1903⚡ Event
First successful airplane flight
The Wright brothers achieved the first sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft.
technologyscience
December 16 – December 22 in History
DayFacts Week 51 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 106 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
25th Anniversary
Afghan Interim Government Formed
25th Anniversary
Shoe Bomb Attempt
25th Anniversary
Kai Cenat
Explore the Date Pages
Historical Events (December 16 – December 22)(20)
1969⚡ Event
On Her Majesty's Secret Service Premiere
On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the sixth James Bond film, premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on December 18, 1969. It was the only film to star George Lazenby.
entertainment
1970⚡ Event
Gdynia massacre during Polish protests
Polish soldiers fired at workers emerging from trains in Gdynia. This event marked the beginning of a government crackdown on mass anti-communist protests.
politicswar
1971⚡ Event
Bangladesh Liberation War ends
The surrender of Pakistani forces in Dacca, East Pakistan, concluded the Bangladesh Liberation War and the India-Pakistan War.
warpolitics
1979⚡ Event
Assassination of Mohammad Mofatteh
Mohammad Mofatteh, an Iranian philosopher, was assassinated by the Furqan Group on December 18, 1979.
politicsreligionphilosophy
1983⚡ Event
Harrods bombing in London
The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a car bomb outside Harrods department store. The attack killed six people and injured about 90 others.
warpoliticsdisaster
1985⚡ Event
Aeroflot Flight 101/435 hijacked
Aeroflot Flight 101/435 was hijacked by its co-pilot; it landed in a cow pasture in China, where he was apprehended.
lawdisaster
1987⚡ Event
MV Doña Paz disaster
The MV Doña Paz sank after colliding with an oil tanker in the Philippines on December 20, 1987. This resulted in an estimated 4,385 deaths, making it the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history.
disasterlaw
1988⚡ Event
Antonov An-225 Mriya makes first flight
The world's heaviest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, made its first flight.
technology
1994⚡ Event
Popocatépetl volcano begins erupting
Mexico's Popocatépetl volcano, dormant for 47 years, began erupting and is now one of the nation's most active volcanoes.
1995⚡ Event
NATO-led IFOR begins peacekeeping in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The NATO-led Implementation Force began peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 20, 1995. This was mandated by the Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian War.
warpoliticslaw
1995⚡ Event
American Airlines Flight 965 crashes in Colombia
American Airlines Flight 965 crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia, on December 20, 1995. 159 of the 163 people on board were killed.
disastertechnology
1995⚡ Event
Israeli troops withdraw from Bethlehem
In accordance with the Oslo II Accord, Israeli troops withdrew from Bethlehem in preparation for the transfer of control to the Palestinian National Authority.
politics
1996⚡ Event
Oakland AAVE Resolution
The school board of Oakland, California, passed a controversial resolution on December 18, 1996, officially declaring African-American Vernacular English to be a separate language or dialect.
law
1997⚡ Event
Hussein Farrah Aidid Relinquishes Title
On December 22, 1997, Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquished the disputed title of President of Somalia.
politics
1997⚡ Event
UK bans beef on the bone
Amid an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the British government banned the sale of beef on the bone for human consumption.
lawdisaster
1997⚡ Event
SilkAir Flight 185 crashes
SilkAir Flight 185 crashed into the Musi River in Indonesia, killing 104 people.
disasterlaw
1997⚡ Event
Pokémon episode causes seizures
"Dennō Senshi Porygon", an episode of the Japanese television series Pokémon, induced epileptic seizures in 685 children.
entertainmentdisastermedicine
1997⚡ Event
Titanic film released
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.
entertainmentarts
2001⚡ Event
Afghan Interim Government Formed
On December 22, 2001, Burhanuddin Rabbani of the Northern Alliance handed over power in Afghanistan to the interim government headed by Hamid Karzai.
politics
Births (December 16 – December 22)(15)
1994🎂 Birth
Maudy Ayunda born
Maudy Ayunda, Indonesian actress and singer-songwriter.
entertainmentmusicarts
1997🎂 Birth
Madelyn Cline
American actress and model Madelyn Cline was born.
entertainment
1999🎂 Birth
Holly Humberstone
Holly Humberstone is an English singer-songwriter.
musicentertainment
2001🎂 Birth
Camila Osorio
Camila Osorio, Colombian tennis player, was born on 12-22-2001.
sports
2001🎂 Birth
Jack Draper
Jack Draper, British tennis player, was born on 12-22-2001.
sports
Deaths (December 16 – December 22)(15)
2014🕊️ Death
Udo Jürgens
Austrian-Swiss singer-songwriter and pianist Udo Jürgens died on December 21, 2014. He was born in 1934.
musicentertainment
2017🕊️ Death
Bruce McCandless II
US astronaut Bruce McCandless II, who conducted the first untethered spacewalk, died on December 21, 2017. He was born in 1937.
spaceexploration
2018🕊️ Death
Paddy Ashdown
Paddy Ashdown, British politician, died on 12-22-2018. He was born in 1941.
politics
2018🕊️ Death
Simcha Rotem
Simcha Rotem, last survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, died on 12-22-2018. He was born in 1924.
warpolitics
2020🕊️ Death
Jeremy Bulloch
Jeremy Bulloch, an English actor, died on December 17, 2020. He was born in 1945.
entertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Rosalind Knight
English actress Rosalind Knight died on December 19, 2020. She was born in 1933.
entertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Sayaka Kanda
Sayaka Kanda was a Japanese actress and singer.
entertainmentmusic
2021🕊️ Death
Sally Ann Howes
English-American singer and actress Sally Ann Howes died on December 19, 2021. She was born in 1930.
entertainmentmusic
2023🕊️ Death
Ronaldo Valdez
Ronaldo Valdez, a Filipino actor, died on December 17, 2023. He was born in 1947.
entertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Slim Dunlap
Slim Dunlap was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
musicentertainment