What Happened in December?

Argentina defaults on its external debt and announces the suspension of payments, the biggest debt default in history to date. The government suspended payments on over $132 billion of federal sovereign debt. The default followed a four-year recession and mounting social unrest.  Expand +

Saddam Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq, is captured by U.S. forces near Tikrit. after 9 months of hiding. He was tried and convicted of crimes against humanity. He was executed on December 30, 2006.

The Sumatra-Andaman 9.3 Earthquake, strikes in the India Ocean off the coast of Sumatra. The massive under-sea quake triggered a Tsunami with waves up to 100 Feet (30 meters) affecting 14 countries, resulting in an estimated 230,000 fatalities and billions in material losses. Expand +

Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, is executed December 30, 2006, after being convicted in 2004 of crimes against humanity. More

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in Rawalpindi. More

Bernard Madoff, American hedge-fund investment manager is arrested by the FBI at his home on December 11, 1988.  Expand +

The Lisbon Treaty, which reformed the European Union's (EC) institutions, comes into force on December 1, 2009. It had been signed on December 13, 2007.

The outbreak of the Arab Spring begins when Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, sets himself on fire in protest, sparking widespread demonstrations.

The last convoy of U.S. troops leaves Iraq, officially marking the end of the Iraq War. Violence continued and in fact worsened over the subsequent years. As of the end of 2024, the U.S. still has a military presence of about 2,500 personnel in Iraq as part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve effort. Talks continue on Security cooperation. More

Typhoon Bopha, known in the Philippines locally as Pablo makes landfall three times in the Philippines in spreading destruction across 30 provinces. In all, 5.4 million people were affected, and at least 2,000 died or were reported missing. More

Twenty first graders from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and six school employees are killed by Adam Lanza before turning a gun on himself. Earlier the same day, he killed his mother at the home they shared. More

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid icon, died on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. He passed away at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, surrounded by his family.

The United States and Cuba announce plans to normalize diplomatic relations after decades of tension.

The Paris Agreement on climate change is adopted by 196 countries during the COP21 summit.

The assassination of Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, in Ankara.

The United States officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, sparking controversy and protests.

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush passes away at the age of 94.

The United States House of Representatives impeaches President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are administered in the United Kingdom, marking the beginning of vaccination campaigns worldwide.

The United Kingdom and the European Union reach a post-Brexit trade deal, averting a no-deal scenario.