A complete timeline of historical events, famous births, notable deaths, and holidays that occurred on December 23 throughout history.
92
Events
10
Births
1
Deaths
Under future Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo and recover the tattered tunic of John the Baptist during the Arab–Byzantine wars
James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 1688 – 1 January 1766), also known as the Old Pretender, was the senior House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1701 until...
George Washington's resignation as commander-in-chief marked the end of Washington's military service in the American Revolutionary War and his return to civilian life at Mount Vernon. His voluntary...
Vincent van Gogh cuts off part of his left ear with a razor after an argument with fellow painter Paul Gauguin and sends it to a female courtesan for safekeeping
President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act, establishing the modern central banking system of the United States to manage the money supply and promote financial stability
The Government of Ireland Act 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 90), also known as the Home Rule Act, and before enactment as the Third Home Rule Bill, was an Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
First successful human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts
Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman.
NBC establishes a permanent coast-to-coast radio network
National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Rams beat Cleveland Browns 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game
Opera "Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck and his sister Adelheid Wette premieres in Weimar, conducted by Richard Strauss
Prime Minister of Canada Mackenzie Bowell (24) weds Harriet Moore
MLB centerfielder Mickey Mantle (20) weds author Merlyn Mantle (19) in Commerce, Oklahoma
Actor Martin Sheen (21) weds Janet Templeton
Theodosian Code of Roman laws is proclaimed in the Western Empire (first law reforms since 295)
Boniface V begins his reign as Catholic Pope
The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase.
Rhea () is the second-largest natural satellite of Saturn and the ninth-largest moon in the Solar System, with a diameter of 1,528 kilometers (949 miles).
Nahum Tate is appointed the third Poet Laureate by English monarchs William and Mary
Russian/Prussian troops occupy Stralsund
France sets plan to tax clergymen
Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France
Maryland votes to cede a 10 square mile area for District of Columbia
"A Visit from St. Nicholas" (often called "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", from its first line) is a poem, first published anonymously under the title "Account of...
The siege of Antwerp took place after fighting in the Belgian Revolution ended. On 15 November 1832, the French Armée du Nord under Marshal Gérard began to lay siege to the Dutch troops there under...
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 867,567 in 2024.
First yacht race across the Atlantic won by the schooner Henrietta owned by Gordon Bennett of New York, first to reach Bishop Rock in the Scilly Isles after racing from NY
Turkey's 1st constitution proclaimed, transferring more power to elected representatives
British Field Marshal Lord Roberts departs Southampton for South Africa for the 2nd Boer War
As American forces defeat Filipino insurgents and impose civil authority, some Filipinos form a Federal Party with a platform recognizing US sovereignty
The Yosemite Valley Railroad (YVRR) was a short-line railroad in Merced and Mariposa counties, California, that operated from 1907 to 1945.
Elisabeth of Bavaria (Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie; 25 July 1876 – 23 November 1965) was Queen of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 to 17 February 1934 as the wife of King Albert I, and a...
Frank Wedekind's play "Oaha, die Satire der Satire" premieres in Munich
Aswan Low Dam in Nile begins operation again, after being raised for the first time
In Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm.
World War I, or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers.
Three British warships come close to Holland
Alice H. Parker (1895 – 1920) was an African American inventor who was active in the early 1900s. She is known for her patent for a heating furnace using natural gas.
Yankees pitcher Carl Mays sold to Reds for $85,000
KEX-AM in Portland OR begins radio transmissions
Bette Davis arrives in Hollywood under contract to Universal Studios
Montreal Canadiens center Howie Morenz scores in 3-0 win v Detroit Red Wings; his NHL record 249th career goal
Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty
The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey.
Coelacanths ( SEE-lə-kanth) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia.
Finnish counter offensive at Summa
John Van Druten's play "Old Acquaintance" premieres on Broadway in NYC
The Battle of Wake Island was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on Wake Island.
World War II in the Netherlands can be broken down into four periods: September 1939 to May 1940: After the war broke out, the Netherlands declared neutrality.
Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel & Gretel" becomes 1st complete opera to be telecast (WGRB, Schenectady, New York)
The Dutch famine of 1944–1945, also known as the Hunger Winter (from Dutch Hongerwinter), was a famine in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II.
General elections were held in Belgium on 17 February 1946. The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 92 of the 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 51 of the 101...
Last Belgian communities get electricity
Alain Bombard arrives in Barbados after 65 days at sea proving his theory that a shipwrecked person could survive with almost no provisions, despite having lost 25 kg (65 lbs) in weight
James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball.
Test cricket debut for all-time great Australian wicketkeeper Wally Grout and future captain and coach Bobby Simpson, 1st Test v South Africa in Johannesburg
Abdallah Ibrahim forms government in Morocco
Jan De Quay's Dutch government falls
AFL Championship, Jeppesen Stadium, Houston: Dallas Texans beat Houston Oilers, 20-17; Tommy Brooker lands winning 25-yard field goal in overtime
Fire on Greek ship Laconia, 128 die
India and Ceylon are hit by a cyclone, killing an estimated 4,850 people
Ready Steady Go! (or RSG!) is a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966.
Brussels: NATO Council accept "Flexible Response" strategy
USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a Banner-class technical research ship, placed into service during World War II, then converted to a spy ship in 1967 by the United States Navy.
Ballon d'Or: Milan midfielder Gianni Rivera wins award for best European football player ahead of Cagliari forward Luigi Riva and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Müller
A Protestant man is shot dead at his home in Belfast, North Ireland
"Immaculate Reception" Steelers turns around a 7-6 defeat with a last second touchdown reception against Raiders to win 13-7 [1]
In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during...
Dmitri Shostakovich' son cycle "Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti" premieres in Leningrad
The Seitz decision was a ruling by arbitrator Peter Seitz (1905–1983) on December 23, 1975, which declared that Major League Baseball (MLB) players became free agents upon playing one year for their...
British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens formally converts to Islam, taking the name Yusuf Islam
NY Islanders center Bryan Trottier sets NHL record scoring 6 points - 4 goals & 2 assists - in 2nd period of 9-4 win over rival NY Rangers; adds goal & assist for game total 8 points; Islanders undefeated home streak stands at 16 games
NY Islanders greatest shutout lose (8-0) vs Chicago Black Hawks
Geoffrey Boycott becomes leading run-scorer in Test Cricket with 8033
The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.
Journal "Science" publishes 1st report on nuclear winter
A twin-engine light plane crashes into a shopping mall after failing a landing attempt at nearby airfield in Concord, California; 7 people die, 77 injured, and $3.5 million in damage to the mall
Experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completes the first nonstop, round-the-world flight without refueling and lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert 9 days after taking off from the same location
Buffalo goaltender Tom Barrasso leads the Sabres to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings to record his 100th NHL victory; makes him the youngest player to reach milestone at just 22 years, 9 months
After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart in the early 1990s.
Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell is a British former socialite and accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein.
Baseball owners impose salary cap, fiercely opposed by players
Four women are ordained as priests in Jamaica, the first in 330 years of Anglican history
Colorado Avalanche Jari Kurri is 8th NHLer to score 600 career goals
A MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, the first time in history that an aircraft and a modern unmanned drone engage in combat
PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a Mw 9.2–9.3 earthquake struck with its epicenter off the west coast of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, crashes shortly after takeoff, killing 23 people
The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war from September to December 2012. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
United Nations Security Council adopts a landmark resolution demanding a halt to all Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. Resolution 2334 was moved by New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela and passed 14-0 with a US abstention.
Ugandan-English runner and human rights activist Deo Kato (37) completes trek from Cape Town, South Africa to London, England to highlight the story of human migration; 8,230-mile journey took 518 days [1]
Price of gold on the New York Mercantile Exchange hits $4,500.00 an ounce for the first time; finishes the year up roughly 70%, its strongest annual performance since 1979
Akihito is born
Susan Lucci, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1947-12-23. Susan Victoria Lucci is an American actress.
Holly Madison, American television personality, known for american television personality, was born on 1980-12-23.
Finn Wolfhard, Canadian actor and musician, known for canadian actor and musician, was born on 2003-12-23. Finn Michael Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, and film director.
Chet Baker musician, known for american jazz trumpeter and vocalist, was born on 1929-12-23. Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr.
Eddie Vedder, American musician, known for american musician, was born on 1965-12-23. Eddie Jerome Vedder is an American singer, musician, and songwriter.
Cy Denneny, Canadian athlete, known for canadian ice hockey player, was born on 1891-12-23.
Bill Rodgers is born
Victoriano Huerta is born
Michael Hill is born
Theodosian Code of Roman laws is proclaimed in the Western Empire (first law reforms since 295)
Boniface V begins his reign as Catholic Pope
Under future Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo and recover the tattered tunic of John the Baptist during the Arab–Byzantine wars
The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase.
Rhea () is the second-largest natural satellite of Saturn and the ninth-largest moon in the Solar System, with a diameter of 1,528 kilometers (949 miles).
James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 1688 – 1 January 1766), also known as the Old Pretender, was the senior House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1701 until...
Nahum Tate is appointed the third Poet Laureate by English monarchs William and Mary
Russian/Prussian troops occupy Stralsund
France sets plan to tax clergymen
Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France
George Washington's resignation as commander-in-chief marked the end of Washington's military service in the American Revolutionary War and his return to civilian life at Mount Vernon. His voluntary...
Maryland votes to cede a 10 square mile area for District of Columbia
"A Visit from St. Nicholas" (often called "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", from its first line) is a poem, first published anonymously under the title "Account of...
The siege of Antwerp took place after fighting in the Belgian Revolution ended. On 15 November 1832, the French Armée du Nord under Marshal Gérard began to lay siege to the Dutch troops there under...
Prime Minister of Canada Mackenzie Bowell (24) weds Harriet Moore
Victoriano Huerta is born
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 867,567 in 2024.
First yacht race across the Atlantic won by the schooner Henrietta owned by Gordon Bennett of New York, first to reach Bishop Rock in the Scilly Isles after racing from NY
Turkey's 1st constitution proclaimed, transferring more power to elected representatives
Vincent van Gogh cuts off part of his left ear with a razor after an argument with fellow painter Paul Gauguin and sends it to a female courtesan for safekeeping
Cy Denneny, Canadian athlete, known for canadian ice hockey player, was born on 1891-12-23.
Opera "Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck and his sister Adelheid Wette premieres in Weimar, conducted by Richard Strauss
British Field Marshal Lord Roberts departs Southampton for South Africa for the 2nd Boer War
As American forces defeat Filipino insurgents and impose civil authority, some Filipinos form a Federal Party with a platform recognizing US sovereignty
The Yosemite Valley Railroad (YVRR) was a short-line railroad in Merced and Mariposa counties, California, that operated from 1907 to 1945.
Elisabeth of Bavaria (Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie; 25 July 1876 – 23 November 1965) was Queen of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 to 17 February 1934 as the wife of King Albert I, and a...
Frank Wedekind's play "Oaha, die Satire der Satire" premieres in Munich
Aswan Low Dam in Nile begins operation again, after being raised for the first time
President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act, establishing the modern central banking system of the United States to manage the money supply and promote financial stability
In Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm.
World War I, or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers.
Three British warships come close to Holland
Alice H. Parker (1895 – 1920) was an African American inventor who was active in the early 1900s. She is known for her patent for a heating furnace using natural gas.
The Government of Ireland Act 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 90), also known as the Home Rule Act, and before enactment as the Third Home Rule Bill, was an Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
Yankees pitcher Carl Mays sold to Reds for $85,000
KEX-AM in Portland OR begins radio transmissions
NBC establishes a permanent coast-to-coast radio network
Chet Baker musician, known for american jazz trumpeter and vocalist, was born on 1929-12-23. Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr.
Bette Davis arrives in Hollywood under contract to Universal Studios
Montreal Canadiens center Howie Morenz scores in 3-0 win v Detroit Red Wings; his NHL record 249th career goal
Akihito is born
Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty
The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey.
Coelacanths ( SEE-lə-kanth) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia.
Michael Hill is born
Finnish counter offensive at Summa
John Van Druten's play "Old Acquaintance" premieres on Broadway in NYC
The Battle of Wake Island was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on Wake Island.
World War II in the Netherlands can be broken down into four periods: September 1939 to May 1940: After the war broke out, the Netherlands declared neutrality.
Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel & Gretel" becomes 1st complete opera to be telecast (WGRB, Schenectady, New York)
The Dutch famine of 1944–1945, also known as the Hunger Winter (from Dutch Hongerwinter), was a famine in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II.
General elections were held in Belgium on 17 February 1946. The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 92 of the 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 51 of the 101...
Susan Lucci, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1947-12-23. Susan Victoria Lucci is an American actress.
Bill Rodgers is born
Hideki Tojo dies
National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Rams beat Cleveland Browns 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game
MLB centerfielder Mickey Mantle (20) weds author Merlyn Mantle (19) in Commerce, Oklahoma
Last Belgian communities get electricity
Alain Bombard arrives in Barbados after 65 days at sea proving his theory that a shipwrecked person could survive with almost no provisions, despite having lost 25 kg (65 lbs) in weight
James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball.
First successful human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts
Test cricket debut for all-time great Australian wicketkeeper Wally Grout and future captain and coach Bobby Simpson, 1st Test v South Africa in Johannesburg
Abdallah Ibrahim forms government in Morocco
Jan De Quay's Dutch government falls
Actor Martin Sheen (21) weds Janet Templeton
AFL Championship, Jeppesen Stadium, Houston: Dallas Texans beat Houston Oilers, 20-17; Tommy Brooker lands winning 25-yard field goal in overtime
Fire on Greek ship Laconia, 128 die
India and Ceylon are hit by a cyclone, killing an estimated 4,850 people
Eddie Vedder, American musician, known for american musician, was born on 1965-12-23. Eddie Jerome Vedder is an American singer, musician, and songwriter.
Ready Steady Go! (or RSG!) is a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966.
Brussels: NATO Council accept "Flexible Response" strategy
Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman.
USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a Banner-class technical research ship, placed into service during World War II, then converted to a spy ship in 1967 by the United States Navy.
Ballon d'Or: Milan midfielder Gianni Rivera wins award for best European football player ahead of Cagliari forward Luigi Riva and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Müller
A Protestant man is shot dead at his home in Belfast, North Ireland
"Immaculate Reception" Steelers turns around a 7-6 defeat with a last second touchdown reception against Raiders to win 13-7 [1]
In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during...
Dmitri Shostakovich' son cycle "Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti" premieres in Leningrad
The Seitz decision was a ruling by arbitrator Peter Seitz (1905–1983) on December 23, 1975, which declared that Major League Baseball (MLB) players became free agents upon playing one year for their...
British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens formally converts to Islam, taking the name Yusuf Islam
NY Islanders center Bryan Trottier sets NHL record scoring 6 points - 4 goals & 2 assists - in 2nd period of 9-4 win over rival NY Rangers; adds goal & assist for game total 8 points; Islanders undefeated home streak stands at 16 games
NY Islanders greatest shutout lose (8-0) vs Chicago Black Hawks
Holly Madison, American television personality, known for american television personality, was born on 1980-12-23.
Geoffrey Boycott becomes leading run-scorer in Test Cricket with 8033
The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.
Journal "Science" publishes 1st report on nuclear winter
A twin-engine light plane crashes into a shopping mall after failing a landing attempt at nearby airfield in Concord, California; 7 people die, 77 injured, and $3.5 million in damage to the mall
Experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completes the first nonstop, round-the-world flight without refueling and lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert 9 days after taking off from the same location
Buffalo goaltender Tom Barrasso leads the Sabres to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings to record his 100th NHL victory; makes him the youngest player to reach milestone at just 22 years, 9 months
After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart in the early 1990s.
Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell is a British former socialite and accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein.
Baseball owners impose salary cap, fiercely opposed by players
Four women are ordained as priests in Jamaica, the first in 330 years of Anglican history
Colorado Avalanche Jari Kurri is 8th NHLer to score 600 career goals
A MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, the first time in history that an aircraft and a modern unmanned drone engage in combat
PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
Finn Wolfhard, Canadian actor and musician, known for canadian actor and musician, was born on 2003-12-23. Finn Michael Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, and film director.
On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a Mw 9.2–9.3 earthquake struck with its epicenter off the west coast of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, crashes shortly after takeoff, killing 23 people
The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war from September to December 2012. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
United Nations Security Council adopts a landmark resolution demanding a halt to all Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. Resolution 2334 was moved by New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela and passed 14-0 with a US abstention.
Ugandan-English runner and human rights activist Deo Kato (37) completes trek from Cape Town, South Africa to London, England to highlight the story of human migration; 8,230-mile journey took 518 days [1]
Price of gold on the New York Mercantile Exchange hits $4,500.00 an ounce for the first time; finishes the year up roughly 70%, its strongest annual performance since 1979