Oscar II was crowned King of Norway
Oscar II was crowned King of Norway in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. It was said of him that he was the most majestic of the union kings. As the new king he inherited a difficult role, since he followed his brother Charles XV, who had become immensely popular in both kingdoms.

Oscar's greatest defeat as king was the dissolution of the union in 1905. Many Swedes regarded Norway as conquered land and compensation for the loss of Finland in 1809. The differing views of the union led to many conflicts. In his memoirs Oscar II wrote that the dissolution had given his heart a deep and incurable wound. He soon grew weaker, and on 8 December 1907 he died at the age of 78.

Jim Bridger died
James Felix Bridger was an American hunter, trapper, scout and guide who explored and hunted in the western United States between 1820 and 1850. Bridger died on this day in 1881 at the age of 77.

For today's generation, Jim Bridger is perhaps best known from the film The Revenant, in which he was portrayed by Will Poulter.