1941 - Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who briefly served as Prime Minister, passed away.
1982 - Pierre Alexandre Bâlmann, who headed one of the largest fashion houses in Paris, died.
1995 - Lana Turner, known as the "blonde bombshell" and one of the brightest stars of American cinema, passed away at the age of 75.
1999 - A Turkish court sentenced Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan to death by hanging for treason.
2000 - The first edition of the American Declaration of Independence fetched $8.14 million at a Sotheby's online auction, breaking the record for any online sales.
2001 - Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic resigned, leading to the collapse of the federal government due to the transfer of Slobodan Milošević to the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.
2002 - American singer and actress Rosemary Clooney, who starred alongside Bing Crosby in the classic film "White Christmas" (1954), passed away.
2003 - American film star Katharine Hepburn, a four-time Oscar winner for Best Actress, died at the age of 96.
2008 - Michael Phelps set a new world record in the 400-meter individual medley.
2012 - Australian-British swimmer Penny Palfrey began her attempt to swim from Florida to Havana.
2017 - Australian police charged Vatican Treasurer Cardinal George Pell with multiple sexual offenses.
