly's-32nd |
| 1959 | Tammie Green, Somerset, Ohio, LPGA golfer, 1989 du Maurier Ltd Classic |
| 1958 | Mike Mills, U.S. pop bassist, REM-One I Love |
| 1957 | Bob Ojeda, pitcher for the New York Mets |
| 1956 | Patrick Murray, British Actor |
| 1956 | Peter Farrelly, American Director |
| 1954 | Bill Pullman, actor, Sommersby, League of their Own, Independence Day |
| 1953 | Barry Livingston, born in Los Angeles, California, actor, Ernie-My 3 Sons |
| 1953 | Mark Gane, born in Toronto, Canada, rocker, M+M |
| 1952 | Hans Alders, Dutch minister of environment, PvdA |
| 1952 | Mickey Jones, Washington D.C., rock bassist |
| 1951 | Tatyana Kazankina, U.S.S.R., middle distance runner, Gold Medal 1976 Olympics |
| 1950 | Carlton Barrett, Jamaicans reggae drummer, Bob Marley and Wailers |
| 1949 | Paul Rodgers, Engl, rocker, Bad Company-Feel Like Makin Love, Firm |
| 1948 | Jim Bonfanti, rocker, Raspberries-Go All the Way |
| 1947 | Marilyn Hassett, LA Ca, actress, Bell Jar, Other Side of Mt |
| 1947 | Simon Bates, born in Birmingham, English, UK disc jockey, worked at BBC Radio 1 1976 - 1993, and Classic FM |
| 1947 | Wes Studi, actor, Last of the Mohicans |
| 1946 | Albert Padmore, cricketer, WI off-spinner mid-70s |
| 1946 | Eugene Levy, born in Hamilton, Canada, comedian/writer, SCTV |
| 1946 | Andrew Gould, Businessman |
| 1945 | Christopher Cazenove, England, actor, Ben-Dynasty |
| 1945 | Ernie Hudson, Benton Harbor, Michigan, actor, Ghostbusters, Weeds |
| 1945 | Chris Matthews, American Journalist |
| 1944 | Ference Bene, Hungary, record 12 soccer goals 1964 Olympic gold |
| 1944 | Jack L[aurence] Chalker, U.S., sci-fi author, Saga of Well World |
| 1943 | Dave Dee, born in Wiltshire, England, singer, songwriter, guitarist, member of the chart-topping British pop/rock band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich |
| 1942 | Bernard Hill, Manchester, actor, Bellman and True, New World, Bounty |
| 1942 | Paul Butterfield, born in Chicago, blues musician, Better Days |
| 1939 | Eddie Kendricks, Alabama, rocker, Temptations-My Girl, Boogie Down |
| 1939 | James Booker, New Orleans, R and B musician, Gonzo |
| 1939 | Novella Nelson, born in Brooklyn, New York, actress, Nellie Cole-Chiefs |
| 1937 | Art Neville, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, vocalist, Neville Brothers |
| 1937 | Kerry Packer, Australian Businessman |
| 1936 | Frank Martinus Arion, F Efraim M, Antilles, writer, Double Play |
| 1936 | Roland Sheldon, pitcher, New York Yankees |
| 1936 | Tommy Steele, London, singer and actor, a Sixpence, Finian's Rainbow |
| 1935 | Cal Ripken Sr, baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles |
| 1933 | Bruce Morrison, cricketer, one Test New Zealand vs. England 1963 |
| 1933 | Paul Snoek, Belgian poet |
| 1931 | Yvonne Keuls, Bamberg, Dutch writer, Jan Rap and Co |
| 1930 | Bob Guccione, Robert C J Edwa, U.S. publisher, Penthouse, Omni |
| 1930 | Julia Meade, actress/TV hostess, Spotlight Playhouse |
| 1929 | William Safire, political columnist, New York Times, speech writer, Nixon |
| 1928 | Marilyn Beck, newspaper columnist |
| 1928 | George Lindsey, American Actor |
| 1927 | Richard Long, born in Chicago, Illinois, actor, Nanny and the Professor |
| 1926 | Patrice Wymore, Miltonville, Kansas, actress, The Big Tree |
| 1925 | Rijk de Gooyer, Dutch actor, Black Rider, Rififi in Amsterdam |
| 1922 | Eric Brand, diplomat |
| 1922 | Hubert H. A. Beckers, Curaeaoan opera singer |
| 1920 | Armin Mueller-Stahl, Tilsit East Prussia, actor, Kafka, Music Box |
| 1917 | Louis Salvador Palange, composer |
| 1916 | Antoine G T "Toon" Hermans, Dutch entertainer/poet, Kolderliedjes |
| 1916 | Penelope Fitzgerald, English Poet |
| 1915 | Robert A. Dahl, American Writer |
| 1914 | Mushtaq Ali, cricketer, prolific Indian batsman of 30's and 40's |
| 1911 | William Roerick, actor, Guiding Light |
| 1910 | Keki Khursedji Tarapore, cricketer, 0-72 in his only Test for India |
| 1909 | Ferdinand H Aus der Funten, German war criminal, Breda 4 |
| 1908 | Willard Frank Libby, inventor, carbon-14 "atomic clock", Nobel 1960, |
| 1908 | William Brocklesby Wordsworth, composer |
| 1908 | Willard Libby, American Scientist |
| 1908 | Sylvia Ashton-Warner, born in Stratford, New Zealand, New Zealand educator, poet, and writer |
| 1906 | Fernando Lopez-Garcia, composer |
| 1905 | Joseph Heifitz, film director |
| 1904 | Dmitri B Kabalevsky, St. Petersburg Russia, composer, In the Fire, |
| 1904 | Paul Cadmus, New York City, etcher/painter, Sailors and Floozies |
| 1903 | Erskine P Caldwell, author, Tobacco Road, God's Little Acre |
| 1900 | Lucijan Marija Skerjanc, Yugoslavia, composer and conductor |
| 1895 | David Butler, born in San Francisco, California, director, April in Paris, Calamity Jane |
| 1894 | Arthur Fiedler, born in Boston, Massachusetts, conductor, Boston Pops |
| 1894 | Hans Henny Jahnn, writer |
| 1894 | Hans [Henry] Kramers, Dutch theoretical physicist, quantum mechanics |
| 1894 | Willem Schermerhorn, Netherlands premier, 1945-46 |
| 1893 | Erwin Piscator, German stage director, Der Stellvertreter |
| 1891 | Robertson Hare, born in London, England, actor, Our Girl Friday, Banana Ridge |
| 1891 | Hu Shih, Chinese Philosopher |
| 1889 | Vaslav F Nijinski, Ukraine/US ballet dancer, l'apres-midi d'une faune |
| 1881 | Aubrey Faulkner, cricketer, great South Africa all-rounder early 20th cent |
| 1881 | Johannes CB "Jan" Sluyters, Dutch painter |
| 1876 | Julio A. Peixoto, Brazilian writer, O esfinge |
| 1874 | William Lyon Mackenzie King, L, 10th Canadian PM, 1921-30, 1935-48 |
| 1873 | Ford Madox Ford, England, novelist/editor, Inheritors |
| 1869 | Nikolay Ivanovich Kazanli, composer |
| 1864 | John Felix August Korling, composer |
| 1861 | Fritz Volbach, German musicologist/conductor/composer |
| 1859 | Willem C Grunings, Curacaos publisher, People's Friend |
| 1853 | Herbert Beerbohm Tree, England, actor/theater manager, Trilby |
| 1848 | Frederick Grant Gleason, composer |
| 1842 | Marius Sophus Lie, Norwegian mathematician, continous groups |
| 1840 | Christian Frederik Emil Horneman, composer |
| 1838 | Berthold Tours, composer |
| 1835 | Alexander E Agassiz, U.S., businessman/biologist/geology |
| 1833 | James Thadeus Holtzclaw, Brigadier General Confederate Army |
| 1830 | Jules de Goncourt, France, novelist, Germinie |
| 1824 | John Kerr, System physicist, electro-visually Kerr-effect |
| 1824 | Manning Ferguson Force, Major General Union volunteers |
| 1824 | Thomas Starr King, New York, Unitarian clergyman, Christianity and Humanity |
| 1821 | Frederick West Lander, Brigadier General Union volunteers |
| 1820 | Frederick Tracy Dent, Brigadier General Union volunteers |
| 1819 | Samuel Jones, Major General Confederate Army |
| 1807 | John Greenleaf Whittier, U.S., poet, Snow-bound |
| 1801 | Johan NMJ, king of Saxon, 1854-73, translated Divina Commedia |
| 1800 | Gergely Czuczor, Hungarian/Czechoslovakian poet/translator, Great Hung dictionary |
| 1797 | Joseph Henry, U.S., scientist/inventor/pioneer of electromagnetism |
| 1796 | Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Canadian Author |
| 1778 | Hunphry Davy, English chemist, discovered some elements |
| 1770 | Johann Friedrich Schubert, composer |
| 1770 | Ludwig Van Beethoven, composer, 5th Symphony, Ode to Joy |
| 1749 | Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer, Il Matrimonio Segreto |
| 1734 | William Floyd, U.S. soldier/signer, Declaration of Independence |
| 1706 | Chatelet, la belle Emilie, French writer |
| 1706 | Gabrielle Chatelet, La belle Emilie, French writer, Voltaire |
| 1638 | Johann Ulrich Sultzberger, composer |
| 1619 | Ruprecht, prince of Palts/admiral/chemist/engraver/mathematician |
| 1554 | Ernst of Bayern, prince/bishop of Liege/archbishop of Cologne |
| 1493 | Philippus A. Paracelsus, Swiss physician/alchemist, Liber paramixum |
December 17th Deaths in History
| 2008 | Sammy Baugh, dies in Texas, at 94 |
| 2004 | Tom Wesselmann, American Artist |
| 1999 | Grover Washington, Jr, jazz musician, Aria, dies at 56 |
| 1999 | Rex Allen, actor/voice, dies at 78 |
| 1997 | Reginald Victor Jones, scientist, dies at 86 |
| 1996 | Elizabeth Hill, teacher of Salvonic languages, dies at 96 |
| 1996 | Francesco Siciliani, opera administrator, dies at 85 |
| 1996 | Irving Caesar, songwriter, dies at 101 |
| 1996 | Michael Saunders, barrister, dies at 22 |
| 1996 | Ruby Murray, singer, dies at 61 |
| 1996 | Stanko Todorov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria 1971 - 1981, dies |
| 1995 | Lila Clark Knapp, publisher, dies at 63 |
| 1994 | Jan Wiegel, director/producer (Uninhabitable Country), dies at 64 |
| 1993 | Frederik JW "Fried" Lowensteyn, Dutch lawyer/writer, dies at 71 |
| 1993 | Janet Margolin, U.S. actress (Annie Hall), dies at 50 of ovarian cancer |
| 1992 | Dana Andrews, U.S. actor (Laura), dies of pneumonia at 83 |
| 1991 | John Blatnik, (Rep-Minnesota, 1947-75), dies at 80 |
| 1990 | Don Draper, actor (Pepper Agent 00X), dies of AIDS at 61 |
| 1990 | Mieke Verstraete, Belgian/Netherlands actress (Pleasant Settled), dies at 79 |
| 1987 | Bernard Cardinal Alfrink, archbishop of Utrecht, Netherlands, dies at 87 |
| 1987 | Marguerite Yourcenard, author (Memoirs of Hadrien), dies at 84 |
| 1986 | Ron Kass, record co President (MGM), dies at 52 of cancer |
| 1985 | Otto Gotsche, writer, dies |
| 1982 | Leonid B Kogan, Russian violist, dies at 58 |
| 1982 | Philipp Jarnach, composer, dies at 90 |
| 1978 | Don Ellis, American Musician |
| 1975 | Frank Sully, actor (Parachute Nurse, Inside the Law), dies at 67 |
| 1975 | Noble Sissle, jazz musician, dies at 86 |
| 1973 | Charles G Abbot, U.S. astronomer (Sun Constant), dies at 101 |
| 1973 | Patrick Hadley, composer, dies at 74 |
| 1972 | Erwin Dressel, composer, dies at 63 |
| 1969 | Arturo da Costa e Silva, President of Brazil (1967-69), dies at 67 |
| 1967 | Harold Holt, Australian premier (1966-67), drowns at 59 |
| 1967 | [Francis] Barry Byrne, Chicago, Illinois, architect, dies at 83 |
| 1967 | Harold Edward Holt, Australian Politician |
| 1966 | Gustaf Paulson, composer, dies at 68 |
| 1965 | Tito [Raffaele A] Schipa, Italian tenor/composer (Rondine), dies at 76 |
| 1964 | Alexander Meiklejohn, English Philosopher |
| 1964 | Victor Francis Hess, American Physicist |
| 1962 | Thomas Mitchell, U.S., actor (Outlaw), dies of cancer at 70 |
| 1961 | Marion Perkins, sculptor (Man of Sorrow), dies at 53 |
| 1957 | Dorothy Sayers, Atherton Fleming, author (Whose body), dies at 64 |
| 1957 | Dorothy L. Sayers, British Author |
| 1956 | Eddie Acuff, actor (Guns of Pecos), dies at 48 |
| 1949 | David Stanley Smith, composer, dies at 72 |
| 1948 | Edgar Istel, composer, dies at 68 |
| 1946 | Constance [Clara] Garnett, Russian-English translator, dies at 84 |
| 1944 | Pieter A Roodenburgh, student/resistance fighter, dies at 26 |
| 1944 | Vassily V Kandinsky, Russian/German/French painter, dies |
| 1937 | Gerard Vissering, banker/president of Dutch Bank, dies at 72 |
| 1933 | Hans Vaihinger, German philosopher (Side-Studies), dies at 81 |
| 1930 | Peter Warlock, composer, dies at 36 |
| 1926 | Alexandr Dmitriyevich Kastal'sky, composer, dies at 70 |
| 1916 | Grigori Efimovich Rasputin, Russian monk, assassinated |
| 1913 | Stefano Gobatti, composer, dies at 61 |
| 1907 | Kelvin of Largs, William Thomson, Br physicist (Kelvin), dies at 83 |
| 1899 | Frederick "Freddy" Roberts, son of British field marshal, dies in battle |
| 1893 | Levinus T Keuchenius, Dutch Minister of Colonies (1888-90), dies at 71 |
| 1891 | Msiri, king of Garanganja (Katanga), dies in battle |
| 1891 | Omer Bodson, Belgian captain, dies in battle |
| 1881 | Lewis H Morgan, U.S. ethnologist (Iroquois-indians), dies at 62 |
| 1870 | Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante, composer, dies at 75 |
| 1847 | Marie Louise, French Royalty |
| 1833 | Kaspar Hauser, German son of grand duke Karel of Bathe, murdered at 21 |
| 1830 | Simon Bolivar, president (Colombia), dies at 47 in Colombia |
| 1829 | Bernard Jumentier, composer, dies at 80 |
| 1811 | John Antes, composer, dies at 71 |
| 1811 | Louis-Abet Deffroy de Reigny, composer, dies at 54 |
| 1751 | Kilian I von Dientzenhofer, Czechoslovakian master builder, dies at 62 |
| 1711 | Arnold Moonen, vicar/literature (Defeated German Spraekkunst), dies |
| 1679 | Don Juan, ruler of Spain, dies |
| 1651 | Wolfgang Schonsleder, composer, dies at 81 |
| 1562 | Adrian Willaert, Flemish singer/bandmaster/composer, dies at about 82 |
| 1471 | Isabella of Portugal, duchess of Burgundy, dies |
| 1273 | Rumi, Mawlana, Mawlawi, poet, theologian, wrote, the six books of the Masnavi, influenced Persian literature, dies |
| 1213 | Jean de Matha, French saint, dies at 53 |
| 1195 | Boudouin V, count of Hainault/Flanders (Boudouin VIII), dies |
| 1187 | Gregory VIII, Alberto de Morra, Italian Pope (1187), dies |
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