December 10

Events

• 969: Nicephorus Phocas, Emperor of Byzantium, is assassinated.
• 1041: Michael V ascends to the throne of Byzantium on the death of his father.
• 1832: the island of Samos was granted autonomous status within the Ottoman Empire, guaranteed by Britain, France and Russia. A Turkish military force remained garrisoned on the island. The island governor, a Greek christian, was to be appointed by the High Porte.
• 1862: The Second National Assembly of Greece meets after the ouster of King Otto.
• 1963: The Nobel for Literature is awarded for the first time to a Greek; to George Seferis. In his award speech the poet is quoted as saying: "I belong to a small country. Our place is small but it has a huge tradition... The Greek language has never stopped being spoken..."
• 1979: The Nobel for Literature is awarded to Odysseus Elytis.
• 1981: Evangelos Averoff is elected Chairman of the New Democracy party.

Sports

• 1978: Mimis Papaioannou succeeds Mimis Domazos as President of PSAP.
• 1979: Argentinian Juan Ramon Rocha is signed illegally by Panathinaikos as "Boublis".

Births

• 1903: Marton Bukovi, football coach.
• 1928: John Colicos, Greek-Canadian actor.
• 1948: Dusan Bajevic, football player and coach

Deaths

• 1041: Michael IV the Paphlagonian, Byzantine Emperor.
• 1957: Napoleon Zervas, resistance leader, politician
• 1987: Stelios Kyriakidis, marathon runner.
• 2000: Andreas Mouratis, footballer