Events on Dec 19
- 0401St. Anastasius I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
- 1055Seldjuken under Toghril Beg occupy Baghdad
- 1154King Henry II of England crowned
- 1551Dutch west coast hit by hurricane
- 1686Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years (as per Defoe)
- 1777Washington settles his troops at Valley Forge, Pa for winter
- 1783English government of Pitt Jr forms
- 1788Chinese troops occupy capital Thang Long Vietnam
- 17951st state appropriation of money for road building, Kentucky
- 1823Georgia passes 1st US state birth registration law
- 1828South Carolina declares right of states to nullify federal laws
- 1835HMS Beagle / Charles Darwin approaches New Zealand
- 1842US recognizes independence of Hawaii
- 1843Charles Dickens publishes "A Christmas Carol, " in England
- 1854Allen Wilson of Conn patents sewing machine to sew curving seams
- 1859Grading started for Market Street RR
- 1861Battle of Black Water
- 1862Skirmish at Jackson / Salem Church, Tenn (80 casualties)
- 1867Victims of "Angola Horror" burned to death (Angola NY)
- 1871Albert L Jones (NYC), patents corrugated paper
- 1887Jake Kilrain and Jem Smith fight 106 round bare knuckle draw
- 1889Bishop Museum founded in Hawaii
- 1890Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Beryl Coronet" (BG)
- 18911st Negro Catholic priest ordained in US, Charles Uncles, Baltimore
- 1891Canadian Rugby Union forms
- 1903Williamsburg suspension bridge opens between Brooklyn and Manhattan
- 1904Dawson City hockey team begins 9 day walk to get a boat to Seattle to catch a train to Ottawa to play in Stanley Cup on Jan 13 1905
- 1907239 workers died in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Penn
- 1907Gas explosion at Jacobs Creek Pa, coal mine kills 239
- 19101st city ordinace requiring white and black residential areas (Baltimore)
Born on Dec 19
- 1498Andreas Osiander: Germany -- Protestant Reformation theologist
- 1676Louis-Nicholas Clerambault: Paris, France -- Composer / Organist
- 1723Susanne K von Klettenberg: German friend of Goethes mother
- 1744Jacobus J Cramer: Priest of Holland / Zealand / West-Friesland
- 1779Auguste-Gaspard-Louis Desnoyers: Paris, France -- Engraver
- 1790William Parry: England, United Kingdom -- Arctic explorer
- 1792[Andries] Hendrik Potgieter: Cape Colony -- Settled Transvaal
- 1796Manuel Breton de los Herreros: Quel, Spain -- Poet / comic playwright
- 1797Josef Theodor Krov: Composer
- 1809Pierre-Joseph van Beneden: Belgium -- Paleont (life cycle of tapeworms)
- 1813Thomas Andrews: Belfast, Ireland -- Chemist / physicist (ozone)
- 1814Edwin M[cMasters] Stanton: Ohio, United States -- US Secretary of War (1861-65)
- 1817James Jay Archer: Brigadier General (Confederate Army) died in 1864
- 1819James Clifford Veatch: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1895
- 1824Hercules Robinson: Ireland -- South Africa Commissioner (1880-89, 1895-97)
- 1825George Frederick Bristow: Composer
- 1832John Kirk Barry: Scotland, United Kingdom -- Dr / companion to explorer David Livingstone
- 1836Maria L Sanford: Pioneer educator (PTA)
- 1837John Carpenter Carter: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1864
- 1852A[lbert] A Michelson: Strelno, Prussia -- US physicist (Nobel 1907)
- 1861Constance [Clara] Garnett: Brighton, England -- Russian-English translator
- 1861Italo Svevo: Trieste, Austria -- Italian Novelist (La Coscienza di Zeno)
- 1864Adolf Sandberger: Composer
- 1865Hermann Hirt: Magdeburg, Prussia -- Linguist (Indo-European Grammar)
- 1865Tikhon Toropets: Pskov, Russia -- Patriarch of Russian Orthodox / Saint
- 1869Eduard Hermann: Coburg Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Germany -- German linguist (Homer)
- 1875Carter G Woodson: New Canton, Virginia -- American historian (black studies)
- 1876Carlo Gatti: Composer
- 1878Anton Lajovic: Composer
- 1879Beals C Wright: Tennis champ (US Open-1905)
Died on Dec 19
- 0401Anastasius I: Bishop of Rome (399-401)
- 1370Urban V [Guillaume de Grimoard]: 1st Avignon Pope (1362-70)
- 1614Melchior Bischoff: Composer, dies at 67
- 1741Vitus J Bering: Dutch navigator / explorer
- 1749Francesco Antonio Bonporti: Composer, dies at 76
- 1798Charles-Joseph Panckoucke: Publisher (Moniteur Universel), dies at 62
- 1800Georg Peter Weimar: Composer, dies at 66
- 1804Mary Bright: British Prime Minister Rockingham
- 1810Johann Heinrich Egli: Composer, dies at 68
- 1815Michel Woldemar: Composer, dies at 65
- 1815Robert Hudson: Composer, dies at 83
- 1823Nicolas-Joseph Hullmandel: Composer, dies at 67
- 1848Adam FJA van Duyn: Governor of South Holland, dies at 77
- 1851J M William Turner: British Painter (Rain, Steam & Speed), dies at 76
- 1867Jean-Georges Kastner: Composer, dies at 57
- 1914Johann F Ritter von Schulte: German Catholic lawyer, dies at 87
- 1925Jose Ignacio Quinton: Composer, dies at 44
- 1939Eric Fogg: Composer, dies at 36
- 1939Karl Wagenfeld: Low German writer (Lucifer, Death & Devil), dies at 70
- 1939Willem Benoy: Flemish actor / director (The White), dies at 57
- 1941L M Dovator: Russian General, dies in battle
- 1951Barton Yarbrough: Actor (Dragnet), dies at 51
- 1953Robert A Millikan: US physicist (Nobel 1923), dies at 85
- 1953Rudolf Leonhard: Writer
- 1957John W Van Druten: US stage / screenwriter (I Remember Mama), dies at 56
- 1959Walter Williams: Claimed to be last survivor of Civil War, dies at 117
- 1966Ehm Welk: Writer, dies at 82
- 1967Alfred Courtens: Belgian sculptor, dies at 78
- 1968Norman Thomas: Founder (ACLU) / Socialist Party (1926-55), dies at 84
- 1977Nellie Tayloe Ross: 1st woman governor, dies at 101
Historical events on December 20
- 0069General Vespasianus occupies Rome
- 1046Benedictus IX and Silvester III and names Bishop Siutger, Pope Clemens II
- 1046Synod of Sutri: German King Henry III removes Popes Gregory VI
- 1192Richard the Lionhearted captured in Vienna
- 1448Pope Nicolaas V named Utrechts Bishop Rudolf of Diepholt, Cardinal
- 1585English fleet and Earl Robert Dudley van Leicester reach Vlissingen
- 1606Virginia Company settlers leave London to establish Jamestown, Virginia
- 1661Corporation Act enforced in England
- 16691st jury trial in Delaware; Marcus Jacobson condemned for insurrection and sentenced to flogging, branding and slavery
- 1694Frederik van Brandenburg flees Schweiben
- 1699Peter the Great ordered Russian New Year changed-Sept 1 to Jan 1
- 1780England declares war on Netherlands
- 17901st successful US cotton mill to spin yarn (Pawtucket, RI)
- 1803Louisiana Purchase formally transferred from France to US for $27M
- 1820Missouri imposes a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men between 21 and 50
- 1823Franz Schuberts "Ballet-Musik aus Rosamunde, " premieres in Vienna
- 1830England, France, Prussia, Austria and Russia recognize Belgium
- 1850Hawaiian post office established
- 1860SC votes 169-0 for Ordinace of Secession, 1st state to secede
- 1861Battle of Dranesville, Virginia
- 1862Brigadier General Nathan B Forrest occupies Trenton, Kentucky
- 1865De Clear-Alkmaar railway opens
- 1879Tom Edison privately demonstrated incandescent light at Menlo Park
- 1883International cantilever railway bridge opens at Niagara Falls
- 1891Strongman Louis Cyr withstands pull of 4 horses
- 1892Phileas Fogg completes around world trip, according to Verne
- 1892Pneumatic automobile tire patented, Syracuse, New York
- 18931st state anti-lynching statue approved, in Georgia
- 1894Day Six 1T Aus vs. Eng Australia need 177 to win, all out 166
- 1900Giacobini discovers a comet (will be 1st comet visited by spacecraft)
Born on December 20
- 1539Paul Melissus [Paul Schede]: German poet / composer
- 1579John Fletcher: Elizabethan dramatist (Phylaster)
- 1594Giovanni Battista Gagliano: Composer
- 1606Christoph Schultze: Composer
- 1629Pieter de Hoogh: Dutch painter
- 1659Francois Fagel: Dutch lawyer / Statesman
- 1720Charles Edward Stuart [Bonnie Prince Charlie / Young Pretender]
- 1729Franz Xaver Thomas Pokorny: Composer
- 1758Othon Joseph Vandenbroek: Composer
- 1774Guillaume-Perre-Antoine Gatayes: Composer
- 1786Pietro Raimondi: Composer
- 1805Thomas Graham: Father of colloid chemistry
- 1807Richard Lucian Page: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1901
- 1808Thomas Tinsley Craven: Commander (Union Navy), died in 1887
- 1809Friedrich Karl Kuhmstedt: Composer
- 1812Achille Peri: Composer
- 1813Samuel Jordan Kirkwood: (Gov-Iowa) / US Secretary of Interior (1881-82)
- 1819John Geary: 1st SF Postmaster, 1st Mayor (May 1, 1850)
- 1825Romeyn Beck Ayres: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1888
- 1833Samuel A Mudd: Doctor, convicted of giving medical aid to JW Booth
- 1858Jean / Johannes T "Jan" Toorop: Dutch painter / graphic artist (3 Brides)
- 1859Antonius J Derkinderen: Dutch painter / etcher
- 1865Maude Gonne: Irish nationalist (Irish Joan of Arc)
- 1867Fini Valdemar Henriques: Composer
- 1868Harvey S Firestone: Industrialist, where the rubber meets the road
- 1869Charley Grapewin: Xenia, Ohio -- Actor (Wizard of Oz, Libeled Lady)
- 1870Pieter C Boutens: Dutch poet (Voices, Carmina)
- 1871Henry Kimball Hadley: Composer
- 1872Lorenzo Perosi: Italian composer
- 1875T F Powys: Wales, United Kingdom -- Writer (Captain Patch, Goat Green)
Died on December 20
- 0069Aulus Vitellius: Roman Commandant of Rhine and 7th Emperor, murdered
- 0910Alfonso III de Great: King of Asturias
- 1073Domingo: Spanish monastery founder / abbot / saint
- 1355Stefanus IX Uros IV Dusan: King (1331-46) / Serbia (1346-55)
- 1632Nicolas Antoine: French cath pastor who converted to Judaism, executed
- 1676John Galle: Flemish engraver / printer, dies at 76
- 1679Johan Maurits: Count of Nassau-Siegen, dies at 75
- 1749Pakubuwono II: Susuhunan of Mataram Java
- 1793Joseph Legros: Composer, dies at 54
- 1798Cornelis Ploos van Amstel: Dutch engraver / art collector, dies at 72
- 1799David Traugott Nicolai: Composer, dies at 66
- 1812Sacagawea: Shoshone interpreter for Lewis & Clark
- 1815Giovanni Meli: Sicilian Poet (Buccolica), dies at 75
- 1819Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis: Composer, dies at 50
- 1821Gian Francesco Fortunati: Composer, dies at 75
- 1875Michail P Pogodin: Russian Historian / writer (Povesti), dies at 75
- 1876Hannah Omish: At 12 is youngest ever hanged in US
- 1903Gavriil Musicescu: Composer, dies at 56
- 1909Benjamin Ipavec: Composer, dies at 79
- 1916Manuel Giro: Composer, dies at 68
- 1916William Wallace Gilchrist: Composer, dies at 70
- 1929Emile Loubet: French Premier (1892) / President (1899-1906), dies at 90
- 1936Baron De Borchgrave: Belgian ambassador, murdered in Madrid
- 1937Erich Ludendorff: German General (WWI), dies at 72
- 1939Hans Langsdorff: German Captain (Graaf Spee), commits suicide
- 1942Jean Gilbert [Max Winterfield]: German composer, dies at 63
- 1944Abbas Hilmi II: Viceroy of Egypt (1892-1914), dies at 70
- 1948C Aubrey Smith: Actor (Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 85
- 1954Emilis Melngailis: Composer, dies at 80
- 1954James Hilton: English Author (Lost Horizon), dies at 54
Events on Dec 21
- 1163Hurricane hits villages in Holland / Friesland, causing floods
- 1561Archbishop Granvelle installed
- 1582Flanders adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is Jan 1 1583
- 1650Johan de Witt installed as Dutch pension advisor of Dordrecht
- 1688Pro-James II-earl of Devonshire occupies Nottingham
- 1762James Cook marries Elizabeth Batts
- 1784John Jay becomes 1st US Secretary of State (foreign affairs)
- 1788Hue Tay Son becomes Emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam
- 18291st stone arch railroad bridge in US dedicated, Baltimore
- 1835HMS Beagle sails into Bay of Islands (New Zealand)
- 18491st US skating club formed (Philadelphia)
- 1864Gen Sherman conquers Savannah
- 1890Pim Mulier 1st and only trip to "Alvesteddetocht"
- 189118 students play 1st basketball game (Springfield College)
- 1898Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovers radium
- 1907Dutch government of De Master falls due to war budget
- 19091st junior high school established (Berkeley, California)
- 1910Explosion in coal mine in Hulton England, 344 mine workers dies
- 1912Denmark, Norway and Sweden declare neutrality in Comende war
- 19131st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in New York World
- 191510.17" (25.83 cm) of rainfall, Glenora, Oregon (state record)
- 1918Red Sox trade Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore and Duffy Lewis to Yankees for Ray Caldwell and Slim Love, Frank Gilhooey, Al Walters and $15,000
- 1919J Edgar Hoover deports anarchists / feminist Emma Goldman to Russia
- 1921Supreme Court rules labor injunctions and picketing unconstitutional
- 1923Nepal changes from British protectorate to independent nation
- 1925Stork Hendry scores 325 for Victoria against New Zealand
- 1926Soccer team DOS Struggle forms
- 19291st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas Tx)
- 1932Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, 1st joint movie (Flying Down to Rio)
- 1932Giants sign former outfielder Billy Southworth as a coach
Born on Dec 21
- 1117Thomas Becket: Archbishop of Canterbury
- 1518Mark van Vaernewijck: Flemish nobleman / politician
- 1537Johan III: King of Sweden (1569-92)
- 1616Pietro Andrea Ziani: Composer
- 1628Samuel Friedrich Capricornus: Composer
- 1639Jean Racin: Writer
- 1728Hermann Friedrich Raupach: Composer
- 1756Thomas Anton Kunz: Composer
- 1800Barnwell Rhett Robert: (Confederacy), died in 1876
- 1804Benjamin Disraeli: (Tory) British Prime Minister (1868, 1874-80)
- 1810Ludwig Schuncke: Composer
- 1815Thomas Couture: French painter / author
- 1818Amalia: Wife of King Otto of Greece
- 1818Lewis H Morgan: United States -- Etnologist (Systems of Consanguinity)
- 1823Jean Henri Fabre: France -- Entomologist (insects and spiders)
- 1826Ernst Pauer: Composer
- 1832John Henry Ketcham: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1906
- 1840Mehmed N Kemal: Turkish journalist (Vatan)
- 1848Edward Everett Rice: Composer
- 1849James Lane Allen: US writer (Kentucky Cardinal)
- 1850Zdenek Fibich: Composer
- 1853Isolde Kurz: German writer / poetess (Meine Mutter)
- 1859Gustave Kahn: France -- Poet (claimed to have invented vers libre)
- 1860Henrietta Szold: Founder (Hadassah)
- 1867John Winter Thompson: Composer
- 1872Albert P Terhune: United States -- Novelist (Lad, a Dog)
- 1874Juan Bautista Sacasa: President of Nicaragua (1932-36)
- 1879Theodore Limperg: Business economist (substitute value)
- 1886George Norman Peterkin: Composer
- 1886Hermann A J Kees: German Egyptologist (Problems of Egyptology)
Died on Dec 21
- 1308Henry I [the Child]: 1st landgrave of Hessen (1256-1308)
- 1375Boccaccio: Writer
- 1375Giovanni Boccaccio: Italian Poet (Vita di Dante)
- 1597Petrus Canisius: Dutch Jesuit / saint, dies at 76
- 1674Rutger van Haersolte: Viceroy of Overijsselse, dies at about 66
- 1734Philipp Hyacinth Lobkowitz: Composer, dies at 54
- 1736Alessandro Galilei: Italian Architect (Cappella Corsini), dies at 45
- 1755Caspar Ruetz: Composer, dies at 47
- 1820Charles-Francois Dumonchau: Composer, dies at 45
- 1859Nicolaas C Kist: Dutch church Historian / archivist, dies at 66
- 1864William Henry Fry: Composer, dies at 51
- 1889Joseph B Lightfoot: English Theologist / Bishop of Durham, dies at 61
- 1890Niels Vilhelm Gade: Danish composer, dies at 73
- 1906Adalbert von Goldschmidt: Composer, dies at 58
- 1907Oskar Lassar: German dermatologist (public baths), dies at 58
- 1921P B S Pinchback: Major Reconstruction politician, dies at 84
- 1928Luigi Cadorna: Italian Field Marshal (WWI, Caporetto), dies at 78
- 1933Knud J V Rasmussen: Danish Pole explorer (Thule), dies at 54
- 1935Kurt Tucholsky: German journalist / writer (Panter, Tiger & Co), dies at 45
- 1937Frank Kellog: US Foreign Minister (Nobel 1929), dies at 80
- 1940F Scott Fitzgerald: Author (Zelda), dies of a heart attack at 44
- 1942Leendert Round: Sculptor (Giraffen, Blijdorp), dies at 63
- 1945George S Patton: US General (Sicily / Normandy), dies in car crash at 60
- 1948Seishiro Itagaki: Japanese General / Minister of War, hanged
- 1955Dorothy Bernard: Actress (Margaret-Life With Father), dies at 65
- 1956Lewis M Terman: Psychologist (Genetic studies of genius), dies at 79
- 1957Eric Coates: Composer, dies at 71
- 1958H[arry] B[yron] Warner: Actor (10 Commandments, New Moon), dies at 83
- 1958Lion Feuchtwanger: Philosopher / writer (Der falsche Nero), dies at 74
- 1965Claude Adonai Champagne: Composer, dies at 74