On This Day — December 4

🕰️ Notable Events on December 4

• 2015 — A firebomb is thrown into a restaurant in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, killing 17 people. Wikipedia ↗
• 2014 — Islamic insurgents kill three state police at a traffic circle before taking an empty school and a "press house" in Grozny. Ten state forces die with 28 injured in gun battles ending with ten insurgents killed. Wikipedia ↗
• 2006 — Six black youths assault a white teenager in Jena, Louisiana. Wikipedia ↗
• 2005 — Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the government to allow universal and equal suffrage. Wikipedia ↗
• 1998 — The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched. Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 U.S. troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Terry A. Anderson is released after seven years in captivity as a hostage in Beirut; he is the last and longest-held American hostage in Lebanon. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Pan American World Airways ceases its operations after 64 years. Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers kill 107-150 civilians in Mannar. Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — The People's Republic of China adopts its current constitution. Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa). Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — The Hastie fire in Hull kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee. Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco's first female mayor. Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire. Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 is hijacked and crashes in Tanjong Kupang, Johor, killing 100. Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — The Indian Navy attacks the Pakistan Navy and Karachi. Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot and killed during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers. Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Vietnam War: U.S. and South Vietnamese forces engage Viet Cong troops in the Mekong Delta. Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — The Grateful Dead's first concert performance under this new name. Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studio for the first and last time. Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — The first Burger King is opened in Miami. Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — By a vote of 65-7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations. (The UN had been established on October 24, 1945.) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — World War II: In Yugoslavia, resistance leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito proclaims a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile. Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt closes down the Works Progress Administration, because of the high levels of wartime employment in the United States. Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — World War II: Carlson's patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends. Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — World War II: HMS Nelson is struck by a mine (laid by U-31) off the Scottish coast and is laid up for repairs until August 1940. Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office. Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — In Canadian football, the First Grey Cup game is played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, 26-6. Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, the oldest surviving professional hockey franchise in the world, is founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association. Wikipedia ↗
• 1906 — Alpha Phi Alpha the first black intercollegiate Greek lettered fraternity was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Wikipedia ↗
• 1893 — First Matabele War: A patrol of 34 British South Africa Company soldiers is ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors on the Shangani River in Matabeleland. Wikipedia ↗
• 1881 — The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published. Wikipedia ↗
• 1875 — Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison; he is later recaptured in Spain. Wikipedia ↗
• 1872 — The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the Canadian brig Dei Gratia. The ship had been abandoned for nine days but was only slightly damaged. Wikipedia ↗
• 1867 — Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange). Wikipedia ↗
• 1864 — American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: At Waynesboro, Georgia, forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevent troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign destroying a wide swath of the South on his march to the Atlantic Ocean from Atlanta. Wikipedia ↗
• 1829 — In the face of fierce local opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that anyone who abets suttee in Bengal is guilty of culpable homicide. Wikipedia ↗
• 1791 — The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published. Wikipedia ↗
• 1786 — Mission Santa Barbara is dedicated (on the feast day of Saint Barbara). Wikipedia ↗
• 1783 — At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, U.S. General George Washington bids farewell to his officers. Wikipedia ↗
• 1745 — Charles Edward Stuart's army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the Second Jacobite Rising. Wikipedia ↗
• 1676 — Battle of Lund: A Danish army under the command of King Christian V engages the Swedish army commanded by Field Marshal Simon Grundel-Helmfelt. Wikipedia ↗
• 1674 — Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek. (The mission would later grow into the city of Chicago.) Wikipedia ↗
• 1619 — Thirty-eight colonists arrive at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia. The group's charter proclaims that the day "be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." Wikipedia ↗
• 1563 — The final session of the Council of Trent is held. (It had opened on December 13, 1545.) Wikipedia ↗
• 1259 — Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels. Wikipedia ↗
• 1110 — The Kingdom of Jerusalem captures Sidon. Wikipedia ↗
• 771 — Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne king of the now complete Frankish Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on December 4

• 1595 — Jean Chapelain, French poet and critic (d. 1674) Wikipedia ↗
• 1585 — John Cotton, English-American minister and theologian (d. 1652) Wikipedia ↗
• 1580 — Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (d. 1626) Wikipedia ↗
• 1575 — Sister Virginia Maria, Italian nun (d. 1650) Wikipedia ↗
• 1555 — Heinrich Meibom, German poet and historian (d. 1625) Wikipedia ↗
• 1506 — Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Chiche (d. 1558) Wikipedia ↗
• 1428 — Bernard VII, Lord of Lippe (d. 1511) Wikipedia ↗
• Persius, Roman poet (d. 62) Wikipedia ↗

🕯️ Notable Deaths on December 4

• 2016 — Patricia Robins, British writer and WAAF officer (b. 1921). Wikipedia ↗
• 2015 — Bill Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of British Columbia (b. 1932) Wikipedia ↗
• 2015 — Robert Loggia, American actor and director (b. 1930) Wikipedia ↗
• 2015 — Yossi Sarid, Israeli journalist and politician, 15th Israeli Minister of Education (b. 1940) Wikipedia ↗
• 2014 — Claudia Emerson, American poet and academic (b. 1957) Wikipedia ↗
• 2014 — V. R. Krishna Iyer, Indian lawyer and judge (b. 1914) Wikipedia ↗
• 2014 — Vincent L. McKusick, American lawyer and judge (b. 1921) Wikipedia ↗
• 2014 — Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (b. 1929) Wikipedia ↗
• 2013 — Joana Raspall i Juanola, Spanish author and poet (b. 1913) Wikipedia ↗
• 2012 — Vasily Belov, Russian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1932) Wikipedia ↗
• 2012 — Jack Brooks, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (b. 1922) Wikipedia ↗
• 2012 — Miguel Calero, Colombian footballer and manager (b. 1971) Wikipedia ↗
• 2012 — Anthony Deane-Drummond, English general (b. 1917) Wikipedia ↗
• 2012 — Carroll E. Lanier, American sailor and politician (b. 1926) Wikipedia ↗
• 2011 — Sócrates, Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1954) Wikipedia ↗
• 2011 — Hubert Sumlin, American singer and guitarist (b. 1931) Wikipedia ↗
• 2010 — King Curtis Iaukea, American wrestler (b. 1937) Wikipedia ↗
• 2009 — Liam Clancy, Irish singer, actor, and guitarist (b. 1935) Wikipedia ↗
• 2006 — K. Ganeshalingam, Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo (b. 1938) Wikipedia ↗
• 2006 — Ross A. McGinnis, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
• 2005 — Errol Brathwaite, New Zealand soldier and author (b. 1924) Wikipedia ↗
• 2005 — Gregg Hoffman, American film producer (b. 1963) Wikipedia ↗
• 2004 — Elena Souliotis, Greek soprano and actress (b. 1943) Wikipedia ↗
• 2003 — Iggy Katona, American race car driver (b. 1916) Wikipedia ↗
• 2000 — Henck Arron, Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname (b. 1936) Wikipedia ↗
• 1999 — Rose Bird, American academic and judge, 25th Chief Justice of California (b. 1936) Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Margaret Landon, American missionary and author (b. 1903) Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Frank Zappa, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1940) Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Henry Clausen, American lawyer and author (b. 1905) Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (b. 1899) Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Arnold Lobel, American author and illustrator (b. 1933) Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Rouben Mamoulian, Georgian-American director and screenwriter (b. 1897) Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Jack Mercer, American animator, screenwriter, voice actor, and singer (b. 1910) Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Jeanne Block, American psychologist (b. 1923) Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Francisco de Sá Carneiro, Portuguese lawyer and politician, 111th Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1934) Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Stanisława Walasiewicz, Polish-American runner (b. 1911) Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Don Warrington, Canadian football player (b. 1948) Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Tommy Bolin, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1951) Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Benjamin Britten, English pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1913) Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — W. F. McCoy, Irish soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1886) Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Hannah Arendt, German-American historian, theorist, and academic (b. 1906) Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Shunryū Suzuki, Japanese-American monk and educator, founded the San Francisco Zen Center (b. 1904) Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Bert Lahr, American actor (b. 1895) Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Constance Davey, Australian psychologist (b. 1882) Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — József Galamb, Hungarian-American engineer (b. 1881) Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — George Shepherd, 1st Baron Shepherd (b. 1881) Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Frank Benford, American physicist and engineer (b. 1883) Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Thomas Hunt Morgan, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1866) Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Roger Bresnahan, American baseball player and manager (b. 1879) Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Juhan Kukk, Estonian politician, 3rd Head of State of Estonia (b. 1885) Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Fritz Löhner-Beda, Jewish Austrian librettist, lyricist and writer (b. 1883) Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Tamanishiki San'emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna (b. 1903) Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1864) Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — Charles Richet, French physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1850) Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Stefan George, German-Swiss poet and translator (b. 1868) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter (b. 1861) Wikipedia ↗
• 1902 — Charles Dow, American journalist and publisher, co-founded the Dow Jones & Company (b. 1851) Wikipedia ↗
• 1897 — Griffith Rhys Jones, Welsh conductor (b. 1834) Wikipedia ↗
• 1893 — John Tyndall, Irish-English physicist and chemist (b. 1820) Wikipedia ↗
• 1850 — William Sturgeon, English physicist, invented the electric motor (b. 1783) Wikipedia ↗
• 1845 — Gregor MacGregor, Scottish soldier and explorer (b. 1786) Wikipedia ↗
• 1841 — David Daniel Davis, Welsh-English physician and academic (b. 1777) Wikipedia ↗
• 1828 — Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1770) Wikipedia ↗
• 1798 — Luigi Galvani, Italian physician, physicist, and philosopher (b. 1737) Wikipedia ↗
• 1732 — John Gay, English poet and playwright (b. 1685) Wikipedia ↗
• 1696 — Empress Meishō of Japan (b. 1624) Wikipedia ↗
• 1680 — Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (b. 1616) Wikipedia ↗
• 1679 — Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher and theorist (b. 1588) Wikipedia ↗
• 1649 — William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (b. 1585) Wikipedia ↗
• 1642 — Cardinal Richelieu, French cardinal and politician, Chief Minister to the French Monarch (b. 1585) Wikipedia ↗
• 1637 — Nicholas Ferrar, English trader (b. 1592) Wikipedia ↗
• 1609 — Alexander Hume, Scottish poet (b. 1560) Wikipedia ↗
• 1603 — Maerten de Vos, Flemish painter and draughtsman (b. 1532) Wikipedia ↗
• 1585 — John Willock, Scottish minister and reformer (b. 1515) Wikipedia ↗
• 1576 — Georg Joachim Rheticus, Austrian-Slovak mathematician and cartographer (b. 1514) Wikipedia ↗
• 1459 — Adolphus VIII, Count of Holstein (b. 1401) Wikipedia ↗
• 1456 — Charles I, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1401) Wikipedia ↗
• 1408 — Valentina Visconti, wife of Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans Wikipedia ↗
• 1341 — Janisław I, Archbishop of Gniezno Wikipedia ↗
• 1340 — Henry Burghersh, English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1292) Wikipedia ↗
• 1334 — Pope John XXII (b. 1249) Wikipedia ↗
• 1270 — Theobald II of Navarre (b. 1238) Wikipedia ↗
• 1260 — Aymer de Valence, Bishop of Winchester (b. 1222) Wikipedia ↗
• 1214 — William the Lion, Scottish king (b. 1143) Wikipedia ↗
• 1131 — Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1048) Wikipedia ↗
• 1075 — Anno II, German archbishop and saint (b. 1010) Wikipedia ↗
• 870 — Suairlech ind Eidnén mac Ciaráin, Irish bishop Wikipedia ↗
• 771 — Carloman I, Frankish king (b. 751) Wikipedia ↗
• 749 — John of Damascus, Syrian priest and saint (b. 676) Wikipedia ↗
• Cyrus the Great, king of Persia (b. 600 BC) Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on December 4 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on December 4

✡️ Religious Observances

• Jewish: Chanukah: 1 Candle