Historical Events on December 28
- 1836: The independence of Mexico is formally recognized by Spain when they sign the Santa Marie-Calatrava Treaty.
- 1846: Iowa is admitted into the Union as the 29thS State.
- 1879: As a train passes over the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee, Scotland, it collapses. This leads to the death of seventy-five people.
- 1895: The discovery of x-rays is detailed in a paper published by Wilhelm Rontgen.
- 1908: Approximately two hundred thousand people are killed when a 7.1 Mw earthquake hits Southern Italy.
- 1941: Operation Anthropoid begins during World War II. This purpose of this plot was to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich.
- 1943: The Battle of Ortona finishes during World War II. This battle was marked by more than week of fierce home-to-home fighting between the First Canadian Infantry and the German First Parachute Division.
- 1973: The United States passes the Endangered Species Act.
- 1989: Thirteen people are killed when an earthquake hits Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia.
Famous Birthdays on December 28
- English-Canadian brewer and founder of the Molson Brewery, John Molson is born in 1763.
- Swiss banker and photographer, Jean-Gabriel Eynard is born in 1775.
- American Nobel Prize laureate and 28th President of the U.S., Woodrow Wilson is born in 1856.
- American historian and political scientist, Quincy Wright is born in 1890.
- English actress Maggie Smith is born in 1934.
- American biochemist and Nobel Prize laureate, Kary Mullis is born in 1944.
- American TV journalist Gayle King is born in 1954.
- American actor, director and producer, Denzel Washington is born in 1954.
- English comedian, actor and screenwriter, Stephen Frost is born in 1955.
- Dutch singer-songwriter Anita Doth is born in 1971
- American basketball player William Gates is born in 1971.
- American football player Adam Vinatieri is born in 1972.
- American sprinter Derrick Brew is born in 1977.
- American baseball player Bill Hall is born in 1979.