December 19, 2007 (Wednesday)
- An explosion and fire at a T2 Laboratories facility in Jacksonville, Florida, results in four deaths and 14 injuries. (AP and Reuters via The Seattle Times)
- A fire breaks out at the Old Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., which houses ceremonial offices of Vice President Dick Cheney and the majority of White House staff. No injuries are reported. (CNN)
- Lee Myung-bak is elected President of South Korea with 50% of the vote, defeating rivals Chung Dong-young and Lee Hoi-chang. (CNN)
- A passenger express train derailment in southern Pakistan kills at least 40 and injures 269. (BBC News)
- President of Russia Vladimir Putin is Time magazine's Person of the Year. (Time)
- Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt forms a temporary coalition government comprising five Socialist and Christian Democrat parties from both main language communities. (BBC News)