– Hamilton Lamb, Australian politician, soldier (in Japanese POW camp) (b. 1900) December 8 – Donald Mackintosh, British clergyman, Roman Catholic bishop and reverend (b. 1876) December 9 George Cooper, American silent film actor (b. 1892) Georges Dufrénoy, French post-impressionist painter (b. 1870) December 10 – Charles Belcher, American film actor (b. 1872) December 13 – Erich Garske, German political activist (executed) (b. 1907) December 14 – John Harvey Kellogg, American physician, nutritionist (b. 1852) December 15 – Fats Waller, African-American jazz pianist (pneumonia) (b. 1904) December 18 – Hector Gray, British Royal Air Force officer (executed in Japanese Prisoner of War camp) (b. 1911) December 20 – Edward L. Beach Sr., American naval officer, author (b. 1867) December 22 – Beatrix Potter, British children's author, illustrator (b. 1866) December 23 – Sir Frederic Fisher, British admiral (b. 1851) December 25 – William Irving, German-born American film actor (b. 1893) December 26 – Erich Bey, German admiral (killed in action) (b. 1898) December 27 Rupert Julian, New Zealand actor, director (b. 1879) Creelman MacArthur, Canadian businessman, politician (b. 1874) December 30 – Hobart Bosworth, American film actor, director, writer and producer (b. 1867) Nobel Prizes Physics – Otto Stern Chemistry – George de Hevesy Physiology or Medicine – Carl Peter Henrik Dam, Edward Adelbert Doisy Literature – not awarded Peace – not awarded References Articles containing video clips