On This Day - What Happened On December 4 | Britannica

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1533 Ivan the Terrible proclaimed grand prince of Moscow On this day in 1533, the three-year-old who became Ivan the Terrible was proclaimed grand prince of Moscow upon the death of his father, Grand Prince Vasily III, with his mother ruling in Ivan's name until her death in 1538. © Andrey Maslakov/Dreamstime.com

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Wassily Kandinsky Russian-born artist bornDecember 16, 1866Moscow, RussiadiedDecember 13, 1944 (aged 77)Neuilly-sur-Seine, FranceThe Art Institute of Chicago, Arthur Jerome Eddy Memorial Collection; reference no. 1931.511 (CC0) 1973 Tyra Banks American model and television personality 1970 JAY-Z American rapper and entrepreneur 1949 Jeff Bridges American actor 1925 Albert Bandura American psychologist 1892 Francisco Franco ruler of Spain See All Biographies On This Day

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2000 Henck Arron, who helped Suriname gain its independence (1975) from the Netherlands and served as prime minister (1973–80) until being overthrown by the military, died at age 64. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about South AmericaEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1996 The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in order to explore the surface of Mars. Take our Mars quizNASA/JPL 1980 Several months after the death of drummer John Bonham, the British rock band Led Zeppelin announced that it was officially disbanding. Test your knowledge of musical groups© Neal Preston/Retna Ltd. 1970 Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop in the 1990s and early 2000s, was born in Brooklyn. Test your knowledge of hip-hop© Ethan Miller/Getty Images 1969 Fred Hampton, a civil rights leader and deputy chairman of the Black Panthers, was shot and killed during a police raid in Chicago. His death caused public outrage, and the ensuing investigations brought greater scrutiny of the FBI's attempts to dismantle the Panthers and other Black organizations. Learn about seven notable figures of the Black Panther Party, including Fred HamptonEsk—AP/Shutterstock.com 1949 Actor Jeff Bridges, best known for his laid-back personality and his versatility, was born in Los Angeles. Take our actors and acting quiz© 2009 Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation; all rights reserved 1918 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson departed for France to attend the Paris Peace Conference, where, following the cessation of hostilities in World War I, the League of Nations was established and the Treaty of Versailles was drafted. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about world organizationsEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1909 The Grey Cup was first awarded, as the Toronto Varsity Blues defeated the Toronto Parkdale team in Canada's amateur football championship game. How much do you know about football?© Zuma Press, Inc./Alamy 1892 General Francisco Franco, who led the Nationalist forces that overthrew the democratic Second Republic in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) and subsequently was dictator of Spain until his death in 1975, was born. Read our timeline of the Spanish Civil WarArchive Photos—Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1679 English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who was perhaps best known for his political philosophy, died at age 91. Test your knowledge of philosophersCourtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London 1154 Adrian IV was elected pope, becoming the only Englishman to occupy the papal throne. Take our pope quizHulton Archive/Getty Images 1093 St. Anselm of Canterbury was consecrated as archbishop. How much do you know about the history of Christianity?Alinari/Art Resource, New York SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.