- "December 4th" redirects here. For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song).
December 4 is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 27 days remaining until the end of the year.
- 306 - Martyrdom of Saint Barbara
- 771 - Austrasian King Carloman dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne King of the now complete Frankish Kingdom.
- 1110 - First Crusade: The Crusaders conquer Sidon.
- 1259 - Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels.
- 1563 - The final session of the Council of Trent is held (it opened on December 13, 1545).
- 1619 - 38 colonists from Berkeley Parish in England disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God (this is considered by many to be the first Thanksgiving in the Americas).
- 1674 - Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek (the mission would later grow into the city of Chicago, Illinois).
- 1676 - Battle of Lund: A Danish army under the command of King Christian V of Denmark engages the Swedish army commanded by Field Marshal Simon Grundel-Helmfelt.
- 1745 - Charles Edward Stewart's army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the second Jacobite rising.
- 1783 - At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, US General George Washington formally bids his officers farewell.
- 1791 - The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published.
- 1829 - In the face of fierce opposition, British governor Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that all who abetted suttee in India were guilty of culpable homicide.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea - At Waynesboro, Georgia, forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevent troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign destroying a wide swath of the South on his march to the Atlantic Ocean from Atlanta, Georgia. Union forces did suffer more than three times the Confederate casualties, however.
- 1867 - Former Minnesota farmer Oliver Hudson Kelley founds the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry (better known today as the Grange).
- 1872 - The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the British brig Dei Gratia (the ship had been abandoned for 9 days but was only slightly damaged).
- 1875 - Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison and flees to Cuba, then Spain.
- 1881 - The first edition of the Los Angeles Times is published.
- 1906 - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity in the United States established for men of African descent, is founded at Cornell University.
- 1909 - 1st Grey Cup game was played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 26–6.
- 1918 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sails for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office.
- 1921 - The Virginia Rappe manslaughter trial against Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle ends in a hung jury.
- 1942 - Holocaust: In Warsaw, Zofia Kossak-Szczucka and Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz set up the Żegota organization.
- 1942 - World War II: Carlson's patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends.
- 1943 - World War II: In Yugoslavia, resistance leader Marshal Tito proclaims a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile.
- 1943 - World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt closes down the Works Progress Administration, because of the high levels of wartime employment in the United States.
- 1945 - By a vote of 65 to 7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations (the UN was established on October 24, 1945).
- 1952 - Great Smog of 1952: A cold fog descends upon London, combining with air pollution and killing at least 12,000 in the weeks and months that follow.
- 1954 - The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, United States
- 1958 - Dahomey (present-day Benin) becomes a self-governing country within the French Community.
- 1967 - Vietnam War: US and South Vietnamese forces engage Viet Cong troops in the Mekong Delta.
- 1969 - Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are shot and killed in their sleep during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers.
- 1971 - The UN Security Council calls an emergency session to consider the deteriorating situation between India and Pakistan.
- 1971 - The Indian Navy attacks the Pakistan Navy and Karachi.
- 1971 - The Montreux Casino in Switzerland is set ablaze by someone wielding a flare gun during a Frank Zappa concert; the incident would be noted in the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water".
- 1977 - Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire.
- 1977 - Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 is hijacked and crashes in Tanjong Kupang, Johor, killing 100.
- 1978 - Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco, California's first female mayor (she served until January 8, 1988).
- 1979 - The Hastie fire in Hull, kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee.
- 1981 - South Africa grants independence to the Ciskei "homeland" (not recognized by any government outside South Africa).
- 1982 - The People's Republic of China adopts its current constitution.
- 1984 - Hezbollah militants hijack a Kuwait Airlines plane, killing four passengers.
- 1991 - Journalist Terry A. Anderson is released after 7 years in captivity as a hostage in Beirut. He was the last and longest-held American hostage in Lebanon.
- 1991 - Captain Mark Pyle pilots Clipper Goodwill, a Pan American World Airways Boeing 727-221ADV, to Miami International Airport ending 64 years of Pan Am operations.
- 1992 - Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 US troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa.
- 1993 - A truce is concluded between the government of Angola and UNITA rebels.
- 1998 - The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched.
- 2005 - Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy and call on the Government to allow universal and equal suffrage.
- 2006 - An adult giant squid is caught on video by Kubodera near the Ogasawara Islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo.
- 1555 - Heinrich Meibom, German historian and poet (d. 1625)
- 1580 - Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (d. 1626)
- 1585 - John Cotton, American Puritan leader (d. 1652)
- 1595 - Jean Chapelain, French writer (d. 1674)
- 1646 - Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, Marshal of France (d. 1730)
- 1660 - André Campra, French composer (d. 1744)
- 1670 - John Aislabie, English politician (d. 1742)
- 1711 - Barbara of Portugal, queen of Spain (d. 1758)
- 1713 - Gasparo Gozzi, Italian critic and dramatist (d. 1786)
- 1777 - Juliette Récamier, French socialite (d. 1849)
- 1795 - Thomas Carlyle, Scottish writer and historian (d. 1881)
- 1798 - Jules Armand Dufaure, French statesman (d. 1881)
- 1835 - Samuel Butler, English writer (d. 1902)
- 1840 - Crazy Horse, Oglala Sioux chief (d. 1877)
- 1844 - Franz Xavier Wernz, German Superior General of the Society of Jesus (d. 1914)
- 1852 - Orest Khvolson, Russian physicist (d. 1934)
- 1861 - Lillian Russell, American singer and actress (d. 1922)
- 1866 (O.S.) - Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-born painter (d. 1944)
- 1868 - Jesse Burkett, American baseball player (d. 1953)
- 1875 - Joe Corbett, American baseball player (d. 1945)
- 1875 - Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet (d. 1926)
- 1881 - Erwin von Witzleben, German field marshal (d. 1944)
- 1883 - Katharine Susannah Prichard, Australian author (d. 1969)
- 1889 - Lloyd Bacon, American actor and film director (d. 1955)
- 1892 - Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain (d. 1975)
- 1895 - Fung Yu-lan, Chinese philosopher (d. 1990)
- 1899 - Charles William (Charlie) Spencer Newcastle and England football player (d. 1953)
- 1903 - Cornell Woolrich, American writer (d. 1968)
- 1908 - Alfred Hershey, American bacteriologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)
- 1909 - Jimmy Jewel, English actor (d. 1995)
- 1910 - Alex North, American film music composer (d. 1991)
- 1912 - Pappy Boyington, American pilot (d. 1988)
- 1913 - Mark Robson, Canadian-born film director and producer (d. 1978)
- 1914 - Rudolf Hausner, Austrian artist (d. 1995)
- 1914 - Claude Renoir, French cinematographer (d. 1993)
- 1915 - Eddie Heywood, American jazz musician (d. 1989)
- 1916 - Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American writer (d. 1994)
- 1921 - Deanna Durbin, Canadian actress
- 1922 - Gérard Philipe, French actor (d. 1959)
- 1923 - Charles Keating, American attorney and businessman
- 1924 - John Portman, American architect
- 1925 - Lino Lacedelli, Italian mountaineer who made the first ascent of K2
- 1928 - Dena Dietrich, American actress
- 1930 - Ronnie Corbett, Scottish actor
- 1930 - Jim Hall, American jazz guitarist
- 1931 - Alex Delvecchio, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1931 - Wally George, American TV commentator (d. 2003)
- 1932 - Roh Tae-woo, President of South Korea
- 1933 - Horst Buchholz, German-born actor (d. 2003)
- 1934 - Victor French, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1934 - Wink Martindale, American game show host
- 1935 - Paul O'Neill, American businessman and former Secretary of the Treasury
- 1935 - Robert Vesco, American financier and fugitive (d. 2007)
- 1937 - Max Baer, Jr., American actor
- 1938 - Andre Marrou, American politician, presidential candidate
- 1938 - Yvonne Minton, Australian soprano
- 1939 - Freddy Cannon, American musician
- 1940 - Gary Gilmore, American murderer (d. 1977)
- 1942 - Gemma Jones, English actress
- 1944 - Chris Hillman, American singer (The Byrds)
- 1944 - Anna McGarrigle, Canadian folk music singer and songwriter
- 1944 - François Migault, French racing driver
- 1944 - Dennis Wilson, American musician (The Beach Boys) (d. 1983)
- 1945 - Roberta Bondar, Canadian astronaut
- 1947 - Terry Woods, Irish musician (The Pogues, Steeleye Span)
- 1948 - Southside Johnny, American singer
- 1949 - Jeff Bridges, American actor
- 1949 - Pamela Stephenson, New Zealand-born actress
- 1951 - Gary Rossington, American musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- 1951 - Patricia Wettig, American actress
- 1953 - Rick Middleton, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1954 - Tony Todd, American actor and producer
- 1955 - Dave Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1956 - Bernard King, American basketball player
- 1957 - Raul Boesel, Brazilian racing driver
- 1957 - Eric S. Raymond, American open source advocate
- 1959 - Susan W Krebs, American politician
- 1959 - Paul McGrath, Irish footballer
- 1959 - Christa Rothenburger, German speed skater and cyclist
- 1960 - David Green, American baseball player
- 1960 - Glynis Nunn, Australian athlete
- 1961 - Frank Reich, American football player
- 1961 - Naomi Robson, American-born Australian journalist
- 1962 - Kevin Richardson, English footballest
- 1963 - Sergey Bubka, Ukrainian pole vaulter
- 1964 - Sertab Erener, Turkish singer
- 1964 - Jonathan Goldstein, American actor
- 1964 - Chelsea Noble, American actress
- 1964 - Marisa Tomei, American actress
- 1965 - Álex de la Iglesia, Spanish film director
- 1966 - Fred Armisen, American actor and musician
- 1966 - Masta Ace, American rapper
- 1966 - Suzanne Malveaux, American television news reporter
- 1966 - Chris Shepherd, English film director
- 1969 - Jay-Z, American rapper
- 1970 - Kevin Sussman, American actor
- 1970 - John L. Adams, American actor
- 1970 - Sylvester Terkay, American wrestler
- 1971 - Shannon Briggs, American boxer
- 1972 - Jassen Cullimore, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1972 - Nikki Tyler, American actress
- 1973 - Racci Shay, American Musician
- 1973 - Tyra Banks, American supermodel
- 1973 - Frank Boeijen, Dutch musician (The Gathering)
- 1973 - Ferry Corsten, Dutch musician and DJ
- 1973 - Steven Menzies, Australian rugby league footballer
- 1973 - Kate Rusby, English folk singer
- 1974 - Tadahito Iguchi, Japanese baseball player
- 1976 - Amie Comeaux, American singer (d. 1997)
- 1976 - Ysabella Brave, American singer
- 1976 - Kristina Groves, Canadian speed skater
- 1977 - Big Pokey, American rapper
- 1978 - Michele Di Piedi, Italian footballer
- 1978 - Jaclyn Victor, Malaysian singer
- 1979 - Jay DeMerit, American soccer player
- 1982 - Ho-Pin Tung, Dutch-Chinese racing driver
- 1983 - Jimmy Bartel, Australian rules footballer
- 1984 - Brooke Adams, American model
- 1984 - Lindsay Felton, American actress
- 1984 - Lauren London, American actress
- 1985 - Andrew Brackman, American baseball player
- 1985 - Carlos Gómez, Dominican baseball player
- 1986 - Martell Webster, American basketball player
- 1987 - Orlando Brown, American actor
- 749 - Saint John of Damascus
- 765 - Jafar Sadiq, Shia Imam (b. 702)
- 771 - Carloman, King of the Franks (b. 751)
- 1075 - Archbishop Anno II of Cologne
- 1123 - Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1048)
- 1214 - William I of Scotland
- 1270 - Theobald V of Champagne, King of Navarre
- 1334 - Pope John XXII (b. 1249)
- 1340 - Henry Burghersh, English bishop and chancellor (b. 1292)
- 1459 - Adolf VIII, Duke of Southern Jutland (b. 1401)
- 1576 - Rheticus, Austrian mathematician (b. 1514)
- 1585 - John Willock, Scottish reformer
- 1609 - Alexander Hume, Scottish poet
- 1642 - Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu, French statesman (b. 1585)
- 1649 - William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (b. 1585)
- 1679 - Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (b. 1588)
- 1680 - Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (b. 1616)
- 1696 - Empress Meishō, Japan (b. 1624)
- 1732 - John Gay, English poet and dramatist (b. 1685)
- 1798 - Luigi Galvani, Italian physicist (b. 1737)
- 1828 - Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1770)
- 1841 - David Daniel Davis, British politician (b. 1777)
- 1850 - William Sturgeon, English physicist and inventor (b. 1783)
- 1902 - Charles Dow, American journalist (Dow Jones & Company - Wall Street Journal) (b. 1851)
- 1926 - Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian-born painter (b. 1861)
- 1933 - Stefan George, German poet (b. 1868)
- 1935 - Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian composer (b. 1864)
- 1935 - Charles Robert Richet, French physiologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1850)
- 1944 - Roger Bresnahan, American baseball player (b. 1879)
- 1945 - Thomas Hunt Morgan, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (b. 1866)
- 1956 - Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (b. 1891)
- 1967 - Bert Lahr, American actor (b. 1895)
- 1969 - Fred Hampton, American activist (b. 1948)
- 1975 - Hannah Arendt, German political theorist (b. 1906)
- 1976 - Tommy Bolin, American guitarist (b. 1951)
- 1976 - Benjamin Britten, English composer (b. 1913)
- 1976 - W. F. McCoy, Northern Irish politician (b. 1886)
- 1980 - Francisco Sá Carneiro, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1934)
- 1980 - Stanisława Walasiewicz (Stella Walsh), Polish-born athlete (b. 1911)
- 1987 - Rouben Mamoulian, Armenian-American film director (b. 1897)
- 1988 - Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist (b. 1899)
- 1993 - Frank Zappa, American musician and composer (b. 1940)
- 1995 - Lionel Giroux (Little Beaver), Canadian midget wrestler (b. 1935)
- 1997 - Richard Vernon, English actor (b. 1925)
- 1999 - Rose Bird, American judge (b. 1936)
- 2003 - Iggy Katona, American race car driver (b. 1916)
- 2004 - Elena Souliotis, Greek soprano (b. 1943)
- 2005 - Errol Brathwaite, New Zealand author (b. 1924)
- 2005 - Gregg Hoffman, American film producer (b. 1963)
- 2005 - Gloria Lasso, French-Spanish singer (b. 1922)
- 2006 - James Kim, American television personality (b. 1971)
- 2006 - Ross A. McGinnis, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1987)
- 2007 - Norval Morrisseau, Canadian artist (b. 1932)
- 2007 - Chip Reese, American professional poker player (b. 1951)
- 2007 - Pimp C, American Rapper (b. 1973)
