Film & TV History
Jan 1 Javier Bardem marries Spanish actress Penélope Cruz in The Bahamas
- Jan 1 New FINA rules re competition swimsuits come into effect; all body-length swimsuits banned; men's suits to maximally cover from the waist to knee, and women's from shoulder to knee; fabric must be a "textile" or woven material
- Jan 1 Suicide car bomb detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100
- Jan 3 Phil Taylor successfully defends his PDC World Darts title with a 7–3 victory over Simon Whitlock of Australia in the final in London; Taylor's 13th PDC and 15th overall world championship
- Jan 4 The Burj Khalifa, world's tallest building at 829.8 m (2,722 ft), officially opens in Dubai
- Jan 4 The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed HIV infection from its list of communicable diseases of public health significance.
Shanahan Introduced as Coach
Jan 5 Mike Shanahan is formally introduced as head coach of the Washington Redskins
- Jan 7 Muslim gunmen in Egypt kill nine people after opening fire on a crowd of Coptic Christians
Cowell Leaves "Idol"
Jan 11 Simon Cowell leaves "American Idol"
- Jan 12 Colombia officially leaves the recession after achieving 2% economic growth in the last quarter of 2009
Earthquake Devastates Haiti
Jan 12 Earthquake devastates Haiti, killing approximately 160,000 and destroying the majority of the capital Port-au-Prince
Bryant Surpasses Chamberlain Record
Jan 21 LA Lakers forward Kobe Bryant becomes the youngest NBA player to reach 25,000 career points at 31 years, 151 days; beats Wilt Chamberlain by 35 days
"Volcker Rule" Proposed
Jan 21 President Barack Obama proposes the "Volcker Rule," a rule proposed by Paul Volcker intended to restrict risky trading by United States banks
O'Brien's Last Tonight Show
Jan 22 Conan O'Brien's last The Tonight Show episode after a big controversy over the Tonight Show timeslot
- Jan 25 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, killing all 90 people on-board.
- Jan 26 After 6 consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, the UK economy officially finally comes out of recession with a GDP growth of 0.1%
Swine Flu Pandemic
Jan 26 The World Health Organization rejects claims that it overstated the severity of the swine flu pandemic under pressure from vaccine companies
President's Murderers Hanged
Jan 28 Five murderers of Bangladeshi President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman hanged: Lieutenant Colonel Syed Faruq Rahman, Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Major AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, Major Bazlul Huda and Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed
- Jan 31 52nd Grammy Awards: "Use Somebody", Zac Brown Band win
Super Bowl XLIV
Feb 7 Super Bowl XLIV, Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Miami, FL; New Orleans Saints beat Indianapolis Colts, 31-17; MVP: Drew Brees, New Orleans, QB
Grammy Awards
Feb 13 Jason Mraz wins two Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Make It Mine") and Best Pop Collaboration ("Lucky" with Colbie Caillat)
- Feb 14 52nd Daytona 500: Jamie McMurray, driving for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing wins; Mark Martin, oldest polesitter in Daytona 500 history at 51 years, 27 days
1st Olympic Gold by a Canadian in Canada
Feb 14 Alexandre Bilodeau wins the Gold Medal in the freestyle skiing men's moguls event, becoming the first Canadian to win a Gold Medal during a Canadian-hosted Olympics
- Feb 14 America's Cup: Team USA defeats Alinghi 2-0 to win in Spain
Event of Interest
Feb 18 Bibliothèque nationale de France purchases the memoirs of Giacomo Casanova a for €7 million
- Feb 20 On the Portuguese Atlantic island of Madeira heavy rain causes floods and mudslides, leaving at least 32 deaths in the worst disaster on the history of the archipelago.
- Feb 21 "Claybourne Park" by Bruce Norris opens off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in New York (1st play to win a Tony and a Pulitzer) [1]
- Feb 22 Taiwan's economy exits from the recession with 9.22% growth in the last quarter of 2009 after increased demand from China and other key markets in the region
Big Girl
Feb 23 Danielle Steel’s novel “Big Girl” is published
- Feb 23 Unknown criminals pour more than 2.5 million litres of diesel oil and other hydrocarbons into the river Lambro, in Northern Italy, causing an environmental disaster.
- Feb 24 Europe risks a double-dip recession after bad results emerge from France, Germany and Italy, it is reported today; the Eurozone only grew by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2009
Cricket History
Feb 24 Sachin Tendulkar scores the first double century in One Day International cricket
- Feb 26 Opera "Madame White Snake", by Boston Opera composed by Zhou Long, premieres at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston (Pulitzer Prize for Music 2011)
- Feb 27 8.8 magnitude earthquake rattles central Chile; epicenter just off the coast also triggers a tsunami
- Feb 28 XXI Winter Olympic Games close in Vancouver, Canada
Alice in Wonderland
Mar 3 "Alice in Wonderland", inspired by Lewis Carroll directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska is released
Academy Awards
Mar 7 82nd Academy Awards: "The Hurt Locker", Jeff Bridges & Sandra Bullock win
Event of Interest
Mar 10 Carlos Slim becomes the first Mexican and person from an emerging economy to top Forbes Richest Person list, with net worth of US$53.5 billion
Laureus Awards
Mar 10 Laureus World Sports Awards, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE: Sportsman: Usain Bolt; Sportswoman: Serena Williams; Team: Brawn F1 team
Event of Interest
Mar 11 Sebastián Piñera becomes Chilean president for the 1st time
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Mar 15 25th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: ABBA; Genesis; Jimmy Cliff; The Hollies; The Stooges; David Geffen; Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil; Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry; Jesse Stone; Mort Shuman; and Otis Blackwell
- Mar 16 Parts of the Kasubi Tombs, architectural treasure and burial site of the Buganda kings, burns down in Kampala, Uganda
- Mar 22 NASA's rover 'Spirit' gets caught in a sand trap on Mars and ceases communications with Earth [1]
- Mar 23 US President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nicknamed 'Obamacare', expanding the availability and affordability of health care insurance
- Mar 24 Lee Kun-hee returns to Samsung Electronics chief executive officer (CEO) position after his resignation in April 21, 2008
Music History
Mar 24 The World Health Organization appoints Craig David as a Goodwill Ambassador against tuberculosis on World Tuberculosis Day
- Mar 29 Archaeological site of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza purchased by the Mexican state of Yucatán from a private landowner
- Mar 29 Two female suicide bombers hit the Moscow Metro system at the peak of the morning rush hour, killing 40
- Apr 2 Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant signs a three-year contract extension with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers worth $87 million
Film & TV History
Apr 3 Matt Smith's first appearance as the 11th Doctor with Karen Gillan as his companion in BBC program "Doctor Who" during "The Eleventh Hour" episode
- Apr 4 Africa's tallest monument, the African Renaissance Monument, dedicated outside Dakar, Senegal, designed by Pierre Goudiaby to commemorate Senegal's 50th anniversary of independence
Golf Major
Apr 4 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Yani Tseng of Taiwan wins her 2nd major title by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Suzann Pettersen of Norway
- Apr 10 Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board including President Lech Kaczyński
- Apr 11 "The night of Sora Aoi", Japanese porn actress Sora Aoi joins twitter prompting many Chinese fans to try and circumnavigate Chinese censorship
- Apr 12 A train derailed near Merano, Italy, after running into a landslide, causing nine deaths and injuring 28 people.
- Apr 14 Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallajökull begins erupting from the top crater in the centre of the glacier
- Apr 15 Volcanic ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland leads to the closure of airspace over most of Europe.
- Apr 20 The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, killing 11 and causing the rig to sink, causing a massive oil discharge into the Gulf of Mexico and an environmental disaster
- Apr 22 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford first pick by St. Louis Rams
Film & TV History
Apr 24 Christy Turlington’s directorial debut, "No Woman, No Cry", is released in the U.S.
Iron Man 2 Premieres
Apr 26 "Iron Man 2", directed by Jon Favreau, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, premieres in Los Angeles
Performing Arts Award
May 1 Canadian singer Bryan Adams is given the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his 30 years of contributions to the arts
- May 1 Car bomb fails to go off in Times Square, New York City
Film & TV History
May 4 Julia Louis-Dreyfus receives the 2,407th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, although on the original star her name is spelled incorrectly
- May 8 Barrow AFC wins English FA Trophy at Wembley, makes them only team to win it at both Old & New Wembley stadiums
- May 8 Last piece of Yankee Stadium falls in the Bronx, New York, marking the end of the two year demolition process
- May 9 Oakland A's Dallas Braden becomes 19th pitcher to throw a perfect game (4-0 vs Tampa Bay)
Election of Interest
May 11 David Cameron becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after forming a coalition government between the Liberal Democrats and his own Conservative Party
Election of Interest
May 11 Imelda Marcos wins election to the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing Ilocos Norte province
- May 12 An Afriqiyah Airways Flight crashes and kills everyone but one person on board
Music Concert
May 13 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Debbie Harry, Lady Gaga, Shirley Bassey, Nile Rodgers and Chic
- May 14 The 51,700 seat Aviva Stadium is officially opened on the site of the famous old Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin by Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowan
- May 15 Jessica Watson at age 16 becomes the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world
- May 16 ICC Men's Cricket T20 World Cup, Bridgetown, Barbados: England beats Australia by 7 wickets with 3 overs to spare for their first title; Player of the Series: England batsman Kevin Pietersen (248 runs)
- May 16 ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Bridgetown, Barbados: Elise Perry with 3 for 18 off 4 overs leads Australia (106/8) to 3 run victory over New Zealand 103/6
- May 17 Archaeologists announce the discovery of the oldest tomb in Mesoamerica at 2,700 years old, at Chiapa de Corzo, Mexico, containing the remains of 50 year old man [1]
- May 18 Police officer James Crooker is asked to leave the Red and Black Café in Portland, Oregon after co-owner John Langley claimed Crooker's uniformed presence made him uncomfortable
Copernicus Reburied
May 22 Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus' remains are reburied in Frombork Cathedral, Poland after a 200 year search for his tomb
- May 23 63rd Cannes Film Festival: "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul wins the Palme d'Or
- May 24 Andrew Wakefield, doctor at the center of MMR vaccination scare, struck off the UK medical register after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct
Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)
May 28 "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" single released by Alicia Keys (Billboard Song of the Year, 2010)
- May 29 In an all South African Super 14 Rugby final, the Bulls (Pretoria) retain title, 25-17 over the Stormers (Cape Town) at the Orlando Stadium, Soweto; Morné Steyn kicks 6 penalties and a conversion for the Bulls
- May 29 Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay becomes 20th pitcher to throw a perfect game (1-0 vs Florida Marlins), in Miami
- May 29 Super Rugby Final, Orlando Stadium, Soweto: Bulls (Pretoria) successfully defend their title with a 25-17 win over the Stormers (Cape Town) in an all-South African final
- May 31 Gaza Flotilla raid: Israeli Shayetet 13 soldiers board ships trying to break blockade of Gaze, during violent confrontation aboard MV Mavi Marmara 9 activists killed and several activists and soldiers injured
Music History
Jun 2 British singer-songwriter and musician Paul McCartney receives Library of Congress Gershwin Prize at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Sports History
Jun 3 Canadian sportscaster Ron MacLean saves a man from drowning in the Delaware River in Philadelphia
Sports History
Jun 7 MLB Draft: Southern Nevada outfielder Bryce Harper first pick by Washington Nationals
- Jun 9 Finland falls back into a state of recession after GDP contracted 0.4% in Q1 2010 and 0.2% in Q4 2009
- Jun 9 Hungary comes out of recession after experiencing 0.9% growth in the first quarter as a result of growing exports and effective government spending measures
Stanley Cup
Jun 9 Patrick Kane scores the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime
- Jun 9 Stanley Cup Final, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA: Chicago Blackhawks edge Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3 in OT for a 4-2 series win; first Championship for Chicago since 1961
- Jun 13 64th Tony Awards: "Memphis" & "Red" (play) win
Hot In Cleveland
Jun 16 "Hot In Cleveland", cable channel TV Land's first original sitcom premieres; starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White
- Jun 22 Danielle Steel’s novel “Family Ties” is published
Marina Bay Sands Opens
Jun 23 Marina Bay Sands casino resort owned by Las Vegas sands officially opens in Singapore, with an infinity pool on the world's largest cantilevered platform
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Jun 24 "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse", based on the book by Stephenie Meyer, directed by David Slade, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, premieres in Los Angeles
Sports History
Jun 24 In the longest match in tennis history, American John Isner defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon after 11 hours, 5 minutes of play over 3 days
- Jun 24 NBA Draft: Kentucky point guard John Wall first pick by Washington Wizards
Music Concert
Jun 24 Ringo Starr's eleventh All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Rick Derringer, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Richard Page, Wally Palmar, and Gregg Bissonette
- Jun 25 NHL Draft: Windsor Spitfires (OHL) left wing Taylor Hall first pick by Edmonton Oilers
- Jul 2 FIFA World Cup: Ghana, only African team remaining in last 8, are beaten 4-2 on penalties by Uruguay; Netherlands upset Brazil 2-1
- Jul 2 Oil tanker truck explosion in South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, kills at least 230 people
Incubus
Jul 6 "Incubus" singer Brandon Boyd announces the release of his debut solo album, "The Wild Trapeze"
Inception
Jul 8 "Inception", directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, premieres in London
- Jul 8 During 1st round of the John Deere Classic, Paul Goydos becomes the 4th, and oldest player in PGA Tour history to shoot 59; round included 12 birdies and 6 pars
- Jul 11 FIFA World Cup Final, Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa: Andrés Iniesta scores an extra time winner as Spain beats the Netherlands, 1-0 for first World Cup title
- Jul 14 18th ESPY Awards: Drew Brees, Lindsey Vonn win
Music History
Jul 23 One Direction is formed during the X Factor show as Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson join together
Sherlock
Jul 25 British TV series "Sherlock" debuts starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss
Famous Photo
Aug 1 200m x 250m photo mosaic commemorating the life of Filipino President Corazon Aquino is unveiled near Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta Park, Manila
- Aug 1 Australian Stuart Appleby finishes with an 11-under-59 to win the Greenbrier Classic at White Sulphur Springs, to become only the 5th player and first non-American to break 60 on the PGA Tour
Film & TV History
Aug 4 California's Proposition 8, the ballot initiative prohibiting same-sex marriage passed by the state's voters in 2008, is overturned by Judge Vaughn Walker in the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger
Baseball Record
Aug 4 On 3rd anniversary of his 500th MLB career home run, Alex Rodriguez reaches the 600 HR mark in the NY Yankees 5-1 win v Toronto; 7th and youngest to reach milestone
Sports History
Aug 5 Group led by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan & Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg is confirmed as winning bidder in court ordered auction of Texas Rangers MLB franchise (value $593m)
- Aug 7 Hampered by a back injury Indian cricket batsman VVS Laxman scores a brave, unbeaten 103 to guide India to a 5 wicket win v Sri Lanka in Colombo; draw series
Hall of Fame
Aug 7 Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, John Randle, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Floyd Little & Dick LeBeau are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Aug 14 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games opens in Singapore
Invasion of Iraq
Aug 19 Operation Iraqi Freedom winds down, as the last of the United States brigade combat teams cross the border to Kuwait [1]
- Aug 21 New Zealand clinch their 10th Tri Nations Rugby Series with one match remaining, scoring 2 tries in the last 3 minutes to beat South Africa, 29–22 in the first-ever Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg
- Aug 23 Manila hostage crisis, which occurred at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, where a dismissed police officer took hostage a tour bus full of Chinese nationals.
- Aug 25 Panic caused by escaped crocodile being smuggled aboard domestic Filair flight leads to crash of Let L-410 Turbolet passenger aircraft near Bandundu Airport, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing all but one of the 21 passengers and crew
Emmy Awards
Aug 29 62nd Emmy Awards: Mad Men, Modern Family, Bryan Cranston & Kyra Sedgwick win
- Sep 4 Canterbury earthquake: a 7.1 magnitude earthquake which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am causing widespread damage and several power outages.
- Sep 8 Egypt's Minister of Finance, Dr. Youssef Butros Ghali, states that Egypt is emerging from the recession as indicated by increased total revenue from sales taxes and customs revenues
- Sep 9 A court in the Philippines orders Imelda Marcos to repay the government almost $280,000 for funds taken from the National Food Authority by Ferdinand Marcos in 1983
Who Is Harry Nilsson
Sep 17 Documentary film "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?" released theatrically
- Sep 17 The 54 year run of the soap opera As the World Turns ends as its final episode is broadcast.
- Sep 20 The National Bureau of Economic Research state today that the US left the recession in June 2009, with managing director Lakshman Achuthan of the Economic Cycle Research Institute saying GDP recovered to 70% of the pre-recession level
Downton Abbey
Sep 26 TV Period drama "Downton Abbey" premieres in the UK created by Julian Fellowes, starring Hugh Bonnevillle and an ensemble cast
Film & TV History
Sep 29 Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller become engaged
Instagram Launched
Oct 6 Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launch social media app Instagram
- Oct 6 Phillies ace Roy Halladay pitches only the 2nd postseason no-hitter in MLB history in Game 1 NLDS, 4-0 v Cincinnati Reds, at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Nobel Prize in Literature
Oct 7 Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt, and defeat" [1]
- Oct 10 The Netherlands Antilles are dissolved
Copiapó Mine Rescue
Oct 13 Copiapó mining accident in Chile comes to a happy end as all 33 miners arrive at the surface after surviving a record 69 days underground
Election of Interest
Oct 14 Mark Rutte sworn in as Prime Minister of the Netherlands after his People's Party for Freedom and Democracy party became the largest party in the House of Representatives in the 2010 elections
Canonization
Oct 17 Brother André is the first Canadian to be canonized post Federation by Pope Benedict XVI [1]
- Oct 17 The Teshima Art Museum by architect Ryue Nishizawa and artist Rei Naito opens on the island of Teshima, Japan [1]
The Union
Oct 19 Decca Records releases "The Union", a collaborative album between Elton John and Leon Russell, in the US; it becomes the highest charting album for both artists in over 30 years
Speak Now
Oct 25 "Speak Now" 3rd studio album by Taylor Swift is released (Billboard Album of the Year 2011)
Sports History
Oct 31 Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters beats Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 for her 3rd season ending WTA Championship in Doha, Qatar
- Oct 31 Belgium leaves the recession with 0.5% growth in the third quarter
The Walking Dead
Oct 31 Post-apocalyptic zombie TV series "The Walking Dead" premieres, starring Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal and Lauren Cohan on AMC
Music History
Nov 5 Keith Richards' autobiography "Life" tops New York Times bestseller list
Disney Composer's Hollywood Star
Nov 10 Alan Menken, famous Disney composer, receives the 2,442nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Nov 13 Australian rock band Powderfinger, perform their last concert at the Brisbane River Stage
Tangled
Nov 14 Disney's 3-D computer-animated musical adventure film "Tangled" premieres at El Capitan Theatre, loosely based on the German fairy tale "Rapunzel" by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Sebastian Vettel
Nov 14 German Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit to claim his first F1 World Drivers Championship by 4 points from Fernando Alonso; Red Bull's first Constructors title
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Nov 16 Engagement announced between British Prince William and Kate Middleton at Clarence House, London
Bush Presidential Center
Nov 16 In University Park, Texas, the groundbreaking ceremony for the George W. Bush Presidential Center takes place
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Nov 19 "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" the 7th film based on the books by J. K. Rowling is released worldwide
- Nov 19 New Zealand suffers its worst mining disaster since 1914 when the first of four explosions occurs at the Pike River Mine; 29 people are killed
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Nov 22 Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records release American rapper and producer Kanye West's 5th studio album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"
Pink Friday
Nov 22 Universal-Motown Records releases Trinidadian-born American rapper Nicki Minaj's debut album "Pink Friday"
- Nov 23 The Bombardment of Yeonpyeong occurs on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea. The North Korean artillery attack kills 2 civilians and 2 South Korean marines.
Monk Debate
Nov 26 Christopher Hitchens and Tony Blair debate - is religion a force for good in the world, in a Monk Debate, Toronto, Canada
Federer's Fifth ATP
Nov 28 In a classic matchup, Roger Federer wins his 5th season-ending ATP World Tour Finals tennis title with a 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 victory over Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final in London, England
Birds of America's Record Price
Dec 6 Record price for a printed book when a first edition of "The Birds of America" by John James Audubon auctioned at Sotheby's, London, England, for £7,321,250
- Dec 7 Iceland officially leaves the recession with growth of 1.2% in the third quarter
Imprisoned Xiaobo Awarded Nobel
Dec 10 Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Stockholm, while imprisoned in China
- Dec 11 Two explosions occur in a busy shopping district of Stockholm, Sweden, killing one and injuring two others. Officials say the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack.
- Dec 12 Mosconi Cup nine-ball pool, London, England: Europe regains title with an 11-8 win over US; MVP: Darren Appleton (England)
- Dec 13 76th Heisman Trophy Award: Cam Newton, Auburn (QB)
Larry King Live
Dec 16 Final episode of TV talk show "Larry King Live" airs on CNN
- Dec 19 "Miracle at the New Meadowlands", Philadelphia Eagles trail New York Giants by 21 points with eight minutes to play, before scoring 4 touchdowns in final 7 minutes, including dramatic walk-off punt returned for a touchdown by DeSean Jackson
- Dec 22 Repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell policy", a 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals serving openly in the US military, signed into law by President Barack Obama
Film & TV History
Dec 24 Gary Sinise converts to Catholicism, following his wife who converted in 2000
Authors
Civil Rights Activists
Inventors
Kings
Revolutionaries
Scientists