| 2004 | Two and a half million people died due to tsunami in the Indian Ocean. A 9.15 magnitude earthquake in the ocean caused a tsunami wave. People from many countries including India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia were killed. |
| 1904 | Inauguration of country's first cross country motorcar rally between Delhi and Mumbai. |
| 1925 | Establishment of Communist Party of India. |
| 1978 | Former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi was released from prison. Morarji Desai's government arrested Indira Gandhi on 19 December. |
| 1977 | Naveen Patnaik, son of Odisha's prominent leader Biju Patnaik, founded the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). |
| 1666 | Sikhism Guru Govind Singh was born. |