12 History Lessons + 7 Births & 7 Deaths for December 8, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1907 – King Gustaf V accedes to the Swedish throne following the death of his father Oscar II, marking the start of a reign that will span both World Wars.
- 1914 – World War I: The British Royal Navy decisively defeats Germany’s East Asia Squadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islands, securing control of South Atlantic sea lanes.
- 1922 – In the midst of the Irish Civil War, the new Irish Free State executes anti-Treaty IRA leaders Liam Mellows, Rory O’Connor, Joe McKelvey, and Dick Barrett in Dublin.
- 1941 – After the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his “date which will live in infamy” address and the United States formally declares war on Japan, entering World War II.
- 1941 – On the same day, Japanese forces launch coordinated invasions across Asia, striking Malaya, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies.
- 1953 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his “Atoms for Peace” speech at the United Nations, proposing peaceful international cooperation on nuclear energy.
- 1955 – The Flag of Europe—a circle of twelve gold stars on blue—is adopted by the Council of Europe, later becoming the most recognizable symbol of the European project.
- 1971 – Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches a major attack on Pakistan’s port of Karachi, crippling key naval and fuel installations.
- 1975 – Paul Terrell opens the Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the world’s first computer stores and soon the first retailer to order Apple-1 computers from Jobs and Wozniak.
- 1980 – Former Beatle John Lennon is shot and killed outside his New York City apartment, prompting a global wave of shock and mourning.
- 1987 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in Washington, eliminating an entire category of nuclear missiles.
- 1991 – Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus sign the Belavezha Accords, dissolving the Soviet Union and creating the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1939 – Sir James Galway (86) – Northern Irish flutist celebrated worldwide as “the Man with the Golden Flute,” known for his virtuoso classical and crossover performances.
- 1951 – Bill Bryson (74) – American-born, British-based author famed for witty travel books and accessible popular science works like A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of Nearly Everything.
- 1953 – Kim Basinger (72) – Academy Award–winning American actress known for L.A. Confidential, Batman (1989), and a long career spanning modeling, film, and television.
- 1964 – Teri Hatcher (61) – American actress best known for playing Lois Lane in Lois & Clark and Susan Mayer in Desperate Housewives.
- 1978 – Ian Somerhalder (47) – American actor and producer recognized for roles in Lost and as Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, now focused on family, business, and environmental work.
- 1982 – Nicki Minaj (43) – Trinidadian-born rapper and pop star known for rapid-fire flows, alter egos, and hits like “Super Bass” and “Starships.”
- 1984 – Sam Hunt (41) – American country singer-songwriter whose genre-blending album Montevallo reshaped mainstream country in the 2010s.
Today’s Deaths:
- 1980 – John Lennon (40) – British musician, co-founder of The Beatles and influential solo artist, assassinated outside The Dakota in New York City.
- 1982 – Marty Robbins (57) – American country singer and songwriter known for classics like “El Paso,” passing away in Nashville following heart surgery.
- 1994 – Antônio Carlos Jobim (67) – Brazilian composer, pianist, and key architect of bossa nova, co-writer of standards such as “The Girl from Ipanema.”
- 2004 – Dimebag Darrell (38) – American guitarist for Pantera and Damageplan, shot and killed onstage during a nightclub performance in Columbus, Ohio.
- 2016 – John Glenn (95) – American astronaut and U.S. senator, the first American to orbit Earth and later the oldest person to fly in space.
- 2019 – Juice WRLD (21) – American rapper and singer whose emo-rap hits like “Lucid Dreams” made him a defining voice of late-2010s hip-hop, dead after a seizure at Chicago’s Midway Airport.
- 2019 – Caroll Spinney (85) – American puppeteer who brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life on Sesame Street for nearly 50 years.
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