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On This Day in History — December 10

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Highlights of December 10

2021 — A tornado strikes an Amazon warehouse during increased holiday demand, killing six sheltering workers. Read more
1993 — The video game Doom, later considered the "father" of the first-person shooter genre, is released. Read more
1992 — Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan establishes the Marriage Fund in the United Arab Emirates in response to rising wedding prices. Read more
1989 — At the first open pro-democracy demonstration in Mongolia, journalist Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the formation of the Mongolian Democratic Union, which would be instrumental in ending communist rule four months later. Read more
1983 — Raúl Alfonsín (pictured) became the first democratically elected president of Argentina to take office after more than seven years of military dictatorship. Read more
1970 — Around the northern Thai village of Mae Salong, remnants of Chinese anti-communist forces now fighting on behalf of the Thai government launched a five-year campaign against local communist insurgents. Read more
1967 — Soul and blues singer, Otis Redding, along with members of his back-up group, The Bar-Kays, are killed when their helicopter crashes in Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. Read more
1942 — Edward Raczyński of the Polish government-in-exile issued a note that was the first official report on the Holocaust. Read more
1941 — Second World War: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers east of Malaya. Read more
1936 — Edward VIII, desiring to marry the American socialite Wallis Simpson against widespread British opposition, signed the instrument of abdication to renounce the throne in favour of his brother George VI. Read more
1932 — The conclusion of the Emu War, after the Australian Government ordered the withdrawal of all Australian forces from the conflict. Read more
1911 — Calbraith Perry Rodgers completed the first transcontinental flight across the United States. Read more
1907 — During the Brown Dog affair, protesters marched through London and clashed with police officers in Trafalgar Square over the existence of a memorial for animals that had been vivisected. Read more
1901 — On the fifth anniversary of the death of their founder, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm. Read more
1890 — The New York World Building, the then-tallest building in the United States at a height of 110 meters, was completed in New York City. Read more
1884 — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Finn depicted) by American author Mark Twain was first published in the United Kingdom and Canada, two months earlier than in the US. Read more
1861 — Militia forces led by Nguyễn Trung Trực, an anti-colonial leader in southern Vietnam, sank the French lorcha L'Esperance. Read more
1848 — Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte won France's first presidential election, and was elected as the first and only president of the French Second Republic. Read more
1768 — The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was released in Edinburgh. Read more
1684 — Edmond Halley presented the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, containing Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, to the Royal Society. Read more
1508 — The Papal States, France, Aragon and the Holy Roman Empire formed the League of Cambrai, an alliance against the Republic of Venice. Read more

Events

2021 — A widespread, deadly, and violent tornado outbreak slams the Central, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States. Eighty-nine people are killed by the tornadoes, with most of the fatalities occurring in Kentucky, where a single tornado kills 57 people, and injures hundreds of others. Another tornado in Edwardsville, Illinois strikes an Amazon warehouse, killing six workers. Read more
2019 — The Ostrava hospital attack in the Czech Republic results in eight deaths, including the perpetrator. Read more
2017 — ISIL is defeated in Iraq. Read more
2016 — Two explosions outside a football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, kill 38 people and injure 166 others. Read more
2015 — Rojava conflict: The Syrian Democratic Council is established in Dêrik, forming the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria. Read more
2014 — Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ein is killed after the suppression of a demonstration by Israeli forces in the village (Turmus'ayya) in Ramallah. Read more
2005 — Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crashes at Port Harcourt International Airport in Nigeria, killing 108 people. Read more
1999 — Helen Clark is sworn in as Prime Minister of New Zealand, the second woman to hold the post and the first following an election. Read more
1996 — The new Constitution of South Africa is promulgated by Nelson Mandela. Read more
1995 — The Israeli army withdraws from Nablus pursuant to the terms of Oslo Accord. Read more
1994 — Rwandan genocide: Maurice Baril, military advisor to the U.N. Secretary-General and head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, recommends that UNAMIR stand down. Read more
1993 — The last shift leaves Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland. The closure of the 156-year-old pit marks the end of the old County Durham coalfield, which had been in operation since the Middle Ages. Read more
1992 — Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan establishes the Marriage Fund in the United Arab Emirates in response to rising wedding prices. Read more
1991 — The Nagorno-Karabakh independence referendum is held, with 99.98% voting in favor of independence. Read more
1991 — Nursultan Nazarbayev is sworn in as the 1st President of Kazakhstan. Read more
1991 — The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic is renamed into the Republic of Kazakhstan. Read more
1989 — Mongolian Revolution: At the country's first open pro-democracy public demonstration, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announces the establishment of the Mongolian Democratic Union. Read more
1984 — United Nations General Assembly recognizes the Convention against Torture. Read more
1983 — Democracy is restored in Argentina with the inauguration of President Raúl Alfonsín. Read more
1979 — Kaohsiung Incident: Taiwanese pro-democracy demonstrations are suppressed by the KMT dictatorship, and organizers are arrested. Read more
1978 — Arab–Israeli conflict: Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin and President of Egypt Anwar Sadat are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Read more
1968 — Japan's biggest heist, the still-unsolved "300 million yen robbery", is carried out in Tokyo. Read more
1963 — Zanzibar gains independence from the United Kingdom as a constitutional monarchy, under Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah. Read more
1963 — An assassination attempt on the British High Commissioner in Aden kills two people and wounds dozens more. Read more
1953 — British Prime Minister Winston Churchill receives the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
1949 — Chinese Civil War: The People's Liberation Army begins its siege of Chengdu, the last Kuomintang-held city in mainland China, forcing President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and his government to retreat to Taiwan. Read more
1948 — The Human Rights Convention is signed by the United Nations. Read more
1942 — World War II: Government of Poland in exile send Raczyński's Note (the first official report on the Holocaust) to 26 governments who signed the Declaration by United Nations. Read more
1941 — World War II: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers near British Malaya. Read more
1941 — World War II: Battle of the Philippines: Imperial Japanese forces under the command of General Masaharu Homma land on Luzon. Read more
1936 — Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII signs the Instrument of Abdication. Read more
1932 — Thailand becomes a constitutional monarchy. Read more
1909 — Selma Lagerlöf becomes the first female writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
1907 — The worst night of the Brown Dog riots in London, when 1,000 medical students, protesting against the existence of a memorial for animals that have been vivisected, clash with 400 police officers. Read more
1906 — U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the mediation of the Russo-Japanese War, becoming the first American to win a Nobel Prize in any field. Read more
1902 — The opening of the reservoir of the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Read more
1901 — The first Nobel Prize ceremony is held in Stockholm on the fifth anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. Read more
1898 — Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the conflict. Spain cedes administration of Cuba to the United States, and the United States agrees to pay Spain $20 million for the Philippines. Read more
1896 — Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi premieres in Paris. A riot breaks out at the end of the performance. Read more
1877 — Russo-Turkish War: The Russian Army captures Plevna after a 5-month siege. The garrison of 25,000 surviving Turks surrenders. The Russian victory is decisive for the outcome of the war and the Liberation of Bulgaria. Read more
1864 — American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union Army troops reach the outer Confederate defenses of Savannah, Georgia. Read more
1861 — American Civil War: The Confederate States of America accept a rival state government's pronouncement that declares Kentucky to be the 12th state of the Confederacy. Read more
1861 — Forces led by Nguyễn Trung Trực, an anti-colonial guerrilla leader in southern Vietnam, sink the French lorcha L'Esperance. Read more
1817 — Mississippi becomes the 20th U.S. state. Read more
1799 — France adopts the metre as its official unit of length. Read more
1768 — The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica is published. Read more
1684 — Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, is read to the Royal Society by Edmond Halley. Read more
1665 — The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps is founded by Michiel de Ruyter. Read more
1652 — Defeat at the Battle of Dungeness causes the Commonwealth of England to reform its navy. Read more
1541 — Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham are executed for having affairs with Catherine Howard, Queen of England and wife of Henry VIII. Read more
1520 — Martin Luther burns his copy of the papal bull Exsurge Domine outside Wittenberg's Elster Gate. Read more
1508 — The League of Cambrai is formed by Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand II of Aragon as an alliance against Venice. Read more
1317 — The Nyköping Banquet: Birger, King of Sweden treacherously seizes his two brothers, dukes Valdemar and Erik, who are subsequently starved to death in the dungeon of Nyköping Castle. Read more

Born on December 10

2005 — Ivan Demidov, Russian ice hockey player Read more
2001 — Coby Mayo, American professional baseball player Read more
2000 — Jeremie Frimpong, Dutch footballer Read more
1999 — Reiss Nelson, English footballer Read more
1998 — Lucia Bronzetti, Italian tennis player Read more
1997 — Viktoriia Savtsova, Ukrainian Paralympic swimmer Read more
1996 — Joe Burrow, American football player Read more
1996 — Kang Daniel, South Korean singer and entrepreneur Read more
1995 — Tacko Fall, Senegalese basketball player Read more
1994 — Richard Kennar, Samoan rugby league player Read more
1994 — Matti Klinga, Finnish footballer Read more
1992 — Carlos Rodón, American baseball player Read more
1992 — Melissa Roxburgh, Canadian-American actress Read more
1991 — KiKi Layne, American actress Read more
1991 — Eric Reid, American football player Read more
1991 — Dion Waiters, American basketball player Read more
1990 — Kazenga LuaLua, Congolese-English footballer Read more
1990 — Sakiko Matsui, Japanese singer and actress Read more
1990 — Wil Myers, American baseball player Read more
1990 — Teyana Taylor, American singer, songwriter, choreographer, and actress Read more
1990 — Shoya Tomizawa, Japanese motorcycle racer (died 2010) Read more
1989 — Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, French politician Read more
1989 — Tom Sexton, Australian-Irish rugby player Read more
1988 — Wilfried Bony, Ivorian footballer Read more
1988 — Neven Subotić, Serbian footballer Read more
1987 — Gonzalo Higuaín, French-Argentinian footballer Read more
1986 — Kahlil Bell, American football player Read more
1985 — Charlie Adam, Scottish footballer Read more
1985 — Roman Červenka, Czech ice hockey player Read more
1985 — Matt Forte, American football player Read more
1985 — Trésor Mputu, Congolese footballer Read more
1985 — Raven-Symoné, American actress, singer, and dancer Read more
1985 — Lê Công Vinh, Vietnamese footballer Read more
1984 — JTG, American wrestler Read more
1983 — Patrick Flueger, American actor Read more
1983 — Xavier Samuel, Australian actor Read more
1982 — Claudia Hoffmann, German sprinter Read more
1982 — Sultan Kösen, Turkish farmer, tallest living person Read more
1981 — Taufik Batisah, Singaporean singer Read more
1981 — Rene Bourque, Canadian ice hockey player Read more

Died on December 10

2025 — Jeffery Garcia, American stand-up comedian and voice actor (born 1975) Read more
2024 — Rocky Colavito, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1933) Read more
2024 — Michael Cole, American actor (born 1940) Read more
2024 — Kreskin, American mentalist (born 1935) Read more
2024 — S. M. Krishna, Indian politician and statesman, Minister of External Affairs, 10th Chief Minister of Karnataka, 19th Governor of Maharashtra (born 1932) Read more
2023 — Julian Carroll, American politician, 54th Governor of Kentucky (born 1931) Read more
2021 — Michael Nesmith, American musician (The Monkees), songwriter, actor, producer, and novelist (born 1942) Read more
2020 — Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., American actor and wrestler (born 1958) Read more
2020 — Joseph Safra, Lebanese-Brazilian financier (born 1938) Read more
2020 — Carol Sutton, American actress (born 1944) Read more
2020 — Barbara Windsor, English actress (born 1937) Read more
2019 — Philip McKeon, American actor (born 1964) Read more
2019 — Gershon Kingsley, American composer and musician (born 1922) Read more
2019 — Emily Mason, American painter (born 1932) Read more
2017 — Bruce Brown, American filmmaker (born 1937) Read more
2017 — Max Clifford, British publicist (born 1943) Read more
2017 — Charles M. Green Jr., American Internet personality (born 1950) Read more
2017 — Curtis W. Harris, American minister (born 1924) Read more
2015 — Ron Bouchard, American race car driver and businessman (born 1948) Read more
2015 — Denis Héroux, Canadian director and producer (born 1940) Read more
2015 — Arnold Peralta, Honduran footballer (born 1989) Read more
2015 — Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach (born 1928) Read more
2014 — Ralph Giordano, German author and publicist (born 1923) Read more
2014 — Robert B. Oakley, American diplomat, 19th United States Ambassador to Pakistan (born 1931) Read more
2014 — Bob Solinger, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1925) Read more
2014 — Judy Baar Topinka, American journalist and politician (born 1944) Read more
2014 — Gerard Vianen, Dutch cyclist (born 1944) Read more
2013 — Alan Coleman, English-Australian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1936) Read more
2013 — Jim Hall, American guitarist and composer (born 1930) Read more
2013 — Don Lund, American baseball player and coach (born 1923) Read more
2013 — Srikanta Wadiyar, Indian politician and the titular Maharaja of Mysore(born 1946) Read more
2012 — Iajuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi academic and politician, 13th President of Bangladesh (born 1931) Read more
2012 — Antonio Cubillo, Spanish lawyer and politician (born 1930) Read more
2012 — Tommy Roberts, English fashion designer (born 1942) Read more
2010 — John Fenn, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917) Read more
2010 — J. Michael Hagopian, Armenian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1913) Read more
2010 — MacKenzie Miller, American horse trainer and breeder (born 1921) Read more
2009 — Vladimir Teplyakov, Russian soldier and physicist (born 1925) Read more
2007 — Vitali Hakko, Turkish businessman, founded Vakko (born 1913) Read more
2006 — Olivia Coolidge, English-American author and educator (born 1908) Read more

Holidays & observances

Alfred Nobel Day or Nobeldagen (Sweden); Christian feast day: Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs (Syriac Orthodox Church); Christian feast day: Eulalia of Mérida; Christian feast day: Gregory III; Christian feast day: Karl Barth (Episcopal Church (USA)); Christian feast day: Polydore Plasden; Christian feast day: Thomas Merton (Episcopal Church (USA)); Christian feast day: Translation of the Holy House of Loreto; Christian feast day: December 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Constitution Day (Thailand); Human Rights Day (International)

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Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 10”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.