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On This Day in History — December 4
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Highlights of December 4
- 2012 — "Il Canto degli Italiani" officially became the national anthem of Italy, 66 years after it was provisionally chosen following the birth of the Italian Republic. Read more
- 2006 — Six black teenagers assaulted a white student in Jena, Louisiana; the subsequent court cases became a cause célèbre for perceived racial injustice in the United States. Read more
- 1992 — U.S. president George H. W. Bush ordered American troops into Somalia to help provide humanitarian aid and restore order during the ongoing Somali Civil War. Read more
- 1986 — The MV Amazon Venture oil tanker starts leaking while at the port of Savannah, resulting in an oil spill of approximately 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L). Read more
- 1980 — The English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbanded. Read more
- 1978 — Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein became San Francisco's first female mayor. Read more
- 1971 — The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force, an Ulster-loyalist paramilitary group, detonated a bomb at a Catholic-owned pub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing 15 people. Read more
- 1971 — Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launched a successful attack against the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, sinking three ships with no Indian casualties. Read more
- 1969 — Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and Mark Clark were killed in a raid by Chicago police officers in what many scholars consider an illegal assassination. Read more
- 1928 — Cosmo Gordon Lang was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first bachelor to be appointed in 150 years. Read more
- 1915 — World War I: Senior British and French figures, including prime ministers H. H. Asquith and Aristide Briand, met at Calais to discuss the future of the Salonika Front. Read more
- 1909 — The Montreal Canadiens, the oldest professional ice hockey club in the world, were founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association. Read more
- 1909 — The first Grey Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Football League, was held in Toronto. Read more
- 1905 — The Great Seimas of Vilnius met to discuss national concerns within Lithuania: they decided to demand wide political autonomy within the Russian Empire. Read more
- 1893 — First Matabele War: A patrol of 34 British South Africa Company soldiers was ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors. Read more
- 1872 — The American brigantine Mary Celeste was found apparently abandoned under circumstances that remain unknown. Read more
- 1829 — Sati, the Hindu funeral custom of a widow's self-immolation on her husband's pyre, was prohibited by Lord William Bentinck in parts of British India after years of campaigning by Ram Mohan Roy (pictured). Read more
- 1639 — Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree made the first successful observation of a transit of Venus (example pictured) from Earth. Read more
- 1370 — Hundred Years' War: In two separate engagements in the Battle of Pontvallain (depicted), French forces wiped out an English army which had split up because of a dispute between the commanders. Read more
Events
- 2025 — Yasser Abu Shabab is assassinated near Rafah, Gaza Strip. Read more
- 2024 — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is shot and killed in Manhattan, New York City near the entrance of the New York Hilton Midtown. Read more
- 2021 — Semeru on the Indonesian island of Java erupts, killing at least 68 people. Read more
- 2017 — The Thomas Fire starts near Santa Paula in California. It eventually became the largest wildfire in modern California history to date after burning 1,140 square kilometers (440 sq mi) in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Read more
- 2015 — A firebomb is thrown into a restaurant in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, killing 17 people. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 2006 — Six black youths assault a white teenager in Jena, Louisiana. Read more
- 2005 — Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the government to allow universal and equal suffrage. Read more
- 1998 — The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched. Read more
- 1996 — Journalists Fernando Balderas Sánchez and Yolanda Figueroa and their three children are murdered in a case that initially prompted speculation about links to organized crime, corruption, or their journalistic work. Read more
- 1992 — Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 U.S. troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1991 — Pan American World Airways ceases its operations after 64 years. Read more
- 1986 — The MV Amazon Venture oil tanker begins leaking oil while at the port of Savannah in the United States, resulting in an oil spill of approximately 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 L). Read more
- 1984 — Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers kill 107–150 civilians in Mannar. Read more
- 1983 — US Navy aircraft from USS John F. Kennedy and USS Independence attack Syrian missile sites in Lebanon in response to an F-14 being fired on by an SA-7. One A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair are shot down. One American pilot is killed, one is rescued, and one is captured. Read more
- 1982 — The China adopts its current constitution. Read more
- 1981 — South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa). Read more
- 1979 — The Hastie fire in Hull kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee. Read more
- 1978 — Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco's first female mayor. Read more
- 1977 — Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire. Read more
- 1977 — Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 is hijacked and crashes in Tanjong Kupang, Johor, killing 100. Read more
- 1974 — Martinair Flight 138 crashes into the Saptha Kanya mountain range in Maskeliya, Sri Lanka, killing 191. Read more
- 1971 — The PNS Ghazi, a Pakistan Navy submarine, sinks during the course of the Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971. Read more
- 1971 — During a concert by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention at the Montreux Casino, an audience member fires a flare gun into the ceiling, causing a fire that destroys the venue. The incident served as the inspiration for Deep Purple's 1973 song Smoke on the Water. Read more
- 1969 — Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot and killed during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers. Read more
- 1965 — Launch of Gemini 7 with crew members Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. The Gemini 7 spacecraft was the passive target for the first crewed space rendezvous performed by the crew of Gemini 6A. Read more
- 1964 — Free Speech Movement: Police arrest over 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, following their takeover and sit-in at the administration building in protest of the UC Regents' decision to forbid protests on UC property. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1950 — Korean War: Jesse L. Brown (the 1st African-American Naval aviator) is killed in action during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Read more
- 1950 — Korean War: Associated Press photographer Max Desfor photographs hundreds of Korean refugees crossing a downed bridge in the Taedong River: 1951 Pulitzer Prize winner Flight of Refugees Across Wrecked Bridge in Korea. Read more
- 1949 — Sir Duncan George Stewart, governor of the Crown Colony of Sarawak, was fatally stabbed by a member of the Rukun 13. Read more
- 1948 — Chinese Civil War: The SS Kiangya, carrying Nationalist refugees from Shanghai, explodes in the Huangpu River. Read more
- 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.) Read more
- 1943 — World War II: In Yugoslavia, resistance leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito proclaims a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: Carlson's patrol during the Guadalcanal campaign ends. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1928 — Cosmo Gordon Lang was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first bachelor to be appointed in 150 years. Read more
- 1919 — Ukrainian War of Independence: The Polonsky conspiracy is initiated, with an attempt to assassinate the high command of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1917 — The Finnish Senate submits to the Parliament of Finland a proposal for the form of government of the Republic of Finland and issues a communication to Parliament declaring the independence of Finland. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1906 — Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek lettered fraternity for African-Americans, was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1881 — The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published. Read more
- 1875 — Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison; he is later recaptured in Spain. Read more
- 1872 — The American brigantine Mary Celeste is discovered drifting in the Atlantic. Her crew is never found. Read more
- 1867 — Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange). Read more
- 1865 — North Carolina ratifies 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed two days later by Georgia, and U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks. Read more
- 1864 — American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: Union cavalry forces defeat Confederate cavalry in the Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia, opening the way for General William T. Sherman's army to approach the coast. Read more
- 1863 — American Civil War: Confederate General James Longstreet lifts his unsuccessful siege of Knoxville, Tennessee after failing to capture the city. Read more
- 1861 — American Civil War: The 109 electors of the several states of the Confederate States of America unanimously elect Jefferson Davis as President and Alexander H. Stephens as Vice President. Read more
- 1829 — In the face of fierce local opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that anyone who abets sati in Bengal is guilty of culpable homicide. Read more
- 1808 — Napoleonic Wars: Under the orders by commander Tomás de Morla, the city of Madrid surrenders to French Emperor Napoleon I after a 4 day long siege. Read more
- 1804 — The United States House of Representatives adopts articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. Read more
- 1791 — The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published. Read more
- 1786 — Mission Santa Barbara is dedicated (on the feast day of Saint Barbara). Read more
- 1783 — At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, U.S. General George Washington bids farewell to his officers. Read more
Born on December 4
- 2003 — Jackson Holliday, American baseball player Read more
- 2003 — Kim Do-ah, South Korean singer and actress Read more
- 2002 — María Dueñas, Spanish violinist and composer Read more
- 1999 — Kim Do-yeon, South Korean singer and actress Read more
- 1999 — Kang Mi-na, South Korean actress and singer Read more
- 1996 — Diogo Jota, Portuguese footballer (died 2025) Read more
- 1996 — Sebastián Vegas, Chilean footballer Read more
- 1994 — Gabriel Lundberg, Danish basketball player Read more
- 1992 — Robin Bruyère, Belgian politician Read more
- 1992 — Peta Hiku, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
- 1992 — Jean-Claude Iranzi, Rwandan footballer Read more
- 1992 — Jin, South Korean singer, songwriter and actor Read more
- 1992 — Joe Musgrove, American baseball player Read more
- 1992 — Blake Snell, American baseball player Read more
- 1991 — Duje Dukan, Croatian basketball player Read more
- 1991 — André Roberson, American basketball player Read more
- 1991 — Max Holloway, American mixed martial artist Read more
- 1991 — Reality Winner, American intelligence specialist convicted of espionage Read more
- 1990 — Lukman Haruna, Nigerian footballer Read more
- 1990 — Blake Leary, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1988 — Yeng Constantino, Filipina singer and songwriter Read more
- 1987 — Orlando Brown, American actor and rapper Read more
- 1986 — Kaija Udras, Estonian skier Read more
- 1986 — Martell Webster, American basketball player Read more
- 1985 — Andrew Brackman, American baseball player Read more
- 1985 — Carlos Gómez, Dominican baseball player Read more
- 1984 — Lindsay Felton, American actress Read more
- 1984 — Anna Petrakova, Russian basketball player Read more
- 1984 — Jelly Roll, American singer and rapper Read more
- 1984 — Joe Thomas, American football player Read more
- 1983 — Jimmy Bartel, Australian footballer Read more
- 1983 — Chinx, American rapper (died 2015) Read more
- 1982 — Nathan Douglas, English triple jumper Read more
- 1982 — Waldo Ponce, Chilean footballer Read more
- 1982 — Ho-Pin Tung, Dutch-Chinese race car driver Read more
- 1982 — Nick Vujicic, Australian evangelist Read more
- 1981 — Brian Vandborg, Danish cyclist Read more
- 1980 — Brian Cook, American basketball player Read more
- 1980 — Viktor, Canadian wrestler and manager Read more
- 1979 — Ysabella Brave, American singer-songwriter Read more
Died on December 4
- 2024 — Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Swedish royal (born 1937) Read more
- 2024 — Brian Thompson, businessman (born 1974) Read more
- 2022 — Bob McGrath, American singer and actor (born 1932) Read more
- 2022 — Patrick Tambay, French race car driver (born 1949) Read more
- 2017 — Shashi Kapoor, Indian actor (born 1938) Read more
- 2016 — Patricia Robins, British writer and WAAF officer (born 1921) Read more
- 2015 — Bill Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of British Columbia (born 1932) Read more
- 2015 — Robert Loggia, American actor and director (born 1930) Read more
- 2015 — Yossi Sarid, Israeli journalist and politician, 15th Israeli Minister of Education (born 1940) Read more
- 2014 — Claudia Emerson, American poet and academic (born 1957) Read more
- 2014 — V. R. Krishna Iyer, Indian lawyer and judge (born 1914) Read more
- 2014 — Vincent L. McKusick, American lawyer and judge (born 1921) Read more
- 2014 — Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (born 1929) Read more
- 2013 — Joana Raspall i Juanola, Spanish author and poet (born 1913) Read more
- 2012 — Vasily Belov, Russian author, poet, and playwright (born 1932) Read more
- 2012 — Jack Brooks, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (born 1922) Read more
- 2012 — Miguel Calero, Colombian footballer and manager (born 1971) Read more
- 2012 — Anthony Deane-Drummond, English general (born 1917) Read more
- 2011 — Sonia Pierre, Haitian-Dominican activist (born 1965) Read more
- 2011 — Sócrates, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1954) Read more
- 2011 — Hubert Sumlin, American singer and guitarist (born 1931) Read more
- 2010 — King Curtis Iaukea, American wrestler (born 1937) Read more
- 2009 — Liam Clancy, Irish singer, actor, and guitarist (born 1935) Read more
- 2007 — Pimp C, American rapper (born 1973) Read more
- 2006 — K. Ganeshalingam, Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo (born 1938) Read more
- 2006 — Ross A. McGinnis, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1987) Read more
- 2005 — Errol Brathwaite, New Zealand soldier and author (born 1924) Read more
- 2005 — Gregg Hoffman, American film producer (born 1963) Read more
- 2004 — Elena Souliotis, Greek soprano and actress (born 1943) Read more
- 2003 — Iggy Katona, American race car driver (born 1916) Read more
- 2000 — Henck Arron, Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname (born 1936) Read more
- 1999 — Rose Bird, American academic and judge, 25th Chief Justice of California (born 1936) Read more
- 1993 — Margaret Landon, American missionary and author (born 1903) Read more
- 1993 — Frank Zappa, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1940) Read more
- 1992 — Henry Clausen, American lawyer and author (born 1905) Read more
- 1988 — Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (born 1899) Read more
- 1987 — Arnold Lobel, American author and illustrator (born 1933) Read more
- 1987 — Rouben Mamoulian, Armenian-American director and screenwriter (born 1897) Read more
- 1984 — Jack Mercer, American animator, screenwriter, voice actor, and singer (born 1910) Read more
- 1981 — Jeanne Block, American psychologist (born 1923) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Ada; Christian feast day:
Anno II; Christian feast day:
Barbara, and its related observances:
Barbórka, Miners' Day in Poland; Christian feast day:
Barbara, and its related observances:
Eid il-Burbara, a holiday similar to Halloween in honor of Saint Barbara. (Russia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey); Christian feast day:
Bernardo degli Uberti; Christian feast day:
Clement of Alexandria (Anglicanism, Eastern Catholicism); Christian feast day:
Giovanni Calabria; Christian feast day:
John of Damascus; Christian feast day:
Maruthas; Christian feast day:
Nicholas Ferrar (Anglicanism); Christian feast day:
Osmund; Christian feast day:
Sigiramnus; Christian feast day:
December 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Navy Day (India); Thai Environment Day (Thailand); Tupou I Day (Tonga)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 4”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.