Historical Anniversaries this Week

November 30

 Births (400 years ago today): 1625 – Jean Domat, French scholar and jurist (died 1696)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – William-Adolphe Bouguereau, French painter and educator (died 1905)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Myron Grimshaw, American baseball player (died 1936)^[32]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Otto Strandman, Estonian lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Estonia (died 1941)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Maryon Pittman Allen, American journalist and politician (died 2018)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – William H. Gates, Sr., American lawyer and philanthropist (died 2020)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Mark Blount, American basketball player^[59]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Mindy McCready, American singer-songwriter (died 2013)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Ben Thatcher, English footballer

 Deaths (500 years ago today): 1525 – Guillaume Crétin, French poet (born c. 1460)

 Deaths (350 years ago today): 1675 – Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, English lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (born 1605)

December 1

 Births (500 years ago today): 1525 – Tadeá? Hájek, Czech physician and astronomer (died 1600)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Martin Rodbell, American biochemist and endocrinologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1998)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Matt Fraction, American author

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Isaiah "Ikey" Owens, American keyboard player and producer (died 2014)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Thomas Schie, Norwegian racing driver and sportscaster

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Farah Shah, Pakistani actress and host

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Sophia Skou, Danish swimmer

 Deaths (200 years ago today): 1825 – Alexander I, emperor and autocrat of Russia (born 1777)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Nellie Fox, American baseball player and coach (born 1927)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Ernesto Maserati, Italian race car driver and engineer (born 1898)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Anna Roosevelt Halsted, American journalist (born 1906)

Commemorations:
World AIDS Day

December 2

 Events (50 years ago today): 1975 – Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – Pedro II of Brazil (died 1891)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Julie Harris, American actress (died 2013)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Mark Kotsay, American baseball player and manager

Commemorations:
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

December 3

 Events (250 years ago today): 1775 – American Revolution: USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Continental Union Flag (precursor to the "Stars and Stripes"); the flag is hoisted by John Paul Jones.^[2]

 Events (100 years ago today): 1925 – Final agreement is signed between the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom formalizing the Partition of Ireland.^[7]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Max Meldrum, Scottish-Australian painter and educator (died 1955)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Ferlin Husky, American country music singer (died 2011)

Commemorations:
International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 4

 Events (150 years ago today): 1875 – Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison; he is later recaptured in Spain.

 Births (450 years ago today): 1575 – Sister Virginia Maria, Italian nun (died 1650)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Agnes Forbes Blackadder, Scottish medical doctor (died 1964)^[24]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Joe Corbett, American baseball player and coach (died 1945)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian-Swiss poet and author (died 1926)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Albert Bandura, Canadian-American psychologist and academic (died 2021)

 Deaths (950 years ago today): 1075 – Anno II, German archbishop and saint (born 1010)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Hannah Arendt, German-American historian, theorist, and academic (born 1906)

December 5

 Events (250 years ago today): 1775 – At Fort Ticonderoga, Henry Knox begins his historic transport of artillery to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Arthur Currie, Canadian general (died 1933)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Anastasio Somoza Debayle, Nicaraguan politician, 73rd President of Nicaragua (died 1980)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Ronnie O'Sullivan, English snooker player and radio host

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

 Deaths (100 years ago today): 1925 – W?adys?aw Reymont, Polish novelist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1867)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Constance McLaughlin Green, American historian and author (born 1897)

Commemorations:
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

December 6

 Events (50 years ago today): 1975 – The Troubles: Fleeing from the police, a Provisional IRA unit takes a British couple hostage in their flat on Balcombe Street, London, beginning a six-day siege.

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Albert Bond Lambert, American golfer and pilot (died 1946)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Evelyn Underhill, English mystic and author (died 1941)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Noel Clarke, English actor, director, and screenwriter

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Adrian García Arias, Mexican footballer

 Deaths (350 years ago today): 1675 – John Lightfoot, English priest, scholar, and academic (born 1602)