The following events occurred in December 1944:
December 1
Events Pre-1600
* 800 – A council is convened in the Vatican, at which Charlemagne is to judge the accusations against Pope Leo III.
*1420 – Henry V of England enters Paris alongside his father-in-law King Charles VI of France.
* ...
, 1944 (Friday)
*The
U.S. Ninth Army
The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM).
Activated just eight weeks be ...
captured
Linnich
Linnich is a town in the Düren (district), district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the Rur, River Rur (Roer river), approx. 10 km north-west of Jülich.
Economy
Linnich is the home of Schweizeris ...
.
*
Les Horvath
Leslie Horvath (October 12, 1921 – November 14, 1995) was an American football quarterback and halfback who won the Heisman Trophy while playing for Ohio State University in 1944. Horvath was the first Ohio State player to win the Heisman, an ...
of
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
was announced as the winner of the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
.
*The
Thiaroye massacre happened in
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
.
*Born:
John Densmore
John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, author and actor. He is best known as the drummer of the rock band the Doors, and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recordi ...
, drummer of the rock band
The Doors
The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
December 2
Events Pre-1600
* 1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
*1409 – The University of Leipzig opens. 1601–1900
*1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren followin ...
, 1944 (Saturday)
*The U.S. Ninth Army captured the villages of Leiffarth and Roerdorf.
*The
Army–Navy Game
The Army–Navy Game is an American college football rivalry game between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapo ...
was played at
Baltimore Municipal Stadium, with
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
defeating
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
23-7 before a crowd of 66,659. About 30,000 members of the general public were allowed to attend on the conditions of living within 8.3 miles of Baltimore and purchasing a $25 war bond. General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
sent Army head coach
Earl Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik (February 15, 1897 – May 6, 1989) was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at ...
a congratulatory telegram after the game.
*Born:
Cathy Lee Crosby
Cathy Lee Crosby (born December 2, 1944) is an American actress and former professional tennis player. She achieved TV and film success in the 1980s and was a co-host of the television series ''That's Incredible!''
Early life
Crosby was born in ...
, actress, in
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
;
Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova (; 2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was a prominent Kosovo Albanian political leader, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President o ...
, 1st president of the Republic of Kosova, in
Crnce,
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
(d. 2006)
*Died:
Josef Lhévinne
Josef Lhévinne (13 December 18742 December 1944) was a Russian pianist and piano teacher. Lhévinne wrote a short book in 1924 that is considered a classic: ''Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing''. Asked how to say his name, he told ''The Li ...
, 69, Russian pianist;
Eiji Sawamura
Eiji Sawamura (沢村 栄治; February 1, 1917 – December 2, 1944) was a Japanese professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he played in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants.
Early life
On November 20, 1934, the 17-year-old Sawamura fa ...
, 27, Japanese baseball player (killed in action near
Yakushima
, native_name_link =
, image_caption = Landsat image of Yakushima
, image_size =
, nickname =
, location = East China Sea
, coordinates =
, map = Japan#Japan Kagoshima Prefecture
, map_relief ...
when his ship was torpedoed and sunk)
December 3
Events Pre-1600
* 915 – Pope John X crowns Berengar I of Italy as Holy Roman Emperor (probable date). 1601–1900
*1775 – American Revolutionary War: becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Sta ...
, 1944 (Sunday)
*A series of clashes in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
known as the
Dekemvriana
The ''Dekemvriana'' ( el, Δεκεμβριανά, "December events") refers to a series of clashes fought during World War II in Athens from 3 December 1944 to 11 January 1945. The conflict was the culmination of months of tension between the c ...
("December events") began when British troops and Greek police opened fire on a massive leftist demonstration, killing 28 and wounding 100.
*The Soviet
2nd Ukrainian Front
The 2nd Ukrainian Front (2-й Украинский фронт), was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War.
History
On October 20, 1943 the Steppe Front was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
During the Second Jassy–Kishinev O ...
captured the Hungarian city of
Miskolc
Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...
.
*The American destroyer
USS ''Cooper'' was torpedoed and sunk in
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a large bay in the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an extension of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar.
The World War II Battle of Ormoc Bay took place fr ...
by the Japanese destroyer ''Take''.
*The British
Home Guard
Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense.
The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...
formally stood down.
December 4
Events Pre-1600
* 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom.
* 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated on 6 D ...
, 1944 (Monday)
*The Allies
firebombed
Firebombing is a bombing technique designed to damage a target, generally an urban area, through the use of fire, caused by incendiary devices, rather than from the blast effect of large bombs.
In popular usage, any act in which an incendiary ...
the German city of
Heilbronn
Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state.
From the late Mid ...
, killing 7,147 people.
*
Dutch famine of 1944
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
: German occupation authorities in the Netherlands cut the bread ration to two pounds per person per week.
*The Japanese destroyer ''
Kishinami'' was torpedoed and sunk in the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
west of
Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...
by the American submarine ''
Flasher''.
*Born:
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
, drummer, singer, songwriter and member of
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
, in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
(d. 1983)
*Died:
Roger Bresnahan
Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "The Duke of Tralee", was an American player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washington Senators (1897), Chicago ...
, 65, American baseball player and manager
December 5
Events Pre-1600
*63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations.
* 633 – Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville.
* 1033 – The Jordan Rift Valley earthquake destroys multiple ...
, 1944 (Tuesday)
*The
3rd Ukrainian Front
The 3rd Ukrainian Front (Russian: Третий Украинский фронт) was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.
It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwester ...
of the Soviet Army captured
Szigetvár
Szigetvár (; hr, Siget; tr, Zigetvar; English: Islandcastle; german: Inselburg) is a town in Baranya County in southern Hungary.
History
The town's fortress was the setting of the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first ...
and
Vukovar
Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Vukovar is the seat of ...
.
*British forces in Greece shelled communist positions near
Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...
.
*The American
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
''
Antoine Saugrain
Dr. Antoine François Pierre Saugrain (Paris, 17/02/1763 France – St. Louis, Missouri, 05/03/1820) was a French-born physician and chemist.
Born in Versailles, Saugrain was educated in Paris as a physician and chemist by Antoine Fourcroy and ...
'' was torpedoed in the
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...
by Japanese aircraft and sank the next day.
*Born:
Jeroen Krabbé
Jeroen Aart Krabbé (; born 5 December 1944) is a Dutch actor and film director with a successful career in both Dutch and English-language films. He is best known to international audiences for his leading roles in the Paul Verhoeven films ''So ...
, actor and director, in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
December 6
Events Pre-1600
*1060 – Béla I of Hungary, Béla I is crowned king of Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages, Hungary.
*1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv, defended by Voivode Dmytro, Siege of Kiev (1240), falls to the Mongols u ...
, 1944 (Wednesday)
*In Britain the official process of returning
evacuees began in regions unaffected by the
V-weapon
V-weapons, known in original German as (, German: "retaliatory weapons", "reprisal weapons"), were a particular set of long-range artillery weapons designed for strategic bombing during World War II, particularly strategic bombing and/or aer ...
attacks.
*409 Japanese paratroopers were landed at
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
in a coordinated offensive with Japanese infantry attacking from the west.
*The Germans began removing all the electric trains in the Netherlands along with their wiring and sending them to Germany to replace the train system in places where it had been destroyed by Allied bombing.
*German submarine ''
U-297'' was depth charged and sunk west of
Yesnaby
Yesnaby is an area in Sandwick, on the west coast of Orkney Mainland, Scotland, south of Skara Brae. It is renowned for its spectacular Old Red Sandstone coastal cliff scenery which includes sea stacks, blowholes, geos and frequently boiling se ...
by a
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...
patrol bomber of
No. 201 Squadron RAF
Number 201 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray.
It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 ...
.
*The British frigate ''
Bullen Bullen is a surname, and may refer to:
* Arthur Henry Bullen (1857–1920), English editor, publisher, and a specialist in 16th and 17th century literature
* Charles Bullen, British military officer
* Charles Bullen (Utah politician), American poli ...
'' was torpedoed and sunk off
Cape Wrath
Cape Wrath ( gd, Am Parbh, known as ' in Lewis) is a cape in the Durness parish of the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain.
The cape is separated from the rest of the mai ...
, Scotland by German submarine ''
U-775''.
*British planes began strafing communists in Athens.
*The
Heinkel He 162
The Heinkel He 162 ''Volksjäger'' (German, "People's Fighter") was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Developed under the Emergency Fighter Program, it was designed and built quickly ...
had its first flight.
*Born:
Ron Kenoly
Ron Kenoly (born December 6, 1944) is an American Christian worship leader, singer, and songwriter whose expressed mission is "to create an environment for the manifest presence of God". His musical style is one of jubilant praise and individu ...
, Christian musician and worship leader, in
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city in southeastern Montgomery County, Kansas, Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located along the Verdigris River in the state's Southeast Kansas, southeastern region. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...
;
Jonathan King
Jonathan King (born Kenneth George King; 6 December 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He first came to prominence in 1965 when "Everyone's Gone to the Moon", a song that he wrote and sang while still an undergraduate, ...
, musician, record producer and entrepreneur, in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England
December 7
Events Pre-1600
*43 BC – Cicero, Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius.
* 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius II Constant ...
, 1944 (Thursday)
*The
Tōnankai earthquake in Japan caused 1,223 casualties.
*
Nicolae Rădescu
Nicolae Rădescu (; 30 March 1874 – 16 May 1953) was a Romanian army officer and political figure. He was the last pre-communist rule Prime Minister of Romania, serving from 7 December 1944 to 1 March 1945.
Biography Early life and education
T ...
became
Prime Minister of Romania
The prime minister of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul României), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul Guvernului României, link=no), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was s ...
, the last to hold the post prior to communist rule.
*U.S. forces in Leyte counterattacked and halted the Japanese offensive.
*The American destroyer ''
Mahan Mahan or Mahaan may refer to:
* Mahan (name)
* Mahan confederacy, chiefdoms in ancient Korea
* Mahan, Iran, a city in Kerman Province
* Mahan District, an administrative subdivision of Kerman Province
* Mahan Rural District, an administrative subdi ...
'' was damaged in the
Camotes Sea
The Camotes Sea is a small sea within the Philippine archipelago, situated between the Central Visayan and the Eastern Visayan regions. It separates Cebu from Leyte hence is bordered by Cebu to the west, Leyte to the east and north, and Bohol t ...
by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft and consequently scuttled.
*The American destroyer ''
Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
'' was hit by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft in Ormoc Bay and abandoned.
*The
Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating international air trave ...
established the
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sc ...
, a specialized agency to coordinate and regulate international air travel.
*The
Arab Women's Congress of 1944
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
takes place in Cairo in Egypt, leading to the establishment of the
Arab Feminist Union Arab Feminist Union (AFU), also called All-Arab Feminist Union, General Arab Feminist Union and Arab Women's Union, was an umbrella organisation of feminist associations from Arab countries, founded in 1945.Weber, C. (2001). Unveiling Scheherazade: ...
.
*Born:
Daniel Chorzempa
Daniel Walter Chorzempa (born December 7, 1944) is an American organist, composer and architect.
Biography
Chorzempa was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and subsequently studied music and architecture at the University of Minnesota and further ...
, organist and architect, in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
December 8
Events Pre-1600
* 395 – Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope.
*757 – The poet Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city during ...
, 1944 (Friday)
*German forces withdrew from
Jülich
Jülich (; in old spellings also known as ''Guelich'' or ''Gülich'', nl, Gulik, french: Juliers, Ripuarian: ''Jöllesch'') is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. As a border region betwe ...
.
*
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high.
...
suffered the heaviest U.S. air raid of the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
.
December 9
Events Pre-1600
* 536 – Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital.
* 730 – Battle of Marj Ardabil: The Khazars annihilate an Umayyad army and kill its commander, al- ...
, 1944 (Saturday)
*The month-long
Battle of Knin
The battle of Knin ( sh, Kninska operacija) was a major Yugoslav Partisan operation during World War II in Yugoslavia launched by the 8th Dalmatian Corps from 7 November to 9 December 1944 with the purpose of destroying German, Ustaše and Chetnik ...
ended in victory for the Yugoslav Partisans.
*The Japanese aircraft carrier ''
Jun'yō'' was torpedoed and damaged in the
Strait of Formosa
The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide.
The Taiwan Strait is itself a ...
by the American submarines ''
Plaice
Plaice is a common name for a group of flatfish that comprises four species: the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice.
Commercially, the most important plaice is the European. The principal commercial flatfish in Europe, it is also ...
'', ''
Redfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to certain deep-sea rockfish in the genus ''Sebastes'', red drum from the genus ''Sciaenops'' or the reef dwelling snappers in the genus ''Lutjanus''. It is also app ...
'' and ''
Sea Devil''. ''Jun'yō'' was withdrawn from service and scrapped after the war.
*German submarine ''
U-387'' was depth charged and sunk in the
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territo ...
by the Royal Navy corvette ''
Bamborough Castle
Bamburgh Castle is a castle on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building.
The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as ''Din Guarie'' and may have ...
''.
*German submarine ''
U-862
German submarine ''U-862'' was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, ''U-862'' put into Singapore and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name ''I- ...
'' shelled the Greek tanker ''SS Illios'' off the
southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
n coast.
*Born:
Neil Innes
Neil James Innes (; 9 December 1944 – 29 December 2019) was an English writer, comedian and musician. He first came to prominence in the pioneering comedy rock group Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later became a frequent collaborator with the Mon ...
, writer, musician and comedian, in
Danbury, Essex
Danbury is a village in the City of Chelmsford district, in the county of Essex, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross, London and has a population of 6,500. It is situated on a hill above sea level.
The city of Danbury, Connectic ...
, England (d. 2019);
Tadashi Irie ''The Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi Complete Databook 2008 Edition'' : "Tadashi Irie (Takumi-gumi)", December 2008, Mediax, is a yakuza, the head (''kumicho'') of the Osaka-based 2nd Takumi-gumi , yakuza, in
Uwajima, Ehime
270px, Uwajma City Hall
270px, Aerial view of Uwajma city center
270px, Japan National Route 320 in Uwajma city center
is a city located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 70,440 in 35429 households and a pop ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
;
Ki Longfellow
Ki Longfellow (born Baby Kelly, formerly Pamela Kelly; December 9, 1944 - June 12, 2022) was an American novelist, playwright, theatrical producer, theater director and entrepreneur with dual citizenship in Britain. She is best known in the Un ...
, novelist, playwright and theatrical producer, on
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
, New York
*Died:
Laird Cregar
Samuel Laird Cregar (July 28, 1913December 9, 1944) was an American stage and film actor. Cregar was best known for his villainous performances in films such as ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (1941) and '' The Lodger'' (1944).
Cregar's screen career ...
, 31, American stage and film actor (heart attack following complications from a crash diet)
December 10
Events Pre-1600
*1317 – The "Nyköping Banquet": King Birger of Sweden treacherously seizes his two brothers Valdemar, Duke of Finland and Eric, Duke of Södermanland, who were subsequently starved to death in the dungeon of Nyköpin ...
, 1944 (Sunday)
*France and the Soviet Union signed a 20-year Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance.
*The American
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
''
William S. Ladd
William Sargent Ladd (October 10, 1826 – January 6, 1893) was an American politician and businessman in Oregon. He twice served as Portland, Oregon's mayor in the 1850s. A native of Vermont, he was a prominent figure in the early developme ...
'' was sunk at Leyte by a Japanese kamikaze attack.
*
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
s were awarded for the first time since 1939. Since the customary ceremonies still could not be held in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
because of the war, a special luncheon was held under the auspices of
The American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) is an American non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting international understanding through educational and cultural exchange between the United States and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway
...
at the
Waldorf Astoria hotel Waldorf can have the following meanings:
People
* William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (1848–1919), financier and statesman
* Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (1879–1952), businessman and politician
* Pappy Waldorf (1902–1981), 1966 ...
in New York City. The
Award in Physics went to
Isidor Isaac Rabi
Isidor Isaac Rabi (; born Israel Isaac Rabi, July 29, 1898 – January 11, 1988) was an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance, which is used in magnetic resonance im ...
(United States),
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
to
Otto Hahn
Otto Hahn (; 8 March 1879 – 28 July 1968) was a German chemist who was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry and father of nuclear fission. Hahn and Lise Meitner ...
(Germany),
Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Pr ...
to
Joseph Erlanger
Joseph Erlanger (January 5, 1874 – December 5, 1965) was an American physiologist who is best known for his contributions to the field of neuroscience. Together with Herbert Spencer Gasser, he identified several varieties of nerve fiber and es ...
and
Herbert Spencer Gasser
Herbert Spencer Gasser (July 5, 1888 – May 11, 1963) was an American physiologist, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1944 for his work with action potentials in nerve fibers while on the faculty of Washington Unive ...
(United States),
Literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
to
Johannes V. Jensen
Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (20 January 1873 – 25 November 1950) was a Danish author, known as one of the great Danish writers of the first half of 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1944 "for the rare strength and fert ...
(Denmark) and the
Peace Prize
This list of peace prizes is an index to articles on notable prizes awarded for contributions towards achieving or maintaining peace. The list is organized by region and country of the sponsoring organization, but many of the prizes are open to pe ...
to the
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
. Three retroactive recipients for 1943 were also named, in accordance with the Nobel Foundation's statutes allowing the awards to be reserved for one year. They were
Otto Stern
:''Otto Stern was also the pen name of German women's rights activist Louise Otto-Peters (1819–1895)''.
Otto Stern (; 17 February 1888 – 17 August 1969) was a German-American physicist and Nobel laureate in physics. He was the second most n ...
of the United States for Physics,
George de Hevesy
George Charles de Hevesy (born György Bischitz; hu, Hevesy György Károly; german: Georg Karl von Hevesy; 1 August 1885 – 5 July 1966) was a Hungarian radiochemist and Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate, recognized in 1943 for his key role ...
(Germany) for Chemistry and
Carl Peter Henrik Dam
Carl Peter Henrik Dam ( da, Carl Peter Henrik Dam), (21 February 1895 – 17 April 1976) was a Danish biochemist and physiologist.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1943 for joint work with Edward Doisy in discovering vitamin K a ...
(Denmark) and
Edward Adelbert Doisy
Edward Adelbert Doisy (November 13, 1893 – October 23, 1986) was an American biochemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943 with Henrik Dam for their discovery of vitamin K (K from "Koagulations-Vitamin" in German) an ...
(United States) for Physiology or Medicine.
*
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death. He is remembered for his h ...
was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
two weeks after his death.
December 11
Events Pre-1600
* 220 – Emperor Xian of Han is forced to abdicate the throne by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, ending the Han dynasty.
* 361 – Julian enters Constantinople as sole Roman Emperor.
* 861 – Assassination of the Abbas ...
, 1944 (Monday)
*The British
Eighth Army in Italy crossed the
Lamone
Lamone is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.
History
Lamone is first mentioned in 854 as ''Namonni''. In 1295 it was mentioned as ''Lamono''.
A prehistoric stone bowl was discovered on San Zeno ...
.
*The American destroyer
USS ''Reid'' was sunk off
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
by a Japanese
kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
aircraft.
*German authorities carried out the last gassing of inmates at the
Hartheim Euthanasia Centre
The Hartheim killing centre (german: NS-Tötungsanstalt Hartheim, sometimes translated as "Hartheim killing facility" or "Hartheim euthanasia centre") was a killing facility involved in the Nazi programme known as ''Aktion T4'', in which German ...
.
*
Kia Motors
Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...
founded in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
(then Japanese rule Korea), as predecessor name was Kyungsung Precision Industry in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
.
*Born:
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...
, singer, in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia;
Lynda Day George
Lynda Louise Day George (born December 11, 1944) is an American television and film actress whose career spanned three decades from the 1960s to the 1980s. She was a cast member on '' Mission: Impossible'' (1971–1973). She was also the wife ...
, actress, in
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos ( ) is a city and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. The city's limits extend into Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, as well. San Marcos is within the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area and on the Interstate 35 ...
December 12
Events Pre-1600
* 627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.
*1388 – Maria of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to ...
, 1944 (Tuesday)
*The U.S. Third Army captured the V-rocket factory at
Wittring
Wittring (; Lorraine Franconian: ''Wittringe'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Moselle department
The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Mose ...
in eastern France.
*British General
Harold Alexander
Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969) was a senior British Army officer who served with distinction in both the First and the Second World War and, afterwards, as Governor Ge ...
was promoted to field marshal and made Supreme Commander of
Allied Force Headquarters
Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) was the headquarters that controlled all Allied operational forces in the Mediterranean theatre of World War II from August 1942 until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.
AFHQ was established in the Un ...
in the Mediterranean.
*German submarine ''
U-416'' collided with the German minesweeper ''M 203'' and sank northwest of
Pillau
Baltiysk (russian: Балти́йск; german: Pillau; Old Prussian: ''Pillawa''; pl, Piława; lt, Piliava; Yiddish: פּילאַווע, ''Pilave'') is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Rus ...
.
*German submarine ''
U-196'' was listed as missing in the
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
. The submarine's fate remains unknown.
*German destroyers ''
Z35'' and ''
Z36'' were both sunk by naval mines in the
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland ( fi, Suomenlahti; et, Soome laht; rus, Фи́нский зали́в, r=Finskiy zaliv, p=ˈfʲinskʲɪj zɐˈlʲif; sv, Finska viken) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and E ...
.
*Japanese destroyer ''
Yūzuki'' was sunk northeast of
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
by American aircraft.
*Japanese destroyer ''
Uzuki'' was torpedoed and sunk in Ormoc Bay by American motor torpedo boats.
*Born:
Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944) is a Scottish film, television, radio and stage actor.
Early life
Cranham was born in Dunfermline, Fife, the son of Lochgelly-born Margaret McKay Cranham (née Ferguson) and Ronald Cranham, a London-born ...
, actor, in
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
;
Cara Duff-MacCormick
Cara Duff-MacCormick (born December 12, 1944) is a Canadian actress, predominantly in the theatre.
Early life and education
Born in Woodstock, Ontario, Duff-MacCormick studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
C ...
, actress, in
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The city has a population of 40,902 according to the 2016 Canadian census. Woodstock is the seat of Oxford County, at the head of the non-navigable Thames River, approximately 128 km from ...
, Canada
December 13
Events Pre-1600
*1294 – Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.
*1545 – The Council of Trent begins as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation.
*1577 &nd ...
, 1944 (Wednesday)
*The
Battle of Metz
The Battle of Metz was a battle fought during World War II at the city of Metz, France, from late September 1944 through mid-December as part of the Lorraine Campaign between the U.S. Third Army commanded by Lieutenant General George Patton and ...
ended in American victory.
*The First
Battle of Kesternich
Kesternich is a small village just inside the German border from Belgium. It was the site of two major battles during World War II. These battles are tied to the Siegfried Line Campaign, the Battle of the Huertgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulg ...
began just inside the German border with Belgium.
*The
Battle of Mindoro
The Battle of Mindoro (Filipino: ''Labanan sa Mindoro'') was a battle in World War II between forces of the United States and Japan, in Mindoro Island in the central Philippines, from 13–16 December 1944, during the Philippines Campaign.
Tro ...
began in the central Philippines.
*German submarine ''
U-365'' was depth charged and sunk in the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...
by
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used ...
aircraft of
813 Naval Air Squadron
813 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II and again post-war. It initially operated Swordfish Mk Is from the aircraft carrier '' Illustrious'' and took part in the successful raid on Ta ...
.
*Japanese cruiser ''
Myōkō'' was torpedoed in the
Java Sea
The Java Sea ( id, Laut Jawa, jv, Segara Jawa) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its nort ...
by the American submarine ''
Bergall
The cunner (''Tautogolabrus adspersus''), also known as the blue perch, bergall, chogset, choggie, conner or sea perch, is a species of wrasse native to the northwestern Atlantic, where it is found from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland ...
'' and damaged beyond repair.
*American cruiser ''
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
'' was severely damaged off
Negros Island
Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...
by a kamikaze attack and required four months of repairs.
*Died:
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (; rus, Василий Васильевич Кандинский, Vasiliy Vasilyevich Kandinskiy, vɐˈsʲilʲɪj vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪtɕ kɐnʲˈdʲinskʲɪj; – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter a ...
, 77, Russian painter and art theorist;
Lupe Vélez
María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.
Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...
, 36, Mexican-born American vedette and actress
December 14
Events Pre-1600
* 557 – Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake, which cracks the dome of Hagia Sophia.
* 835 – Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong of Tang, Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty conspires to kill the p ...
, 1944 (Thursday)
*The British escort destroyer ''
Aldenham
Aldenham is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, north-east of Watford and southwest of Radlett. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book and is one of Hertsmere's 14 conservation areas. The village has eight pre-19th-century listed build ...
'' was sunk by a naval mine in the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
off
Pag. ''Aldenham'' was the last Royal Navy destroyer lost in World War II.
*The
Palawan massacre occurred in the Philippines when 150 Allied prisoners of war were murdered by the Japanese during an air raid.
*At least 186 Japanese aircraft were deployed for an all-out attack on the American invasion force sailing toward
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...
. Most of them failed to locate the American convoys and at least 46 were shot down.
*The
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
authorized the creation of the
five-star rank
A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...
in the U.S. military.
*A total prohibition on citizen use of electricity was introduced to
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
South Holland
South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...
.
*The sports film ''
National Velvet
''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921.
Plot summary
''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...
'' starring
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...
,
Donald Crisp
Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ...
and
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
was released.
December 15
Events Pre-1600
* 533 – Vandalic War: Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum.
* 687 – Pope Sergius I is elected as a compromise between antipopes Paschal and Theod ...
, 1944 (Friday)
*The
U.S. Seventh Army
The Seventh Army was a United States army created during World War II that evolved into the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) during the 1950s and 1960s. It served in North Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and Fran ...
captured
Riedseltz
Riedseltz () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Bas-Rhin department
The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France.
The communes coopera ...
,
Salmbach and
Lauterbourg
Lauterbourg ( or ; ) (historically in English: Lauterburgh) is a Communes of France, commune and Bas-Rhin Departments of France, department in the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. Situated on the Germany, German border a ...
in eastern France.
*During the Battle of Mindoro, the
Sixth United States Army
Sixth Army is a theater army of the United States Army. The Army service component command of United States Southern Command, its area of responsibility includes 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and t ...
landed on Mindoro itself. The Japanese offered weak opposition on the ground but continued to respond strongly in the air, sending a wave of ''
kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
s'' to the battle zone that managed to destroy a pair of
LSTs.
*
William D. Leahy
William Daniel Leahy () (May 6, 1875 – July 20, 1959) was an American naval officer who served as the most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II. He held multiple titles and was at the center of all major ...
was made a five-star admiral in the U.S. Navy.
*The all-star musical romantic comedy film ''
Hollywood Canteen
The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servi ...
'' was released.
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the Swing music, swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andre ...
,
Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...
,
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...
,
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
,
Jimmy Dorsey
James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People ...
and
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
were among the many celebrities to make cameos in the film.
*The
Universal horror
Universal Classic Monsters (also known as Universal Monsters and Universal Studios Monsters) is a media franchise based on a series of horror films primarily produced by Universal Pictures from the 1930s to the 1950s. Although not initially concei ...
film ''
House of Frankenstein'' starring
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...
and
Lon Chaney, Jr.
Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...
was released.
*Died:
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
, 40, American bandleader (presumed, after the plane carrying Miller to Paris to play for the soldiers there went missing in bad weather over the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
and was never found)
December 16
Events Pre-1600
* 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom.
* 755 ...
, 1944 (Saturday)
*The First
Battle of Kesternich
Kesternich is a small village just inside the German border from Belgium. It was the site of two major battles during World War II. These battles are tied to the Siegfried Line Campaign, the Battle of the Huertgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulg ...
and
Operation Queen
Operation Queen was an American operation during World War II on the Western Front at the German Siegfried Line.
The operation was aimed against the Rur River, as a staging point for a subsequent thrust over the river to the Rhine into Germany ...
ended in German defensive victory.
*The
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...
and the accompanying
Battle of St. Vith began.
*The
Battle of Lanzerath Ridge
The Battle of Lanzerath Ridge was fought on December 16, 1944, the first day of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, near the village of Lanzerath, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom ...
began between U.S. and German forces in Belgium.
*The
Battle of Mindoro
The Battle of Mindoro (Filipino: ''Labanan sa Mindoro'') was a battle in World War II between forces of the United States and Japan, in Mindoro Island in the central Philippines, from 13–16 December 1944, during the Philippines Campaign.
Tro ...
ended in victory for the U.S. and Filipino Commonwealth forces.
*
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...
was made a five-star general in the U.S. Army.
*
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
gave a speech at the
Teatro Lirico in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
that would be his last. Although he maintained that
new German weapons would turn the tide of the war, it was clearly a political last will and testament as he tried to defend himself in the eyes of history and presented a dark picture of a Bolshevik Europe in the event of Allied victory.
December 17
Events Pre-1600
* 497 BC – The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.
* 546 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoths under king Totila plunder the city, by bribing the Byzantine garrison.
* 920 – Romanos I Lekap ...
, 1944 (Sunday)
*The
Battle of Lanzerath Ridge
The Battle of Lanzerath Ridge was fought on December 16, 1944, the first day of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, near the village of Lanzerath, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom ...
ended in German victory.
*
Malmedy massacre
The Malmedy massacre was a German war crime committed by soldiers of the on 17 December 1944, at the Baugnez crossroads near the city of Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945). Soldiers of sum ...
: 84 American prisoners of war were murdered by their German captors in
Malmedy
Malmedy (; german: Malmünd, ; wa, Måmdiy) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2018, Malmedy had a total population of 12,654. The total area is 99.96 km2 which gives a populati ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
*Allied troops in Italy entered
Faenza
Faenza (, , ; rgn, Fènza or ; la, Faventia) is an Italian city and comune of 59,063 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated southeast of Bologna.
Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed eart ...
, the closest they would get to
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
before the beginning of winter. A little further north, The 10th Indian Infantry Division, 10th Indian Division crossed the Senio River.
*The U.S. military began preparations for deploying nuclear weapons by activating the 509th Composite Group.
*Ernest King was made a five-star admiral in the U.S. Navy.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-772, U-772'' was depth charged and sunk south of Cork (city), Cork, Ireland by Royal Navy frigate ''HMS Nyasaland (K587), Nyasaland''.
*The Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants 14–7 in the 1944 NFL Championship Game, NFL Championship Game at the Polo Grounds in New York City.
*''The Green Years'' by A. J. Cronin topped the The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times'' Fiction Best Sellers list.
*Born: Bernard Hill, actor, in Blackley, Manchester, England
December 18, 1944 (Monday)
*Typhoon Cobra struck the United States Pacific Fleet and did severe damage to Fast Carrier Task Force, Task Force 38. Destroyers ''USS Hull (DD-350), Hull'', ''USS Monaghan (DD-354), Monaghan'' and ''USS Spence (DD-512), Spence'' all foundered in the storm.
*
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
was made a five-star general in the U.S. Army.
*British troops in Greece began an offensive against the Greek People's Liberation Army, ELAS rebels.
*The Parisian daily newspaper ''Le Monde'' published its first edition.
December 19, 1944 (Tuesday)
*German forces captured 9,000 surrounded U.S. troops in the Schnee Eifel region on the Belgian-German border and pushed the Americans back off German soil.
*Japanese aircraft carrier ''Japanese aircraft carrier Unryū, Unryū'' was torpedoed and sunk in the East China Sea by the American submarine ''
Redfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to certain deep-sea rockfish in the genus ''Sebastes'', red drum from the genus ''Sciaenops'' or the reef dwelling snappers in the genus ''Lutjanus''. It is also app ...
''.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-737, U-737'' sank in a collision with depot ship ''MRS 25'' in Vestfjorden, Norway.
*Chester Nimitz was made a five-star admiral in the U.S. Navy.
*Born: Tim Reid, actor, comedian and film director, in Norfolk, Virginia
December 20, 1944 (Wednesday)
*The Siege of Bastogne began in Belgium as part of the Battle of the Bulge.
*Dwight D. Eisenhower was made a five-star general in the U.S. Army.
*British General Ronald Scobie warned Greek civilians to stay out of areas occupied by Greek People's Liberation Army, ELAS forces because they may be subjected to bombing raids.
*The U.S. Women Airforce Service Pilots was disbanded.
December 21, 1944 (Thursday)
*The
Battle of St. Vith ended in German victory with the fall of St. Vith itself.
*The Battle of Ormoc Bay ended in American victory.
*Henry H. Arnold was made a five-star general in the U.S. Army.
*The Walt Disney animated musical film ''The Three Caballeros'' premiered in Mexico City.
*Kyungsung Precision Industry, as predecessor of
Kia Motors
Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
based Vehicles, vehicles manufacturing plant was founded.
*Born: Bill Atkinson (footballer, born 1944), Bill Atkinson, footballer, in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England (d. 2013); Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor, pianist and composer, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California; Zheng Xiaoyu, director of the Chinese State Food and Drug Administrition, in Fuzhou, China (d. 2007)
December 22, 1944 (Friday)
*U.S. General Anthony McAuliffe responded to a German command to surrender the besieged garrison at Bastogne with a brief reply centered on a full sheet of paper: "N U T S !"
*President Roosevelt signed the Flood Control Act of 1944.
*A provisional national government separate from the Ferenc Szálasi regime was formed in Hungary.
*The People's Army of Vietnam was formed.
*Born: Steve Carlton, baseball player, in Miami, Florida
*Died: Harry Langdon, 60, American comedian and actor
December 23, 1944 (Saturday)
*In the Battle of the Bulge, the First United States Army, U.S. First Army withdrew from St. Vith while III Corps of the United States Army Central, Third Army moved north to relieve the siege of Bastogne.
*As an economical measure, the U.S. government banned horse racing effective January 3.
*"Don't Fence Me In (song), Don't Fence Me In" by Bing Crosby and
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the Swing music, swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andre ...
went to #1 on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles charts.
*Born: Wesley Clark, U.S. Army general, in Chicago, Illinois; Ingar Knudtsen, novelist and poet, in Smøla, Norway
December 24, 1944 (Sunday)
*The Belgian troopship ''SS Léopoldville (1929), Léopoldville'' was sunk by German submarine ''German submarine U-486, U-486'' in the English Channel off Cherbourg. Approximately 763 American soldiers and 56 crew were killed.
* German tanks reached the furthest point of the Bulge at Celles, Houyet, Celles.
* Fifty German V-1 flying bombs, air-launched from Heinkel He 111 bombers flying over the North Sea, targeted Manchester in England, killing 42 and injuring more than 100 in the Oldham area.
* List of massacres in Belgium, Bande massacre. 34 men between the ages of 17 and 32 were executed by the Sicherheitsdienst near Bande,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
in retaliation for the killing of three German soldiers.
*The Agana race riot began on Guam over the nights of December 24 and 25 between white and black members of the United States Marines. Some 43 Marines would be tried in courts-martial and receive prison terms over the rioting.
* Mosquito Bowl took place on Guadalcanal; "The Mosquito Bowl, A Game of Life and Death in World War II" by Buzz Bissinger
*Born: Erhard Keller, speed skater, in Günzburg, Germany; Woody Shaw, jazz trumpeter, in Laurinburg, North Carolina (d. 1989)
*Died: Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky, 58, Hungarian politician (executed); General Frederick W. Castle, while leading 2000 bombers over Belgium.
December 25, 1944 (Monday)
*The Sixth United States Army, U.S. Sixth Army captured Palompon, Leyte.
*Winston Churchill arrived in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
to try to stop the fighting.
*The British frigate HMS Dakins (K550), HMS ''Dakins'' was severely damaged by a mine off Ostend and rendered a constructive total loss.
*Born: Jairzinho, footballer, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Henry Vestine, guitarist (Canned Heat), in Takoma Park, Maryland (d. 1997)
*Died: George Preddy, 25, American flying ace (shot down near Liège, Belgium by friendly fire)
December 26, 1944 (Tuesday)
*The Battle of Leyte ended in decisive Allied victory.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-486, U-486'' torpedoed the British frigates ''HMS Affleck (K462), Affleck'' and ''HMS Capel (K470), Capel'' in the English Channel off Cherbourg. ''Affleck'' was declared a constructive total loss and ''Capel'' was sunk.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-2342, U-2342'' was sunk by a mine in the Baltic Sea north of Świnoujście, Swinemünde.
*The Tennessee Williams play ''The Glass Menagerie'' premiered at the Civic Theatre in Chicago.
*Born: Bill Ayers, education theorist, anti-war activist and co-founder of the radical Weather Underground group, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
December 27, 1944 (Wednesday)
*The Siege of Bastogne ended in American victory.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-877, U-877'' was depth charged and sunk northwest of the Azores by Canadian corvette HMCS St. Thomas (K488), HMCS ''St. Thomas'' using Squid (weapon), Squid.
*David Lloyd George announced his retirement from British Parliament.
*Born: Mick Jones (Foreigner guitarist), Mick Jones, guitarist and founding member of the rock band Foreigner (band), Foreigner, in Somerton, Somerset, Somerton, England
*Died: Sára Salkaházi, 45, Hungarian religious sister (executed by the Arrow Cross Party for working to save Jews)
December 28, 1944 (Thursday)
*American troops began gaining ground in their counteroffensive during the Battle of the Bulge. Adolf Hitler disregarded the advice of his generals and ordered renewed offensives in the Alsace and Ardennes regions.
*At least 20 Allied soldiers perished when the Infantry Landing Ship ''SS Empire Javelin, Empire Javelin'' sank in the English Channel with 1,483 troops aboard. It is unknown whether she struck a naval mine or was torpedoed by the German submarine ''German submarine U-322, U-322'' which was active in the area that day.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-735, U-735'' was bombed and sunk by British aircraft off Horten, Norway.
*Hockey star Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens showed up exhausted to the Montreal Forum after spending the day helping his family move from one apartment to another. That night he recorded eight points (five goals and three assists) during a 9–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, a new NHL record for points by one player in a single game that stood until 1976.
*The stage musical ''On the Town (musical), On the Town'' with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green premiered on Broadway at the Adelphi Theatre (New York City), Adelphi Theatre.
*Born: Jane Lapotaire, actress, in Ipswich, Suffolk, England; Kary Mullis, biochemist and Nobel laureate, in Lenoir, North Carolina
December 29, 1944 (Friday)
*The Siege of Budapest by Soviet and Romanian forces began.
*German submarine ''German submarine U-322, U-322'' was depth charged and sunk south of Weymouth, Dorset by Canadian corvette ''HMCS Calgary (K231), Calgary''.
*British Commandos carried out Operation Partridge over the night of December 29/30, a diversionary raid behind German lines in Italy.
December 30, 1944 (Saturday)
*The German 5th Panzer Army made another attempt to encircle Bastogne while the U.S. Third Army attacked toward Houffalize.
*From London, King George II of Greece proclaimed a Regent, regency and appointed Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens to the post.
*General Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, reported that an atomic bomb equivalent to 10,000 tons of TNT would be ready for testing by the summer of 1945.
*Part I of the Russian epic film ''Ivan the Terrible (1944 film), Ivan the Terrible'' premiered in the Soviet Union. Part II would not be released until 1958.
*Born: Joseph Hilbe, statistician and philosopher, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
(d. 2017)
*Died: Romain Rolland, 78, French writer and Nobel laureate
December 31, 1944 (Sunday)
*The provisional government of Hungary declared war on Germany.
*Operation Ichi-Go ended in Japanese victory against Chinese forces.
*Twelve de Havilland Mosquitos of the RAF bombed Oslo, Norway, targeting a Gestapo headquarters in the city. The RAF initially believed the raid was successful, but the target building was in fact undamaged and other civilian buildings were hit instead. 78 Norwegians and 28 Germans were killed in the worst single incident in Oslo during the war.
*The Grumman F8F Bearcat entered service with the United States Navy.
*Born: Jan Widströmer, artist, in Malmbäck, Sweden
*Died: Vicente Lim, 56, Filipino general
References
{{Events by month links
December, 1944
1944, *1944-12
Months in the 1940s, *1944-12