December 19 in History

51 events 653 – 2016

December 19 spans 51 recorded events across recorded history — from 653 – 2016. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By · Wikipedia

A vehicular attack in Berlin, Germany, kills 12 and injures 56 people at a Chris

2016 — A vehicular attack in Berlin, Germany, kills 12 and injures 56 people at a Christmas market

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The 2016 Berlin truck attack is the deadliest act of terror in Germany since the 1980 Oktoberfest bombing in Munich.

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Anis Amri, the perpetrator, was an unsuccessful asylum seeker from Tunisia who was 24 years old at the time of the attack.

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The truck's original driver, Łukasz Urban, was shot dead hours before the attack and was among the 12 initial victims.

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The attack occurred at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, on 19 December 2016.

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A total of 13 people died as a result of the attack, including a man who died nearly five years later from complications related to his wounds.


Pope Martin I, having been abducted by Byzantine authorities from Rome for his opposition to Monothelitism, is tried in Constantinople.
Head of the Catholic Church from 649 to 655
Pope Martin I, also known as Martin the Confessor, was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 649 to his death 16 September 655. He had served as Pope Theodore I's ambassador to Constantinople, and was elected to succeed him as pope. He was the only pope when Constantinople controlled the papacy whose election had not awaited imperial mandate. For his strong opposition to Monothelitism, Pope Martin I was arrested by Emperor Constans II, carried off to Constantinople, and ultimately banished to Cherson. He is considered a saint by both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the last pope recognised as a martyr.
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653
Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
King of England from 1154 to 1189
Henry II was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189. During his reign he controlled England, substantial parts of Wales and Ireland, and much of France, an area that was later called the Angevin Empire, and also held power over Scotland for a time and the Duchy of Brittany.
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1154
Pope Clement III is elected.
Head of the Catholic Church from 1187 to 1191
Pope Clement III, born Paolo Scolari, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by allowing the election of magistrates, which reinstalled the Papacy back in the city after a six-year exile. Clement, faced with a deplete college of cardinals, created thirty-one cardinals over three years, the most since Adrian IV. He died 20 March 1191 and was quickly replaced by Celestine III.
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1187
Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy.
Queen of France (1491–1498; 1499–1514) and Duchess of Brittany (1488–1514)
Anne of Brittany was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She was the only woman to have been queen consort of France twice. During the Italian Wars, Anne also became Queen of Naples, from 1501 to 1504, and Duchess of Milan, in 1499–1500 and from 1500 to 1512.
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1490
The Battle of Dreux takes place during the French Wars of Religion.
1562 battle in the French Wars of Religion
The Battle of Dreux was fought on 19 December 1562 between Catholics and Huguenots. The Catholics were led by Anne de Montmorency while Louis I, Prince of Condé, led the Huguenots. Though commanders from both sides were captured, the French Catholics won the battle which would constitute the first major engagement of the French Wars of Religion and the only major engagement of the first French War of Religion.
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1562
The ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery depart England carrying settlers who founded, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.
Ship of the English Virginia Company
Susan Constant was the largest of three ships of the English Virginia Company on the 1606–1607 voyage that resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia. Captained by Christopher Newport, she was joined by the Discovery and Godspeed.
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1606
The Great Swamp Fight, a pivotal battle in King Philip's War, gives the English settlers a bitterly won victory.
1675 battle of King Philip's War
The Great Swamp Massacre or the Great Swamp Fight was a crucial battle fought during King Philip's War between the colonial militia of New England and the Narragansett people in December 1675. It was fought near the villages of Kingston and West Kingston in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The combined force of the New England militia included 150 Pequots, and they inflicted a huge number of Narragansett casualties, including many hundreds of women and children. The battle has been described by historians as "one of the most brutal and lopsided military encounters in all of New England's history."
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1675
Glorious Revolution: Williamite forces defeat Jacobites at Battle of Reading, forcing James II to flee England.
British revolution of 1688
The Glorious Revolution was the deposition of King James II in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, James's nephew William III of Orange. The two ruled as joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland until Mary's death in 1694, when William became ruler in his own right. Jacobitism, the political movement that aimed to restore the exiled James or his descendants of the House of Stuart to the throne, persisted into the late 18th century. Some historians consider it the last successful invasion of England.
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1688
Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled "The American Crisis".
American philosopher and author (1737–1809)
Thomas Paine was an English-born American Founding Father, French Revolutionary, inventor, political philosopher, and statesman. His pamphlets Common Sense (1776) and The American Crisis (1776–1783) framed the Patriot argument for independence from Great Britain at the outset of the American Revolution. Paine advanced Enlightenment-era arguments for human rights that shaped revolutionary discourse on both sides of the Atlantic.
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1776
American Revolutionary War: George Washington's Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
1775–1783 armed conflict in North America
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which American Patriot forces organized as the Continental Army and commanded by George Washington defeated the British Army. The conflict was fought in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The war's outcome seemed uncertain for most of the war, but Washington and the Continental Army's decisive victory in the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 led King George III and the Kingdom of Great Britain to negotiate an end to the war. In 1783, in the Treaty of Paris, the British monarchy acknowledged the independence of the Thirteen Colonies, leading to the establishment of the United States as an independent and sovereign nation.
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1777
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Born on December 19

20 people 1989 – 1998
King Princess
King Princess
American singer-songwriter and musician
Mikaela Mullaney Straus, known professionally as King Princess, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor from Brooklyn, New York. She was signed to Mark Ronson's label Zelig Records, an imprint…
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1998
Gabriel Magalhães
Gabriel Magalhães
Brazilian footballer
Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães, also simply known as Gabriel, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as centre-back for Premier League club Arsenal and the Brazil national team. Known for his strength,…
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1997
Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori
English footballer
Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola "Fikayo" Tomori is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club AC Milan. Born in Canada, he represents the England national team.
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1997
Franck Kessié
Franck Kessié
Ivorian footballer
Franck Yannick Kessié is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and the Ivory Coast national team.
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1996
Maudy Ayunda
Maudy Ayunda
Indonesian actress and singer-songwriter
Ayunda Faza Maudya, commonly known as Maudy Ayunda is an Indonesian actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author.
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1994
M'Baye Niang
M'Baye Niang
French footballer
M'Baye Hamady Niang is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Süper Lig club Gençlerbirliği. Born in France, he represented Senegal at international level.
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1994
Young K
Young K
South Korean singer-songwriter
Kang Young-hyun, known professionally as Young K (영케이), is a South Korean musician, singer, songwriter, and rapper. He is best known as the bassist and vocalist of South Korean pop rock band Day6.
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1993
Isiah Koech
Isiah Koech
Kenyan runner
Isiah Kiplangat Koech is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the 5000 metres.
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1993
Iker Muniain
Iker Muniain
Spanish footballer
Iker Muniain Goñi is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a winger but also as a forward. He is the manager of Tercera Federación club Derio.
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1992
Raphael Spiegel
Raphael Spiegel
Swiss footballer
Raphael Simon Spiegel is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper who currently plays for Oakland Roots in the USL Championship.
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1992
Steven Berghuis
Steven Berghuis
Dutch footballer
Steven Berghuis is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Eredivisie club Ajax and the Netherlands national team.
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1991
Declan Galbraith
Declan Galbraith
English singer-songwriter
Declan John Galbraith is a British singer and songwriter. He became known in 2002 with the release of the single "Tell Me Why", which peaked at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart and helped break the Guinness World…
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1991
Josh Huestis
Josh Huestis
American basketball player
Joshua Sutton Huestis is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Stanford University.
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1991
Keiynan Lonsdale
Keiynan Lonsdale
Australian actor, singer-songwriter, and dancer
Keiynan Lonsdale is an Australian actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. He is known for roles such as Oliver Lloyd in the ABC series Dance Academy (2012–2013), Wally West / Kid Flash in the CW series The Flash…
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1991
Sumire Uesaka
Sumire Uesaka
Japanese voice actress and singer
Sumire Uesaka is a Japanese voice actress and singer associated with Voice Kit. She first began her career as a junior talent in 2000, appearing in various commercials. In 2011, she transitioned into voice acting. She…
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1991
Greg Bretz
American snowboarder
Gregory Bretz is an American professional snowboarder and two-time Olympian. He also won the FIS Snowboard World Cup for halfpipe in 2008 and finished first in the Dew Tour over Shaun White in 2013.
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1990
Torrey Craig
Torrey Craig
American basketball player
Torrey Craig is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the USC Upstate Spartans, where he was named an…
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1990
Yong Jun-hyung
Yong Jun-hyung
South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper and producer
Yong Jun-hyung, known mononymously as Junhyung, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Junhyung rose to fame as a member of South Korean boy band Highlight, formed in 2009. He departed from…
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1989
Michał Masłowski
Michał Masłowski
Polish footballer
Michał Adam Masłowski is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. On 18 January 2014, he made his debut for the Poland national team in a friendly against Norway.
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1989
Kousei Miura
Kousei Miura
Japanese jockey
Kousei Miura is a Japanese jockey who is affiliated with the Japan Racing Association. He won the 2008 JRA Award for Newcomer Jockey with the Most Victories after winning 91 races in a single year as a rookie jockey,…
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1989
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Died on December 19

20 people 2012 – 2024
Michael Leunig
Michael Leunig
Australian cartoonist (born 1945)
Michael Leunig, typically referred to by his pen name Leunig, was an Australian cartoonist, poet and artist. He was best known for his work for Melbourne's The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2024
Wincey Willis
British broadcaster (born 1948)
Wincey Willis was a British television and radio broadcaster who achieved national fame in the 1980s. She was perhaps best known for being part of the line up at TV-am, the UK's first national operator of a commercial…
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2024
Sally Ann Howes
Sally Ann Howes
English-American singer and actress (born 1930)
Sally Ann Howes was an English and American actress and singer. Her career on screen, stage and television spanned six decades. She is best known for the role of Truly Scrumptious in the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty…
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2021
Johnny Isakson
Johnny Isakson
American politician (born 1944)
John Hardy Isakson was an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Georgia from 2005 until his resignation in 2019 following health concerns. A member of the Republican Party, he…
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2021
Rosalind Knight
Rosalind Knight
English actress (born 1933)
Rosalind Marie Elliott was an English actress. Her career spanned 70 years on stage, screen, and television. Her film appearances include Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957), Carry On Nurse (1959), Carry On Teacher…
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2020
Andrei Karlov
Andrei Karlov
Russian diplomat, Ambassador to Turkey (born 1954)
Andrei Gennadyevich Karlov was a Russian diplomat who served as the Russian ambassador to Turkey and earlier as the Russian ambassador to North Korea.
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2016
Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
English footballer, manager, and sportscaster (born 1928)
James William Thomas Hill, OBE was an English footballer and later a television personality. His career included almost every role in the sport, including player, trade union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman,…
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2015
Greville Janner
Greville Janner
Baron Janner of Braunstone, Welsh-English lawyer and politician (born 1928)
Greville Ewan Janner, Baron Janner of Braunstone, was a British politician, barrister and writer. He became a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Leicester in the 1970 general election as a last-minute candidate,…
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2015
Karin Söder
Karin Söder
Swedish educator and politician, 33rd Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs (born 1928)
Karin Ann-Marie Söder was a Swedish Centre politician. She was the first woman in Sweden to be elected the leader of a major political party. She headed the Swedish Centre Party from 1985 to 1987. She was also one of…
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2015
S. Balasubramanian
S. Balasubramanian
Indian journalist and director (born 1936)
S. Balasubramanian, better known as S. S. Balan, was an Indian journalist, filmmaker, political analyst, and media executive. He was also involved in aviculture and agriculture.
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2014
Philip Bradbourn
Philip Bradbourn
English lawyer and politician (born 1951)
Philip Charles Bradbourn, was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014.
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2014
Arthur Gardner
American actor and producer (born 1910)
Arthur Gardner was an American actor and film producer. He was known for his television western, The Rifleman. He was a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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2014
Igor Rodionov
Igor Rodionov
Russian general and politician, 3rd Russian Minister of Defence (born 1936)
Igor Nikolayevich Rodionov was a Russian general and Duma deputy. He is best known as a hardline politician, and for his service heading the Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation.
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2014
Dick Thornton
American-Canadian football player and coach (born 1939)
Richard Quincy "Tricky Dick" Thornton was an American professional football player who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a defensive back and wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto…
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2014
Roberta Leigh (Rita Shulman Lewin)
Roberta Leigh (Rita Shulman Lewin)
British writer, artist and TV producer (born 1926).
Roberta Leigh was an assumed name for Rita Lewin who was a British author, artist, composer and television producer. She wrote romance fiction and children's stories under the pseudonyms Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay,…
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2014
Winton Dean
English musicologist and author (born 1916)
Winton Basil Dean was an English musicologist of the 20th century, most famous for his research on the life and works—in particular the operas and oratorios—of George Frideric Handel, as detailed in his book Handel's…
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2013
Al Goldstein
Al Goldstein
American publisher and pornographer (born 1936)
Alvin Goldstein was an American pornographer best known for publishing the sex newspaper Screw in the United States.
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2013
Ned Vizzini
Ned Vizzini
American author and screenwriter (born 1981)
Edison Price Vizzini was an American writer. He was the author of four books for young adults, including It's Kind of a Funny Story (2006), which NPR placed at #56 in its list of the "100 Best-Ever Teen Novels" and…
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2013
Robert Bork
Robert Bork
American lawyer, judge, and scholar, United States Attorney General (born 1927)
Robert Heron "Bob" Bork was an American legal scholar who served as solicitor general of the United States from 1973 until 1977. A law professor by training, he was acting United States Attorney General from 1973 to…
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2012
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
Israeli general and politician, 22nd Transportation Minister of Israel (born 1944)
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak was an Israeli military officer and politician. He served as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, as a Member of the Knesset, and as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Tourism.
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2012
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Related questions

More questions about December 19

What happened on December 19?

A featured event on this date is 2016: A vehicular attack in Berlin, Germany, kills 12 and injures 56 people at a Christmas market. This page also lists 51 events from other years on the same day.

Why is December 19 remembered in history?

December 19 brings together events, births, and deaths across many eras, which makes it useful for seeing how one calendar date connects different historical turning points.

Who was born on December 19?

Notable birthdays on this date include King Princess, Gabriel Magalhães, Fikayo Tomori.

See birthdays

Who died on December 19?

Notable deaths on this date include Michael Leunig, Wincey Willis, Sally Ann Howes.

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Short answer

What happened on December 19 in history?

On December 19, one notable event in history was 2016: A vehicular attack in Berlin, Germany, kills 12 and injures 56 people at a Christmas market..

This date currently highlights 51 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 653 – 2016.

DateDecember 19
Featured year2016
LocationBerlin, Germany, kills
Events listed51

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