December 19th
What Happened on the day you were born on This day in History
For Those With Birthdays 19th December or looking for specific year these years are Included on this date 1905, 1921, 1938, 1942, 1956, 1957,1964, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1983,1984, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, Born This Day,
U.S. 1997 U.S.A. Titanic Movie December 19th, 1997 : The movie "Titanic" one of the highest-grossing movies of all-time, opened in American theaters. The movie about the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 staring Kate Winslet ( Rose DeWitt ) and Leonardo DiCaprio ( Jack Dawson ). Find More What happened in 1997

Hong Kong 1984 Hong Kong Returned to Communist China in 1997 December 19th, 1984 : Hong Kong is to be returned to Communist China in 1997 after an historic agreement was signed in Peking between the British and Chinese Governments. The British colony of Hong Kong has been under British Rule for 155 years.
China has agreed to a principle of "one country, two systems" which will allow Hong Kong to have a capitalist economy and enjoy existing rights and freedoms.

China 1905 China Shanghai Riots December 19th, 1905 : In Shanghai riots, looting, and a partly burned police station were the result of Chinese hatred of Americans and other foreigners. The atmosphere was similar to that which preceded the Boxer rebellion in 1900.

Cuba 1921 Cuba Protesters December 19th, 1921 : Thirty thousand protesters crowded together to denounce the Fordney tax. The demonstrators warned against “ruinous tariffs” on sugar and tobacco and that the United States would destroy all its work in Cuba.

France 1938 France Italy December 19th, 1938 : Approval of France’s stern stand against Italian colonialism was shown by sheiks and Arab chiefs who were protesting in eastern Tunisia. They shouted “Long Live France!” and “Tripoli for us!”

U.S. 1942 U.S.A. Eddie Rickenbacker December 19th, 1942 : World War veteran and daredevil, Eddie Rickenbacker, was pulled out the Pacific Ocean after being lost at sea for 22 days. He and six other men would have starved to death, if they had not caught and eaten a sea gull. Rickenbacker was on a special mission in the South Pacific when he went missing.

UK 1956 Great Britain Fog December 19th, 1956 : Most of Great Britain, south of a line from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Blackpool has been blanketed in thick fog, with visibility in parts reduced to five yards (4.5 m) in places.

Russia 1957 USSR NATO Meeting December 19th, 1957 : A meeting of NATO in France declared “the aim of the Soviet bloc is to weaken and disrupt the Free World.” However, shortly after Moscow radio blared that the West was trying “to mislead the public and camouflage the real nature of the talks.” The Soviet Union blamed the U.S. and the West for sabotaging peace.

Panama 1964 Panama Old Canal to Be Replaced December 19th, 1964 : The old Panama Canal was to be replaced by a new Atlantic-Pacific canal in 10-15 years according to U.S. President Johnson. A new deal with Panama was to be struck and interested countries invited to participate.

Uganda 1972 Uganda Idi Amin December 19th, 1972 : General Idi Amin gives British workers an ultimatum to accept reduced pay or be expelled from Uganda in 12 days. This follows his taking control of British firms and interests in the country.

Lebanon 1976 Lebanon Beirut Airport Re-opened December 19th, 1976 : Beirut’s international airport was closed since the Middle East 707 was struck by a rocket last June. The airport had antiaircraft guns of mostly Syrian origin keeping the peace, however today it was business as usual and outgoing flights were booked up for two weeks.

U.S. 1979 U.S.A. Chrysler December 19th, 1979 : Chrysler receives a $1.5 billion government loan to help put the company back on its feet.

1983 Costa Rica Possible Revolt December 19th, 1983 : A Roman Catholic Bishop, Jose Ignacio Trejos Picado, warned that land controlled by only a few people was dangerous and could lead to revolt. He commented, “The recent invasions of land in several parts of the country by groups of peasants are evidence that there is poor land distribution.” Costa Rica had the highest standard of living in South America and the longest tradition of democracy. It did not have an army.

U.S. 1989 USA Simpsons December 17th, 1989 : The Simpsons featuring the Simpson Family including Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie debuts on Fox as a half-hour prime time show. The Simpsons has become the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American animated program. The program had originally been created as a series of shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show with the first showing on April 19, 1987.

Yugoslavia 1993 Yugoslavia Election December 19th, 1993 : The socialist party looked like it was headed for a victory in the parliamentary election. However, it was expected to loose some seats due to the inflation, unemployment, war debts, and political turmoil in the country.


UK 1994 Great Britain Rolls-Royce December 19th, 1994 : Rolls-Royce, announces that its future cars would feature 12-cylinder motors manufactured by Germany's BMW.

U.S. 1998 U.S.A. President Bill Clinton Impeached December 19th, 1998 : President Bill Clinton is impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice.

UN 2000 United Nations Afghanistan December 19th, 2000 : The U.N. Security Council voted to impose broad sanctions on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless they closed terrorist training camps and surrendered U.S. embassy bombing suspect Osama bin Laden.

Libya 2003 Libya Gives Up Chemical Weapons December 19th, 2003 : Following political pressure and sanctions imposed by the United Nations Libya has announced an undertaking to destroy its arsenal of chemical weapons.

United States 2006 United States Joseph Barbera dies December 19th, 2006 : Joseph Barbera, one half of the people behind cartoon classics like The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and Huckleberry Hound has died, aged 95. He died at home with his wife, Sheila, by his side. Barbera had founded Hanna-Barbera with William Hanna in the 1950s, and the pair had worked on the Tom and Jerry cartoons at MGM studios before.
This Day In History For Tomorrow December 20th Day After December 21st Or You Can Use Our Calendar at the top of the page to find the day or month you are looking for

United States 2006 United States The FBI release surveillance reports on John Lennon December 19th, 2006 : The final pages of an F.B.I. surveillance report on John Lennon have finally been released. The documents show details about Lennon's ties to left-wing and anti-war groups in London in the early 1970's. Historian Jon Wiener told the L.A. Times that they showed Lennon rebuffed the U.K. leftists who asked him to fund a bookshop. Weiner has been working for twenty-five years to obtain the papers with the F.B.I. claiming they would compromise another country's security services.

United States 2007 United States Copy of the Magna Carta is sold in New York December 19th, 2007 : A rare copy of the Magna Carta is sold for $21.3 million in an auction at Sotheby's in New York. The copy, dating from 1297, is one of the only seventeen that are still in existence, and bought by U.S. businessman David Rubenstein. The auctioned item had been owned by American billionaire Ross Perot's Perot Foundation since 1984, and was on view at the National Archives in Washington. The original Magna Carta was sealed by King John of England in 1215, and enshrined civil rights in English law.

United States 2008 United States General Motors and Chrysler bailed out December 19th, 2008 : An emergency bailout of General Motors and Chrysler has been announced by President Bush which gives the companies a few months to get their businesses in order. Barack Obama will be handed the political task of ruling on their future. The bailout will be putting $13.4 billion into the companies by mid-January from the fund that Congress has authorized to rescue the financial industry. The two companies have until March 31st to produce a plan for long-term profitability, including concessions from unions, creditors, suppliers and dealers.

United States 2008 United States Paris Hilton’s jewelry stolen December 19th, 2008 : A burglar has broken into the Los Angeles home of socialite Paris Hilton and stolen jewelry worth about $2 million. The break-in occurred in the early hours of the morning at Miss Hilton's home in the Sherman Oaks area of L.A. Police have said a man wearing a hooded top and gloves broke in through the home's front door, ransacked Miss Hilton's bedroom and stole her belongings.

Sweden 2011 Sweden Swedish Carmaker Saab Files For Bankruptcy 19th December, 2011 : Swedish carmaker Saab filed for bankruptcy after the company failed to secure funds from Chinese investors. General Motors, a part owner of Saab, halted plans for Chinese companies to take over the manufacturer over concerns that the Chinese car manufacturers were going to gain access to technology licenses.

United States
2012 United States Breakfast at Tiffany's Added to Film Archive

19th December, 2012 : The 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's and twenty-four other movies were added to the US National Film Registry as an important part of American culture. Some of the other films that made the cut this year were A Christmas Story and Anatomy of a Murder.