Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your 13 December shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the 13 December offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of 13 December at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a 13 December? Wrong! If the 13 December is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about 13 December then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling 13 December? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about 13 December and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your 13 December wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your 13 December then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the 13 December site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about 13 December, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your 13 December, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

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Events

• 1294 - Pope Celestine V papal abdication the Pope after only five months; Celestine hoped to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.
• 1545 - Council of Trent begins.
• 1577 - Sir Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.
• 1636 - The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Native Americans in the United States. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the United States National Guard.
• 1642 - Abel Janszoon Tasman reaches New Zealand.
• 1643 - English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire.
• 1769 - Dartmouth College founded by the Eleazar Wheelock, with a Royal Charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal Governor John Wentworth (governor).
• 1862 - American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate States of America General Robert E. Lee defeats the Union Army Major General Ambrose E. Burnside.
• 1884 - first performance of any of Richard Strauss's compositions in the United States (Symphony in f, New York Philharmonic)
• 1895 - Premiere of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) in Berlin.
• 1937 - Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanjing - Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Imperial Japan.
• 1937 - Nanking Massacre. Japanese troops begin carrying out several weeks of raping and killing of civilians and suspected Chinese resistance after the fall of Nanjing.
• 1938 - The Holocaust: 100 deportees from Sachsenhausen concentration camp build the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg.
• 1939 - World War II: Battle of the River Plate - Captain Hans Langsdorff of the Nazi Germany Deutschland class cruiser (pocket battleship) German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter (68), HMS Ajax (22) and HMNZS Achilles (70).
• 1941 - Timeline of World War II: Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States.
• 1943 - World War II: 710 Bombers of U.S. 8th Air Force attack Kiel, Germany.
• 1949 - The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.
• 1959 - Archbishop Makarios becomes the first President of Cyprus.
• 1972 - Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the sixth and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
• 1973 - Rael, leader of the Raelian Movement claims to meet an ET he says is named Yahweh, during an alleged UFO encounter in Puy de Lassolas, France.
• 1974 - Malta becomes a republic.
• 1977 - A DC-3 aircraft chartered from the Indianapolis-based National Jet crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff and boosters of the team.
• 1978 - The first Susan B. Anthony dollar enters circulation.
• 1979 - The Canadian Government of Prime Minister Joe Clark is defeated in the Canadian House of Commons, prompting the Canadian federal election, 1980.
• 1981 - General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland to prevent dismantling of the communist system by Solidarity.
• 1983 - The Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons play in the highest scoring National Basketball Association game in history, with the Pistons winning 186-184 in triple overtime. In addition to most points in a game, this game also set the record for most Field goal (basketball)s made (136), and most assists (93).
• 1989 - The last issue of Gnistan (The Spark), the organ of the KFML, is published in Sweden.
• 1996 - Kofi Annan is elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• 2000 - The "Texas 7" escape from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas and go on a robbery spree, during which police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot and killed.
• 2000 - Vice President of the United States Al Gore delivers his concession speech ending his hopes of becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
• 2001 - the Indian Parliament Sansad is 2001 Indian Parliament attack by terrorists, killing 15 people, including all the terrorists.
• 2002 - Enlargement of the European Union: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.
• 2003 - Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit (see Operation Red Dawn).
• 2003 - In the most-attended basketball game in history, 78,129 watch Michigan State University lose 79-74 to the University of Kentucky at Ford Field.
• 2004 - Former Chile dictator, General Pinochet is put under house arrest, after being sued under accusations over 9 kidnapping actions and manslaughter. The house arrest is lifted the same day on appeal.
• 2006 - The Baiji, or Chinese River Dolphin, announced as extinct.

Births

• 1521 - Pope Sixtus V (d. 1590)
• 1533 - King Eric XIV of Sweden (d. 1577)
• 1553 - King Henry IV of France (d. 1610)
• 1585 - William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (d. 1649)
• 1640 - Robert Plot, English naturalist (d. 1696)
• 1662 - Francesco Bianchini, Italian philosopher and scientist (d. 1729)
• 1678 - Yongzheng Emperor of China (d. 1735)
• 1720 - Carlo Gozzi, Italian dramatist (d. 1804)
• 1724 - Franz Aepinus, German scientist (d. 1802)
• 1784 - Archduke Louis of Austria (d. 1864)
• 1797 - Heinrich Heine, German poet (d. 1856)
• 1804 - Joseph Howe, Canadian politician (d. 1873)
• 1816 - Ernst Werner von Siemens, German engineer, inventor, and industrialist (d. 1892)
• 1818 - Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady of the United States (d. 1882)
• 1836 - Franz von Lenbach, German painter (d. 1904)
• 1854 - Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell (d. 1934)
• 1856 - Svetozar Boroević, Austro-Hungarian field marshal (d. 1920)
• 1860 - Lucien Guitry, French actor (d. 1925)
• 1864 - Emil Seidel, Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1947)
• 1867 - Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian explorer and scientist (d. 1917)
• 1870 - Edward LeSaint, American actor and director (d. 1940)
• 1871 - Emily Carr, Canadian artist (d. 1945)
• 1874 - Josef Lhévinne, Russian-born pianist (d. 1944)
• 1883 - Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian, bibliographer and archivist (d. 1950)
• 1887 - George Polya, Hungarian-born mathematician (d. 1985)
• 1887 - Alvin York, American soldier & Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
• 1897 - Drew Pearson (journalist), American journalist (d. 1969)
• 1903 - Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist (d. 1993)
• 1906 - Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (d. 1968)
• 1906 - Sir Laurens van der Post, South African author (d. 1996)
• 1910 - Van Heflin, American actor (d. 1971)
• 1911 - Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist and Nobel Prize in Economics winner (d. 1999)
• 1911 - Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (d. 1972)
• 1913 - Archie Moore, American boxer and World Light-Heavyweight Champion (d. 1998)
• 1913 - Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army), the 11th General of The Salvation Army (d. 2002)
• 1915 - Curd Jürgens, German actor (d. 1982)
• 1915 - Ross Macdonald, American-born author (d. 1983)
• 1915 - B.J. Vorster, List of Prime Ministers of South Africa 1966-1978 (d. 1983)
• 1917 - John Hart (actor), American actor
• 1919 - Hans-Joachim Marseille, German flying ace of World War II (d. 1942)
• 1920 - George Shultz, United States Secretary of State 1982-1989
• 1923 - Philip Warren Anderson, American physicist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate
• 1923 - Larry Doby, American baseball player (d. 2003)
• 1925 - Dick Van Dyke, American actor and comedian
• 1926 - George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete and Olympic gold medalist
• 1929 - Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor
• 1930 - Robert Prosky, American actor
• 1934 - Richard D. Zanuck, American film producer
• 1935 - Joe Christopher, American baseball player
• 1935 - Adélia Prado, Brazilian writer
• 1935 - Kenneth Hall (football player), American football player, known as the “Sugar Land Express”
• 1935 - Lindy McDaniel, American baseball player
• 1936 - Aga Khan IV (Aga Khan IV), Imam (leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims
• 1936 - J.C. Martin American baseball player
• 1939 - Eric Flynn, British actor and singer (d. 2002)
• 1941 - John Davidson (entertainer), American actor and game show host
• 1942 - Anna Eshoo, American politician
• 1943 - Ferguson Jenkins, Canadian baseball player
• 1943 - Gösta Winbergh, Swedish tenor (d. 2002)
• 1944 - Hwang Jang Lee, Korean martial artist and film actor
• 1945 - Brian McGuire, Australian racing driver (d. 1977)
• 1947 - Darlene Cates, American actress
• 1947 - Dave Hamilton, American baseball player
• 1948 - Ted Nugent, American guitarist
• 1948 - Jeff Baxter, American guitarist (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers)
• 1948 - Lillian Board, English athlete (d. 1970)
• 1948 - Brian Wilson (politician), Scottish politician
• 1949 - Tom Verlaine, American singer/guitarist of Television (band)
• 1950 - Wendie Malick, American actress
• 1950 - Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa
• 1952 - Sylvester Ritter, American professional wrestler better known as "Junkyard Dog" (d. 1998)
• 1953 - Ben Bernanke, American economist and current United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve
• 1953 - Bill Castro, Dominican baseball player
• 1953 - Bob Gainey, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1954 - John Anderson (musician), American country musician
• 1954 - Tamora Pierce, author
• 1956 - Dale Berra, American baseball player
• 1957 - Steve Buscemi, American actor
• 1957 - Morris Day, American singer (The Time (band))
• 1957 - Jean-Marie Messier, French businessman
• 1958 - Lynn-Holly Johnson, American figure skater and actress
• 1959 - Jim Barrell, American professional wrestler
• 1959 - Johnny Whitaker, American actor
• 1960 - Daggubati Venkatesh, Indian actor
• 1961 - Harry Gregson-Williams, English composer
• 1961 - Irene Saez, Miss Universe 1981 and Venezuelan Politician
• 1963 - Jake White, South African rugby union coach
• 1964 - Hide (musician), Japanese musician (X Japan) (d. 1998)
• 1965 - Marko Mäetamm, Estonian artist
• 1966 - Ross Burden, New Zealand celebrity chef
• 1966 - Don Roff, American writer and filmmaker
• 1967 - Jamie Foxx, American actor
• 1969 - Murat Nasyrov, Russian singer (d. 2007)
• 1969 - Sergei Fedorov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1972 - Mauricio Solís, Costa Rican footballer
• 1973 - Christie Clark, American actress
• 1974 - Nicholas McCarthy, British guitarist (Franz Ferdinand (band))
• 1974 - Sara Cox, TV and radio presenter
• 1975 - Tom DeLonge, American guitarist (blink-182, Angels and Airwaves)
• 1975 - Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player
• 1976 - Josh Fogg, American baseball player
• 1976 - Radosław Sobolewski, Polish footballer
• 1977 - Peter Stringer, Irish Rugby International
• 1978 - Ryo Kawakita, Japanese guitarist (Maximum the Hormone)
• 1979 - Jon Elliott, American radio talkshow host
• 1981 - Amy Lee, American singer/songwriter (Evanescence)
• 1982 - Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player
• 1982 - Freddie Weinke, American football player
• 1982 - Tuka Rocha, Brazilian racing driver
• 1982 - Dominik Werling, German footballer
• 1983 - Matt Deis, American bassist
• 1983 - Otylia Jędrzejczak, Polish Olympic swimmer
• 1989 - Taylor Swift, American singer/songwriter
• 1991 - Jay Greenberg, American composer
• 2005 - Prince Nicolas of Belgium
• 2005 - Prince Aymeric of Belgium

Deaths

• 1048 - Al-Biruni, Persian mathematician (b. 973)
• 1124 - Pope Callixtus II
• 1126 - Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria
• 1204 - Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (b. 1135)
• 1250 - Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1194)
• 1404 - Albert, Count of Holland (b. 1336)
• 1466 - Donatello, Florentine artist and sculptor (b. 1386)
• 1516 - Johannes Trithemius, German cryptographer (b. 1462)
• 1521 - Manuel I of Portugal (b. 1469)
• 1557 - Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia, Italian mathematician
• 1565 - Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (b. 1516)
• 1603 - François Viète, French mathematician (b. 1540)
• 1621 - Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1535)
• 1716 - Charles de La Fosse, French painter (b. 1640)
• 1721 - Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor and castaway (b. 1676)
• 1729 - Anthony Collins, English philosopher (b. 1676)
• 1754 - Mahmud I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1696)
• 1769 - Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet (b. 1715)
• 1783 - Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin, Swedish astronomer (b. 1717)
• 1784 - Samuel Johnson, British writer and lexicographer (b. 1709)
• 1814 - Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne, Belgian-born Austrian field marshal (b. 1735)
• 1835 - John Storm, American Revolutionary soldier (b. 1760)
• 1837 - Herman of Alaska, Russian Orthodox hermit (b. 1756)
• 1863 - Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German writer (b. 1813)
• 1868 - Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist (b. 1794)
• 1881 - August Senoa, Croatian writer (b. 1838)
• 1883 - Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (b. 1812)
• 1895 - Anyos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist (b. 1800)
• 1919 - Woldemar Voigt, German physicist (b. 1850)
• 1922 - Hannes Hafstein, Icelandic politician and poet (b. 1861)
• 1924 - Samuel Gompers, American labor and political leader, founder of American Federation of Labor (b. 1850)
• 1930 - Fritz Pregl, Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate (b. 1869)
• 1931 - Gustave le Bon, French psychologist (b. 1840)
• 1932 - Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter (b. 1853)
• 1935 - Victor Grignard, Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate (b. 1871)
• 1940 - Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval, French physicist (b. 1851)
• 1942 - Wlodimir Ledochowski, Polish-Austrian director of the Society of Jesus (b. 1866)
• 1944 - Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-born French artist (b. 1866)
• 1944 - Lupe Vélez, Mexican actress (b. 1908)
• 1945 - Irma Grese, Nazi war criminal (b. 1923)
• 1945 - Elisabeth Volkenrath, supervisor at concentration camps (b. 1919)
• 1945 - Josef Kramer, commandant of Bergen Belsen concentration camp (b. 1906)
• 1947 - Nicholas Roerich, Russian-born painter (b. 1874)
• 1950 - Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1902)
• 1954 - John Raymond Hubbell, American writer (b. 1879)
• 1955 - Egas Moniz, Portuguese psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (b. 1874)
• 1958 - Tim Moore (comedian), American actor (b. 1887)
• 1961 - Grandma Moses, American painter (b. 1860)
• 1969 - Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral (b. 1886)
• 1969 - Spencer Williams (actor), American actor (b. 1893)
• 1973 - Henry Green, English author (b. 1905)
• 1979 - Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
• 1981 - Pigmeat Markham, American entertainer (b. 1904)
• 1983 - Alexander Schmemann, Orthodox Christian priest and theologian (b. 1921)
• 1983 - Nichita Stanescu, Romanian poet (b. 1933)
• 1992 - Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and heir (b. 1899)
• 1992 - K.C. Irving, Canadian industrialist (b. 1899)
• 1993 - Vanessa Duriès, French novelist (b. 1972)
• 1994 - Norman Beaton, English actor, First black teacher of Liverpool
• 2001 - Chuck Schuldiner, American musician (Death (band)) (b. 1967)
• 2002 - Zal Yanovsky, American musician (The Lovin' Spoonful) (b. 1945)
• 2003 - William V. Roth, Jr., U.S. Senator (b. 1921)
• 2004 - Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball player (b. 1934)
• 2004 - David Wheeler (computer scientist), British computer scientist (b. 1927)
• 2005 - Stanley Williams, co-founder of the Crips (b. 1953)
• 2005 - Timothy Jordan II, American musician (The All American Rejects, Jonezetta) (b. 1981)
• 2006 - Lamar Hunt, American sports executive (b. 1932)

Holidays and observances

• Roman festivals - Terra (mythology) was worshipped in the district Carinae at the Esquiline Hill, and a lectisternium or table was spread for Ceres.
• Calendar of Saints - memorial of Saint Lucy
• In the Julian calendar before the Gregorian reform, this was the shortest day and longest night, and widely celebrated as such.
• Malta - Republic Day (since 1974)
• Saint Lucy's Day in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and some regions of Italy, mainly Sicily, Veneto and Trentino.

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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Events

• 1294 - Pope Celestine V papal abdication the Pope after only five months; Celestine hoped to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.
• 1545 - Council of Trent begins.
• 1577 - Sir Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.
• 1636 - The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Native Americans in the United States. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the United States National Guard.
• 1642 - Abel Janszoon Tasman reaches New Zealand.
• 1643 - English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire.
• 1769 - Dartmouth College founded by the Eleazar Wheelock, with a Royal Charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal Governor John Wentworth (governor).
• 1862 - American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate States of America General Robert E. Lee defeats the Union Army Major General Ambrose E. Burnside.
• 1884 - first performance of any of Richard Strauss's compositions in the United States (Symphony in f, New York Philharmonic)
• 1895 - Premiere of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) in Berlin.
• 1937 - Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanjing - Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Imperial Japan.
• 1937 - Nanking Massacre. Japanese troops begin carrying out several weeks of raping and killing of civilians and suspected Chinese resistance after the fall of Nanjing.
• 1938 - The Holocaust: 100 deportees from Sachsenhausen concentration camp build the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg.
• 1939 - World War II: Battle of the River Plate - Captain Hans Langsdorff of the Nazi Germany Deutschland class cruiser (pocket battleship) German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter (68), HMS Ajax (22) and HMNZS Achilles (70).
• 1941 - Timeline of World War II: Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States.
• 1943 - World War II: 710 Bombers of U.S. 8th Air Force attack Kiel, Germany.
• 1949 - The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.
• 1959 - Archbishop Makarios becomes the first President of Cyprus.
• 1972 - Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the sixth and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
• 1973 - Rael, leader of the Raelian Movement claims to meet an ET he says is named Yahweh, during an alleged UFO encounter in Puy de Lassolas, France.
• 1974 - Malta becomes a republic.
• 1977 - A DC-3 aircraft chartered from the Indianapolis-based National Jet crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff and boosters of the team.
• 1978 - The first Susan B. Anthony dollar enters circulation.
• 1979 - The Canadian Government of Prime Minister Joe Clark is defeated in the Canadian House of Commons, prompting the Canadian federal election, 1980.
• 1981 - General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland to prevent dismantling of the communist system by Solidarity.
• 1983 - The Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons play in the highest scoring National Basketball Association game in history, with the Pistons winning 186-184 in triple overtime. In addition to most points in a game, this game also set the record for most Field goal (basketball)s made (136), and most assists (93).
• 1989 - The last issue of Gnistan (The Spark), the organ of the KFML, is published in Sweden.
• 1996 - Kofi Annan is elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• 2000 - The "Texas 7" escape from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas and go on a robbery spree, during which police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot and killed.
• 2000 - Vice President of the United States Al Gore delivers his concession speech ending his hopes of becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
• 2001 - the Indian Parliament Sansad is 2001 Indian Parliament attack by terrorists, killing 15 people, including all the terrorists.
• 2002 - Enlargement of the European Union: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.
• 2003 - Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit (see Operation Red Dawn).
• 2003 - In the most-attended basketball game in history, 78,129 watch Michigan State University lose 79-74 to the University of Kentucky at Ford Field.
• 2004 - Former Chile dictator, General Pinochet is put under house arrest, after being sued under accusations over 9 kidnapping actions and manslaughter. The house arrest is lifted the same day on appeal.
• 2006 - The Baiji, or Chinese River Dolphin, announced as extinct.

Births

• 1521 - Pope Sixtus V (d. 1590)
• 1533 - King Eric XIV of Sweden (d. 1577)
• 1553 - King Henry IV of France (d. 1610)
• 1585 - William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (d. 1649)
• 1640 - Robert Plot, English naturalist (d. 1696)
• 1662 - Francesco Bianchini, Italian philosopher and scientist (d. 1729)
• 1678 - Yongzheng Emperor of China (d. 1735)
• 1720 - Carlo Gozzi, Italian dramatist (d. 1804)
• 1724 - Franz Aepinus, German scientist (d. 1802)
• 1784 - Archduke Louis of Austria (d. 1864)
• 1797 - Heinrich Heine, German poet (d. 1856)
• 1804 - Joseph Howe, Canadian politician (d. 1873)
• 1816 - Ernst Werner von Siemens, German engineer, inventor, and industrialist (d. 1892)
• 1818 - Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady of the United States (d. 1882)
• 1836 - Franz von Lenbach, German painter (d. 1904)
• 1854 - Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell (d. 1934)
• 1856 - Svetozar Boroević, Austro-Hungarian field marshal (d. 1920)
• 1860 - Lucien Guitry, French actor (d. 1925)
• 1864 - Emil Seidel, Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1947)
• 1867 - Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian explorer and scientist (d. 1917)
• 1870 - Edward LeSaint, American actor and director (d. 1940)
• 1871 - Emily Carr, Canadian artist (d. 1945)
• 1874 - Josef Lhévinne, Russian-born pianist (d. 1944)
• 1883 - Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian, bibliographer and archivist (d. 1950)
• 1887 - George Polya, Hungarian-born mathematician (d. 1985)
• 1887 - Alvin York, American soldier & Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
• 1897 - Drew Pearson (journalist), American journalist (d. 1969)
• 1903 - Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist (d. 1993)
• 1906 - Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (d. 1968)
• 1906 - Sir Laurens van der Post, South African author (d. 1996)
• 1910 - Van Heflin, American actor (d. 1971)
• 1911 - Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist and Nobel Prize in Economics winner (d. 1999)
• 1911 - Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (d. 1972)
• 1913 - Archie Moore, American boxer and World Light-Heavyweight Champion (d. 1998)
• 1913 - Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army), the 11th General of The Salvation Army (d. 2002)
• 1915 - Curd Jürgens, German actor (d. 1982)
• 1915 - Ross Macdonald, American-born author (d. 1983)
• 1915 - B.J. Vorster, List of Prime Ministers of South Africa 1966-1978 (d. 1983)
• 1917 - John Hart (actor), American actor
• 1919 - Hans-Joachim Marseille, German flying ace of World War II (d. 1942)
• 1920 - George Shultz, United States Secretary of State 1982-1989
• 1923 - Philip Warren Anderson, American physicist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate
• 1923 - Larry Doby, American baseball player (d. 2003)
• 1925 - Dick Van Dyke, American actor and comedian
• 1926 - George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete and Olympic gold medalist
• 1929 - Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor
• 1930 - Robert Prosky, American actor
• 1934 - Richard D. Zanuck, American film producer
• 1935 - Joe Christopher, American baseball player
• 1935 - Adélia Prado, Brazilian writer
• 1935 - Kenneth Hall (football player), American football player, known as the “Sugar Land Express”
• 1935 - Lindy McDaniel, American baseball player
• 1936 - Aga Khan IV (Aga Khan IV), Imam (leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims
• 1936 - J.C. Martin American baseball player
• 1939 - Eric Flynn, British actor and singer (d. 2002)
• 1941 - John Davidson (entertainer), American actor and game show host
• 1942 - Anna Eshoo, American politician
• 1943 - Ferguson Jenkins, Canadian baseball player
• 1943 - Gösta Winbergh, Swedish tenor (d. 2002)
• 1944 - Hwang Jang Lee, Korean martial artist and film actor
• 1945 - Brian McGuire, Australian racing driver (d. 1977)
• 1947 - Darlene Cates, American actress
• 1947 - Dave Hamilton, American baseball player
• 1948 - Ted Nugent, American guitarist
• 1948 - Jeff Baxter, American guitarist (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers)
• 1948 - Lillian Board, English athlete (d. 1970)
• 1948 - Brian Wilson (politician), Scottish politician
• 1949 - Tom Verlaine, American singer/guitarist of Television (band)
• 1950 - Wendie Malick, American actress
• 1950 - Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa
• 1952 - Sylvester Ritter, American professional wrestler better known as "Junkyard Dog" (d. 1998)
• 1953 - Ben Bernanke, American economist and current United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve
• 1953 - Bill Castro, Dominican baseball player
• 1953 - Bob Gainey, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1954 - John Anderson (musician), American country musician
• 1954 - Tamora Pierce, author
• 1956 - Dale Berra, American baseball player
• 1957 - Steve Buscemi, American actor
• 1957 - Morris Day, American singer (The Time (band))
• 1957 - Jean-Marie Messier, French businessman
• 1958 - Lynn-Holly Johnson, American figure skater and actress
• 1959 - Jim Barrell, American professional wrestler
• 1959 - Johnny Whitaker, American actor
• 1960 - Daggubati Venkatesh, Indian actor
• 1961 - Harry Gregson-Williams, English composer
• 1961 - Irene Saez, Miss Universe 1981 and Venezuelan Politician
• 1963 - Jake White, South African rugby union coach
• 1964 - Hide (musician), Japanese musician (X Japan) (d. 1998)
• 1965 - Marko Mäetamm, Estonian artist
• 1966 - Ross Burden, New Zealand celebrity chef
• 1966 - Don Roff, American writer and filmmaker
• 1967 - Jamie Foxx, American actor
• 1969 - Murat Nasyrov, Russian singer (d. 2007)
• 1969 - Sergei Fedorov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1972 - Mauricio Solís, Costa Rican footballer
• 1973 - Christie Clark, American actress
• 1974 - Nicholas McCarthy, British guitarist (Franz Ferdinand (band))
• 1974 - Sara Cox, TV and radio presenter
• 1975 - Tom DeLonge, American guitarist (blink-182, Angels and Airwaves)
• 1975 - Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player
• 1976 - Josh Fogg, American baseball player
• 1976 - Radosław Sobolewski, Polish footballer
• 1977 - Peter Stringer, Irish Rugby International
• 1978 - Ryo Kawakita, Japanese guitarist (Maximum the Hormone)
• 1979 - Jon Elliott, American radio talkshow host
• 1981 - Amy Lee, American singer/songwriter (Evanescence)
• 1982 - Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player
• 1982 - Freddie Weinke, American football player
• 1982 - Tuka Rocha, Brazilian racing driver
• 1982 - Dominik Werling, German footballer
• 1983 - Matt Deis, American bassist
• 1983 - Otylia Jędrzejczak, Polish Olympic swimmer
• 1989 - Taylor Swift, American singer/songwriter
• 1991 - Jay Greenberg, American composer
• 2005 - Prince Nicolas of Belgium
• 2005 - Prince Aymeric of Belgium

Deaths

• 1048 - Al-Biruni, Persian mathematician (b. 973)
• 1124 - Pope Callixtus II
• 1126 - Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria
• 1204 - Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (b. 1135)
• 1250 - Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1194)
• 1404 - Albert, Count of Holland (b. 1336)
• 1466 - Donatello, Florentine artist and sculptor (b. 1386)
• 1516 - Johannes Trithemius, German cryptographer (b. 1462)
• 1521 - Manuel I of Portugal (b. 1469)
• 1557 - Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia, Italian mathematician
• 1565 - Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (b. 1516)
• 1603 - François Viète, French mathematician (b. 1540)
• 1621 - Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1535)
• 1716 - Charles de La Fosse, French painter (b. 1640)
• 1721 - Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor and castaway (b. 1676)
• 1729 - Anthony Collins, English philosopher (b. 1676)
• 1754 - Mahmud I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1696)
• 1769 - Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet (b. 1715)
• 1783 - Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin, Swedish astronomer (b. 1717)
• 1784 - Samuel Johnson, British writer and lexicographer (b. 1709)
• 1814 - Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne, Belgian-born Austrian field marshal (b. 1735)
• 1835 - John Storm, American Revolutionary soldier (b. 1760)
• 1837 - Herman of Alaska, Russian Orthodox hermit (b. 1756)
• 1863 - Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German writer (b. 1813)
• 1868 - Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist (b. 1794)
• 1881 - August Senoa, Croatian writer (b. 1838)
• 1883 - Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (b. 1812)
• 1895 - Anyos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist (b. 1800)
• 1919 - Woldemar Voigt, German physicist (b. 1850)
• 1922 - Hannes Hafstein, Icelandic politician and poet (b. 1861)
• 1924 - Samuel Gompers, American labor and political leader, founder of American Federation of Labor (b. 1850)
• 1930 - Fritz Pregl, Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate (b. 1869)
• 1931 - Gustave le Bon, French psychologist (b. 1840)
• 1932 - Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter (b. 1853)
• 1935 - Victor Grignard, Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate (b. 1871)
• 1940 - Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval, French physicist (b. 1851)
• 1942 - Wlodimir Ledochowski, Polish-Austrian director of the Society of Jesus (b. 1866)
• 1944 - Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-born French artist (b. 1866)
• 1944 - Lupe Vélez, Mexican actress (b. 1908)
• 1945 - Irma Grese, Nazi war criminal (b. 1923)
• 1945 - Elisabeth Volkenrath, supervisor at concentration camps (b. 1919)
• 1945 - Josef Kramer, commandant of Bergen Belsen concentration camp (b. 1906)
• 1947 - Nicholas Roerich, Russian-born painter (b. 1874)
• 1950 - Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1902)
• 1954 - John Raymond Hubbell, American writer (b. 1879)
• 1955 - Egas Moniz, Portuguese psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (b. 1874)
• 1958 - Tim Moore (comedian), American actor (b. 1887)
• 1961 - Grandma Moses, American painter (b. 1860)
• 1969 - Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral (b. 1886)
• 1969 - Spencer Williams (actor), American actor (b. 1893)
• 1973 - Henry Green, English author (b. 1905)
• 1979 - Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
• 1981 - Pigmeat Markham, American entertainer (b. 1904)
• 1983 - Alexander Schmemann, Orthodox Christian priest and theologian (b. 1921)
• 1983 - Nichita Stanescu, Romanian poet (b. 1933)
• 1992 - Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and heir (b. 1899)
• 1992 - K.C. Irving, Canadian industrialist (b. 1899)
• 1993 - Vanessa Duriès, French novelist (b. 1972)
• 1994 - Norman Beaton, English actor, First black teacher of Liverpool
• 2001 - Chuck Schuldiner, American musician (Death (band)) (b. 1967)
• 2002 - Zal Yanovsky, American musician (The Lovin' Spoonful) (b. 1945)
• 2003 - William V. Roth, Jr., U.S. Senator (b. 1921)
• 2004 - Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball player (b. 1934)
• 2004 - David Wheeler (computer scientist), British computer scientist (b. 1927)
• 2005 - Stanley Williams, co-founder of the Crips (b. 1953)
• 2005 - Timothy Jordan II, American musician (The All American Rejects, Jonezetta) (b. 1981)
• 2006 - Lamar Hunt, American sports executive (b. 1932)

Holidays and observances

• Roman festivals - Terra (mythology) was worshipped in the district Carinae at the Esquiline Hill, and a lectisternium or table was spread for Ceres.
• Calendar of Saints - memorial of Saint Lucy
• In the Julian calendar before the Gregorian reform, this was the shortest day and longest night, and widely celebrated as such.
• Malta - Republic Day (since 1974)
• Saint Lucy's Day in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and some regions of Italy, mainly Sicily, Veneto and Trentino.

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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