[edit]

• 502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate.
• 640 – Pope John IV is elected.
• 759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.
• 1144 – The capital of the crusader County of Edessa falls to Imad ad-Din Zengi, the atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo.
• 1294 – Pope Boniface VIII is elected, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned.
• 1500 – A joint Venetian–Spanish fleet captures the Castle of St. George on the island of Cephalonia.
• 1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.
• 1800 – The Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise fails to kill Napoleon Bonaparte.
• 1814 – Representatives of Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
• 1818 – The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.
• 1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.
• 1851 – Library of Congress burns.
• 1865 – The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
• 1871 – Aida opens in Cairo, Egypt.
• 1906 – Radio: Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.
• 1911 – Lackawanna Cut-Off railway line opens in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
• 1913 – The Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan results in the deaths of 73 Christmas party participants (including 59 children) when someone falsely yells "fire".
• 1914 – World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
• 1924 – Albania becomes a republic.
• 1929 – Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen.
• 1939 – World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
• 1941 – World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.
• 1941 – World War II: Benghazi is conquered by British forces.
• 1942 – World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers, Algeria.
• 1943 – World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is named Supreme Allied Commander for the Invasion of Normandy.
• 1945 – Five of nine children become missing after their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is burned down.
• 1951 – Libya becomes independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
• 1953 – Tangiwai disaster: In New Zealand's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge is damaged by a lahar and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people.
• 1964 – Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.
• 1966 – A Canadair CL-44 chartered by the United States military crashes into a small village in South Vietnam, killing 129.
• 1968 – Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures.
• 1969 – The oil company Phillips Petroleum made the first oil discovery in the Norwegian sector of North Sea.
• 1969 – Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
• 1973 – District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
• 1974 – Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
• 1980 – Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, an incident called "Britain's Roswell".
• 1994 – Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers, Algeria. Over the course of three days three passengers are killed, as are all four terrorists.
• 1997 – The Sid El-Antri massacre in Algeria kills between 50 and 100 people.
• 1999 – Indian Airlines Flight 814 is hijacked in Indian airspace between Kathmandu, Nepal, and Delhi, India. The aircraft landed at Kandahar in Afghanistan. The incident ended on December 31 with the release of 190 survivors (one passenger is killed).
• 2003 – The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station.
• 2005 – Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
• 2008 – Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks on Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400.

Births[edit]

• 3 BC – Galba, Roman emperor (d. 69)
• 1166 – John, King of England (d. 1216)
• 1389 – John V, Duke of Brittany (d. 1442)
• 1475 – Thomas Murner, German poet and translator (d. 1537)
• 1508 – Pietro Carnesecchi, Italian scholar (d. 1567)
• 1588 – Constance of Austria (d. 1631)
• 1597 – Honoré II, Prince of Monaco (d. 1662)
• 1625 – Johann Rudolph Ahle, German organist, composer, and theorist (d. 1673)
• 1635 – Mariana of Austria (d. 1696)
• 1679 – Domenico Sarro, Italian composer and educator (d. 1744)
• 1698 – William Warburton, English bishop (d. 1779)
• 1726 – Johann Hartmann, Danish composer (d. 1793)
• 1731 – Julie Bondeli, Swiss salonist and lady of letters (d. 1778)
• 1754 – George Crabbe, English priest, surgeon, and poet (d. 1832)
• 1761 – Selim III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1808)
• 1761 – Jean-Louis Pons, French astronomer (d. 1831)
• 1798 – Adam Mickiewicz, Polish poet and playwright (d. 1855)
• 1809 – Kit Carson, American general (d. 1868)
• 1810 – Wilhelm Marstrand, Danish painter and illustrator (d. 1873)
• 1812 – Karl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal, German lawyer and jurist (d. 1894)
• 1818 – James Prescott Joule, English physicist and brewer (d. 1889)
• 1822 – Matthew Arnold, English poet and critic (d. 1888)
• 1827 – Alexander von Oettingen, German theologian and statistician (d. 1905)
• 1837 – Empress Elisabeth of Austria (d. 1898)
• 1843 – Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet and playwright (d. 1886)
• 1845 – George I of Greece (d. 1913)
• 1867 – Tevfik Fikret, Turkish poet and educator (d. 1915)
• 1867 – Kantarō Suzuki, Japanese admiral and politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
• 1868 – Emanuel Lasker, German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1941)
• 1869 – Henriette Roland Holst, Dutch poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1952)
• 1872 – Frederick Semple, American golfer and tennis player (d. 1927)
• 1875 – Émile Wegelin, French rower (d. 1962)
• 1877 – Sigrid Schauman, Finnish painter and critic (d. 1979)
• 1879 – Émile Nelligan, Canadian poet (d. 1941)
• 1879 – Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d. 1952)
• 1880 – Johnny Gruelle, American author and illustrator (d. 1939)
• 1881 – Charles Wakefield Cadman, American composer and critic (d. 1946)
• 1882 – Hans Rebane, Estonian journalist and politician, 8th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1961)
• 1883 – Stefan Jaracz, Polish actor and producer (d. 1945)
• 1885 – Paul Manship, American sculptor (d. 1966)
• 1886 – Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1962)
• 1887 – Louis Jouvet, French actor and producer (d. 1951)
• 1891 – Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky, Russian illustrator and painter (d. 1970)
• 1892 – Ruth Chatterton, American actress (d. 1961)
• 1893 – Harry Warren, American pianist and composer (d. 1981)
• 1894 – Georges Guynemer, French captain and pilot (d. 1917)
• 1894 – Jack Thayer, American businessman (d. 1945)
• 1895 – E. Roland Harriman, American financier and philanthropist (d. 1978)
• 1895 – Noel Streatfeild, English author (d. 1986)
• 1897 – Ville Pörhölä, Finnish shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1964)
• 1897 – Väinö Sipilä, Finnish runner (d. 1987)
• 1898 – Baby Dodds, American drummer (d. 1959)
• 1900 – Joey Smallwood, Canadian journalist and politician, 1st Premier of Newfoundland (d. 1991)
• 1903 – Joseph Cornell, American sculptor and director (d. 1972)
• 1903 – Ernst Krenkel, Polish-Russian geographer and explorer (d. 1971)
• 1903 – Ava Helen Pauling, American humanitarian and activist (d. 1981)
• 1904 – Joseph M. Juran, Romanian-American engineer and businessman (d. 2008)
• 1905 – Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (d. 1976)
• 1906 – Franz Waxman, German-American composer and conductor (d. 1967)
• 1907 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (d. 1989)
• 1910 – Ellen Braumüller, German javelin thrower and triathlete (d. 1991)
• 1910 – Fritz Leiber, American author and poet (d. 1992)
• 1910 – Max Miedinger, Swiss typeface designer, created Helvetica (d. 1980)
• 1913 – Ad Reinhardt, American painter and academic (d. 1967)
• 1914 – Ralph Marterie, Italian-American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 1978)
• 1914 – Herbert Reinecker, German author and screenwriter (d. 2007)
• 1919 – Qateel Shifai, Pakistani poet and songwriter (d. 2001)
• 1919 – Pierre Soulages, French artist
• 1920 – Franco Lucentini, Italian author and screenwriter (d. 2002)
• 1920 – Yevgeniya Rudneva, Ukrainian-Russian lieutenant and navigator (d. 1944)
• 1921 – Bill Dudley, American football player (d. 2010)
• 1922 – Ava Gardner, American actress (d. 1990)
• 1923 – George Patton IV, American general (d. 2004)
• 1924 – Lee Dorsey, American singer-songwriter (d. 1986)
• 1924 – Abdirizak Haji Hussein, Somalian soldier and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Somalia (d. 2014)
• 1924 – Mohammed Rafi, Indian singer (d. 1980)
• 1924 – Norman Rossington, English actor (d. 1999)
• 1927 – Mary Higgins Clark, American author
• 1928 – Lev Vlassenko, Georgian-Australian pianist and educator (d. 1996)
• 1929 – Lennart Skoglund, Swedish footballer (d. 1975)
• 1929 – Philip Ziegler, English historian and author
• 1930 – Robert Joffrey, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1988)
• 1930 – John J. Kelley, American runner (d. 2011)
• 1931 – Ray Bryant, American pianist and composer (d. 2011)
• 1931 – Mauricio Kagel, Argentinian-German composer and scholar (d. 2008)
• 1932 – Colin Cowdrey, Indian-English cricketer (d. 2000)
• 1932 – On Kawara, Japanese-American painter (d. 2014)
• 1934 – John Critchinson, English pianist and composer
• 1934 – Stjepan Mesić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Croatia
• 1936 – Ivan Lawrence, English lawyer and politician
• 1937 – Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian footballer and manager (d. 2012)
• 1937 – John Taylor, Baron Kilclooney, Northern Irish politician, Irish Minister of Home Affairs
• 1938 – Bobby Henrich, American baseball player
• 1938 – Valentim Loureiro, Portuguese soldier and politician
• 1940 – Janet Carroll, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
• 1941 – Mike Hazlewood, English singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
• 1942 – Indra Bania, Indian actor, director, and playwright (d. 2015)
• 1942 – Jonathan Borofsky, American sculptor and painter
• 1942 – Đoàn Viết Hoạt, Vietnamese journalist, educator, and activist
• 1943 – Tarja Halonen, Finnish lawyer and politician, 11th President of Finland
• 1943 – Suzy Menkes, English journalist and critic
• 1944 – Barry Elliot, English actor and screenwriter
• 1944 – Mike Curb, American businessman and politician, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California
• 1944 – Oswald Gracias, Indian cardinal
• 1944 – Daniel Johnson, Jr., Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Premier of Quebec
• 1944 – Erhard Keller, German speed skater
• 1944 – Bob Shaw, Australian golfer
• 1945 – Lemmy, English hard rock singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015)
• 1946 – Jan Akkerman, Dutch rock guitarist and songwriter
• 1946 – Jeff Sessions, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Alabama
• 1947 – Kevin Sheedy, Australian footballer and coach
• 1947 – Greg Edwards (DJ), US-born DJ
• 1948 – Stan Bowles, English footballer and sportscaster
• 1948 – Frank Oliver, New Zealand rugby player and coach
• 1949 – Warwick Brown, Australian race car driver
• 1949 – Randy Neugebauer, American accountant and politician
• 1950 – Dana Gioia, American poet and critic
• 1950 – Hiroshi Ikushima, Japanese businessman and academic
• 1951 – John D'Acquisto, American baseball player
• 1951 – Nick Kent, English-French journalist and author
• 1953 – Timothy Carhart, American actor
• 1954 – Yves Debay, Congolese-French commander and journalist (d. 2013)
• 1954 – José María Figueres, Costa Rican businessman and politician, President of Costa Rica
• 1954 – Helen Jones, English lawyer and politician
• 1955 – Scott Fischer, American mountaineer and guide (d. 1996)
• 1955 – Clarence Gilyard, American actor and educator
• 1957 – Hamid Karzai, Afghan politician, 12th President of Afghanistan
• 1957 – Diane Tell, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1958 – Lyse Doucet, Canadian journalist
• 1958 – Munetaka Higuchi, Japanese drummer and producer (d. 2008)
• 1958 – Paul Pressey, American basketball player and coach
• 1958 – Gene Sperling, American economist and politician
• 1959 – Chris Blackhurst, English journalist
• 1960 – Glenn McQueen, Canadian-American animator (d. 2002)
• 1960 – Carol Vorderman, English television host
• 1961 – Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani businessman and politician, 4th President of Azerbaijan
• 1961 – Mary Barra, CEO and chairwoman of the General Motors Company
• 1961 – Eriko Kitagawa, Japanese director and screenwriter
• 1961 – Jay Wright, American basketball player and coach
• 1962 – Kate Spade, American fashion designer, co-founded Kate Spade New York
• 1962 – Darren Wharton, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
• 1963 – Caroline Aherne, English actress, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
• 1963 – Jay Bilas, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1963 – Timo Jutila, Finnish ice hockey player and sportscaster
• 1963 – Mary Ramsey, American singer-songwriter and violinist
• 1963 – Neil Turbin, American singer-songwriter
• 1964 – Mark Valley, American actor
• 1965 – Millard Powers, American bass player, songwriter, and producer
• 1966 – Diedrich Bader, American actor
• 1967 – Mikhail Shchennikov, Russian race walker
• 1967 – Pernilla Wahlgren, Swedish singer and actress
• 1968 – Doyle Bramhall II, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1968 – Marleen Renders, Belgian runner
• 1969 – Brad Anderson, American wrestler
• 1969 – Milan Blagojevic, Australian footballer and manager
• 1969 – Pernille Fischer Christensen, Danish director and screenwriter
• 1969 – Leavander Johnson, American boxer (d. 2005)
• 1969 – Nick Love, English director and screenwriter
• 1969 – Clinton McKinnon, American saxophonist and keyboard player
• 1969 – Sean Cameron Michael, South African actor and singer
• 1969 – Ed Miliband, English academic and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office
• 1969 – Mark Millar, Scottish author
• 1969 – Luis Musrri, Chilean footballer and manager
• 1969 – Oleg Skripochka, Russian astronaut and engineer
• 1969 – Gintaras Staučė, Lithuanian footballer and manager
• 1969 – Chen Yueling, American race walker
• 1969 – Jonathan Zittrain, American scholar and academic
• 1969 – Michael Zucchet, American economist and politician, Mayor of San Diego
• 1970 – Adam Haslett, American author and academic
• 1970 – Amaury Nolasco, Puerto Rican-American actor
• 1971 – Geoff Allott, New Zealand cricketer
• 1971 – Sascha Fischer, German rugby player
• 1971 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and actor
• 1972 – Álvaro Mesén, Costa Rican footballer
• 1972 – Klaus Schnellenkamp, Chilean businessman and author
• 1973 – Liu Dong, Chinese-Spanish runner
• 1973 – Paul Foot, English comedian
• 1973 – Stephenie Meyer, American author and film producer
• 1973 – Eddie Pope, American soccer player
• 1973 – Ali Salem Tamek, Moroccan activist
• 1974 – Thure Lindhardt, Danish actor
• 1974 – Paal Nilssen-Love, Norwegian drummer and composer
• 1974 – Marcelo Salas, Chilean footballer
• 1974 – Ryan Seacrest, American radio host and television personality, and producer
• 1974 – J.D. Walsh, American actor, director, and producer
• 1976 – Linda Ferga, French hurdler
• 1978 – Yıldıray Baştürk, German-Turkish footballer
• 1978 – Warren Tredrea, Australian footballer and sportscaster
• 1978 – Lisa Bjurwald, Swedish journalist
• 1979 – Chris Hero, American wrestler and trainer
• 1980 – Stephen Appiah, Ghanaian footballer
• 1980 – Tomas Kalnoky, Czech-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1981 – Dima Bilan, Russian singer-songwriter and actor
• 1981 – Shane Tuck, Australian footballer
• 1982 – Masaki Aiba, Japanese singer, dancer, and actor
• 1982 – Robert Coppola Schwartzman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1984 – Isaac De Gois, Australian rugby league player
• 1984 – Burak Özçivit, Turkish model and actor
• 1984 – Wallace Spearmon, American sprinter
• 1985 – Alexey Dmitriev, German ice hockey player
• 1985 – David Ragan, American race car driver
• 1986 – Tim Elliott, American mixed martial artist
• 1986 – Kyrylo Fesenko, Ukrainian basketball player
• 1987 – Jane Summersett, American ice dancer
• 1988 – Stefanos Athanasiadis, Greek footballer
• 1988 – Emre Özkan, Turkish footballer
• 1988 – Simon Zenke, Nigerian footballer
• 1990 – Brigetta Barrett, American high jumper
• 1990 – Marcus Jordan, American basketball player
• 1990 – Ryo Miyake, Japanese fencer
• 1991 – Lara Michel, Swiss tennis player
• 1991 – Wasim Tareen, Pakistani footballer
• 1991 – Louis Tomlinson, English singer-songwriter
• 1994 – Fa'amanu Brown, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1994 – Miguel Castro, Dominican baseball player
• 1995 – Anett Kontaveit, Estonian tennis player
• 1997 – Marina Chan, Singaporean swimmer
• 2000 – Ethan Bortnick, American singer-songwriter and pianist

Deaths[edit]

• 427 – Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople
• 1257 – John I, Count of Hainaut (b. 1218)
• 1281 – Henry V of Luxembourg (b. 1216)
• 1453 – John Dunstaple, English composer (b. 1390)
• 1524 – Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer and politician, Governor of Portuguese India (b. 1469)
• 1635 – Hester Jonas, German nurse (b. 1570)
• 1660 – Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1631)
• 1707 – Noël Coypel, French painter and educator (b. 1628)
• 1813 – Empress Go-Sakuramachi of Japan (b. 1740)
• 1863 – William Makepeace Thackeray, English author and poet (b. 1811)
• 1865 – Charles Lock Eastlake, English painter and historian (b. 1793)
• 1868 – Adolphe d'Archiac, French paleontologist and geologist (b. 1802)
• 1872 – William John Macquorn Rankine, Scottish physicist and engineer (b. 1820)
• 1873 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1795)
• 1889 – Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch pastor and poet (b. 1819)
• 1898 – Charbel Makhluf, Lebanese priest and saint (b. 1828)
• 1914 – John Muir, Scottish-American geologist, botanist, and author, founded Sierra Club (b. 1838)
• 1920 – Stephen Mosher Wood, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1832)
• 1926 – Wesley Coe, American shot putter, hammer thrower, and discus thrower (b. 1879)
• 1931 – Flying Hawk, American warrior, educator and historian (b. 1854)
• 1935 – Alban Berg, Austrian composer and educator (b. 1885)
• 1938 – Bruno Taut, German architect and urban planner (b. 1880)
• 1941 – Siegfried Alkan, German composer (b. 1858)
• 1942 – François Darlan, French admiral and politician, 122nd Prime Minister of France (b. 1881)
• 1947 – Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (b. 1875)
• 1957 – Norma Talmadge, American actress and producer (b. 1893)
• 1961 – Robert Hillyer, American poet and academic (b. 1895)
• 1962 – Wilhelm Ackermann, German mathematician (b. 1896)
• 1962 – Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German illustrator (b. 1890)
• 1965 – John Black, English businessman (b. 1895)
• 1965 – William M. Branham, American minister and theologian (b. 1906)
• 1967 – Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (b. 1913)
• 1969 – Stanisław Błeszyński, Polish-German entomologist and lepidopterist (b. 1927)
• 1969 – Cortelia Clark, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1907)
• 1969 – Olivia FitzRoy, English soldier and author (b. 1921)
• 1969 – Alfred B. Skar, Norwegian journalist and politician (b. 1896)
• 1971 – Dora Altmann, German actress (b. 1881)
• 1971 – Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist and zoologist (b. 1924)
• 1972 – Gisela Richter, English-American archaeologist and historian (b. 1882)
• 1972 – Melville Ruick, American actor (b. 1898)
• 1973 – Fritz Gause, German historian and author (b. 1893)
• 1975 – Bernard Herrmann, American composer and conductor (b. 1911)
• 1977 – Samael Aun Weor, Colombian author and educator (b. 1917)
• 1980 – Karl Dönitz, German admiral and politician, President of Germany (b. 1891)
• 1982 – Louis Aragon, French author and poet (b. 1897)
• 1984 – Peter Lawford, English-American actor (b. 1923)
• 1985 – Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, American lawyer (b. 1904)
• 1985 – Camille Tourville, Canadian-American wrestler and manager (b. 1927)
• 1986 – Gardner Fox, American author (b. 1911)
• 1987 – Joop den Uyl, Dutch journalist, economist, and politician, 45th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1919)
• 1987 – M. G. Ramachandran, Sri Lankan-Indian actor, producer, and politician, 5th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (b. 1917)
• 1988 – Jainendra Kumar, Indian author (b. 1905)
• 1990 – Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian playwright and songwriter (b. 1922)
• 1991 – Virginia Sorensen, American author (b. 1912)
• 1992 – Peyo, Belgian cartoonist, created The Smurfs (b. 1928)
• 1992 – Bobby LaKind, American singer-songwriter and conga player (b. 1945)
• 1993 – Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (b. 1898)
• 1994 – John Boswell, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1947)
• 1994 – Rossano Brazzi, Italian actor (b. 1916)
• 1997 – James Komack, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
• 1997 – Toshiro Mifune, Chinese-Japanese actor and producer (b. 1920)
• 1997 – Pierre Péladeau, Canadian businessman, founded Quebecor (b. 1925)
• 1998 – Syl Apps, Canadian ice hockey player and pole vaulter (b. 1915)
• 1999 – Bill Bowerman, American runner, coach, and businessman, co-founded Nike, Inc. (b. 1911)
• 1999 – Maurice Couve de Murville, French soldier and politician, 152nd Prime Minister of France (b. 1907)
• 1999 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil (b. 1918)
• 2000 – John Cooper, English businessman, co-founded the Cooper Car Company (b. 1923)
• 2002 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author and poet (b. 1920)
• 2002 – Jake Thackray, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1938)
• 2004 – Johnny Oates, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1946)
• 2006 – Braguinha, Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1907)
• 2006 – Kenneth Sivertsen, Norwegian guitarist and composer (b. 1961)
• 2006 – Frank Stanton, American businessman (b. 1908)
• 2007 – Nicholas Pumfrey, English lawyer and judge (b. 1951)
• 2007 – George Warrington, American businessman (d. 1952)
• 2008 – Ralph Harris, British journalist (b. 1921)
• 2008 – Harold Pinter, English playwright, screenwriter, director, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1930)
• 2009 – Marcus Bakker, Dutch journalist and politician (b. 1923)
• 2009 – Rafael Caldera, Venezuelan lawyer and politician, 65th President of Venezuela (b. 1916)
• 2009 – George Michael, American sportscaster (b. 1939)
• 2009 – Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic (b. 1933)
• 2010 – Elisabeth Beresford, French-English journalist and author (b. 1926)
• 2010 – Frans de Munck, Dutch footballer and manager (b. 1922)
• 2010 – Orestes Quércia, Brazilian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of São Paulo State (b. 1938)
• 2010 – Eino Tamberg, Estonian composer and educator (b. 1930)
• 2011 – Johannes Heesters, Dutch-German entertainer (b. 1903)
• 2012 – Richard Rodney Bennett, English-American composer and academic (b. 1936)
• 2012 – Charles Durning, American soldier and actor (b. 1923)
• 2012 – Jack Klugman, American actor (b. 1922)
• 2012 – Dennis O'Driscoll, Irish poet and critic (b. 1954)
• 2013 – Frédéric Back, German-Canadian director, animator, and screenwriter (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Ian Barbour, Chinese-American author and scholar (b. 1923)
• 2013 – John M. Goldman, English haematologist and oncologist (b. 1938)
• 2013 – Allan McKeown, English-American screenwriter and producer (b. 1946)
• 2014 – Buddy DeFranco, American clarinet player (b. 1923)
• 2014 – Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (b. 1944)
• 2014 – Herbert Harris, American lawyer and politician (b. 1926)
• 2014 – Krzysztof Krauze, Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1953)
• 2015 – Turid Birkeland, Norwegian businesswoman and politician, Norwegian Minister of Culture (b. 1962)
• 2015 – William Guest, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, Filipino journalist (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Adriana Olguín, Chilean lawyer and politician, Chilean Minister of Justice (b. 1911)

Carrie Fisher: Star Wars actress

 suffers heart attack

Image copyrightPA

Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, is in intensive care after suffering a heart attack during a flight, her brother says.

Fisher, 60, went into cardiac arrest minutes before the end of the London to LA flight.

Passengers attempted to revive her with CPR and she was taken to hospital when the plane landed after midday local time (20:00 GMT), the TMZ website said.

Her brother Todd said she was in intensive care in Los Angeles.

"If everyone could just pray for her that would be good," he told Entertainment Tonight. "The doctors are doing their thing and we don't want to bug them. We are waiting by patiently."

Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book, The Princess Diarist.

The heart attack happened about 15 minutes before the plane landed in LA, celebrity news website TMZ reported. A medic who was travelling on the plane administered CPR. 

Paramedics then spent a further 15 minutes administering more CPR to Fisher before getting a pulse, TMZ reported. The actress was on a ventilator in the UCLA medical centre, the website said.

United Airlines issued a statement saying that Flight 935 from London to Los Angeles was met on the ground by medical personnel after the crew reported that a passenger was "unresponsive", but did not name the passenger, Reuters reported.

The LA Fire department said its paramedics met the plane and "provided advanced life support and aggressively treated and transported the patient to a local hospital".

A law enforcement official told NBC that her condition was "not good".

Passengers on the plane have been tweeting about what they saw.

Image copyright@ANNAAKANA

Image copyright@ANNAAKANA

Image copyright@BRADGAGE

Fellow Star Wars actors have been posting messages of support.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said he was sending all his love and Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca, tweeted his thoughts and prayers for "everyone's favourite princess".

Image copyright@HAMILLHIMSELF

Image copyright@THEWOOKIEEROARS

Fisher appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a sequel released last year.

She also appeared in other films including The Blues Brothers and When Harry Met Sally.

She has written four novels and three memoirs and was previously married to the musician Paul Simon.

Image copyright20TH CENTURY FOX VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

In her latest memoir, she revealed that she and Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, had an affair during the filming of Star Wars when she was 19 years old, and he was 33 and married with two children.

She told People magazine: "It was so intense. It was Han and Leia during the week, and Carrie and Harrison during the weekend."

Fisher is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds.

το μεσαιωνικό χωριό της Γαλλίας 

με τις 450 φάτνες 

Πρόκειται για ένα πανέμορφο μεσαιωνικό χωριό 1.000 κατοίκων, σκαρφαλωμένο

 στις γαλλικές Αλπεις, 27 χιλιόμετρα από την Νίκαια, που προσελκύει κάθε

 Δεκέμβρη χιλιάδες επισκέπτες προσφέροντας ένα μοναδικό θέαμα.

Το Lucéram κατόρθωσε τα τελευταία 20 χρόνια με τις παγκόσμια διάσημες φάτνες 

του να γίνει το αδιαμφισβήτητο τουριστικό κέντρο της Κυανής Ακτής για τον

 χειμώνα.
Οι κάτοικοι επιδίδονται σε έναν ιδιότυπο διαγωνισμό κάθε χρόνο: φτιάχνουν

 φάτνες, από την πιο ταπεινή ως την πιο εκκεντρική και πολυτελή με όσα μέσα

 διαθέτουν: από πυλό, από γυαλί, από πορσελάνη, από σπίρτα, από ξύλο, από 

μαλλί, από ύφασμα, από σίδερο, από σοκολάτα κλπ.

Τις τοποθετούν στην είσοδο του σπιτιού τους, στα παράθυρα, στις βιτρίνες των

 καταστημάτων τους, πάνω σε ξύλα, στο δρόμο, ώστε όλοι να τις απολαύσουν.

 Άλλες κοσμούν τις εκκλησίες, τις κάβες των σπιτιών, τα υπόγεια και τις γέφυρες

 του χωριού. Η πιο μικρή μπορεί να κρύβεται σε ένα καρυδότσουφλο ενώ η πιο 

μεγάλη μπορεί να έχει 10 μέτρα ύψος. Οι 1.000 κάτοικοι του μεσαιωνικού χωριού

 στολίζουν τα πάντα στο δημόσιο χώρο και στα σπίτια τους.

Οι επισκέπτες μπορούν μάλιστα να δουν τις πιο πρωτότυπες φάτνες στο Μουσείο

 που τους έχει αφιερωθεί, όπου η παλιότερη χρονολογείται από το 1948. Τα θέματα

 δεν αφορούν πάντα την γέννηση του Χριστού αλλά επεκτείνονται και στην

 ιστορία του τόπου, την αγροτική ή αστική ζωή, με τις αντίστοιχες φορεσιές.

Το ίδιο το χωριό είναι πανέμορφο και οι επισκέπτες το προτιμούν για το υψόμετρο, τα μεσαιωνικά καλοδιατηρημένα κτίρια και την τοπική κουζίνα. Υπάρχουν στοιχεία ότι κατοικήθηκε από τους Λίγουρες τον 5ο αιώνα π.Χ. πριν κατακτηθεί από τους Ρωμαίους. Ολοι οι βάρβαροι λαοί πέρασαν από εκεί: Βισιγότθοι, Βουργουνδοί, Οστρογότθοι, Λομβαρδοί, Σάξωνες και τέλος οι Φράγκοι.

Λέγεται ότι την ονομασία του την οφείλει το χωριό στην λατινική έκφραση  Lux

 eram (Ημουν το φως) ή Lucus eram (Ημουν ένα ιερό ξύλο), ίσως εξαιτίας των

 Αλπεων. Το παλιότερο κομμάτι του χωριού που κατοικείται σήμερα χτίστηκε τον

 13ο αιώνα, με στενούς δρόμους, σοκάκια και σκαλιά.
Οι τουρίστες που έρχονται να επισκεφθούν το μεσαιωνικό χωριό είναι όλων των 

εθνικοτήτων και θρησκειών. Το θέαμα που τους προσφέρεται είναι μοναδικό αφού

 ανακαλύπτουν τις φάτνες ανάμεσα στα στολισμένα χριστουγεννιάτικα δέντρα,

 στα χρώματα του Lucéram: κόκκινο και χρυσό σε μια τέλεια αρμονία.

Τα καλύτερα ξενοδοχεία του κόσμου, στολισμένα

Yπέροχοι στολισμοί στα καλύτερα ξενοδοχεία του κόσμου, από το Παρίσι ως τη Νέα Υόρκη! Πάμε μια βόλτα να δούμε πώς στόλισαν;
Claridge

The Beverly Hills Hotel

Hotel Bel-Air

Wynn Las Vegas

Hôtel Le St-James

The Four Seasons Maui

The St. Regis New York

Hotel Plaza Athénée

The Goring

La Meurice

Η Σαρλέν του Μονακό αγκαλιά με τα δίδυμα, μπροστά από το Χριστουγεννιάτικο δέντρο

Η βασιλική οικογένεια του Μονακό φωτογραφήθηκε για την Χριστουγεννιάτικη κάρτα του Παλατιού και όπως ήταν φυσικό τα δίχρονα Πριγκίπισσα Γκαμπριέλα και ο Πρίγκιπας Ζακ του Μονακό έκλεψαν την παράσταση.

Με την Πριγκίπισσα Σαρλίν να είναι εκθαμβωτική μέσα στο χρυσό Ralph Lauren φόρεμά της και τις σουέντ Jimmy Choo γόβες της, η ίδια πόζαρε δίπλα στο Χριστουγεννιάτικο δέντρο με τον Πρίγκιπα Αλβέρτο και τα δίδυμα.

Τα δίδυμα φωτογραφήθηκαν και μόνα τους με την Πριγκίπισσα Γκαμπριέλα να φοράει ένα κατακόκκινο φόρεμα και να ζωγραφίζει και τον Πρίγκιπα Ζακ με μπλε πουλόβερ να βάζει τα στολίδια στα μαλλιά τους.

Η χριστουγεννιάτικη κάρτα του Παλατιού του Μονακό έγραφε «Μακάρι η χαρά και η ειρήνη των γιορτών να είναι μαζί σας».

 Η φωτογράφιση διήρκεσε περισσότερο από μία ώρα και οι λήψεις ανέβηκαν στο λογαριασμό του βασιλικού ζευγαριού στο Facebook.

Ρεβεγιόν στην Αθηνα σε λαμπερά ξενοδοχεία και εστιατόρια με   77 έως 205 ευρώ

Αν φέτος πολλοί από εσάς επιλέγετε την πρωτεύουσα για την εορταστική περίοδο και όχι κάποιο από τα αγαπημένα σας σαλέ, τότε θα απολαύσετε τα πιο λαμπερά ρεβεγιόν, αφού τα ξενοδοχεία και τα εστιατόρια βάζουν τα γιορτινά τους και στήνουν τα πιο όμορφα τραπέζια για εσάς και την οικογένεια σας, προσφέροντας σας μοναδικές γευστικές εμπειρίες, μέσα από υψηλής ποιότητας γαστρονομικές δημιουργίες.

Χλιδή, πολυτέλεια, κομψότητα συνδυάζονται με τη φιλόξενη ατμόσφαιρα και δημιουργούν το ιδανικό περιβάλλον για ακριβά γούστα.

Dionysos Zonar’s

Ελληνική μοντέρνα κουζίνα υψηλών προδιαγραφών κάτω από τη μοναδική θέα της Ακρόπολης. Τα Χριστούγεννα βρίσκονται μια ανάσα μακριά και το εστιατόριο Διόνυσος έχει ετοιμάσει ένα μοναδικό μενού για κάθε απαιτητικό ουρανίσκο.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Σούπα μανιταριών του δάσους με κάστανο και λάδι φουντουκιού
• Καρπάτσιο φρέσκου τόνου με λαχανικά confit και mesclun
• Σαλάτα ανάμεικτη με ρόδι, αχλάδι και κατσίκισο τυρί με βινεγρέτ βατόμουρο
• Galantine γαλοπούλας με παραδοσιακή γέμιση και σάλτσα από ζωμό της

Ή

• Καρέ μαύρου χοίρου γαλλικής κοπής με πούρε γλυκοπατάτας και ψητό πατσινάκι με σάλτσα από μαυροδάφνη
• Pave σοκολάτας γάλακτος me feuilletine και κόκκινα φρούτα
• Mignardises μελομακάρονα - κουραμπιέδες

Το μενού κοστίζει 84 ευρώ ανά άτομο, χωρίς ποτό.

Dionysos Zonar’s: Ροβέρτου Γκάλλι 43, Αθήνα

GB Roof Garden, Μεγάλη Βρεταννία

Οπως κάθε χρόνο έτσι και φέτος το Ξενοδοχείο Μεγάλη Βρεταννία ζωντανεύει το πνεύμα των εορτών και εκπλήσσει τους επισκέπτες του. Στο μοναδικό και ανακαινισμένο πλέον concept store GB Corner Gifts & Flavors του Ξενοδοχείου Μεγάλη Βρεταννία οι ιδέες χριστουγεννιάτικων δώρων θα σας καταπλήξουν! Εκεί θα βρείτε και μια μεγάλη ποικιλία από γλυκά, σοκολατάκια, κέικ και macaron που επιμελείται ο βραβευμένος Γάλλος pastry chef Arnaud Larher. Η γαστρονομική εμπειρία έχει την υπογραφή του Executive Chef Σωτήρης Ευαγγέλου, ο οποίος μεγαλουργεί και μαγεύει εσάς και τις οικογένειες σας.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Βασιλικό καβούρι Bloody Mary
• Χτένια γκρατινέ με ξηρούς καρπούς, κρέμα αγκινάρας Ιερουσαλήμ και τρούφα
• Ραβιόλι γεμιστό με πάπια κονφί, βελουτέ καρότο, γκρανόλα με μπαχαρικά και τσάτνεϋ μήλου
• Σορμπέ ανανά με κόλιανδρο
• Παραδοσιακή γαλοπούλα με γέμιση από κάστανα, κουκουνάρι, ξερά φρούτα και πουρέ από ψητές γλυκοπατάτες
• Ή
• Φιλέτο από μοσχαράκι γάλακτος, πουρέ από κάστανα, μανιτάρια μαγειρεμένα με κυδώνια στην κοκοτιέρα
• «La Boule Reve» by Arnaud Larher
• Σφαίρα πικρής σοκολάτας με καραμέλα και μπισκουί brownie

Το μενού κοστίζει 205 ευρώ ανά άτομο

GB Roof Garden, Μεγάλη Βρεταννία: Β.Γεωργίου 1Α, Αθήνα

Tudor Hall, King George

Η τοποθεσία του τού χαρίζει απαράμιλλη θέα στην Ακρόπολη και το εστιατόριο αυτό διαθέτει μοναδική νεοκλασική διακόσμηση, σύγχρονη ελληνική κουζίνα και αυθεντικά κοκτέιλ. Τις γιορτές το Tudor Hall σας χαρίζει μια αξέχαστη γαστριμαγειρική εμπειρία με ζωντανή μουσική με πιάνο, τσέλο, βιολί, κρουστά και φωνή.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Καρπάτσιο φρέσκου σολομού Σκωτίας και λαυράκι ταρτάρ με αυγοτάραχο Μεσολογγίου, εσπεριδοειδή και βασιλικό
• Καπουτσίνο από κάστανα με μανιτάρια και κρουτόν φουά γκρα
• Ραβιόλι με γαρίδες και θαλασσινά, μπισκ αρωματισμένη με Pernod και αφρό λεμονόχορτου
• Σορμπέ με σαμπάνια, λεβάντα και μύρτιλο
• Πατροπαράδοτη γεμιστή γαλοπούλα με κάστανα, κουκουνάρι, αυθεντικό γκρέιβι και κράνμπερι

ή 

• Γουρουνάκι γάλακτος με πουρέ σελινόριζας, ψητά κυδώνια, λάχανο «Sauerkraut» και σπόρους μουστάρδας
• Σφαίρα πικρής σοκολάτας με «bavaroise» βανίλιας και μπισκουί brownie

Το μενού κοστίζει 185 ευρώ ανά άτομο
Tudor Hall, King George: Βασιλέως Γεωργίου 3, Αθήνα

Βυζαντινό & Galaxy Hilton

Όσοι αναζητούν γνήσιες γεύσεις, μεσογειακής ταυτότητας και ένα περιβάλλον που σαγηνεύει με την απλότητά του, γνωρίζουν πως το Βυζαντινό κατέχει σημαντική θέση στον γαστρονομικό χάρτη της πόλης. Μινιμαλιστική αισθητική και παράδοση στη γεύση ενώνονται στο ιστορικό ξενοδοχείο Hilton, που και φέτος φόρεσε τα γιορτινά του. Την Παραμονή των Χριστουγέννων, θα μπορέσετε να απολαύσετε έναν πλούσιο εορταστικό μπουφέ με ζωντανή μουσική ενώ την Ημέρα των Χριστουγέννων το εστιατόριο οργανώνει μια εντυπωσιακή γιορτή για εσάς και τα παιδιά σας, με ζωντανή μουσική, παιδικό ψυχαγωγικό πρόγραμμα και βέβαια με τον εντυπωσιακό χριστουγεννιάτικο μπουφέ που θα κάνει αξέχαστα τα φετινά Χριστούγεννα σε μικρούς και μεγάλους.

Το μενού της Παραμονής των Χριστουγέννων στο Βυζαντινό κοστίζει 110 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

Το επίσημο δείπνο Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων με μενού 6 πιάτων στο Galaxy Restaurant κοστίζει €145 ανά άτομο – περιλαμβάνει ένα ποτήρι σαμπάνια Mumm, ένα ποτήρι ουίσκι Macallan, δωρεάν πάρκινγκ και ελεύθερη είσοδο στο πάρτι του Galaxy Bar.

Βυζαντινό & Galaxy Hilton: Βασιλίσσης Σοφίας 46, Αθήνα

St George Lycabettus Restaurant

Με πιάτα που απογειώνουν τις γεύσεις της Ελλάδας το St George Lycabettus Restaurant είναι ένα καταπληκτικό εστιατόριο στην Αθήνα με θέα τη μοναδική Ακρόπολη. Για όσους αναζητούν μια απόδραση στην πόλη για τις ημέρες των εορτών, ο executive chef Βασίλης Μήλιος έχει ετοιμάσει πολλά πιάτα!

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων στο Red Christmas Dinner, του Le Grand Balcon & La Suite Lounge

• Αστακόσουπα με αποξηραμένη ντομάτα και αφρό μαυροδάφνης
• Γαρίδες με καπνιστό χοιρινό κουλί γλυκιάς πιπεριάς, πατζάρι και shisho
• Σορμπέ φρούτα του δάσους
• Γαλοπούλα με 2 τρόπους: κάστανα και μπρόκολο με κόκκινα φρούτα
• Κορμός σοκολάτα με κάστανα, καραμέλα και φραμπουάζ
• Καφέ – Μινιαρντίζ

Το μενού κοστίζει 85 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

St George Lycabettus Restaurant: Κλεομένους 2, Αθήνα

Malabar Inhouse

Το The Margi, της Αθηναϊκής Ριβιέρας υποδέχεται τα φετινά Χριστούγεννα μια μια ατμόσφαιρα ζεστή και φιλόξενη και σας καλεί να τα γιορτάσετε με λάμψη και πολυτέλεια. Για εσάς και την οικογένειας έχει ετοιμάσει μια σειρά από πολλές εκδηλώσεις και χάπενινγκς που θα σας κρατήσουν συντροφιά, ενώ εκπλήσσει και με το μενού της Παραμονής των Χριστουγέννων που έχει την υπογραφή του Παναγιώτη Γιακαλή, στο gourmet δείπνο του Malabar inhouse.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Τερίνα foie gras με ζελέ από καφέ Arabica & bonbon από μους foie gras
• Cappuccino πατάτας με φρέσκια τρούφα εποχής και κάστανο
• Λαυράκι με brunoise σε ζωμό από μύδια και κυδώνια με creme fraiche
• Carre από μοσχάρι γάλακτος με κρούστα λιαστής ντομάτας πάνω σε γεμιστό macaroni από σπανάκι και μανιτάρια
• Μελομακάρονο με κρέμα κολοκύθας, παγωτό από μέλι και chips γλυκοπατάτας

Το μενού κοστίζει 98 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

Malabar Inhouse:  Λητούς 11, Βουλιαγμένη

Σπονδή

Το εστιατόριο είναι συνώνυμο της γαστρονομικής υπεροχής και για όσους δεν το γνωρίζουν ξεκίνησε τη λαμπρή του ιστορία το 1996, ενώ έχει αναγνωρισθεί διεθνώς και έχει πάρει μεγάλες διακρίσεις, όπως τα 2 αστέρια Michelin.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Σολομός ψημένος στο αλάτι / ζωμός μυρωδικών / αλμυρό μπισκότο
• Φουά γκρα τηγανητό / Ρίζα από Χαιρέφυλλο / Κινέζικο ραπανάκι / Γλυκόριζα
• Χτένια Μουσελίν Μήλο – Καπνιστό Τσάι / Σαμπαγιόν Τσίκορι – Τοπιναμπούρ
• Πέρδικα Μανιτάρια μαύρες Τρομπέτες / Τραγανή πατάτα
• Τυρί Reblochon σε Κρούστα / Chutney Κόκκινα Φρούτα
• Mont Blanc Κάστανο Αχλάδι / Ρούμι / Καρύδι
• Το μενού κοστίζει 140 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

Σπονδή: Πύρρωνος 5, Παγκράτι

Electra Metropolis Athens

Στη δημοφιλέστερη περιοχή της πόλης, το συγκεκριμένο ξενοδοχείο προσφέρει γκουρμέ πιάτα και απολαυστική θέα όλο το χρόνο και ανήκει πια στα «δυνατά χαρτιά».

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

Σούπα κολοκύθας με ψητή καραβίδα και μαύρη τρούφα

Τόνος ταρτάρ με βινεγκρέτ παπάγια και χαβιάρι

Κρέμα φουά γκρα με βατόμουρο, καπνιστή πάπια και μήλο

Σορμπέ κράνμπερι και σαγκουίνι

Ψητή γαλοπούλα με πουρέ ψητής γλυκοπατάτας, γέμιση τρούφας και σάλτσα κράνμπερι

Κορμός σοκολάτα black forest με κρέμα κάστανου και σορμπέ βύσσινο

Το μενού κοστίζει 105 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

Electra Metropolis Athens: Μητροπόλεως 15, Αθήνα

Βαρούλκο Seaside

Ο νέος πολυχώρος του Βαρούλκου έχει μπει στο πνεύμα των γιορτών με τις ατμοσφαιρικές και στολισμένες σάλες του και έχει ετοιμάσει για τους καλεσμένους του ένα νόστιμο θαλασσινό μενού με γεύσεις εμπνευσμένες από τον Λευτέρη Λαζάρου και φόντο τη θάλασσα.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Ταρτάρ γαρίδας με κονσομέ, ginger, lemongrass και ζελέ καρότου
• Χτένια με κολοκύθα, σάλτσα εσπεριδοειδών και ψητό καλαμπόκι
• Γαρίδα jumbo με κους κους αρωματισμένο με παντζάρι και καφέ espresso
• Cote de veaux με ψητά σπαράγγια, νιόκι και παλαιωμένη παρμεζάνα
• Mπάρα μους κάστανου σε μπισκότο αμυγδάλου και sorbet μανταρίνι.

Το μενού κοστίζει 85 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

Βαρούλκο Seaside: Ακτή Κουμουνδούρου 54, Μικρολίμανο

St*Astra Restaurant, Radisson Blu Park

Στον 8ο όροφο του ξενοδοχείου με καταπληκτική θέα της Ακρόπολης, του Λυκαβηττού και της βραδινής Αθήνας, το βραβευμένο St’ Astra προσφέρει ένα πραγματικό ταξίδι στα μαγικά Χριστούγεννα κάτω από τα άστρα!

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Apéritif & Amuse bouche
• Βελουτέ κολοκύθας με πορτοκάλι και άρωμα τρούφας
• Λαυράκι Carpaccio με ροζ πιπέρι και Wakame
• Σαλάτα Χριστουγέννων με πανδαισία λαχανικών
• Χοιρινό φιλέτο σοτέ με ραγού άγριων μανιταριών πουρέ και chips από λευκά καρότα
• Pre-dessert Mont Blanc
• Πραλίνα με κρέμα λεμόνι brownies και παγωτό πραλίνα-lime
• Μπουκιές από μελομακάρονα & κουραμπιέδες
• Καφές & Mignardises
• Λευκό & κόκκινο κρασί

Το μενού κοστίζει 77 ευρώ ανά άτομο.

St*Astra Restaurant, Radisson Blu Park: Λ. Αλεξάνδρας 10

Electra Palace Athens

Με μεγαλοπρεπές ύφος και με τον αέρα μιας αλλοτινής εποχής, το Electra Palace Athens, ένα φιλόξενο και αριστοκρατικό ξενοδοχείο, βρίσκεται στην καρδιά της Αθήνας. Η κλασική αρχιτεκτονική και η διακόσμηση του ξενοδοχείου εναρμονίζονται με τον πιο όμορφο τρόπο με τα αριστοκρατικά ιστορικά κτίρια της Πλάκας, ενώ η καλαίσθητη πολυτέλειά του συνδυάζεται με την επιβλητική θέα της Ακρόπολης και η Παραμονή των Χριστουγέννων στο συγκεκριμένο ξενοδοχείο μοιάζει μαγική.

Μενού Παραμονής Χριστουγέννων

• Amuse bouche & σαμπάνια
• Σούπα άγριων μανιταριών με άρωμα τρούφας
• Βασιλική γαρίδα με κινόα και μάραθο
• Φρέσκα φύλλα σαλάτας με προσούτο Ευρυτανίας και αρσενικό Νάξου
• Χοιρινό φιλέτο iberico με καπνιστό πουρέ μελιτζάνας και φρέσκα τσιπς πατάτας
• Ρυζόγαλο με άρωμα κάστανο και αφρό cappuccino
• Καφές, σπιτικά μελομακάρονα & κουραμπιέδες

Το μενού κοστίζει 95 ευρώ το άτομο

Electra Palace Athens: Νικοδημου 18, Αθήνα

Ντάνος Λυγίζος 
1938 – 2015

Ελισάβετ της Αυστρίας 
1837 – 1898

Αυτοκράτειρα της Αυστρίας και βασίλισσα της Ουγγαρίας, γνωστή και ως Σίσι. Η τραγική ιστορία της ζωής της έγινε κοινό κτήμα όλου του κόσμου μέσα από την κινηματογραφική ταινία του Έρνστ Μάρισκα «Πριγκίπισσα Σίσι», που γυρίστηκε το 1955 με πρωταγωνίστρια τη Ρόμι Σνάιντερ.

Η δούκισα Ελισάβετ Μαρία Ευγενία γεννήθηκε στο Μόναχο στις 24 Δεκεμβρίου 1837. Ανήκε στον οίκο των Βίτελσμπαχ (όπως και και πρώτος βασιλιάς της Ελλάδας Όθων) και ήταν κόρη του δούκα της Βαυαρίας Μαξιμιλιανού Ιωσήφ και της πριγκίπισσας Λουδοβίκας της Βαυαρίας. Τον Αύγουστο του 1853 γνώρισε τον 23χρονο εξάδελφό της Φραγκίσκο Ιωσήφ, αυτοκράτορα ήδη της Αυστρίας, ο οποίος την ερωτεύτηκε. Στα 15 της, η Ελισάβετ ήταν η ωραιότερη πριγκίπισσα της Ευρώπης. Ένα χρόνο αργότερα, στις 24 Απριλίου 1854, το ζευγάρι τέλεσε τους γάμους του στη Βιέννη.

Η δολοφονία της αυτοκράτειρας Ελισάβετ

Λίγο μετά το γάμο της, όμως, η Σίσι άρχισε να παρουσιάζει νευρικές διαταραχές, κληρονομιά από τους προγόνους της, τους Βίτελσμπαχ. Ένας από τους τόπους που κατέφευγε για να βρίσκει την ψυχική της ισορροπία ήταν η Κέρκυρα. Κατά τις επισκέψεις της στο νησί διέμενε στο «Αχίλλειο», το οποίο η ίδια έχτισε το 1890. Εκεί μελετούσε με πάθος τον Όμηρο στο αρχαίο κείμενο και γενικά λάτρευε τα δημιουργήματα της τέχνης. Ο συγγραφέας Κωνσταντίνος Χρηστομάνος (1867 - 1911), που τη γνώρισε προσωπικά (ήταν ο συνοδός της, όταν ήθελε να μιλήσει ελληνικά), περιγράφει τη ζωή της με λυρικό τρόπο στη μυθιστορηματική βιογραφία «Το βιβλίο της Αυτοκράτειρας Ελισάβετ», που κυκλοφόρησε πρώτα στη Βιέννη το 1898 και το 1907 στην Ελλάδα.

Η Ελισάβετ ως αυτοκράτειρα της Αυστρίας ήταν αγαπητή στους υπηκόους της, αλλά συχνά προκαλούσε την αντιπάθεια της υψηλής κοινωνίας της Βιέννης με την περιφρόνηση που έδειχνε στους κανόνες του αυλικού πρωτοκόλλου. Οι Ούγγροι τη λάτρευαν, κυρίως για την επίτευξη του Αυστροουγγρικού Συμβιβασμού (Ausgleich) του 1867, χρονιά που στέφθηκε και βασίλισσα της Ουγγαρίας. Πέρασε μεγάλο μέρος της ζωής της στο Γκέντερλε στα βόρεια της Βουδαπέστης, ο ενθουσιασμός της, όμως, για την Ουγγαρία ήταν πρόκληση για τους γερμανικής κατοίκους της αυτοκρατορίας των Αψβούργων.

Η αυτοκτονία του 30χρονου μοναχογιού της αρχιδούκα Ροδόλφου, στο Μάγιερλινγκ το 1889, ήταν για την Ελισάβετ ένα πλήγμα, από το οποίο δεν συνήλθε ποτέ. Στις 10 Σεπτεμβρίου 1898 κι ενώ βρισκόταν στην παραλία της Γενεύης δολοφονήθηκε από τον Ιταλό αναρχικό Λουίτζι Λουκένι (1873-1910), ο οποίος επιζητούσε μία συμβολική - θεαματική πράξη κατά της «καταπιεστικής άρχουσας τάξης» και στον δρόμο του βρήκε την Ελισάβετ.

[edit]

• 333 – Roman Emperor Constantine the Great elevates his youngest son Constans to the rank of Caesar.
• 336 – First documentary sign of Christmas celebration in Rome.
• 350 – Vetranio meets Constantius II at Naissus (Serbia) and is forced to abdicate his title (Caesar). Constantius allows him to live as a private citizen on a state pension.
• 496 – Clovis I, king of the Franks, is baptized into the Catholic faith at Reims, by Saint Remigius.
• 597 – Augustine of Canterbury and his fellow-labourers baptise in Kent more than 10,000 Anglo-Saxons.
• 800 – The Coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome.
• 820 – Emperor Leo V is assassinated in the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople and is succeeded by Michael II.
• 1000 – The foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary: Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary.
• 1025 – Coronation of Mieszko II Lambert as king of Poland.
• 1066 – William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy is crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London.
• 1076 – Coronation of Bolesław II the Generous as king of Poland.
• 1100 – Baldwin of Boulogne is crowned the first King of Jerusalem in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
• 1130 – Count Roger II of Sicily is crowned the first king of Sicily.
• 1261 – John IV Laskaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaiologos.
• 1492 – The carrack Santa María, commanded by Christopher Columbus, runs onto a reef off Haiti due to an improper watch.
• 1553 – Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeat the Spanish conquistadors and executes the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia.
• 1559 – Pope Pius IV is elected.
• 1776 – George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River at night to attack Hessian forces serving Great Britain at Trenton, New Jersey, the next day.
• 1809 – Dr. Ephraim McDowell performs the first ovariotomy, removing a 22-pound tumor.
• 1814 – Rev. Samuel Marsden holds the first Christian service on land in New Zealand at Rangihoua Bay.
• 1815 – The Handel and Haydn Society, oldest continually performing arts organization in the United States, gives its first performance.
• 1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy concludes after beginning the previous evening.
• 1831 – The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt begins; up to 20% of the island's slaves mobilize in an ultimately unsuccessful fight for freedom.
• 1837 – Second Seminole War: American general Zachary Taylor leads 1100 troops against the Seminoles at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.
• 1868 – United States President Andrew Johnson grants an unconditional pardon to all Confederate veterans.
• 1914 – A series of unofficial truces occur across the Western Front to celebrate Christmas.
• 1927 – The Vietnamese Nationalist Party is founded.
• 1932 – A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Gansu, China kills 275 people.
• 1935 – Regina Jonas is ordained as the first female rabbi in the history of Judaism.
• 1941 – Admiral Chester W. Nimitz arrives at Pearl Harbor to assume command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet
• 1941 – World War II: Battle of Hong Kong ends, beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
• 1941 – Admiral Émile Muselier seizes the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which become the first part of France to be liberated by the Free French Forces.
• 1946 – The first European self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is initiated within the Soviet Union's F-1 nuclear reactor.
• 1947 – The Constitution of the Republic of China goes into effect.
• 1950 – The Stone of Scone, traditional coronation stone of British monarchs, is taken from Westminster Abbey by Scottish nationalist students. It later turns up in Scotland on April 11, 1951.
• 1962 – The Soviet Union conducts its final above-ground nuclear weapon test, in anticipation of the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
• 1963 – Turkish Cypriot Bayrak Radio begins transmitting in Cyprus after Turkish Cypriots are forcibly excluded from Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
• 1965 – The Yemeni Nasserist Unionist People's Organisation is founded in Ta'izz
• 1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 performs the very first successful Trans-Earth injection (TEI) maneuver, sending the crew and spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth from Lunar orbit.
• 1968 – Kilvenmani massacre, 44 Dalits (untouchables) are burnt to death in Kizhavenmani village, Tamil Nadu, a retaliation for a campaign for higher wages by Dalit laborers.
• 1977 – Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets in Egypt with its president Anwar Sadat.
• 1989 – Deposed President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, First-Deputy Prime-Minister Elena are condemned to death and executed after a summary trial.
• 1991 – Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day). Ukraine's referendum is finalized and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union.
• 2000 – Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a bill into law that officially establishes a new National anthem of Russia, with music adopted from the anthem of the Soviet Union that was composed by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov.
• 2003 – The ill-fated Beagle 2 probe, released from the Mars Express spacecraft on December 19, stops transmitting shortly before its scheduled landing.
• 2004 – The Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.
• 2009 – Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab unsuccessfully attempts a terrorist attack against the US while on board a flight to Detroit Metro Airport Northwest Airlines Flight 253
• 2012 – An Antonov An-72 plane crashes close to the city of Shymkent, killing 27 people.

Births[edit]

• 1250 – John IV Laskaris, Byzantine emperor (d. 1305)
• 1461 – Christina of Saxony (d. 1521)
• 1505 – Christine of Saxony (d. 1549)
• 1583 – Orlando Gibbons, English organist and composer (d. 1625)
• 1584 – Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain (d. 1611)
• 1628 – Noël Coypel, French painter and educator (d. 1707)
• 1642 (OS) – Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician (d. 1726/1727)
• 1652 – Archibald Pitcairne, Scottish physician, anatomist, and scholar (d. 1713)
• 1665 – Lady Grizel Baillie, Scottish-English poet and songwriter (d. 1746)
• 1674 – Thomas Halyburton, Scottish minister and theologian (d. 1712)
• 1686 – Giovanni Battista Somis, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1763)
• 1700 – Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (d. 1758)
• 1711 – Jean-Joseph de Mondonville, French violinist and composer (d. 1772)
• 1716 – Johann Jakob Reiske, German physician and scholar (d. 1774)
• 1717 – Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)
• 1728 – Johann Adam Hiller, German composer and conductor (d. 1804)
• 1730 – Philip Mazzei, Italian-American physician and philosopher (d. 1816)
• 1745 – Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Caribbean-French violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1799)
• 1757 – Benjamin Pierce, American general and politician, 17th Governor of New Hampshire (d. 1839)
• 1771 – Dorothy Wordsworth, English author and poet (d. 1855)
• 1776 – Sydney, Lady Morgan, Irish author and poet (d. 1859)
• 1810 – L. L. Langstroth, American apiarist, clergyman and teacher (d. 1895)
• 1817 – John Hewitt Jellett, Irish priest and academic (d. 1888)
• 1821 – Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross (d. 1912)
• 1825 – Stephen F. Chadwick, American lawyer and politician, 5th Governor of Oregon (d. 1895)
• 1829 – Patrick Gilmore, Irish-American composer and bandleader (d. 1892)
• 1856 – Pud Galvin, American baseball player and manager (d. 1902)
• 1856 – Hans von Bartels, German painter and academic (d. 1913)
• 1860 – Manwel Dimech, Maltese journalist, author, and philosopher (d. 1921)
• 1861 – Madan Mohan Malaviya, Indian educator, lawyer, and politician, President of the Indian National Congress (d. 1946)
• 1865 – Evangeline Booth, English 4th General of The Salvation Army (d. 1950)
• 1869 – Charles Finger, English-American journalist and author (d. 1941)
• 1870 – Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American businesswoman and philanthropist (d. 1965)
• 1873 – Otto Frederick Hunziker, Swiss-American agriculturalist and educator (d. 1959)
• 1874 – Lina Cavalieri, Italian soprano and actress (d. 1944)
• 1875 – Francis Aveling, Canadian psychologist and priest (d. 1941)
• 1875 – Theodor Innitzer, Austrian cardinal (d. 1955)
• 1876 – Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 1st Governor-General of Pakistan (d. 1948)
• 1876 – Adolf Otto Reinhold Windaus, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1959)
• 1878 – Louis Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and businessman, co-founded Chevrolet (d. 1941)
• 1878 – Noël, Countess of Rothes, philanthropist, social leader and heroine of Titanic disaster (d. 1956)
• 1878 – Joseph M. Schenck, Russian-American film producer (d. 1961)
• 1883 – Hugo Bergmann, Czech-Israeli philosopher and academic (d. 1975)
• 1883 – Hana Meisel, Belarusian-Israeli agronomist and politician (d. 1972)
• 1884 – Samuel Berger, American boxer (d. 1925)
• 1884 – Evelyn Nesbit, American model and actress (d. 1967)
• 1886 – Malak Hifni Nasif, Egyptian poet and activist (d. 1918)
• 1886 – Kid Ory, American trombonist and bandleader (d. 1973)
• 1887 – Conrad Hilton, American businessman, founded the Hilton Hotels & Resorts (d. 1979)
• 1889 – Lila Bell Wallace, American publisher and philanthropist, co-founded Reader's Digest (d. 1984)
• 1890 – Noel Odell, English geologist and mountaineer (d. 1987)
• 1890 – Robert Ripley, American anthropologist and publisher, founded Ripley's Believe It or Not! (d. 1949)
• 1891 – Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, Indian-English general and politician, Governor of Gibraltar (d. 1959)
• 1891 – Clarrie Grimmett, New Zealand-Australian cricketer (d. 1980)
• 1899 – Humphrey Bogart, American actor (d. 1957)
• 1901 – Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (d. 2004)
• 1902 – Barton MacLane, American actor, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1969)
• 1902 – William Bell, American tuba player and educator (d. 1971)
• 1903 – Antiochos Evangelatos, Greek composer and conductor (d. 1981)
• 1904 – Gerhard Herzberg, German-Canadian physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)
• 1906 – Lew Grade, Baron Grade, Ukrainian-English film producer (d. 1998)
• 1906 – Ernst Ruska, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
• 1907 – Cab Calloway, American singer-songwriter and bandleader (d. 1994)
• 1907 – Mike Mazurki, Ukrainian-American wrestler and actor (d. 1990)
• 1907 – Glenn McCarthy, American businessman, founded the Shamrock Hotel (d. 1988)
• 1908 – Quentin Crisp, English author and illustrator (d. 1999)
• 1908 – Ernest L. Massad, American general (d. 1993)
• 1908 – Jo-Jo Moore, American baseball player (d. 2001)
• 1909 – Zora Arkus-Duntov, Belgian-American engineer (d. 1996)
• 1911 – Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (d. 2010)
• 1913 – Candy Candido, American singer, bass player, and voice actor (d. 1999)
• 1913 – Tony Martin, American singer (d. 2012)
• 1913 – Henri Nannen, German journalist and publisher (d. 1966)
• 1914 – James Fletcher Jnr, New Zealand businessman (d. 2007)
• 1914 – Oscar Lewis, American anthropologist of Latin America (d. 1970)
• 1915 – Pete Rugolo, Italian-American composer and producer (d. 2011)
• 1916 – Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian soldier and politician, 1st President of Algeria (d. 2012)
• 1917 – Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (d. 2009)
• 1918 – Anwar Sadat, Egyptian lieutenant and politician, 3rd President of Egypt, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
• 1919 – Naushad Ali, Indian composer and director (d. 2006)
• 1919 – Paul David, Canadian cardiologist and politician, founded the Montreal Heart Institute (d. 1999)
• 1921 – Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, Indian-Pakistani journalist and author (d. 2000)
• 1921 – Steve Otto, Polish-Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1989)
• 1922 – William Demby, American author (d. 2013)
• 1923 – René Girard, French-American historian, philosopher, and critic (d. 2015)
• 1923 – Louis Lane, American conductor and educator (d. 2016)
• 1924 – Rod Serling, American screenwriter and producer, created The Twilight Zone (d. 1975)
• 1924 – Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian poet and politician, 10th Prime Minister of India
• 1925 – Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian-American anthropologist and author (d. 1998)
• 1925 – Ned Garver, American baseball player
• 1925 – Sam Pollock, Canadian businessman (d. 2007)
• 1926 – Enrique Jorrín, Cuban violinist and composer (d. 1987)
• 1927 – Nellie Fox, American baseball player and coach (d. 1975)
• 1927 – Leo Kubiak, American basketball and baseball player
• 1928 – Dick Miller, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1929 – Christine M. Jones, American educator and politician (d. 2013)
• 1929 – Chris Kenner, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 1976)
• 1929 – China Machado, Chinese-born Portuguese-American fashion model, editor and television producer (d. 2016)
• 1930 – Emmanuel Agassi, Iranian-American boxer and coach
• 1930 – Armenak Alachachian, Armenian basketball player and coach
• 1930 – Salah Jahin, Egyptian poet and illustrator (d. 1986)
• 1932 – Mabel King, American actress and singer (d. 1999)
• 1933 – Basil Heatley, English runner
• 1935 – Sadiq al-Mahdi, Sudanese politician, Prime Minister of Sudan
• 1935 – Stephen Barnett, American scholar and academic (d. 2009)
• 1935 – Jeanne Hopkins Lucas, American educator and politician (d. 2007)
• 1936 – Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
• 1936 – Ismail Merchant, Indian-English director and producer (d. 2005)
• 1937 – O'Kelly Isley Jr., American R&B/soul singer-songwriter (d. 1986)
• 1938 – Duane Armstrong, American painter
• 1938 – David Borden, American composer and academic
• 1938 – Noel Picard, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1939 – Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Pakistani businessman and politician
• 1939 – Bob James, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
• 1939 – Akong Rinpoche, Tibetan-Chinese spiritual leader (d. 2013)
• 1940 – Pete Brown, English singer-songwriter and poet
• 1940 – Hilary Spurling, English journalist and author
• 1941 – Kenneth Calman, Scottish physician and academic
• 1942 – Françoise Dürr, French tennis player and coach
• 1942 – Barbara Follett, English politician
• 1942 – Barry Goldberg, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
• 1942 – Enrique Morente, Spanish singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
• 1943 – Wilson Fittipaldi Júnior, Brazilian race car driver and businessman
• 1943 – Hanna Schygulla, German actress
• 1945 – Rick Berman, American screenwriter and producer
• 1945 – Eve Pollard, English journalist and author
• 1945 – Mike Pringle, Zambian-Scottish lawyer and politician
• 1945 – Noel Redding, English singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2003)
• 1945 – Ken Stabler, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
• 1946 – Jimmy Buffett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
• 1946 – Larry Csonka, American football player and sportscaster
• 1946 – Christopher Frayling, English author and academic
• 1946 – Gene Lamont, American baseball player and manager
• 1948 – Kay Hymowitz, American sociologist and writer
• 1948 – Barbara Mandrell, American singer-songwriter and actress
• 1948 – Joel Santana, Brazilian footballer and manager
• 1949 – Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, Brazilian singer
• 1949 – Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan
• 1949 – Sissy Spacek, American actress
• 1950 – Peter Boardman, English mountaineer and author (d. 1982)
• 1950 – Yehuda Poliker, Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1950 – Karl Rove, American journalist and diplomat, White House Deputy Chief of Staff
• 1950 – Manny Trillo, Venezuelan baseball player and manager
• 1952 – Tolossa Kotu, Ethiopian runner and coach
• 1952 – C. C. H. Pounder, Guyanese-American actress
• 1953 – Kaarlo Maaninka, Finnish runner
• 1954 – Annie Lennox, Scottish singer-songwriter and pianist
• 1954 – Steve Wariner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1955 – Brett Vroman, American basketball player
• 1957 – Chris Kamara, English footballer and sportscaster
• 1957 – Shane MacGowan, English-Irish singer-songwriter
• 1958 – Cheryl Chase, American voice actress and singer
• 1958 – Hanford Dixon, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
• 1958 – Rickey Henderson, American baseball player and coach
• 1958 – Konstantin Kinchev, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1958 – Alannah Myles, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
• 1959 – Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2003)
• 1959 – Ramdas Athawale, Indian poet and politician
• 1961 – Íngrid Betancourt, Colombian political scientist and politician
• 1964 – Ian Bostridge, English tenor
• 1964 – Gary McAllister, Scottish footballer and manager
• 1964 – Bob Stanley, English keyboard player, songwriter, producer, and journalist
• 1965 – Ed Davey, English politician, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
• 1965 – David Rath, Czech physician and politician
• 1966 – Toshi Arai, Japanese race car driver
• 1967 – Jason Thirsk, American bass player (d. 1996)
• 1968 – Helena Christensen, Danish model and actress
• 1968 – Jim Dowd, American ice hockey player
• 1969 – Frederick Onyancha, Kenyan runner
• 1969 – Nicolas Godin, French musician (Air)
• 1970 – Emmanuel Amunike, Nigerian footballer and manager
• 1970 – Rodney Dent, American basketball player
• 1971 – Dido, English singer-songwriter
• 1971 – Noel Hogan, Irish guitarist and producer
• 1971 – Justin Trudeau, Canadian educator and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Canada
• 1972 – Josh Freese, American drummer and songwriter
• 1972 – Mac Powell, American singer-songwriter and producer
• 1972 – Qu Yunxia, Chinese runner
• 1973 – Robbie Elliott, English footballer and coach
• 1973 – Chris Harris, American wrestler
• 1973 – Daisuke Miura, Japanese baseball player and coach
• 1973 – Alexandre Trudeau, Canadian journalist and director
• 1975 – Daniel Mustard, American singer-songwriter
• 1975 – Hideki Okajima, Japanese baseball player
• 1975 – Choi Sung-yong, South Korean footballer and manager
• 1975 – Marcus Trescothick, English cricketer
• 1976 – Tuomas Holopainen, Finnish keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
• 1976 – Tim James, American basketball player and coach
• 1976 – Atko Väikmeri, Estonian footballer
• 1976 – Armin van Buuren, Dutch DJ and record producer
• 1977 – Israel Vázquez, Mexican boxer
• 1977 – Ali Tandoğan, Turkish footballer
• 1978 – Simon Jones, Welsh cricketer
• 1978 – Joel Porter, Australian footballer and manager
• 1979 – Ferman Akgül, Turkish singer-songwriter
• 1979 – Laurent Bonnart, French footballer
• 1979 – Robert Huff, English race car driver
• 1979 – Hyun Young-min, South Korean footballer
• 1980 – Marcus Trufant, American football player
• 1981 – Trenesha Biggers, American wrestler and model
• 1981 – Christian Holst, Danish-Faroese footballer
• 1981 – Willy Taveras, Dominican baseball player
• 1982 – Shawn Andrews, American football player
• 1982 – Rob Edwards, Welsh footballer
• 1982 – Ethan Kath, Canadian keyboard player, songwriter and producer
• 1982 – Chris Rene, American singer-songwriter and producer
• 1984 – Locó, Angolan footballer
• 1984 – Chris Cahill, Samoan footballer
• 1984 – Alastair Cook, English cricketer
• 1984 – Jessica Origliasso, Australian singer-songwriter
• 1984 – Lisa Origliasso, Australian singer-songwriter
• 1984 – Chris Richard, American basketball player
• 1985 – Martin Mathathi, Kenyan runner
• 1985 – Rusev, Bulgarian professional wrestler
• 1986 – Aleksei Anatolyevich Kozlov, Russian footballer
• 1987 – Ceyhun Gülselam, Turkish footballer
• 1987 – Julian Lage, American guitarist and composer
• 1987 – Ma Qinghua, Chinese race car driver
• 1987 – Justin Sweeney, Australian footballer
• 1987 – Demaryius Thomas, American football player
• 1988 – Joãozinho, Brazilian footballer
• 1988 – Heather Cooke, American soccer player
• 1988 – Eric Gordon, American basketball player
• 1988 – Lukas Hinds-Johnson, German rugby player
• 1989 – Djameleddine Benlamri, Algerian footballer
• 1989 – Shahzaib Hasan, Pakistani cricketer
• 1989 – Keri Wong, American tennis player
• 1989 – Adrian von Ziegler, Swiss composer and producer
• 1990 – Conny Perrin, Swiss tennis player

Deaths[edit]

• 304 – Saint Anastasia
• 795 – Pope Adrian I (b. 700)
• 820 – Leo V the Armenian, Byzantine emperor (b. 775)
• 940 – Makan ibn Kaki, Iranian general
• 1147 – Guy II, Count of Ponthieu (b. c. 1120)
• 1156 – Peter the Venerable, French abbot and saint (b. 1092)
• 1505 – George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent, English politician (b. 1454)
• 1553 – Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish explorer and politician, 1st Royal Governor of Chile (b. 1500)
• 1635 – Samuel de Champlain, French soldier, geographer, and explorer (b. 1567)
• 1676 – William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire (b. 1592)
• 1676 – Matthew Hale, English lawyer and jurist, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (b. 1609)
• 1683 – Kara Mustafa Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 111th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1634)
• 1758 – James Hervey, English priest and author (b. 1714)
• 1784 – Yosa Buson, Japanese poet and painter (b. 1716)
• 1824 – Barbara von Krüdener, German mystic and author (b. 1764)
• 1868 – Linus Yale, Jr., American engineer and businessman (b. 1821)
• 1875 – Young Tom Morris, Scottish golfer (b. 1851)
• 1880 – Fridolin Anderwert, Swiss lawyer and politician, President of the Swiss National Council (b. 1828)
• 1824 – William Lawless, Irish revolutionary, later French Army general (b. 1772)
• 1916 – Albert Chmielowski, Polish saint, founded the Albertine Brothers (b. 1845)
• 1921 – Vladimir Korolenko, Russian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1853)
• 1925 – Karl Abraham, German psychoanalyst and author (b. 1877)
• 1926 – Emperor Taishō of Japan (b. 1879)
• 1928 – Miles Burke, American boxer (b. 1885)
• 1930 – Jakob Mändmets, Estonian journalist and author (b. 1871)
• 1933 – Francesc Macià, Catalan colonel and politician, 122nd President of Catalonia (b. 1859)
• 1935 – Paul Bourget, French author and critic (b. 1852)
• 1938 – Karel Čapek, Czech author and playwright (b. 1890)
• 1940 – Agnes Ayres, American actress (b. 1898)
• 1941 – Richard S. Aldrich, American lawyer and politician (b. 1884)
• 1944 – George Steer, South African-English journalist and author (b. 1909)
• 1946 – W. C. Fields, American actor, comedian, juggler, and screenwriter (b. 1880)
• 1947 – Gaspar G. Bacon, American lawyer and politician, 51st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1886)
• 1949 – Leon Schlesinger, American animator and producer, founded Warner Bros. Cartoons (b. 1884)
• 1950 – Neil Francis Hawkins, English politician (b. 1903)
• 1952 – Margrethe Mather, American photographer (b. 1886)
• 1953 – Patsy Donovan, Irish-American baseball player and manager (b. 1865)
• 1953 – William Haselden, British cartoonist (b. 1872)
• 1956 – Robert Walser, Swiss author and playwright (b. 1878)
• 1957 – Charles Pathé, French record producer, founded Pathé Records (b. 1863)
• 1961 – Owen Brewster, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 54th Governor of Maine (b. 1888)
• 1961 – Otto Loewi, German-American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1873)
• 1963 – Tristan Tzara, Romanian-French poet, playwright, painter, and critic (b. 1896)
• 1970 – Michael Peto, Hungarian-English photographer and journalist (b. 1908)
• 1973 – İsmet İnönü, Turkish general and politician, 2nd President of Turkey (b. 1884)
• 1973 – Gabriel Voisin, French pilot and engineer (b. 1880)
• 1975 – Gaston Gallimard, French publisher, founded Éditions Gallimard (b. 1881)
• 1975 – Gunnar Kangro, Estonian mathematician and author (b. 1913)
• 1977 – Charlie Chaplin, English actor and director (b. 1889)
• 1979 – Joan Blondell, American actress and singer (b. 1906)
• 1979 – Jordi Bonet, Canadian painter and sculptor (b. 1932)
• 1980 – Fred Emney, English actor and comedian (b. 1900)
• 1983 – Joan Miró, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1893)
• 1988 – Shōhei Ōoka, Japanese author and critic (b. 1909)
• 1988 – Edward Pelham-Clinton, 10th Duke of Newcastle, English entomologist and lepidopterist (b. 1920)
• 1989 – Benny Binion, American poker player and businessman (b. 1904)
• 1989 – Elena Ceaușescu, Romanian politician, First Lady of Romania (b. 1916)
• 1989 – Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romanian general and politician, 1st President of Romania (b. 1918)
• 1989 – Betty Garde, American actress (b. 1905)
• 1989 – Frederick F. Houser, American judge and politician, 34th Lieutenant Governor of California (b. 1905)
• 1989 – Billy Martin, American baseball player and manager (b. 1928)
• 1989 – Florică Murariu, Romanian rugby player and soldier (b. 1955)
• 1989 – Robert Pirosh, American director and screenwriter (b. 1910)
• 1992 – Monica Dickens, British-American nurse and author (b. 1915)
• 1993 – Pierre Victor Auger, French physicist and academic (b. 1899)
• 1994 – Zail Singh, Indian politician, 7th President of India (b. 1916)
• 1995 – Emmanuel Levinas, Lithuanian-French philosopher and academic (b. 1906)
• 1995 – Dean Martin, American singer and actor (b. 1917)
• 1996 – Bill Hewitt, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1928)
• 1997 – Anatoli Boukreev, Kazakh mountaineer and explorer (b. 1958)
• 1997 – Denver Pyle, American actor (b. 1920)
• 2000 – Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer and footballer (b. 1939)
• 2000 – Willard Van Orman Quine, American philosopher and academic (b. 1908)
• 2001 – Alfred A. Tomatis, French otolaryngologist and academic (b. 1920)
• 2003 – Nicholas Mavroules, American politician (b. 1929)
• 2004 – Gennadi Strekalov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1940)
• 2005 – Derek Bailey, English guitarist (b. 1930)
• 2005 – Robert Barbers, Filipino police officer, lawyer, and politician, 15th Filipino Secretary of the Interior (b. 1944)
• 2005 – Birgit Nilsson, Swedish operatic soprano (b. 1918)
• 2005 – Joseph Pararajasingham, Sri Lankan journalist, businessman, and politician (b. 1934)
• 2006 – James Brown, American singer-songwriter (b. 1933)
• 2007 – Des Barrick, English cricketer (b. 1927)
• 2007 – Jim Beauchamp, American baseball player and coach (b. 1939)
• 2008 – Eartha Kitt, American singer and actress (b. 1927)
• 2009 – Vic Chesnutt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1964)
• 2010 – Carlos Andrés Pérez, Venezuelan politician, 66th President of Venezuela (b. 1922)
• 2011 – Giorgio Bocca, Italian journalist (b. 1920)
• 2011 – Jim Sherwood, American saxophonist (b. 1942)
• 2011 – Simms Taback, American author and illustrator (b. 1932)
• 2012 – Erico Aumentado, Filipino journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1940)
• 2012 – Halfdan Hegtun, Norwegian radio host and politician (b. 1918)
• 2012 – Joe Krivak, American football player and coach (b. 1935)
• 2012 – Turki bin Sultan, Saudi Arabian politician (b. 1959)
• 2012 – Şerafettin Elçi, Turkish lawyer, politician, government minister (b. 1938)
• 2013 – Anthony J. Bryant, American historian and author (b. 1961)
• 2013 – David R. Harris, English geographer, anthropologist, archaeologist and academic (b. 1930)
• 2013 – Wayne Harrison, English footballer (b. 1967)
• 2013 – Mike Hegan, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1942)
• 2013 – Mel Mathay, Filipino politician, 8th Mayor of Quezon City (b. 1932)
• 2014 – Ricardo Porro, Cuban-French architect (b. 1925)
• 2014 – Geoff Pullar, English cricketer (b. 1935)
• 2015 – George Clayton Johnson, American author and screenwriter (b. 1929)

Dame Shirley Bassey 'couldn't sing' 

after death of daughter

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Dame Shirley Bassey has revealed that her daughter's death 30 years ago left her unable to sing for six months.

In a TV special to mark her upcoming 80th birthday, the Welsh singer said she had quickly returned to performing "after a week of being alone".

"I walked on the stage and I opened my mouth to sing Goldfinger," she said. "Nothing came out."

Samantha Novak, 21, was found face down in the River Avon, near the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol, in 1985.

Dame Shirley has always maintained that her daughter's death was not an accident or suicide.

In a programme to be shown on BBC One on Christmas Eve, the singer can be seen telling David Walliams that the loss was "just devastating".

She said she decided to perform because she "didn't know what to do with herself" and that being at home was "killing" her.

The 79-year-old now accepts she should have been "staying home and grieving and getting it out my system" instead of expressing her feelings on stage.

The singer paid tribute to a vocal coach who helped her strengthen her vocal cords and resume her career.

Κανείς καλλιτέχνης δεν θέλει να συμμετάσχει στην ορκωμοσία Τραμπ