Births on December 9

Michael Adam, German politician

7 Jan

Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
5 Jun

Indira Gandhi
The Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, orders an attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion.
4 Aug

Burkina Faso
The Republic of Upper Volta changes its name to Burkina Faso.
20 Sep

Beirut
A suicide bomber in a car attacks the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing twenty-two people.
26 Sep

Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong
The United Kingdom and China agree to a transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, to take place in 1997.