18 December 784

A series of mass protests began in Belgrade, Serbia, alleging electoral irregularities in the Serbian parliament and Belgrade city assembly elections.

An Amtrak Cascades passenger train derailed near DuPont, Washington, killing three people and injuring sixty-five others.

Mohammad Mofatteh, an Iranian philosopher, was assassinated by the Furqan Group.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the sixth James Bond film and the only one to star George Lazenby, premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.

Epimetheus, one of the moons of Saturn, was discovered, but was mistaken for Janus; it took twelve years to determine that they are two distinct objects sharing the same orbit.

Ghanaian and other African students organized a protest in Moscow's Red Square in response to the alleged murder of medical student Edmund Assare-Addo.

The United States launched SCORE (rocket pictured), the world's first communications satellite.

Second World War: The Luftwaffe won a victory over the Royal Air Force in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, greatly influencing both sides' future aerial warfare strategy.

Playing indoors at Chicago Stadium on a modified American football field, the Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first playoff game of the National Football League.

The Jew's Christmas, the first American film to include a rabbi as a character, was released.

In Angola, New York, the last coach of a Lake Shore Railway train derailed, plunged 40 feet (12 m) down a gully, and caught fire, resulting in approximately 49 deaths.

Thomas Paine (depicted) was found guilty of seditious libel for the publication of the second part of his book Rights of Man.

Portuguese forces and their Imbangala allies defeated the Kongo army at the Battle of Mbumbi.

Muslims in Granada began a rebellion against their Castilian rulers in response to forced conversions to Catholicism.

Argentina win the FIFA World Cup final, defeating title holders France 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after extra time.

The United States House of Representatives impeaches Donald Trump for the first time.

Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501, derailed near DuPont, Washington, a city in United States near Olympia, Washington killing six people, and injuring 70 others.

Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in Great Britain, closes.

The first of a series of floods strikes Malaysia. The death toll of all flooding is at least 118, with over 400,000 people displaced.

United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections.

The Chadian Civil War begins when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adré.

California gubernatorial recall: Then Governor of California Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier.

NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT.

A Lockheed L-188 Electra crashes in Jamba, Cuando, Angola, killing 141 people.