Historical timeline for December 1

The Arecibo Telescope collapses.

Arsenal Women 11–1 Bristol City Women breaks the record for most goals scored in a FA Women's Super League match, with Vivianne Miedema involved in ten of the eleven Arsenal goals.

The outbreak of coronavirus infection begins in Wuhan.

The Oulu Police informed the public about the first offence of the much larger child sexual exploitation in Oulu, Finland.

The Alma-Ata Metro was opened.

The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in the European Union.

The law on same-sex marriage comes into force in South Africa, legalizing same-sex marriage for the first time on the African continent.

As a result of the merger of the Perm Oblast and the Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug, a new subject of the Russian Federation, the Perm Krai, was created.

The United Russia political party was founded.

Vicente Fox Quesada is inaugurated as the president of Mexico, marking the first peaceful transfer of executive federal power to an opposing political party following a free and democratic election in Mexico's history.

Fourteen-year-old Michael Carneal opens fire at a group of students in Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, killing three and injuring five.

In the Indian state of Bihar, Ranvir Sena attacks the CPI (ML) Party Unity stronghold Lakshmanpur-Bathe, killing 63 lower caste people.

Cold War: Ukrainian voters overwhelmingly approve a referendum for independence from the Soviet Union.

Channel Tunnel sections started from the United Kingdom and France meet beneath the seabed.

Cold War: East Germany's parliament abolishes the constitutional provision granting the Communist Party the leading role in the state.

Philippine coup attempt: The right-wing military rebel Reform the Armed Forces Movement attempts to oust Philippine President Corazon Aquino in a failed bloody coup d'état.

Benazir Bhutto, is named as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first female leader to lead a Muslim nation.

World AIDS Day is proclaimed worldwide by the UN member states.

NASA conducts the Controlled Impact Demonstration, wherein an airliner is deliberately crashed in order to test technologies and gather data to help improve survivability of crashes.

Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, crashes in Corsica, killing all 180 people on board.