December 1: Cold War - Antarctic Treaty: 12 countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union, sign a landmark treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on that continent (the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War).

December 2: Malpasset Dam in southern France collapses and water flows over the town of Frejus, killing 412.

December 8: The Mona, a lifeboat based at Broughty Ferry in Scotland, capsizes during a rescue attempt, with the loss of 8 lives.

December 13: Three years after its first telecast, MGM's The Wizard of Oz is shown on television for only the second time, but it gains an even larger viewing audience than its first television outing, spurring CBS to make it an annual tradition.

December 14: Makarios III is selected the first president of Cyprus. (source: Wikipedia)