1961⚡ Event
Adolf Eichmann sentenced to death
Former Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death after being found guilty on fifteen criminal charges. These included war crimes and crimes against humanity.
lawpoliticswar
December 9 – December 15 in History
DayFacts Week 50 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 104 historical entries in the DayFacts collection. The sections below preview entries from these 7 days; use the date links to open each date collection.
Selected Anniversaries
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Historical Events (December 9 – December 15)(20)
1970⚡ Event
Venera 7 lands on Venus
The Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 touched down on the surface of Venus. This marked the first successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet.
sciencespacetechnology
1979⚡ Event
Tumaco earthquake and tsunami
A magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck just off the shore of Tumaco, Colombia, causing at least 300 deaths, mostly by the resulting tsunami.
disasterscience
1981⚡ Event
Mumia Abu-Jamal arrested for murder
Mumia Abu-Jamal was arrested for the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner; his subsequent conviction and death sentence generated controversy in the United States.
lawpolitics
1983⚡ Event
Raúl Alfonsín becomes President of Argentina
Raúl Alfonsín became the first democratically elected president of Argentina to take office after more than seven years of military dictatorship. His inauguration was on December 10, 1983.
politicslaw
1988⚡ Event
Clapham Junction rail crash
Three trains collided near Clapham Junction railway station in London, killing 35 people and injuring 484 others.
disasterlaw
1989⚡ Event
IRA firefight in County Fermanagh
The Provisional Irish Republican Army engaged in a fierce firefight with the King's Own Scottish Borderers at a vehicle checkpoint complex in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. This incident was part of The Troubles.
warpolitics
1989⚡ Event
Mongolian Democratic Union formed
At the first open pro-democracy demonstration in Mongolia, journalist Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the formation of the Mongolian Democratic Union. This union was instrumental in ending communist rule and occurred on December 10, 1989.
politicslaw
1990⚡ Event
Slobodan Milošević wins Serbian presidential election
In Serbia's first multi-party election, Slobodan Milošević won the presidential election and the Socialist Party of Serbia won the majority of seats in the National Assembly.
politics
1991⚡ Event
Croatian War of Independence Operation Whirlwind failure
The Croatian Army retreated after the failure of Operation Whirlwind, destroying their tanks to avoid their capture. This marked a significant setback in the Croatian War of Independence.
warpolitics
1992⚡ Event
Marriage Fund established in UAE
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan established the Marriage Fund in the United Arab Emirates. This was in response to rising wedding prices and occurred on December 10, 1992.
politicseconomics
1998⚡ Event
Kosovo War ambush
Yugoslav forces ambushed a group of Kosovo Liberation Army militants attempting to smuggle weapons into Yugoslavia from Albania.
warpolitics
1999⚡ Event
Vargas tragedy
Torrential rains caused flash floods in the Venezuelan state of Vargas, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes.
disaster
2000⚡ Event
Bush v. Gore Supreme Court ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore that the recount of ballots cast in Florida for the presidential election be stopped, effectively making George W. Bush the winner.
politicslaw
2006⚡ Event
Mexican drug war begins
The first action in the Mexican drug war began when President Felipe Calderón ordered military and police units into the state of Michoacán.
warpolitics
2006⚡ Event
International conference on the Holocaust opens in Tehran
Criticized worldwide as a 'meeting of Holocaust deniers', the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust opened in Tehran.
politics
2008⚡ Event
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich arrested
Rod Blagojevich, the governor of Illinois, was arrested on corruption charges, including for attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by president-elect Barack Obama.
politicslaw
2008⚡ Event
Bernie Madoff arrested for $64.8 billion Ponzi scheme
American stockbroker Bernie Madoff was arrested and charged with securities fraud. The charges related to a $64.8 billion Ponzi scheme, the largest in history.
economicslaw
2008⚡ Event
Muntadhar al-Zaidi throws shoes at George W. Bush
During a press conference in Baghdad, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw his shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush and Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, yelling "This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq".
politicswar
2011⚡ Event
Liège attack
A man threw grenades and fired a rifle at crowds in Liège, Belgium, causing 6 deaths and injuring more than 120 others, before killing himself.
disasterwar
Births (December 9 – December 15)(15)
1994🎂 Birth
Otto Warmbier
Otto Warmbier was an American student imprisoned in North Korea. He died in 2017.
1996🎂 Birth
Mackenzie Blackwood
Mackenzie Blackwood is a Canadian ice hockey player.
sports
1997🎂 Birth
Viktoriia Savtsova
Viktoriia Savtsova is a Ukrainian Paralympic swimmer.
sports
1999🎂 Birth
Marina Bassols Ribera
Spanish tennis player Marina Bassols Ribera was born.
sports
Deaths (December 9 – December 15)(15)
2015🕊️ Death
Soshana Afroyim
Soshana Afroyim, an Austrian painter, has died. She was born in 1927.
arts
2016🕊️ Death
Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke, a Canadian actor, songwriter, and host, has died. He was born in 1947.
entertainment
2018🕊️ Death
Noah Klieger
Noah Klieger, a Holocaust survivor and award-winning Israeli journalist, has died. He was born in 1926.
literaturewar
2018🕊️ Death
Girma Wolde-Giorgis
Girma Wolde-Giorgis, President of Ethiopia, died.
politics
2020🕊️ Death
John le Carré
John le Carré was an English author. He was born in 1931.
literatureentertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Ann Reinking
Ann Reinking was an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She was born in 1949.
entertainmentarts
2021🕊️ Death
Anne Rice
Anne Rice, an American author known for her gothic novels, has died.
literaturearts
2021🕊️ Death
Speedy Duncan
Speedy Duncan, an American football player, has died. He was born in 1942.
sports
2021🕊️ Death
Demaryius Thomas
Demaryius Thomas, an American football player, has died. He was born in 1987.
sports
2022🕊️ Death
Jean Franco
American academic and literary critic (born 1924).
literature
2023🕊️ Death
Julian Carroll
Julian Carroll was an American politician who served as the 54th Governor of Kentucky.
politics
2023🕊️ Death
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher, an American actor, has died.
entertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Rocky Colavito
Rocky Colavito was an American professional baseball player and sportscaster.
sports