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On This Day in History — December 19
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Highlights of December 19
- 2016 — Andrei Karlov (pictured), Russia's ambassador to Turkey, was assassinated at an art gallery in Ankara. Read more
- 2013 — The European Space Agency's spacecraft Gaia was launched with the goal of constructing the largest and most precise star catalogue ever made. Read more
- 1997 — SilkAir Flight 185 crashed into the Musi River in Indonesia, killing 104 people. Read more
- 1997 — Titanic, the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time with a worldwide total of more than US$2.2 billion, was released in the United States. Read more
- 1985 — Aeroflot Flight 101/435 was hijacked by its co-pilot; it landed in a cow pasture in China, where he was apprehended. Read more
- 1984 — China and the United Kingdom signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, agreeing to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997. Read more
- 1983 — The Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the winner of the FIFA World Cup, was stolen from the offices of the Brazilian Football Confederation. Read more
- 1964 — The ruling junta of South Vietnam, led by Nguyễn Khánh, initiated a coup, dissolving the High National Council, a civilian advisory body. Read more
- 1956 — British physician and suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams was arrested in connection with the death of Edith Alice Morrell. Read more
- 1843 — A Christmas Carol (illustration pictured), a novella by Charles Dickens about the miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation after being visited by ghosts, was published. Read more
- 1828 — Nullification crisis: American vice president John C. Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest, written to protest the Tariff of Abominations, was presented to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Read more
- 1776 — Thomas Paine published the first in a series of pamphlets entitled The American Crisis, opening with the line: "These are the times that try men's souls." Read more
- 1154 — Henry II (depicted) was crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey, London. Read more
Events
- 2016 — Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is assassinated while at an art exhibition in Ankara. The assassin, Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, is shot and killed by a Turkish guard. Read more
- 2016 — A vehicular attack in Berlin, Germany, kills 12 and injures 56 people at a Christmas market. Read more
- 2013 — Spacecraft Gaia is launched by the European Space Agency. Read more
- 2012 — Park Geun-hye is elected the first female president of South Korea. Read more
- 2005 — Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 crashes into the Government Cut channel immediately after takeoff from Miami Seaplane Base, killing 20. Read more
- 2005 — A passenger train from Sucha Beskidzka to Żywiec in Poland loses its brakes while on a steep downhill part of the route. It is stopped in a controlled collision in Świnna by a train travelling in opposite direction. 2 drivers and 6 passengers are injured. Read more
- 2001 — Argentine economic crisis: December riots: Riots erupt in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Read more
- 1999 — Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-103, the third Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Read more
- 1998 — President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives, becoming the second president of the United States to be impeached. Read more
- 1997 — SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River, near Palembang in Indonesia, killing 104. Read more
- 1995 — The United States Government restores federal recognition to the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Native American tribe. Read more
- 1986 — Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, releases Andrei Sakharov and his wife from exile in Gorky. Read more
- 1985 — Aeroflot Flight 101/435 is hijacked to China by its first officer. Read more
- 1984 — The Sino-British Joint Declaration, stating that China would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and the United Kingdom would restore Hong Kong to China with effect from July 1, 1997, is signed in Beijing by Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher. Read more
- 1983 — The original FIFA World Cup trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, is stolen from the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Read more
- 1981 — Sixteen lives are lost when the Penlee lifeboat goes to the aid of the stricken coaster Union Star in heavy seas. Read more
- 1977 — The Ms 5.8 Bob–Tangol earthquake strikes Kerman Province in Iran, destroying villages and killing 665 people. Read more
- 1974 — Nelson Rockefeller is sworn in as Vice President of the United States under President Gerald Ford under the provisions of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Read more
- 1972 — Apollo program: The last crewed lunar flight, Apollo 17, carrying Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth. Read more
- 1967 — Harold Holt, the Prime Minister of Australia, is officially presumed dead. Read more
- 1961 — India annexes Daman and Diu, part of Portuguese India. Read more
- 1956 — Irish-born physician John Bodkin Adams is arrested in connection with the suspicious deaths of more than 160 patients. Eventually he is convicted only of minor charges. Read more
- 1946 — Start of the First Indochina War. Read more
- 1945 — John Amery, British Fascist, is executed at the age of 33 by the British Government for treason. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: Adolf Hitler appoints himself as head of the Oberkommando des Heeres. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: Limpet mines placed by Italian divers heavily damage HMS Valiant and HMS Queen Elizabeth in Alexandria harbour. Read more
- 1940 — Risto Ryti, the Prime Minister of Finland, is elected President of the Republic of Finland in a presidential election, which is exceptionally held by the 1937 electoral college. Read more
- 1932 — BBC World Service begins broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service. Read more
- 1929 — The Indian National Congress promulgates the Purna Swaraj (the Declaration of the Independence of India). Read more
- 1927 — Three Indian revolutionaries, Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh and Ashfaqulla Khan, are executed by the British Raj for participation in the Kakori conspiracy. Read more
- 1924 — The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is sold in London, England. Read more
- 1924 — German serial killer Fritz Haarmann is sentenced to death for a series of murders. Read more
- 1920 — King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander of Greece and a plebiscite. Read more
- 1912 — William Van Schaick, captain of the steamship General Slocum which caught fire and killed over one thousand people, is pardoned by U.S. President William Howard Taft after 3+1⁄2 years in Sing Sing prison. Read more
- 1907 — Two hundred thirty-nine coal miners die in the Darr Mine Disaster in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania. Read more
- 1900 — Hopetoun Blunder: The first Governor-General of Australia John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, appoints Sir William Lyne premier of the new state of New South Wales, but he is unable to persuade other colonial politicians to join his government and is forced to resign. Read more
- 1900 — French parliament votes amnesty for all involved in scandalous army treason trial known as Dreyfus affair. Read more
- 1828 — Vice President of the United States John C. Calhoun sparks the Nullification Crisis when he anonymously publishes the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, protesting the Tariff of 1828. Read more
- 1796 — French Revolutionary Wars: Two British frigates under Commodore Horatio Nelson and two Spanish frigates under Commodore Don Jacobo Stuart engage in battle off the coast of Murcia. Read more
- 1793 — War of the First Coalition: The Siege of Toulon ends when Napoleon's French artillery forces the British to abandon the city, securing southern France from invasion. Read more
- 1783 — William Pitt the Younger becomes the youngest Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at 24. Read more
- 1777 — American Revolutionary War: George Washington's Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Read more
- 1776 — Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled "The American Crisis". Read more
- 1688 — Glorious Revolution: Williamite forces defeat Jacobites at Battle of Reading, forcing James II to flee England. Read more
- 1675 — The Great Swamp Fight, a pivotal battle in King Philip's War, gives the English settlers a bitterly won victory. Read more
- 1606 — The ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery depart England carrying settlers who founded, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States. Read more
- 1562 — The Battle of Dreux takes place during the French Wars of Religion. Read more
- 1490 — Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy. Read more
- 1187 — Pope Clement III is elected. Read more
- 1154 — Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey. Read more
- 653 — Pope Martin I, having been abducted by Byzantine authorities from Rome for his opposition to Monothelitism, is tried in Constantinople. Read more
Born on December 19
- 1998 — King Princess, American singer-songwriter and musician Read more
- 1997 — Gabriel Magalhães, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1997 — Fikayo Tomori, English footballer Read more
- 1996 — Franck Kessié, Ivorian footballer Read more
- 1994 — Maudy Ayunda, Indonesian actress and singer-songwriter Read more
- 1994 — M'Baye Niang, French footballer Read more
- 1993 — Young K, South Korean singer-songwriter Read more
- 1993 — Isiah Koech, Kenyan runner Read more
- 1992 — Iker Muniain, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1992 — Raphael Spiegel, Swiss footballer Read more
- 1991 — Steven Berghuis, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1991 — Declan Galbraith, English singer-songwriter Read more
- 1991 — Josh Huestis, American basketball player Read more
- 1991 — Keiynan Lonsdale, Australian actor, singer-songwriter, and dancer Read more
- 1991 — Sumire Uesaka, Japanese voice actress and singer Read more
- 1990 — Greg Bretz, American snowboarder Read more
- 1990 — Torrey Craig, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Yong Jun-hyung, South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper and producer Read more
- 1989 — Michał Masłowski, Polish footballer Read more
- 1989 — Kousei Miura, Japanese jockey Read more
- 1989 — Hamza Riazuddin, English cricketer Read more
- 1988 — Alexis Sánchez, Chilean footballer Read more
- 1988 — Peter Winn, English footballer Read more
- 1987 — Cédric Baseya, French-Congolese footballer Read more
- 1987 — Karim Benzema, French footballer Read more
- 1987 — Ronan Farrow, American activist, journalist, and lawyer Read more
- 1986 — Calvin Andrew, English footballer Read more
- 1986 — Lauren Boebert, American politician Read more
- 1986 — Ryan Babel, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1986 — Ingrid Burley, American rapper and songwriter Read more
- 1986 — Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Greek footballer Read more
- 1986 — Zuzana Hejnová, Czech hurdler Read more
- 1986 — Miguel Lopes, Portuguese footballer Read more
- 1986 — Annie Murphy, Canadian actress Read more
- 1985 — Andrea Baldini, Italian fencer Read more
- 1985 — Gary Cahill, English footballer Read more
- 1985 — Neil Kilkenny, English-Australian footballer Read more
- 1985 — Sally Kipyego, Kenyan runner Read more
- 1985 — Dan Logan, English bass player Read more
- 1985 — Lady Sovereign, English rapper Read more
Died on December 19
- 2024 — Michael Leunig, Australian cartoonist (born 1945) Read more
- 2024 — Wincey Willis, British broadcaster (born 1948) Read more
- 2021 — Sally Ann Howes, English-American singer and actress (born 1930) Read more
- 2021 — Johnny Isakson, American politician (born 1944) Read more
- 2020 — Rosalind Knight, English actress (born 1933) Read more
- 2016 — Andrei Karlov, Russian diplomat, Ambassador to Turkey (born 1954) Read more
- 2015 — Jimmy Hill, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster (born 1928) Read more
- 2015 — Greville Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone, Welsh-English lawyer and politician (born 1928) Read more
- 2015 — Karin Söder, Swedish educator and politician, 33rd Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs (born 1928) Read more
- 2014 — S. Balasubramanian, Indian journalist and director (born 1936) Read more
- 2014 — Philip Bradbourn, English lawyer and politician (born 1951) Read more
- 2014 — Arthur Gardner, American actor and producer (born 1910) Read more
- 2014 — Igor Rodionov, Russian general and politician, 3rd Russian Minister of Defence (born 1936) Read more
- 2014 — Dick Thornton, American-Canadian football player and coach (born 1939) Read more
- 2014 — Roberta Leigh (Rita Shulman Lewin), British writer, artist and TV producer (born 1926). Read more
- 2013 — Winton Dean, English musicologist and author (born 1916) Read more
- 2013 — Al Goldstein, American publisher and pornographer (born 1936) Read more
- 2013 — Ned Vizzini, American author and screenwriter (born 1981) Read more
- 2012 — Robert Bork, American lawyer, judge, and scholar, United States Attorney General (born 1927) Read more
- 2012 — Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Israeli general and politician, 22nd Transportation Minister of Israel (born 1944) Read more
- 2012 — Larry Morris, American football player (born 1933) Read more
- 2012 — Peter Struck, German lawyer and politician, 13th German Federal Minister of Defence (born 1943) Read more
- 2010 — Anthony Howard, English journalist and author (born 1934) Read more
- 2009 — Kim Peek, American megasavant (born 1951) Read more
- 2008 — James Bevel, American minister and activist (born 1936) Read more
- 2008 — Carol Chomsky, American linguist and educator (born 1930) Read more
- 2008 — Michael Connell, American political consultant (born 1963) Read more
- 2008 — Dock Ellis, American baseball player and coach (born 1945) Read more
- 2005 — Vincent Gigante, American mobster (born 1927) Read more
- 2004 — Herbert C. Brown, English-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1912) Read more
- 2004 — Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano and actress (born 1922) Read more
- 2003 — Peter Carter-Ruck, English lawyer, founded Carter-Ruck (born 1914) Read more
- 2003 — Hope Lange, American actress (born 1933) Read more
- 2002 — Will Hoy, English race car driver (born 1952) Read more
- 2002 — Arthur Rowley, English footballer and manager (born 1926) Read more
- 2002 — George Weller, American author, playwright, and journalist (born 1907) Read more
- 2000 — Rob Buck, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1958) Read more
- 2000 — Milt Hinton, American bassist and photographer (born 1910) Read more
- 2000 — John Lindsay, American lawyer and politician, 103rd Mayor of New York City (born 1921) Read more
- 1999 — Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh soldier and actor (born 1914) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Lillian Trasher (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day:
O Radix; Christian feast day:
Pope Anastasius I; Christian feast day:
Pope Urban V; Christian feast day:
December 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Christian feast day:
Saint Nicholas Day; Goa Liberation Day (Goa, India); National Heroes and Heroines Day (Anguilla)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 19”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.