1552

Father Francis Xavier (1506-1552), Portuguese Jesuit priest, died. He started his mission by training and employing native clergy in conversion efforts. He spread Christianity to India, Malay Archipelago and Japan.

1662

Francis Xavier was canonized at Goa.

1804

Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned Emperor of France in Paris

1911

King George V and Queen Marry visited Bombay, India. The King annulled the partition of Bengal. Delhi was to be made the new capital and the King announced it on 12th December at Delhi Durbar.

1927

1st Model A Ford sold, for $385

1942

Sri Aurbindo Ashram School was inaugurated.

1965

Border Security Force came into existence.

1976

Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado

1982

1st permanent artificial heart successfully implanted (U of Utah) in retired dentist Barney Clark; lived 112 days with Jarvic-7 heart

1987

Following the Bhopal Gas disaster on the night of December 2, 1984, the ICMR initiated a series of interdisciplinary investigations on the health of the people with severe, moderate and mild exposure. A Coordinating Unit, which was later re-designated as the Bhopal Gas Disaster Research Centre was established early in 1985 at the Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, to monitor and coordinate the managerial and technical aspects of the various projects.

1989

V. P. Singh sworn in as the 8th Prime Minister of India

1999

Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian opening batsman, announced his decision to retire from international and domestic cricket at a press meet in Chandigarh.

1964

Battle of Anvadi.

1885

Dattatreya Balkrishna Kalelkar, famous Gandhian Gujrathi litterateur, and educationist was born at Satara in Maharashtra.

1886

Raja Mahendra Pratap, great revolutionary freedom fighter, and social reformer was born at Musran in U.P.

1921

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, great nationalist leader, social reformer and freedom fighter was arrested by the British police for six months and sent to jail.

1928

The first talkie film show, named as ‘British Talkies’, was released on December 1, 1928, at Globe Theatres, Calcutta.

1931

The Second Round Table conference that began in London ended. Congress was solely represented by Gandhi and Muslim League by Sir Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam, etc. Two committees were setup to carry out the work of the conference on Federal Structure and Minorities. Gandhi was the member of both committees. He claimed that being the sole representative of the Congress, he represented the whole of India. Quaid-e-Azam replied that Muslims are a separate nation. Sir Shafi demanded that the 14 points of Quaid-e-Azam be incorporated in the future constitution.

1946

Australia compiled 645 vs India at Gabba. Bradman made 187 runs.

1951

Abanindra Nath Tagore, the famous Indian painter, and sculptor died in Calcutta.

1955

Nikita Khrushchev delivers the speech condemning British colonialism.

1964

Jawaharlal Nehru Agriculture University established.

1982

Pakistan beats India to win hockey gold in the Asian Games.

1648

English Parliamentary army captures King Charles I

1731

Beijing hit by an earthquake; about 100,000 die

1759

Alamgir was murdered by his minister Imad-ul-Mulk.

1858

Jagdish Chandra Bose, botonist and physics expert, was born at Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh).

1896

Gandhiji sails for South Africa with wife and children.

1974

India, Pakistan decide to end the ten-year trade ban.

1982

World premier of Sir Richard Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’ held in New Delhi.

1987

Afghanistan Constitution adopted

1990

US President George H. W. Bush offers to send Secretary of State James Baker to Baghdad to meet with Saddam Hussein.

1520

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing the Pacific Ocean

1660

The Royal Society forms in London

1821

Panama declares independence from Spain

1890

Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule died. He led a selfless life devoted to the upliftment of the lower classes of the Hindu society. He also started school for girls and for downtroddens and untouchables. He was assissted in education field by his wide Savitri Bai.

1893

Women vote in a national election for the first time, in the New Zealand general election

1918

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia & Germany abdicates

1956

Chou En- lai, Chinese Prime Minister, came to India.

1993

JRD Tata, 89, passed away in Geneva.

1001

Sultan Mehmud of Ghazni began his first real expedition to India by defeating the Hindu King Jaipal. He won Afghanisthan and Punjab in Peshawar battle. This was the first major Muslim conquest in India.

1295

English King Edward I calls what later became known as “The Model Parliament” extending the authorities of its representatives

1895

Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel’s will establishes the Nobel Prize

1907

Harivanshrai Bachchan, famous Hindi writer and poet, was born at Allahabad.

1943

Conference of Tehran (Churchill-Roosevelt-Stalin)

1946

London announces parley on India; Muslims accept, Hindus decline.

1962

Britain agreed to supply arms to India.

1992

Sachin Tendulkar, 19 years and 22 days old, becomes the youngest cricketer to make 1,000 test runs while playing in Johannesburg.