Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.

Battle of Nineveh (627)Byzantine EmpireHeracliusKhosrau IISasanian Empire

King Carloman II dies after a hunting accident. He is succeeded by his cousin, emperor Charles the Fat, who for the last time reunites the Frankish Empire.

Carloman IIHuntingCharles the FatFrancia

First Crusade: Siege of Ma'arrat al-Numan: Crusaders breach the town's walls and massacre about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they reportedly resort to cannibalism.

First CrusadeSiege of Ma'arrat al-NumanCannibalism

Mary of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.

Mary of EnghienArgos and NaupliaRepublic of Venice

The Order of the Dragon, a monarchical chivalric order, is created by Sigismund of Luxembourg, then king of Hungary.

Order of the DragonChivalric orderSigismund, Holy Roman Emperor

American Revolutionary War: Second Battle of Ushant: A British fleet led by HMS Victory defeats a French fleet.

American Revolutionary WarSecond Battle of UshantHMS Victory

Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first.

PennsylvaniaUnited States ConstitutionDelaware

American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by a controlled mine.

American Civil WarUSS CairoYazoo RiverControlled mines

Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers.

Oaks explosion

Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman, the first being Hiram Revels.

Joseph RaineySouth CarolinaUnited States CongressHiram Rhodes Revels

Belo Horizonte, the first planned city in Brazil, is founded.

Belo HorizontePlanned cityBrazil

Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [***] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.

Guglielmo MarconiSignal Hill, St. John'sSt John's, Newfoundland

Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.

DelhiCalcutta

King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are enthroned as Emperor and Empress of India.

George VMary of TeckEmperor of IndiaEmpress of India

President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai, announces his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China.

Republic of China (1912-49)Yuan ShikaiEmperor of China

In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.

NebraskaEdward J. FlanaganBoys Town (organization)

The Flag of Estonia is raised atop the Pikk Hermann for the first time.

Flag of EstoniaPikk Hermann

The Majlis of Iran votes to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran, starting the Pahlavi dynasty.

Majlis of IranRezā ShāhShah of IranPahlavi dynasty

Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.

LebensbornHeinrich Himmler

Xi'an Incident: The Generalissimo of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang.

Xi'an IncidentGeneralissimoRepublic of China (1912-49)Chiang Kai-shekZhang Xueliang

Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat USS Panay on the Yangtze river in China.

Second Sino-Japanese WarUSS Panay incidentEmpire of JapanUSS Panay (PR-5)Yangtze

Winter War: Battle of Tolvajärvi: Finnish forces defeat those of the Soviet Union in their first major victory of the conflict.

Winter WarBattle of TolvajärviSoviet Union

HMS Duchess sinks after a collision with HMS Barham off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.

HMS Duchess (H64)HMS Barham (04)

World War II: Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, as a result of a German air raid.

World War IIFitzalan SquareFitzalan SquareSheffieldSheffield Blitz

World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.

Empire of JapanA6M ZeroBatangasPhilippinesJesús Villamor

World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.

BulgariaHungaryRomania

Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery

Adolf HitlerReich Chancellery meeting of 12 December 1941

World War II: German troops begin Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Operation Winter StormEncirclementBattle of Stalingrad

A fire at an ice plant in Hudson Heights, Manhattan spreads to an adjacent tenement, killing 37 people.

Hudson Heights, ManhattanTenement

Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali massacre: Fourteen members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaya allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.

Malayan EmergencyBatang Kali massacreScots GuardsMalay Peninsula