December 11th 1981

Muhammad Ali’s 61st and last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick.

December 12th 1975

Sara Jane Moore pled guilty to trying to kill President Gerald Ford.

December 13th 2001

Terrorists break into parliament building in New Delhi, murder at least 12.

December 14th 1911

South Pole 1st reached, by Norwegian Roald Amundsen.

December 15th 1891

James Naismith invents basketball (Canada).

December 16th 1915

Albert Einstein publishes the General Theory of Relativity.

December 1st 1887

Sherlock Holmes 1st appears in print: “Study in Scarlet”.

December 2nd 1941

Yamamoto sends his fleet to Pearl Harbour.

December 3rd 1961

Anton Geesink becomes 1st not-Japanese judo world champion.

December 4th 1829

Britain abolished ‘Sati’ in India, widow burning herself to death on her husband’s funeral pyre.

December 5th 1928

England defeats Australia by record 675 runs at Brisbane.

December 6th 1988

Nelson Mandela is transferred to Victor Verster Prison, Capetown.

December 7th 1945

Microwave oven patented.

December 8th 1956

16th Olympic Games close at Melbourne, Australia.

December 17th 1907

Ugyen Wangchuck became 1st hereditary king of Bhutan.

December 18th 1987

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s future president, marries Asif Ali Zardari.

December 19th 1918

Robert Ripley began his “Believe It or Not” column (New York Globe).

December 20th 1984

33 unknown Bach keyboard works found in Yale library.

December 21st 1989

Romania’s dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s final speech before being executed.

December 22nd 1992

The Archives of Terror are

December 23rd 1867

1st self-made millionaires (Sarah Breedlove-hair straightener).

December 24th 1997

1st time a Chanukah candle is officially lit in Vatican City.

December 25th 1991

Mikhail Gorbachev formally resigned as President of U.S.S.R.

December 26th 1978

India’s former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, released from jail.

December 27th 1945

International Monetary Fund established - World Bank founded.

December 28th 1991

Ted Turner is named Time Magazine Man of Year.

December 29th 1989

Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova, named athletes of decade.

December 30th 1985

Pakistan restores constitution.

December 31st 1911

Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize.