The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Hotline is established between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Browse Historical Events by Month:
What Happened in December?
Victories, births, and treaties. Explore the significant historical events and milestones that occurred in December. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
Note: Sources for the historical content shown, include research and reviews of relevant Online History Resources or printed material. When possible, we show a link to a source which provides additional or unique perspective about the event.
We do our best to provide accurate information but would appreciate being notified if any incorrect information is found. You may do so by using our Feedback link.
The United States launches the communication satellite Syncom 3, which broadcasts the first live transatlantic television program.
The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Kenya becomes fully independent from British rule on December 12, 1963. A year later, Kenya became a republic, (Jamhuri) with Kenyatta as its first president and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga as vice president. Both events are celebrated on December 12. More
The Clean Air Act is signed into law in the United States, aiming to reduce air pollution. The Clean Air Act empowered federal and state agencies to research and regulate air pollution, marking a major expansion of government efforts to fight back against the damage being done to the climate. More
Twenty months after the Berlin Wall went up, more than 700,000 West Berliners take advantage of a long-awaited chance to see their loved ones on the other side of the Wall.
The agreement signed two days earlier on December, 17 allowed West Berliners to visit their relatives in the other part of the city over Christmas. An estimated 1.2 million cross over to the East between 19 December and 5 January. More
The U.S. Senate passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson broad authority to use military force in Vietnam.
The South African Rivonia Trial concludes with the sentencing of Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists to life in prison.
Canada adopts the new national flag, the Maple Leaf, replacing the Red Ensign.
NASA's Gemini 7 and Gemini 6 spacecraft achieve the first space rendezvous, flying within 1 foot of each other.
Roman Catholic Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I, lift the mutual excommunications that led to the split of the two churches in 1054 in the Great Schism. Today, the two branches of Christianity remain distinct expressions of a similar faith.
Apartheid in South Africa is further entrenched with the passing of the Suppression of Communism Act. of 1950 (SOCA) The act, broadly defined "communism" to include any opposition to government policy.
It allowed the regime to criminalize dissent, ban anti-apartheid groups (like the Communist Party of South Africa), silence activists through banning orders and house arrest, and suppress movements for equality under the guise of fighting a "red peril". This act, alongside other laws, solidified apartheid's control by making resistance itself illegal and silencing voices for justice.
Ferdinand Emmanuel Marcos Sr.is first inaugurated as the 10th President of the Philippines. He ruled under martial law from 1972 until 1981. He was deposed in 1986. His rule was infamous for its corruption and brutality. More
The United Nations General Assembly recognizes the independence of Barbados and Guyana.
The first Kwanzaa celebration is held, a week-long holiday honoring African heritage in African American culture.
The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, secures a contract for the band to produce animated television shows.
The estimated population of the world reaches 3.45 billion, according to the United Nations. The estimated world population at the end of 2025 is 8.3 billion.
The first successful human heart transplant is performed on December 3, 1967 by South African surgeon Dr. Christiaan Barnard at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. More
The modern, popular Frisbee was patented by Ed Headrick for the Wham-O company in 1967, adding stabilizing ridges that made it a true sport toy. The design built on Fred Morrison's earlier design which had been also sold to Wham-O in 1957.
Headrick's design went on to become a huge success and the standard for all flying discs, enabling the growth of disc sports. He also founded the International Frisbee Association and invented disc golf. and the foundation for disc sports like Ultimate Frisbee.
Douglas Engelbart, gives a landmark computer demonstration at the Association for Computing Machinery / Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (ACM/IEEE)—Computer Society's Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco".
The presentation demonstrated for the first time many of the fundamental elements of modern personal computing: windows, hypertext, graphics, efficient navigation and command input, video conferencing, the computer mouse, word processing, dynamic file linking, revision control, and a collaborative real-time editor. The name "The Mother of All Demos" was retroactively applied to the landmark computer demonstration. More