1838 - Great Trek: Battle of Blood River - Voortrekkers under Andries Pretorius and Sarel Cilliers defeat Zulu "impis" led by Dambuza (Nzobo) and Ndlela kaSompisi in present-day KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
1857 - An earthquake strikes the Basilicata region of Italy, killing 11,000 people.
2012 - 2012 Delhi gang rape case: A 23-year-old female student is gang-raped by a group of men while getting off a bus in Delhi. She dies on December 29 and the attack attracts much attention and debate around the world.