The second Siege of Pensacola comes to end with the failure of the British to capture Pensacola, Florida.

Siege of Pensacola (1707)Pensacola, Florida

King Charles XII of Sweden dies during a siege of the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway.

Charles XII of SwedenSiege of Fredriksten

American Revolutionary War: Treaty of Paris: In Paris, representatives from the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain sign preliminary peace articles (later formalized as the 1783 Treaty of Paris).

American Revolutionary WarTreaty of Paris (1783)

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, under Pietro Leopoldo I, becomes the first modern state to abolish the death penalty (later commemorated as Cities for Life Day).

Grand Duchy of TuscanyLeopold II, Holy Roman EmperorCapital punishmentCities for Life Day

The Balmis Expedition starts in Spain with the aim of vaccinating millions against smallpox in Spanish America and Philippines. In New Orleans, Spanish representatives officially transfer the Louisiana Territory to a French representative. Just 20 days later, France transfers the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase.

Balmis ExpeditionSpainSpanish AmericaPhilippinesNew Orleans

The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate begins an impeachment trial of Federalist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase.

Democratic-Republican PartyUnited States SenateImpeachmentFederalist PartyAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

First Welland Canal opens for a trial run, five years to the day from the ground breaking.

First Welland Canal

Crimean War: Battle of Sinop: The Imperial Russian Navy under Pavel Nakhimov destroys the Ottoman fleet under Osman Pasha at Sinop, a sea port in northern Turkey.

Crimean WarBattle of SinopImperial Russian NavyPavel NakhimovMilitary of the Ottoman Empire

American Civil War: The Confederate Army of Tennessee suffers heavy losses in an attack on the Union Army of the Ohio in the Battle of Franklin.

American Civil WarArmy of TennesseeArmy of the OhioBattle of Franklin

A statue of King Charles XII of Sweden is inaugurated in Stockholm's Kungsträdgården.

Charles XII of SwedenStockholmKungsträdgården

The first-ever international football match takes place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.

1872 Scotland vs England football matchHamilton CrescentGlasgowScotland national football teamEngland national football team

The Folies Bergère stages its first revue.

Folies Bergère

Costa Rica signs the Buenos Aires Convention, a copyright treaty.

Costa RicaBuenos Aires ConventionCopyright

The LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman becomes the first steam locomotive to be authenticated as reaching 100 mph.

LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman

In London, the Crystal Palace is destroyed by fire.

The Crystal Palace

Winter War: Soviet forces cross the Finnish border in several places and bomb Helsinki and several other Finnish cities, starting the war.

Winter WarSoviet UnionHelsinki

World War II: Battle of Tassafaronga; A smaller squadron of Japanese destroyers led by Raizō Tanaka defeats a U.S. cruiser force under Carleton H. Wright.

World War IIBattle of TassafarongaRaizō TanakaCarleton H. Wright

Civil War in Mandatory Palestine begins, leading up to the creation of the state of Israel.

1947-48 Civil War in Mandatory PalestineIsrael

Edward Mutesa II, the kabaka (king) of Buganda is deposed and exiled to London by Sir Andrew Cohen, Governor of Uganda.

Mutesa II of BugandaKabaka of BugandaBugandaAndrew Cohen (colonial governor)Uganda

In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap; this is the only documented case in the Western Hemisphere of a human being hit by a rock from space.

Sylacauga, AlabamaHodges meteoriteWestern HemisphereHuman

Barbados becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

Barbados

The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

The Pakistan Peoples Party is founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who becomes its first chairman.

Pakistan Peoples PartyZulfikar Ali Bhutto

Pro-Soviet communists in the Philippines establish Malayang Pagkakaisa ng Kabataan Pilipino as its new youth wing.

Malayang Pagkakaisa ng Kabataan Pilipino

Iran seizes the Greater and Lesser Tunbs from the United Arab Emirates.

Pahlavi dynastyGreater and Lesser TunbsUnited Arab Emirates

Vietnam War: White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler tells the press that there will be no more public announcements concerning American troop withdrawals from Vietnam because troop levels are now down to 27,000.

Vietnam WarWhite HouseRon ZieglerVietnam

Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe. (The meetings end inconclusively on December 17.)

Cold WarGenevaSoviet UnionNuclear weapon

Michael Jackson's sixth solo studio album, Thriller is released worldwide. It will become the best-selling record album in history.

Michael JacksonThriller (Michael Jackson album)List of best-selling albums

MS Achille Lauro catches fire off the coast of Somalia.

MS Achille Lauro

Official end of Operation Desert Storm.

Operation Desert Storm