What happened on December 4? There are more than 273 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

Interesting Facts & Myths About December 4

December 4 In HistoryDecember 4 is the 339th day of the year 2024. There are 27 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday. This day falls under the 49th week of the year 2024.

On this day in Mainland, Pennsylvania 19451 sunrise will occur at 07:06 AM and sunset will occur at 04:37 PM (local time).

The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Sagittarius. The modern birthstone for this month is Turquoise while the mystical birthstone is Onyx.

According to the Chinese calendar, there are 56 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).

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Historical Events For December 4

  • 306
    Martyrdom of Saint Barbara.
  • 771
    Austrasian King Carloman dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne King of the now complete Frankish Kingdom.
  • 1110
    First Crusade: The Crusaders sack Sidon.
  • 1259
    Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels.
  • 1563
    The final session of the Council of Trent is held (it opened on December 13, 1545).
  • 1619
    38 colonists from Berkeley Parish in England disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God (this is considered by many to be the first Thanksgiving in the Americas).
  • 1674
    Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek (the mission would later grow into the city of Chicago, Illinois).
  • 1676
    Battle of Lund: A Danish army under the command of King Christian V of Denmark engages the Swedish army commanded by Field Marshal Simon Grundel-Helmfelt.
  • 1745
    Charles Edward Stewart’s army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the second Jacobite Rising.
  • 1783
    At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, US General George Washington formally bids his officers farewell.
  • 1791
    The first edition of The Observer, the world’s first Sunday newspaper, is published.
  • 1829
    In the face of fierce local opposition, British governor Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that all who abet suttee in India are guilty of culpable homicide.
  • 1864
    American Civil War: Sherman’s March to the Sea – At Waynesboro, Georgia, forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevent troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman’s campaign destroying a wide swath of the South on his march to the Atlantic Ocean from Atlanta, Georgia.
  • 1867
    Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange).
  • 1872
    The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the British brig Dei Gratia (the ship had been abandoned for nine days but was only slightly damaged).
  • 1875
    Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison and flees to Cuba, then Spain.
  • 1881
    The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published.
  • 1893
    First Matabele War: A patrol of 34 British South Africa Police officers is killed in battle by an estimated 3,000 Ndebele on the Shangani River in Matabeleland.
  • 1909
    1st Grey Cup game is played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 26–6.
  • 1909
    The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, the oldest professional hockey franchise in the world, is founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association.
  • 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.
  • 1921
    The first Virginia Rappe manslaughter trial against Roscoe ‘Fatty’Arbuckle ends in a hung jury.
  • 1937
    The first issue of the children’s comic, The Dandy Comic, is published, one of the first to use speech balloons.
  • 1939
    World War II: HMS Nelson is struck by a mine (laid by GS U-31) off the Scottish coast and is laid up for repairs until August 1940.
  • 1942
    Holocaust: In Warsaw, Zofia Kossak-Szczucka and Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz set up the Żegota organization.
  • 1942
    World War II: Carlson’s patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends.
  • 1943
    World War II: In Yugoslavia, resistance leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito proclaims a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile.
  • 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.
  • 1945
    By a vote of 65 to 7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations (the UN is established on October 24, 1945).
  • 1954
    The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, United States
  • 1958
    Dahomey (present-day Benin) becomes a self-governing country within the French Community.
  • 1967
    Vietnam War: US and South Vietnamese forces engage Viet Cong troops in the Mekong Delta.
  • 1969
    Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot and killed in their sleep during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers.
  • 1971
    McGurk’s Bar bombing: An Ulster Volunteer Force bomb kills 15 civilians and wounds 17 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
  • 1971
    The Indian Navy attacks the Pakistan Navy and Karachi.
  • 1971
    The Montreux Casino in Switzerland is set ablaze by someone wielding a flare gun during a Frank Zappa concert; the incident would be noted in the Deep Purple song “Smoke on the Water”.
  • 1971
    The United Nations Security Council calls an emergency session to consider the deteriorating situation between India and Pakistan.
  • 1975
    Suriname joins the United Nations.
  • 1977
    Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire.
  • 1977
    Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 is hijacked and crashes in Tanjong Kupang, Johor, killing 100.
  • 1978
    Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco, California’s first female mayor (she served until January 8, 1988).
  • 1979
    The Hastie fire in Hull, kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee.
  • 1980
    English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbands, following the death of drummer John Bonham on September 25th.
  • 1981
    South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei “homeland” (not recognized by any government outside South Africa).
  • 1982
    The People’s Republic of China adopts its current constitution.
  • 1984
    Hezbollah militants hijack a Kuwait Airlines plane, killing four passengers.
  • 1991
    Captain Mark Pyle pilots Clipper Goodwill, a Pan American World Airways Boeing 727-221ADV, to Miami International Airport ending 64 years of Pan Am operations.
  • 1991
    Journalist Terry A. Anderson is released after 7 years in captivity as a hostage in Beirut. He is the last and longest-held American hostage in Lebanon.
  • 1991
    Pan Am goes bankrupt and ceases operations.
  • 1992
    Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 US troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa.
  • 1993
    A truce is concluded between the government of Angola and UNITA rebels.
  • 1998
    The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched.
  • 2005
    Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the Government to allow universal and equal suffrage.
  • 2006
    An adult giant squid is caught on video for the first time by Tsunemi Kubodera near the Ogasawara Islands, 1,000 km south of Tokyo.
  • 2006
    Six black youths assault a white teenager in Jena, Louisiana, US; the subsequent court case becomes a cause célèbre.

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Who Were Born On December 4?

  • 1555
    Heinrich Meibom, German historian and poet (d. 1625)
  • 1580
    Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (d. 1626)
  • 1585
    John Cotton, American Puritan leader (d. 1652)
  • 1595
    Jean Chapelain, French writer (d. 1674)
  • 1646
    Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, Marshal of France (d. 1730)
  • 1660
    André Campra, French composer (d. 1744)
  • 1670
    John Aislabie, English politician (d. 1742)
  • 1711
    Barbara of Portugal, queen of Spain (d. 1758)
  • 1713
    Gasparo Gozzi, Italian critic and dramatist (d. 1786)
  • 1777
    Juliette Récamier, French socialite (d. 1849)
  • 1795
    Thomas Carlyle, Scottish writer and historian (d. 1881)
  • 1798
    Jules Armand Dufaure, French statesman (d. 1881)
  • 1817
    Nikoloz Baratashvili, Georgian poet (d. 1845)
  • 1835
    Samuel Butler, English writer (d. 1902)
  • 1844
    Franz Xavier Wernz, German Superior General of the Society of Jesus (d. 1914)
  • 1852
    Orest Khvolson, Russian physicist (d. 1934)
  • 1861
    Hannes Hafstein, 1st Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1922)
  • 1861
    Lillian Russell, American singer and actress (d. 1922)
  • 1868
    Jesse Burkett, American baseball player (d. 1953)
  • 1875
    Joe Corbett, American baseball player (d. 1945)
  • 1875
    Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet (d. 1926)
  • 1881
    Erwin von Witzleben, German field marshal (d. 1944)
  • 1883
    Katharine Susannah Prichard, Australian author (d. 1969)
  • 1886
    Jan Thomée, Dutch football player (d. 1954)
  • 1889
    Lloyd Bacon, American actor and film director (d. 1955)
  • 1892
    Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain (d. 1975)
  • 1892
    Liu Bocheng, Chinese Communist military commander and Marshal of the People’s Liberation Army (d. 1986)
  • 1895
    Fung Yu-lan, Chinese philosopher (d. 1990)
  • 1899
    Charles William (Charlie) Spencer Newcastle and England football player (d. 1953)
  • 1903
    Anna van der Vegt, Dutch gymnast (d. 1983)
  • 1903
    Cornell Woolrich, American writer (d. 1968)
  • 1908
    Alfred Hershey, American bacteriologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)
  • 1909
    Jimmy Jewel, English actor (d. 1995)
  • 1910
    Alex North, American film music composer (d. 1991)
  • 1910
    R. Venkataraman, 8th President of India (d. 2009)
  • 1912
    Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, American pilot (d. 1988)
  • 1913
    Mark Robson, Canadian-born film director and producer (d. 1978)
  • 1914
    Claude Renoir, French cinematographer (d. 1993)
  • 1914
    Rudolf Hausner, Austrian artist (d. 1995)
  • 1915
    Eddie Heywood, American jazz musician (d. 1989)
  • 1916
    Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American writer (d. 1994)
  • 1917
    Movita Castaneda, American actress
  • 1918
    Albert Francis Capone, son of Al Capone (d. 2004)
  • 1921
    Deanna Durbin, Canadian actress
  • 1922
    Gérard Philipe, French actor (d. 1959)
  • 1923
    Charles Keating, American attorney and businessman
  • 1924
    John Portman, American architect
  • 1925
    Lino Lacedelli, Italian mountaineer who made the first ascent of K2 (d. 2009)
  • 1927
    William Labov, American linguist
  • 1928
    Dena Dietrich, American actress
  • 1930
    Jim Hall, American jazz guitarist
  • 1930
    Ronnie Corbett, Scottish actor
  • 1931
    Alex Delvecchio, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1931
    Wally George, American TV commentator (d. 2003)
  • 1932
    Roh Tae-woo, former (13th) President of South Korea
  • 1933
    Horst Buchholz, German-born actor (d. 2003)
  • 1934
    Victor French, American actor (d. 1989)
  • 1934
    Wink Martindale, American game show host
  • 1935
    Paul O'Neill, 72nd Secretary of the Treasury
  • 1935
    Robert Vesco, American financier and fugitive (d. 2007)
  • 1936
    Derek Nally, Irish Politician
  • 1937
    Max Baer, Jr., American actor
  • 1938
    Andre Marrou, American politician, presidential candidate
  • 1938
    Yvonne Minton, Australian soprano
  • 1939
    Freddy Cannon, American musician
  • 1940
    Gary Gilmore, American murderer (d. 1977)
  • 1940
    Gerd Achterberg, German football manager
  • 1942
    Gemma Jones, English actress
  • 1944
    Anna McGarrigle, Canadian folk music singer and songwriter
  • 1944
    Chris Hillman, American singer (The Byrds)
  • 1944
    Dennis Wilson, American musician (The Beach Boys) (d. 1983)
  • 1944
    François Migault, French racing driver
  • 1945
    Roberta Bondar, Canadian astronaut
  • 1946
    Geert Mak, Dutch writer
  • 1947
    Terry Woods, Irish musician (The Pogues, Steeleye Span)
  • 1948
    Southside Johnny, American singer
  • 1949
    Jeff Bridges, American actor
  • 1949
    Pamela Stephenson, New Zealand-born actress
  • 1951
    Gary Rossington, American musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
  • 1951
    Patricia Wettig, American actress
  • 1953
    Rick Middleton, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1954
    Tony Todd, American actor and producer
  • 1955
    Dave Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1956
    Bernard King, American basketball player
  • 1957
    Eric S. Raymond, American open source advocate
  • 1957
    Raul Boesel, Brazilian racing driver
  • 1959
    Christa Rothenburger, German speed skater and cyclist
  • 1959
    Paul McGrath, Irish footballer
  • 1959
    Susan W Krebs, American politician
  • 1960
    David Green, American baseball player
  • 1960
    Glynis Nunn, Australian athlete
  • 1961
    Frank Reich, American football player
  • 1961
    Naomi Robson, American-born Australian journalist
  • 1962
    Julie Lemieux, Canadian voice actress
  • 1962
    Kevin Richardson, English footballer
  • 1963
    Sergey Bubka, Ukrainian pole vaulter
  • 1964
    Chelsea Noble, American actress
  • 1964
    Jonathan Goldstein, American actor
  • 1964
    Marisa Tomei, American actress
  • 1964
    Scott Hastings, Scottish Rugby Union international
  • 1964
    Sertab Erener, Turkish singer
  • 1965
    Álex de la Iglesia, Spanish film director
  • 1966
    Chris Shepherd, English film director
  • 1966
    Fred Armisen, American actor and musician
  • 1966
    Masta Ace, American rapper
  • 1966
    Suzanne Malveaux, American television news reporter
  • 1968
    Mike Barrowman, American swimmer
  • 1969
    Jay-Z, American rapper
  • 1970
    John L. Adams, American actor
  • 1970
    Kevin Sussman, American actor
  • 1970
    Sylvester Terkay, American wrestler
  • 1971
    Shannon Briggs, American boxer
  • 1972
    Jassen Cullimore, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1972
    Nikki Tyler, American actress
  • 1973
    Atsushi Tamura, Japanese comedian, musician (jealkb)
  • 1973
    Ferry Corsten, Dutch musician and DJ
  • 1973
    Ferry Corsten, Dutch producer of trance music, in addition to being a DJ and remixer
  • 1973
    Frank Boeijen, Dutch musician (The Gathering)
  • 1973
    Kate Rusby, English folk singer
  • 1973
    Keith Caputo, American singer (Life Of Agony)
  • 1973
    Racci Shay, American Musician
  • 1973
    Steven Menzies, Australian rugby league footballer
  • 1973
    Tyra Banks, American supermodel
  • 1974
    Tadahito Iguchi, Japanese baseball player
  • 1976
    Amie Comeaux, American singer (d. 1997)
  • 1976
    Kristina Groves, Canadian speed skater
  • 1977
    Big Pokey, American rapper
  • 1977
    Morten Veland, Norwegian musician (Sirenia)
  • 1978
    Jaclyn Victor, Malaysian singer
  • 1978
    Michele Di Piedi, Italian footballer
  • 1979
    Jay DeMerit, American soccer player
  • 1979
    Jeff Taylor, Canadian computer scientist
  • 1979
    Ysabella Brave, American singer
  • 1981
    Courtney Cummz, American pornographic actress
  • 1981
    Lila McCann, American country singer
  • 1982
    Ho-Pin Tung, Dutch-Chinese racing driver
  • 1982
    Waldo Ponce, Chilean footballer
  • 1983
    Jimmy Bartel, Australian rules footballer
  • 1984
    Brooke Adams, American model
  • 1984
    Genta Ismajli, a Kosovan-Albanian singer
  • 1984
    Joe Thomas, American football player
  • 1984
    Lauren London, American actress
  • 1984
    Lindsay Felton, American actress
  • 1984
    Marco Giambruno, Italian footballer
  • 1985
    Andrew Brackman, American baseball player
  • 1985
    Carlos Gómez, Dominican baseball player
  • 1986
    Martell Webster, American basketball player
  • 1987
    Orlando Brown, American actor
  • 1988
    Andriy Pylyavskyi,Ukrainian footballer
  • 1992
    Guan Xueting, Chinese ice dancer
  • 1992
    Jean-Claude Iranzi, Rwandan footballer
  • 1992
    Līna Mūze, Latvian javelin thrower

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Who Died On December 4?

  • 749
    Saint John of Damascus
  • 765
    Jafar Sadiq, Shia Imam (b. 702)
  • 771
    Carloman, King of the Franks (b. 751)
  • 1075
    Archbishop Anno II of Cologne
  • 1123
    Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1048)
  • 1214
    William I of Scotland (a.k.a. William the Lion; b. abt.1143)
  • 1270
    Theobald V of Champagne, King of Navarre
  • 1334
    Pope John XXII (b. 1249)
  • 1340
    Henry Burghersh, English bishop and chancellor (b. 1292)
  • 1459
    Adolf VIII, Duke of Southern Jutland (b. 1401)
  • 1576
    Rheticus, Austrian mathematician (b. 1514)
  • 1585
    John Willock, Scottish reformer
  • 1609
    Alexander Hume, Scottish poet
  • 1642
    Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu, French statesman (b. 1585)
  • 1649
    William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (b. 1585)
  • 1679
    Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (b. 1588)
  • 1680
    Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (b. 1616)
  • 1696
    Empress Meishō, Japan (b. 1624)
  • 1732
    John Gay, English poet and dramatist (b. 1685)
  • 1798
    Luigi Galvani, Italian physicist (b. 1737)
  • 1828
    Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1770)
  • 1841
    David Daniel Davis, British politician (b. 1777)
  • 1850
    William Sturgeon, English physicist and inventor (b. 1783)
  • 1893
    John Tyndall, Irish physicist (b. 1820)
  • 1897
    Griffith Rhys Jones, Welsh conductor (b. 1834)
  • 1902
    Charles Dow, American journalist (b. 1851)
  • 1926
    Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian-born painter (b. 1861)
  • 1933
    Stefan George, German poet (b. 1868)
  • 1935
    Charles Richet, French physiologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1850)
  • 1935
    Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian composer (b. 1864)
  • 1938
    Tamanishiki San'emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna (b. 1903)
  • 1944
    Roger Bresnahan, American baseball player (b. 1879)
  • 1945
    Thomas Hunt Morgan, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (b. 1866)
  • 1948
    Frank Benford, American electrical engineer and physicist (b. 1883)
  • 1955
    József Galamb, Hungarian mechanical engineer (b. 1881)
  • 1956
    Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (b. 1891)
  • 1967
    Bert Lahr, American actor (b. 1895)
  • 1969
    Fred Hampton, American activist (b. 1948)
  • 1975
    Hannah Arendt, German political theorist (b. 1906)
  • 1976
    Benjamin Britten, English composer (b. 1913)
  • 1976
    Tommy Bolin, American guitarist (b. 1951)
  • 1976
    W. F. McCoy, Northern Irish politician (b. 1886)
  • 1980
    Francisco Sá Carneiro, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1934)
  • 1980
    Stanisława Walasiewicz, Polish-born athlete (b. 1911)
  • 1987
    Rouben Mamoulian, Armenian-American film director (b. 1897)
  • 1988
    Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist (b. 1899)
  • 1993
    Frank Zappa, American musician and composer (b. 1940)
  • 1993
    Margaret Landon, American writer (b. 1903)
  • 1995
    Lionel Giroux, Canadian midget wrestler (b. 1935)
  • 1997
    Richard Vernon, English actor (b. 1925)
  • 1999
    Rose Bird, American judge (b. 1936)
  • 2003
    Iggy Katona, American race car driver (b. 1916)
  • 2004
    Elena Souliotis, Greek soprano (b. 1943)
  • 2004
    Teo Peter, Romanian rock musician and bass player (b. 1954)
  • 2005
    Errol Brathwaite, New Zealand author (b. 1924)
  • 2005
    Gloria Lasso, French-Spanish singer (b. 1922)
  • 2005
    Gregg Hoffman, American film producer (b. 1963)
  • 2006
    James Kim, American television personality (b. 1971)
  • 2006
    Ross A. McGinnis, American soldier (b. 1987)
  • 2007
    Chip Reese, American professional poker player (b. 1951)
  • 2007
    Norval Morrisseau, Canadian artist (b. 1932)
  • 2007
    Pimp C, American rapper (b. 1973)
  • 2009
    Eddie Fatu, Samoan-American professional wrestler (b. 1973)
  • 2009
    Liam Clancy, Irish singer (b. 1935)
  • 2011
    Hubert Sumlin, American blues guitarist (b. 1931)
  • 2011
    Sócrates, Brazilian footballer (b. 1954)

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