39 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1684 to 2025.
Standout on December 10
A widespread, deadly, and violent tornado outbreak slams the Central, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States. Eighty-nine people are killed by the tornadoes, with most of the fatalities occurring in Kentucky, where a single tornado kills 57 people, and injures hundreds of others. Another tornado in Edwardsville, Illinois strikes an Amazon warehouse, killing six workers.
December 10 is the 344th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
A widespread, deadly, and violent tornado outbreak slams the Central, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States. Eighty-nine people are killed by the tornadoes, with most of the fatalities occurring in Kentucky, where a single tornado kills 57 people, and injures hundreds of others. Another tornado in Edwardsville, Illinois strikes an Amazon warehouse, killing six workers.
A tornado strikes an Amazon warehouse during increased holiday demand, killing six sheltering workers.
The Ostrava hospital attack in the Czech Republic results in eight deaths, including the perpetrator.
ISIL is defeated in Iraq.
Two explosions outside a football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, kill 38 people and injure 166 others.
Rojava conflict: The Syrian Democratic Council is established in Dêrik, forming the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria.
Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ein is killed after the suppression of a demonstration by Israeli forces in the village (Turmus'ayya) in Ramallah.
Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crashes at Port Harcourt International Airport in Nigeria, killing 108 people.
Helen Clark is sworn in as Prime Minister of New Zealand, the second woman to hold the post and the first following an election.
The new Constitution of South Africa is promulgated by Nelson Mandela.
The Israeli army withdraws from Nablus pursuant to the terms of Oslo Accord.
Rwandan genocide: Maurice Baril, military advisor to the U.N. Secretary-General and head of the Military Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, recommends that UNAMIR stand down.
The last shift leaves Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland. The closure of the 156-year-old pit marks the end of the old County Durham coalfield, which had been in operation since the Middle Ages.
The video game Doom, later considered the "father" of the first-person shooter genre, is released.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan establishes the Marriage Fund in the United Arab Emirates in response to rising wedding prices.
The Nagorno-Karabakh independence referendum is held, with 99.98% voting in favor of independence.
The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic is renamed into the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Nursultan Nazarbayev is sworn in as the 1st President of Kazakhstan.
At the first open pro-democracy demonstration in Mongolia, journalist Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announced the formation of the Mongolian Democratic Union, which would be instrumental in ending communist rule four months later.
Mongolian Revolution: At the country's first open pro-democracy public demonstration, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announces the establishment of the Mongolian Democratic Union.
United Nations General Assembly recognizes the Convention against Torture.
Democracy is restored in Argentina with the inauguration of President Raúl Alfonsín.
Raúl Alfonsín (pictured) became the first democratically elected president of Argentina to take office after more than seven years of military dictatorship.
Kaohsiung Incident: Taiwanese pro-democracy demonstrations are suppressed by the KMT dictatorship, and organizers are arrested.
Around the northern Thai village of Mae Salong, remnants of Chinese anti-communist forces now fighting on behalf of the Thai government launched a five-year campaign against local communist insurgents.
Soul and blues singer, Otis Redding, along with members of his back-up group, The Bar-Kays, are killed when their helicopter crashes in Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin.
Edward Raczyński of the Polish government-in-exile issued a note that was the first official report on the Holocaust.
Second World War: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers east of Malaya.
Edward VIII, desiring to marry the American socialite Wallis Simpson against widespread British opposition, signed the instrument of abdication to renounce the throne in favour of his brother George VI.
The conclusion of the Emu War, after the Australian Government ordered the withdrawal of all Australian forces from the conflict.
Calbraith Perry Rodgers completed the first transcontinental flight across the United States.
During the Brown Dog affair, protesters marched through London and clashed with police officers in Trafalgar Square over the existence of a memorial for animals that had been vivisected.
On the fifth anniversary of the death of their founder, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm.
The New York World Building, the then-tallest building in the United States at a height of 110 meters, was completed in New York City.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Finn depicted) by American author Mark Twain was first published in the United Kingdom and Canada, two months earlier than in the US.
Militia forces led by Nguyễn Trung Trực, an anti-colonial leader in southern Vietnam, sank the French lorcha L'Esperance.
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte won France's first presidential election, and was elected as the first and only president of the French Second Republic.
The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was released in Edinburgh.
Edmond Halley presented the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, containing Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, to the Royal Society.
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
A notable person who died on this day.
Jeffery Garcia, American stand-up comedian and voice actor (born 1975)
S. M. Krishna, Indian politician and statesman, Minister of External Affairs, 10th Chief Minister of Karnataka, 19th Governor of Maharashtra (born 1932)
Julian Carroll, American politician, 54th Governor of Kentucky (born 1931)
Michael Nesmith, American musician (The Monkees), songwriter, actor, producer, and novelist (born 1942)
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Christian feast day: Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs (Syriac Orthodox Church)
Christian feast day: Eulalia of Mérida
Alfred Nobel Day or Nobeldagen (Sweden)
Christian feast day: Thomas Merton (Episcopal Church (USA))
Christian feast day: Translation of the Holy House of Loreto
Christian feast day: Gregory III
Christian feast day: Karl Barth (Episcopal Church (USA))
Christian feast day: Polydore Plasden
Earliest: Edmond Halley (1684). Most recent: Jeff Garcia (comedian) (2025).
December 10 is the 344th day of the year, with 21 days left after it.
December 10 falls under Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21), a fire sign ruled by Jupiter. The birthstone for the month is Turquoise or Tanzanite or Zircon.
We record 87 entries for December 10: 39 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1684 to 2025.
Ivan Demidov (2005) is among the notable births on December 10. The births section lists the rest.
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
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