Peugeot produces its last car at the Ryton Plant signalling the end of mass car production in Coventry, formerly a major centre of the British motor industry.

The Young Turks (talk show), a liberal talk show, begins airing.

Gebran Tueni, Lebanese journalist and politician, is assassinated.

The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in ''Bush v. Gore''

Russian Federation gains independence from the USSR.

The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains – one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.

Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland killing 256, including 248 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division.

Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya becomes the third president of Mauritania after a coup d'état against Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla while the latter was attending a summit.

Women's peace protest at Greenham Common

A major earthquake and tsunami kill 259 people in Colombia.

Rhodesia changes its name to Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.

President of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq, confers ''Nishan-e-Imtiaz'' on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam.

Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-ha, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.

''Strategy of tension'': Piazza Fontana bombing

Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta becomes the first President of the Republic of Kenya.

Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

Guinea joins the United Nations.

Beginning of the Irish Republican Army's "Border Campaign".

Paula Ackerman, the first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leads the congregation in her first services.

Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali Massacre

A fire at a New York City ice plant spreads to a nearby tenement killing 37 people.

A fire in a hostel in St. John's, Newfoundland kills 100 people.

World War II: German troops begin Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad.

World War II: USMC F4F "Wildcats" sink the first 4 major Japanese ships off Wake Island.

World War II: UK declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.

Adolf Hitler announces extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery

World War II: Fifty four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesus Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; Cesar Basa is killed.

World War II: Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield as a result of a German air raid.

HMS Duchess (H64) sinks after a collision with HMS Barham off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men

Winter War: Battle of Tolvajärvi

Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink US gunboat ''Panay'' on the Yangtze River in China.

Xi'an Incident: The Generalissimo of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang.

Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.

The Majlis of Iran votes to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Persia.

Flag of Estonia is raised atop the Pikk Hermann for the first time.

In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.

President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai announces his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China.

King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are enthroned as Emperor and Empress of India.

Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.

Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.

Belo Horizonte, the first planned city in Brazil, is founded.

Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the first black U.S. congressman.

USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine.

Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution five days after Delaware became the first.

American Revolutionary War: Second Battle of Ushant

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.) An image appeared miraculously on the cloak of Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City.

The Order of the Dragon a monarchical chivalric order was created by Sigismund of Luxembourg, then King of Hungary.

First Crusade: Massacre of Siege of Ma'arrat al-Numan|Ma'arrat al-Numan

Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.