The Great Storm of 1703, the greatest windstorm ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain, makes landfall. Winds gust up to 120 mph, and 9,000 people die.

The Great Storm of 1703, which struck England between December 7 and December 9, is widely considered one of the most ferocious and destructive tempests ever recorded in British history. It unleashed hurricane-force winds that reached an estimated 80 to 110 miles per hour, toppling thousands of trees, dismantling entire roofs, and even wrecking the newly erected first Eddystone Lighthouse. This catastrophic weather event caused massive flooding along the coastal areas and sank countless ships at sea, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. Contemporary accounts, such as those recorded by writer Daniel Defoe, chronicle the astonishing scale of the storm’s power and the profound sense of shock it left in its wake. Its devastating impact resonated not just as a localized disaster, but as a formative national trauma that influenced infrastructure, navigation practices, and the collective memory of a storm-ravaged nation.

First concert of the New York Philharmonic, founded by Ureli Corelli Hill.

The New York Philharmonic is one of the most renowned symphony orchestras in the world and is based in New York City. It was founded in 1842, making it the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States. The orchestra’s home is David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Throughout its long history, the New York Philharmonic has been a significant cultural institution, contributing to the development and promotion of classical music. It has been a platform for many prominent conductors and musicians, and its performances are highly regarded for their artistic excellence.

Some notable conductors who have led the New York Philharmonic include Leonard Bernstein, Arturo Toscanini, Gustav Mahler, and Zubin Mehta, among others. Leonard Bernstein’s tenure from 1958 to 1969 is particularly celebrated, as he played a crucial role in popularizing classical music in the United States through his engaging and educational approach.

The New York Philharmonic performs a wide repertoire, ranging from classical masterpieces to contemporary works. The orchestra has premiered numerous important compositions, and it continues to commission and perform new music.

The New York Philharmonic is also involved in educational and community outreach programs, aiming to bring classical music to diverse audiences and nurture the next generation of musicians and music enthusiasts.

An earthquake along the coast of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan causes a tsunami which kills 1,223 people

The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter, a little more than six years after it was launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS-34.

First concert of the New York Philharmonic, founded by Ureli Corelli Hill.

The Royal Opera House opens at Covent Garden, London, England.
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The Marriage Amendment Bill to recognize same sex marriage passes in Australia.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Australia since 9 December 2017. The legislation to allow same-sex marriage, the Marriage Amendment Act 2017, passed the Australian Parliament on 7 December 2017 and received royal assent from the Governor-General the following day. The law came into effect on 9 December, immediately recognising overseas same-sex marriages. The first same-sex wedding under Australian law was held on 15 December 2017. The passage of the law followed a voluntary postal survey of all Australians, in which 61.6% of respondents supported same-sex marriage.

Other types of recognition for same-sex couples are also available. Under federal law, same-sex couples can also be recognised as de facto relationships, which provide most of the same rights and responsibilities afforded to married couples, although those rights may be difficult to assert and are not always recognised in practice. Although there is no national civil union or relationships register scheme in Australia, most states and territories have legislated for civil unions or domestic partnership registries. Such unions are recognised as de facto relationships under federal law.

Prior to legalisation, 22 same-sex marriage related bills were introduced to Parliament between September 2004 and May 2017, none of which passed into law. These failed attempts came after the Howard Government amended the law in August 2004 to exclude same-sex marriages. The Australian Capital Territory passed a same-sex marriage law in December 2013, though this was struck down by the High Court on the grounds that such a law could only be introduced by the Commonwealth.

De facto relationships, defined in the federal Family Law Act 1975, are available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. De facto relationships provide couples who are living together on a genuine domestic basis with many of the same rights and benefits as married couples. Two people can become a de facto couple by entering into a registered relationship or by being assessed as such by the Family Court or Federal Circuit Court. Couples who are living together are generally recognised as a de facto relationship and thus able to claim many of the rights and benefits of a married couple, even if they have not registered or officially documented their relationship.

The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter six years after it was launched.

Galileo was an American unmanned spacecraft that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as several other Solar System bodies. Named after the astronomer Galileo Galilei, it consisted of an orbiter and entry probe. It was launched on October 18, 1989, carried by Space Shuttle Atlantis, on the STS-34 mission. Galileo arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995, after gravitational assist flybys of Venus and Earth, and became the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter. It launched the first probe into Jupiter, directly measuring its atmosphere. Despite suffering major antenna problems, Galileo achieved the first asteroid flyby, of 951 Gaspra, and discovered the first asteroid moon, Dactyl, around 243 Ida. In 1994, Galileo observed Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9’s collision with Jupiter.

Jupiter’s atmospheric composition and ammonia clouds were recorded, the clouds possibly created by outflows from the lower depths of the atmosphere. Io’s volcanism and plasma interactions with Jupiter’s atmosphere were also recorded. The data Galileo collected supported the theory of a liquid ocean under the icy surface of Europa, and there were indications of similar liquid-saltwater layers under the surfaces of Ganymede and Callisto. Ganymede was shown to possess a magnetic field and the spacecraft found new evidence for exospheres around Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Galileo also discovered that Jupiter’s faint ring system consists of dust from impacts on the four small inner moons. The extent and structure of Jupiter’s magnetosphere was also mapped.

On September 21, 2003, after 14 years in space and 8 years in the Jovian system, Galileo’s mission was terminated by sending it into Jupiter’s atmosphere at a speed of over 48 kilometers per second, eliminating the possibility of contaminating local moons with terrestrial bacteria.

119 people are killed in a fire at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

Indonesian invades East Timor