The following events occurred in December 1937:
December 1, 1937 (Wednesday) The Battle of Nanking began. Japan recognized the Franco regime. Otto Meissner entered the Hitler Cabinet as Minister of State and Head of the Chancellory. Born: Chuck Low, actor, in New York City (d. 2017); Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, 6th President of Latvia, in Riga, Latvia
December 2, 1937 (Thursday) Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg and Nora Gregor were married in Vienna. Manchukuo and the Franco regime exchanged documents granting each other formal recognition. In Burgos, the National Council of the FET was ceremonially sworn in. The new governing body was modeled after the Grand Council of Fascism in Italy.
December 3, 1937 (Friday) Japanese forces took Danyang. Neville Chamberlain appointed Harold MacMichael to be the next High Commissioner for Palestine to replace Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, who was retiring for health reasons. Born: Bobby Allison, race car driver and owner, in Miami, Florida
December 4, 1937 (Saturday) The children's comic book The Dandy was first published in the United Kingdom, marking the first appearance of the character of Desperate Dan. The political drama film First Lady starring Kay Francis was released. Death of Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan, an educationist and politician in British India
December 5, 1937 (Sunday) The puppet state of the Great Way Municipal Government of Shanghai was created. Emperor Hirohito's uncle Prince Yasuhiko Asaka took over command of the Japanese Shanghai Expeditionary Army besieging Nanking. Yugoslavian Prime Minister Milan Stojadinović held talks with Benito Mussolini in Rome.
December 6, 1937 (Monday) The U.S. Supreme Court decided Breedlove v. Suttles, James v. Dravo Contracting Co., Palko v. Connecticut and Puerto Rico v. Shell Co. (P.R.), Ltd. Ford Frick was re-elected president of baseball's National League for another three-year term. Born: Alberto Spencer, footballer, in Ancón, Ecuador (d. 2006) Died: Francis Cadell, 54, Scottish Colourist painter
December 7, 1937 (Tuesday) Alexandretta Crisis: Turkey renounced its May 1926 Treaty of Friendship with Syria and threatened war. Japanese forces reached the walls of Nanking. Austria banned several books critical of Nazism, including Rudolf Olden's book about Hitler. The Boston Red Sox acquired the contract of 19-year old Ted Williams from the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League. Born: Kenneth Colley, actor, in Manchester, England
December 8, 1937 (Wednesday) Nationalist aircraft bombed Barcelona. Eugen Weidmann was arrested by French police for murder. Weidmann shot one officer in the arm with a revolver, but the other officer managed to beat him down with a hammer. The Brazilian football club Esporte Clube Flamengo was founded. Born: Michael Bowen, artist, in Beverly Hills, California (d. 2009); James MacArthur, actor, in Washington, D.C. (d. 2010); Arne Næss, Jr., businessman and mountaineer, in Germany (d. 2004) Died: Hans Molisch, 81, Czech-Austrian botanist
December 9, 1937 (Thursday) The Japanese pushed into Nanking. Joseph P. Kennedy accepted the post of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Born: Darwin Joston, actor, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (d. 1998) Died: Gustaf Dalén, 68, Swedish industrialist, inventor and Nobel laureate
December 10, 1937 (Friday) The 1937 Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm. The recipients were Clinton Davisson of the United States and George Paget Thomson of the United Kingdom for Physics, Norman Haworth (United Kingdom) and Paul Karrer (Switzerland) for Chemistry, Albert Szent-Györgyi (Hungary) for Physiology or Medicine and Roger Martin du Gard (France) for Literature. In Oslo, Robert Cecil (United Kingdom) was awarded the Peace Prize for his work at the League of Nations. The Japanese Army pushed into Wuhu and Zhenjiang. Castlecary rail accident: 35 people were killed in a train collision in Castlecary, Scotland.
December 11, 1937 (Saturday) Italy quit the League of Nations. The ocean liner President Hoover ran aground at Kasho-to off Taiwan. The 503 passengers would be evacuated and the ship declared a total loss. The Toronto Argonauts edged the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 4-3 to win the 25th Grey Cup of Canadian football. Born: Jim Harrison, author, in Grayling, Michigan (d. 2016) Died: Seraphim Chichagov, 81, Russian Orthodox bishop (executed)