Today In History. What Happened This Day In History
A Timeline Of Events That Occurred On This Day In History
A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.
Today in History
December 4
| 771 | With the death of his brother Carloman, Charlemagne becomes sole ruler of the Frankish Empire. | |
| 1861 | The U.S. Senate, voting 36 to 0, expels Senator John C. Brekinridge of Kentucky because of his joining the Confederate Army. | |
| 1861 | Queen Victoria of Britain forbids the export of gunpowder, firearms and all materials for their production. | |
| 1862 | Winchester, Va., falls into Union hands, resulting in the capture of 145 Southern soldiers. | |
| 1863 | Seven solid days of bombardment ends at Charleston, S.C. The Union fires some 1,307 rounds. | |
| 1872 | The U.S. brigantine Marie Celeste is found adrift and deserted with its cargo intact, in the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Portugal. | |
| 1900 | The French National Assembly, successor to the States-General, rejects Nationalist General Mercier's proposal to plan an invasion of England. | |
| 1914 | The first Seaplane Unit formed by the German Navy officially comes into existence and begins operations from Zeebrugge, Belgium. | |
| 1918 | France cancels trade treaties in order to compete in the postwar economic battles. | |
| 1941 | Operation Taifun (Typhoon), which was launched by the German armies on October 2, 1941, as a prelude to taking Moscow, is halted because of freezing temperatures and lack of serviceable aircraft. | |
| 1942 | U.S. planes make the first raids on Naples, Italy. | |
| 1947 | Tennessee William's play A Streetcar Named Desire premieres on Broadway starring Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy. | |
| 1950 | The University of Tennessee defies court rulings by rejecting five Negro applicants. | |
| 1952 | The Grumman XS2F-1 makes its first flight. | |
| 1959 | Peking pardons Pu Yi, ex-emperor of China and of the Japanese puppet-state of Manchukuo. | |
| 1981 | President Ronald Reagan broadens the power of the CIA by allowing spying in the United States. | |
| 1985 | Robert McFarland resigns as National Security Advisor. Admiral John Poindexter is named to succeed. | |
| 1991 | The last American hostages held in Lebanon are released. | |
| Born on December 4 | ||
| 1584 | John Cotton, English-born Puritan clergyman (The Way of the Church of Christ in New England). | |
| 1795 | Thomas Carlyle, Scottish historian and essayist (The French Revolution, Sartor Resartus). | |
| 1835 | Samuel Butler, English writer and painter (Erewhon, The Way of All Flesh). | |
| 1861 | Lillian Russell, singer and actress. | |
| 1865 | Edith Cavell, English nurse who tended to friend and foe alike during World War I. | |
| 1866 | Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-born painter. | |
| 1875 | Rainer Maria Rilke, German poet. | |
| 1892 | Francisco Franco, Spanish general and dictator who came to power as a result of the Spanish Civil War. | |
| 1924 | Frank Press, geophysicist. | |
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