The UN General Assembly adopted by a vote of 53 to 5 a resolution to observe the UN charter and their treaties faithfully as the best guarantee of peace. All five dissenting votes came from the Eastern Bloc.[1]
A note from the US State Department was delivered to the Chinese Nationalist government protesting the shelling of the merchant ship Sir John Franklin in the Yangtze River approaches on November 28, denouncing the action as "unjustifiable". The note concluded: "The government of the United States is constrained to point out to the Chinese Nationalist government the seriousness with which it views this attack upon American life and property. It is therefore requested that the Chinese Nationalist government immediately issue such orders as will preclude the possibility of any future incident of this nature."[2]
A Congressional investigation was ordered into allegations that the late Harry Hopkins, a close advisor of President Roosevelt, had helped the Soviets get atomic secrets and materials out of the United States during World War II.[3]
Czechoslovakia's Roman Catholic bishops warned the Communist government that they could not submit to church control laws which eliminated religious freedom in the country.[4]
Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion told the Knesset that Israel would not give up its control of Jerusalem. After his statement the body unanimously voted in support of this policy.[5]
Composer Arturo Toscanini was made a lifetime senator of the Italian Republic for his contributions to music.[6]
Actress Shirley Temple divorced actor John Agar, accusing him of excessive drinking and having affairs with other women.[7]
The Chinese Nationalist government rejected the US protest against the shelling of American merchant vessels and warned that blockade runners must suffer the consequences if they tried to evade Nationalist warships.[8]
Died:Lead Belly, 61, American folk and blues musician
Manhattan Project director Leslie Groves told the House Un-American Activities Committee that within a month of taking charge of the atomic program, he learned that Russian spies were active in atomic laboratories in the United States. Groves testified that he knew of only one batch of atomic materials that were bought by the Russians and shipped out of the country, but that he did not know "how many more leaked through."[9]
The event commonly referred to as the Číhošť miracle occurred in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the village of Číhošť, Czechoslovakia, when churchgoers reported seeing an iron cross on the main altar move several times on its own.
The embalmed body of Bulgarian Communist leader Georgi Dimitrov, who died July 2, was placed on view in a white stone mausoleum in Sofia.[14]
ADouglas DC-3 operated by Pakair crashed into a mountain at and burst into flame 30 miles north of Karachi Airport in Pakistan. All 26 aboard were killed.[15]
Saint Lucy's Day celebrations in Sweden turned tragic when three festival queens in Norrköping were killed by a train that struck their festival chariot.[17]
The White House Reconstruction began without fanfare. Over the next three years the historic structure would be gutted, expanded and rebuilt while President Harry S. Truman and his family lived in Blair House across the street.
In an interview with The New York TimesinRome, actress Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini confirmed reports that they planned to marry as soon as Bergman's divorce from her first husband was finalized. When asked about rumors that Bergman was pregnant, Rossellini replied, "Whether she is or not is nobody's affair."[20]
Died:Traicho Kostov, 52, Bulgarian politician (executed by Communist authorities for treason); Sidney Olcott, 76, Canadian-born filmmaker; Lee White, 61, American actor
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria, the first non-competitive elections held under Communist rule. Voters were presented with a single list of candidates from the Fatherland Front, which claimed almost 100% approval.
Syrian Army Commander Sami al-Hinnawi and some of his associates were arrested and accused of plotting to unite Iraq and Syria under the Iraqi crown.[28]
The trial of Erich von Manstein ended with the German general found guilty of nine war crimes charges and acquitted on eight. Manstein was sentenced to 18 years in prison by a British military court.[29]
EC Comics published the first in its new line of pulp-suspense comics titled The Crypt of Terror (cover date April–May 1950).[31] In a few issues' time the comic would be renamed to a much more familiar title: Tales from the Crypt.
Joseph Stalin was awarded the Order of Lenin as part of celebrations of his 70th birthday. The creation of the Stalin Peace Prize (later renamed the Lenin Peace Prize) was also announced, to be given to between five and ten people every December 21 starting in 1950.[32] Press dispatches from the Eastern Bloc reported that Stalin had received millions of congratulatory messages, but his birthday was not mentioned in Yugoslavian newspapers.[33]
At a Four Power Allied meeting in Tokyo, Soviet representative Kuzma Derevyanko walked out with his delegation rather than answer to an American charge that Russia was forcing thousands of Japanese prisoners into forced labor in Siberia.[34]
Pope Pius XII invited all Protestants and Jews to "return to the one true church" to unite against militant atheism.[36] Protestant and Jewish leaders who commented said they had no intention of accepting the invitation.[37]
Mungyeong Massacre: Soldiers of the South Korean Army killed 86 to 88 unarmed civilians in Mungyeong on suspicion of being communists or communist supporters.
The United States and Yugoslavia signed an agreement allowing American civil airplanes to use Yugoslav airfields and fly through Yugoslav airspace en route to other countries.[40]
The Czech government outlawed as "traitors" all persons who fled the country after the Communist coup of February 1948.[42]
The Khabarovsk War Crime Trials began in the Soviet city of Khabarovsk. Twelve members of the Japanese Kwantung Army were put on trial for manufacturing and using biological weapons during World War II.
Argentine President Juan Perón sued two prominent newspapers, La Nación and La Prensa, for printing a statement by opposition Deputy Col. Atilio Cattáneo claiming that Perón had enriched himself through the presidency.[46]
The Hungarian government issued a sweeping decree ordering the nationalization of all remaining businesses still in private hands or financed by foreign capital. American, British, Swiss, French and Dutch firms were affected by the order.[49]
Big Ben became part of televised New Year's Eve festivities for the first time when cameras were set up on the roof of St Thomas' Hospital to show viewers the big clock striking in the new year, a sight that has been a TV tradition ever since.[52]
December 1939 was the twelfth and final month of the common year. It began on a Thursday and ended after 31 days on a Saturday. It was also the last month of the 1940s.
