Dashed left edge = started before December 1984 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond December 1984
Events in December 1984 14
1923 – 1984Peter Lawford (1923-1984)English-born American actor, member of the Rat Pack and brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy.
1979 – 1984Imprisoned After the RevolutionFollowing the 1979 Islamic Revolution, imprisoned for four and a half years without ever being formally charged with a crime.
19841984: Niki LaudaMcLarenLauda won his third title by half a point — the narrowest margin in F1 history — beating his McLaren teammate Alain Prost. He retired at the end of the following season.
1984Bobby Charlton Soccer SchoolsFounded the Bobby Charlton Soccer and Sports Academy, which ran for decades and helped develop young footballers including David Beckham, who was spotted at one of the schools.
1984Hollywood Walk of FameReceived a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising her contributions to the entertainment industry.
1984Private DancerReleased Private Dancer, her solo comeback album, which sold over 20 million copies worldwide and won three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year for What's Love Got to Do with It.
1984The Unbearable Lightness of BeingPublished The Unbearable Lightness of Being, set against the backdrop of the Prague Spring, which became his best-known work and a global bestseller. It was adapted into a film in 1988.
1984Bhopal gas disasterToxic gas leak at Union Carbide pesticide plantA leak of methyl isocyanate gas from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, killed thousands of people within days and injured hundreds of thousands more. It remains the worst industrial disaster in history, with long-term health and environmental effects still measured decades later.
1984Kuwait Airways Flight 221 hijackedSix-day hostage crisis in TehranHijackers seized a Kuwait Airways flight and forced it to Tehran, killing two American passengers during a six-day standoff. The hijacking was linked to demands for the release of prisoners held in Kuwait over the 1983 Kuwait bombings.
1984Sino-British Joint Declaration signedAgreement sets terms for Hong Kong's 1997 handoverChina and the United Kingdom signed a declaration in Beijing under which the UK would return Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The agreement guaranteed Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy and its existing capitalist system for 50 years under the "one country, two systems" framework.
1984Peter Lawford dies in Los AngelesPeter Lawford dies aged 61.
1984 – presentLeBron JamesThe KingNBA's all-time leading scorer and 4-time champion known for his longevity and versatility.
1984 – presentLeBron JamesBasketball player, businessman, b. 1984LeBron Raymone James (b. 1984) — one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Four NBA championships with three different franchises, four MVP awards, four Finals MVPs, two Olympic gold medals, the NBA all-time leading scorer with 40,000+ points, and a cultural force off the court through the I Promise School, SpringHill Entertainment, and a lifetime Nike deal.
1984LeBron James born in Akron, OhioLeBron Raymone James is born to Gloria James in Akron, Ohio. His father Anthony McClelland is largely absent; Gloria raises LeBron alone amid frequent moves and financial hardship.