Historical Anniversaries this Week

December 13

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Dick Van Dyke, American actor, singer, and dancer^[37]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Tom DeLonge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, author, and filmmaker^[72]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – James Kyson, American actor^[62]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player and manager^[73]

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Cyril Delevanti, English-American actor (born 1889)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Addie Viola Smith, American lawyer and trade commissioner (born 1893)^[106]

December 14

 Events (100 years ago today): 1925 – Wozzeck, Alban Berg's first opera, is premiered at the Berlin State Opera conducted by Erich Kleiber.^[20]

 Births (400 years ago today): 1625 – Barthélemy d'Herbelot, French orientalist and academic (died 1695)

 Births (250 years ago today): 1775 – Philander Chase, American bishop and educator, founded Kenyon College (died 1852)

 Births (250 years ago today): 1775 – Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, Scottish admiral and politician (died 1860)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Justin Furstenfeld, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Ben Kay, English rugby player

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – KaDee Strickland, American actress^[31]

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Arthur Treacher, English-American entertainer (born 1894)

December 15

 Events (1000 years ago today): 1025 – Constantine VIII becomes sole emperor of the Byzantine Empire, 63 years after being crowned co-emperor.^[3]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino journalist and activist (died 1899)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Kasey Rogers, American actress and author (died 2006)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Samira Saraya, Palestinian actor, filmmaker, poet and rapper

 Deaths (1000 years ago today): 1025 – Basil II, Byzantine emperor (born 958)

 Deaths (350 years ago today): 1675 – Johannes Vermeer, Dutch painter and educator (born 1632)

December 16

 Events (450 years ago today): 1575 – An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.5M_w  strikes Valdivia, Chile.^[6]

 Births (250 years ago today): 1775 – Jane Austen, English novelist (died 1817)^[25]

 Births (250 years ago today): 1775 – François-Adrien Boieldieu, French pianist and composer (died 1834)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Valentin B?doi, Romanian footballer and manager

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Kaba Diawara, French-Guinean footballer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Benjamin Kowalewicz, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Paul Maynard, English politician

 Deaths (700 years ago today): 1325 – Charles, French nobleman (born 1270)

December 17

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Calvin Tomkins, American author and art critic^[24]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Nick Dinsmore, American wrestler and trainer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Susanthika Jayasinghe, Sri Lankan sprinter

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress^[26]

December 18

 Births (300 years ago today): 1725 – Johann Salomo Semler, German historian and theologian (died 1791)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – Charles Griffin, American general (died 1876)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – John S. Harris, American surveyor and politician (died 1906)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – Mariano Ignacio Prado, Peruvian general, twice President of Peru (died 1901)^[16]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Matt McGrath, Irish-American hammer thrower (died 1941)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Randy Houser, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Sia, Australian singer-songwriter^[22]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Trish Stratus, Canadian wrestler and actress

 Deaths (950 years ago today): 1075 – Edith of Wessex (born 1025)

 Deaths (100 years ago today): 1925 – Hamo Thornycroft, English sculptor and academic (born 1850)^[50]

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian geneticist and biologist (born 1900)

Commemorations:
International Migrants Day

December 19

 Events (350 years ago today): 1675 – The Great Swamp Fight, a pivotal battle in King Philip's War, gives the English settlers a bitterly won victory.^[8]

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – George Frederick Bristow, American violinist and composer (died 1898)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Mileva Mari?, Serbian physicist (died 1948)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Carter G. Woodson, American historian and author, founded Black History Month (died 1950)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Grace Marie Bareis, American mathematician (died 1962)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Tankred Dorst, German author and playwright (died 2017)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – William Schutz, American psychologist and academic (died 2002)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Robert B. Sherman, American songwriter and screenwriter (died 2012)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Makis Belevonis, Greek footballer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Brandon Sanderson, American author and academic

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Jeremy Soule, American composer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Olivier Tébily, Ivorian-French footballer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Dean Treister, Australian rugby league player