Born On This Day:

• Thomas Carlyle, 1795
• Samuel Butler, 1835
• Lillian Russell, 1861
• Edith Cavell, 1865
• Wassily Kandinsky, 1866
• Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875
• Generallisimo Francisco Franco, 1892
• Deanna Durbin, 1921
• Horst Buchholz, 1933
• John Cale, 1940
• Dennis Wilson, 1944
• Jeff Bridges, 1949
• Marisa Tomei, 1964
• Jay-Z (Shawn Carter), 1969
• Tyra Banks, 1973

Died On This Day:

• Saint John of Damascus, AD 749
• King William the Lion of Scotland, 1214
• Pope John XXII, 1334
• Cardinal Richelieu, 1642
• Thomas Hobbes, 1679
• John Gay, 1732
• Luigi Galvani, 1798
• Benjamin Britten, 1966
• Bert Lahr, 1967
• Hannah Arendt, 1975
• Rouben Mamoulian, 1987
• Frank Zappa, 1993

Today's Events:

• AD 771 - Karel the Great becomes king of all France.
• 1154 - Nicholas Breakspear becomes the first and only English Pope, Adrian IV (or Hadrian)
• 1674 - Father Jacques Marquette builds first dwelling, a mission, in what is now Chicago.
• 1786 - Mission Santa Barbara, Franciscan order, founded in California.
• 1791 - The Observer, England's oldest Sunday newspaper, first published.
• 1812 - Horsedrawn lawnmower patented by Peter Gaillard of Lancaster, PA.
• 1871 - Germany adopts gold standard.
• 1904 - Japanese lose another 11,000 men but gain last hill at Port Arthur in Russo Japanese War.
• 1918 - Woodrow Wilson leaves Washington to become first U.S. President in office to visit Europe.
• 1937 - Dandy comic book starring Desperate Dan first published; still going 4 December 2001.
• 1952 - Great London smog starts; 4,000 to die in next three weeks.
• 1991 - Pan American World Airways, founded in 1927, folds operations.
• 1991 - Longest held U.S. hostage in Lebanon, AP writer Terry Anderson, released after almost 7 years.
• 1997 - Europe health officials vote to ban tobacco advertising beginning in 4-5 years.

Feast Day of Saint:

• Barbara
• Peter Chrysologus
• Osmund (died today in 1099)

Holiday:

• Day of the Artisans celebrated in Mexico
• Proclamation Day in Tonga

Non-Specific Holiday:

• ADVENT SUNDAY, Sunday nearest to feast of Saint Andrew (Nov. 30) whether before or after.
• CHANUKKA (Jewish Feast of Lights), eight day holiday beginning on 25th day of lunar month Kislev.
• TSAO CHÜN, Festival of the Kitchen God in China (23rd day of the twelfth moon (or 24th in Kwantung)
• CH'U HSI, Night of the Thirtieth (29th day of the twelfth moon)
• KWANZAA - African American Heritage celebrated December 26 - January 1