December 10 in history — What Happened Today in History

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan establishes the Marriage Fund in the United Arab Emirates in response to rising wedding prices.

The Nagorno-Karabakh independence referendum is held, with 99.98% voting in favor of independence.

Nursultan Nazarbayev is sworn in as the 1st President of Kazakhstan.

The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic is renamed into the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Mongolian Revolution: At the country's first open pro-democracy public demonstration, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announces the establishment of the Mongolian Democratic Union.

United Nations General Assembly recognizes the Convention against Torture.

Democracy is restored in Argentina with the inauguration of President Raúl Alfonsín.

Kaohsiung Incident: Taiwanese pro-democracy demonstrations are suppressed by the KMT dictatorship, and organizers are arrested.

Arab–Israeli conflict: Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin and President of Egypt Anwar Sadat are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Japan's biggest heist, the still-unsolved "300 million yen robbery", is carried out in Tokyo.

Zanzibar gains independence from the United Kingdom as a constitutional monarchy, under Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah.

An assassination attempt on the British High Commissioner in Aden kills two people and wounds dozens more.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill receives the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Chinese Civil War: The People's Liberation Army begins its siege of Chengdu, the last Kuomintang-held city in mainland China, forcing President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and his government to retreat to Taiwan.

The Human Rights Convention is signed by the United Nations.

World War II: Government of Poland in exile send Raczyński's Note (the first official report on the Holocaust) to 26 governments who signed the Declaration by United Nations.

World War II: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers near British Malaya.

World War II: Battle of the Philippines: Imperial Japanese forces under the command of General Masaharu Homma land on Luzon.

Abdication Crisis: Edward VIII signs the Instrument of Abdication.

Thailand becomes a constitutional monarchy.

Selma Lagerlöf becomes the first female writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The worst night of the Brown Dog riots in London, when 1,000 medical students, protesting against the existence of a memorial for animals that have been vivisected, clash with 400 police officers.

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the mediation of the Russo-Japanese War, becoming the first American to win a Nobel Prize in any field.

The opening of the reservoir of the Aswan Dam in Egypt.

The first Nobel Prize ceremony is held in Stockholm on the fifth anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.

Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the conflict. Spain cedes administration of Cuba to the United States, and the United States agrees to pay Spain $20 million for the Philippines.

Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi premieres in Paris. A riot breaks out at the end of the performance.

Russo-Turkish War: The Russian Army captures Plevna after a 5-month siege. The garrison of 25,000 surviving Turks surrenders. The Russian victory is decisive for the outcome of the war and the Liberation of Bulgaria.

Melissa Roxburgh, Canadian-American actress

KiKi Layne, American actress

Eric Reid, American football player

Dion Waiters, American basketball player

Kazenga LuaLua, Congolese-English footballer

Sakiko Matsui, Japanese singer and actress

Wil Myers, American baseball player

Teyana Taylor, American singer, songwriter, choreographer, and actress

Shoya Tomizawa, Japanese motorcycle racer (died 2010)

Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, French politician

Tom Sexton, Australian-Irish rugby player

Wilfried Bony, Ivorian footballer

Neven Subotić, Serbian footballer

Gershon Kingsley, American composer and musician (born 1922)

Emily Mason, American painter (born 1932)

Bruce Brown, American filmmaker (born 1937)

Max Clifford, British publicist (born 1943)

Charles M. Green Jr., American Internet personality (born 1950)

Curtis W. Harris, American minister (born 1924)

Ron Bouchard, American race car driver and businessman (born 1948)

Denis Héroux, Canadian director and producer (born 1940)

Arnold Peralta, Honduran footballer (born 1989)

Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach (born 1928)

Ralph Giordano, German author and publicist (born 1923)

Robert B. Oakley, American diplomat, 19th United States Ambassador to Pakistan (born 1931)

Bob Solinger, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1925)