December 25
Day of the year
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; six days remain until the end of the year.
| December 25 in recent years |
| 2025 (Thursday) |
| 2024 (Wednesday) |
| 2023 (Monday) |
| 2022 (Sunday) |
| 2021 (Saturday) |
| 2020 (Friday) |
| 2019 (Wednesday) |
| 2018 (Tuesday) |
| 2017 (Monday) |
| 2016 (Sunday) |
Events
Pre-1600
- 36 â Forces of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han, under the command of Wu Han, conquer the separatist Chengjia empire, reuniting China.[1]
- 274 â A temple to Sol Invictus is dedicated in Rome by Emperor Aurelian.[2]
- 333 â Roman Emperor Constantine the Great elevates his youngest son Constans to the rank of Caesar.[3]
- 336 â First documented sign of Christmas celebration in Rome.[4]
- 350 â Vetranio meets Constantius II at Naissus (Serbia) and is forced to abdicate his imperial title. Constantius allows him to live as a private citizen on a state pension.[5]
- 508 â Clovis I, king of the Franks, is baptized into the Catholic faith at Reims, by Saint Remigius.[6]
- 597 â Augustine of Canterbury and his fellow-labourers baptise in Kent more than 10,000 Anglo-Saxons.
- 800 â The coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome.[7]
- 820 â Eastern Emperor Leo V is murdered in a church[8] of the Great Palace of Constantinople by followers of Michael II.[9]
- 1000 â The foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary: Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary.[10]
- 1013 â Sweyn Forkbeard takes control of the Danelaw and is proclaimed king of England.[11]
- 1025 â Coronation of Mieszko II Lambert as king of Poland.
- 1046 â Henry III is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II.[12]
- 1066 â William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy is crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London.[13]
- 1076 â Coronation of BolesÅaw II the Generous as king of Poland.
- 1100 â Baldwin of Boulogne is crowned the first King of Jerusalem in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.[14]
- 1130 â Count Roger II of Sicily is crowned the first king of Sicily.[15]
- 1261 â Eleven-year-old John IV Laskaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaiologos.[16]
- 1356 â Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, promulgates the Golden Bull, a constitution for his empire.[17]
- 1492 â The carrack Santa MarÃa, commanded by Christopher Columbus, runs onto a reef off Haiti due to an improper watch.[18]
- 1553 â Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeat the Spanish conquistadors and executes the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia.
- 1559 â Pope Pius IV is elected, four months after his predecessor's death.[19]
1601â1900
- 1724 â J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91, in Leipzig, based on Luther's 1524 Christmas hymn.[20]
- 1725 â J. S. Bach leads the first performance of the Christmas cantata Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110, making laughter audible in singing.[21]
- 1758 â Halley's Comet is sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch, confirming Edmund Halley's prediction of its passage. This was the first passage of a comet predicted ahead of time.[22]
- 1766 â Mapuches in Chile launch a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish starting the Mapuche uprising of 1766.[23]
- 1776 â American Revolutionary War: General George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River at night to attack Hessian forces serving Great Britain at Trenton, New Jersey, the next day.[24]
- 1793 â Northwest Indian War: General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a 300 man detachment identify the site of St. Clair's 1791 defeat by the large number of unburied human remains at modern Fort Recovery, Ohio.[25]
- 1809 â Dr. Ephraim McDowell performs the first ovariotomy, removing a 22-pound tumor.[26]
- 1814 â Rev. Samuel Marsden holds the first Christian service on land in New Zealand at Rangihoua Bay.[27]
- 1815 â The Handel and Haydn Society, oldest continually performing arts organization in the United States, gives its first performance.
- 1826 â The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy concludes after beginning the previous evening.
- 1831 â The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt begins; up to 20% of Jamaica's slaves mobilize in an ultimately unsuccessful fight for freedom.[28]
- 1837 â Second Seminole War: American general Zachary Taylor leads 1,100 troops against the Seminoles at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.[29]
- 1868 â Pardons for ex-Confederates: United States President Andrew Johnson grants an unconditional pardon to all Confederate veterans.[30]
- 1870 â Wagner's Siegfried Idyll is first performed.[31]
1901âpresent
- 1914 â World War I: A series of unofficial truces occur across the Western Front to celebrate Christmas.[32]
- 1915 â The National Protection War breaks out against the Empire of China, as military leaders Cai E and Tang Jiyao proclaim the independence of Yunnan and begin a campaign to restore the Republic.[33]
- 1927 â B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burn copies of the Manusmriti in Mahad, Maharashtra, to protest its treatment of Dalit people.[34]
- 1932 â A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Gansu, China kills 275 people.[35]
- 1941 â Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, appointed commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet on December 17,[36] arrives at Pearl Harbor.[37]
- 1941 â World War II: Battle of Hong Kong ends, beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.[38]
- 1941 â Admiral Ãmile Muselier seizes the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which become the first part of France to be liberated by the Free French Forces.[39]
- 1946 â The first European self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is initiated within the Soviet Union's F-1 nuclear reactor.[40]
- 1950 â The Stone of Scone, traditional coronation stone of British monarchs, is taken from Westminster Abbey by Scottish nationalist students. It later turns up in Scotland on April 11, 1951.[41]
- 1951 â A bomb explodes at the home of Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. S. Moore, early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, killing Harry instantly and fatally wounding Harriette.[42]
- 1962 â The Soviet Union conducts its final above-ground nuclear weapon test, in anticipation of the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
- 1963 â Turkish Cypriot Bayrak Radio begins transmitting in Cyprus after Turkish Cypriots are forcibly excluded from Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
- 1968 â Apollo program: Apollo 8 performs the first successful Trans-Earth injection (TEI) maneuver, sending the crew and spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth from Lunar orbit.[43]
- 1968 â Kilvenmani massacre: Forty-four Dalits (untouchables) are burnt to death in Kizhavenmani village, Tamil Nadu, a retaliation for a campaign for higher wages by Dalit laborers.[44]
- 1971 â A fire at the Daeyeonggak Hotel in Seoul, South Korea kills 164 people.[45]
- 1976 â EgyptAir Flight 864, a Boeing 707-366C, crashes on approach to Don Mueang International Airport, killing 71 people.[46]
- 1977 â Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets in Egypt with its president Anwar Sadat.
- 1986 â Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737-270C, is hijacked and crashes in Arar, Saudi Arabia, killing 63 people.[47]
- 1989 â Romanian Revolution: Deposed President of Romania Nicolae CeauÈescu and his wife, Elena, are condemned to death and executed after a summary trial.[48]
- 1991 â Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day). Ukraine's referendum is finalized and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union.[49]
- 1996 â The body of American child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was found in her family's Boulder, Colorado, home. Her murder remains unsolved.[50]
- 1999 â Cubana de Aviación Flight 310, a Yakovlev Yak-42, crashes near Bejuma, Carabobo State, Venezuela, killing 22 people.[51]
- 2003 â UTA Flight 141, a Boeing 727-223, crashes at the Cotonou Airport in Benin, killing 141 people.[52]
- 2003 â The ill-fated Beagle 2 probe, released from the Mars Express spacecraft on December 19, stops transmitting shortly before its scheduled landing.[53]
- 2004 â The Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.
- 2007 â A Siberian tiger named Tatania escapes her exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo and attacks three people, killing one and injuring two more.[54]
- 2012 â An Antonov An-72 plane crashes close to the city of Shymkent, killing 27 people.[55][56]
- 2012 â Air Bagan Flight 011, a Fokker 100, crashes on approach to Heho Airport in Heho, Myanmar, killing two people.[57]
- 2016 â A Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 carrying members of the Alexandrov Ensemble crashes into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 92 people on board.[58]
- 2019 â Twenty people are killed and thousands are left homeless by Typhoon Phanfone in the Philippines.[59]
- 2020 â An explosion in Nashville, Tennessee, occurs, leaving three civilians in the hospital.[60]
- 2021 â The James Webb Space Telescope is launched.[61]
- 2024 â Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashes in Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 of its occupants.[62]
Births
Pre-1600
- 1250 â John IV Laskaris, Byzantine emperor (died 1305)
- 1281 â Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln (died 1348)
- 1400 â John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (died 1487)
- 1424 â Margaret Stewart, Dauphine of France (died 1445)
- 1461 â Christina of Saxony, Queen consort of Denmark (died 1521)
- 1490 â Francesco Marinoni, Italian Roman Catholic priest (died 1562)
- 1493 â Antoinette de Bourbon, French noblewoman (died 1583)
- 1505 â Christine of Saxony, German noblewoman (died 1549)
- 1564 â Johannes Buxtorf, German Calvinist theologian (died 1629)
- 1583 â Orlando Gibbons, English organist and composer (died 1625)
- 1584 â Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain (died 1611)
1601â1900
- 1601 â Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (died 1675)
- 1628 â Noël Coypel, French painter and educator (died 1707)[63]
- 1642 â Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician (died 1727)[64]
- 1652 â Archibald Pitcairne, Scottish physician, anatomist, and scholar (died 1713)
- 1665 â Lady Grizel Baillie, Scottish-English poet and songwriter (died 1746)
- 1674 â Thomas Halyburton, Scottish minister and theologian (died 1712)
- 1686 â Giovanni Battista Somis, Italian violinist and composer (died 1763)[65]
- 1700 â Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (died 1758)
- 1711 â Jean-Joseph de Mondonville, French violinist and composer (died 1772)[66]
- 1716 â Johann Jakob Reiske, German physician and scholar (died 1774)
- 1717 â Pope Pius VI (died 1799)[67]
- 1728 â Johann Adam Hiller, German composer and conductor (died 1804)[68]
- 1730 â Filippo Mazzei, Italian-American physician and philosopher (died 1816)[69]
- 1745 â Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Caribbean-French violinist, composer, and conductor (died 1799)[70]
- 1757 â Benjamin Pierce, American general and politician, 17th Governor of New Hampshire (died 1839)[71]
- 1766 â Christmas Evans, Welsh Nonconformist preacher (died 1838)
- 1771 â Dorothy Wordsworth, English diarist and poet (died 1855)
- 1776 â Sydney, Lady Morgan, Irish author and poet (died 1859)
- 1810 â L. L. Langstroth, American apiarist, clergyman and teacher (died 1895)[72]
- 1821 â Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian, founder of the American Red Cross (died 1912)[73]
- 1825 â Stephen F. Chadwick, American lawyer and politician, 5th Governor of Oregon (died 1895)
- 1829 â Patrick Gilmore, Irish-American composer and bandleader (died 1892)[74]
- 1856 â Pud Galvin, American baseball player and manager (died 1902)
- 1861 â Francis Henry Buzzacott, American hunter, explorer and army scout famous for writing Buzzacott's Masterpiece (died 1947)[75]
- 1861 â Madan Mohan Malaviya, Indian educator, lawyer, and politician, President of the Indian National Congress (died 1946)
- 1865 â Evangeline Booth, English 4th General of The Salvation Army (died 1950)
- 1869 â Charles Finger, English-American journalist and author (died 1941)
- 1872 â Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American businesswoman and philanthropist (died 1965)
- 1873 â Otto Frederick Hunziker, Swiss-American agriculturalist and educator (died 1959)
- 1874 â Lina Cavalieri, Italian soprano and actress (died 1944)[76]
- 1875 â Francis Aveling, Canadian psychologist and priest (died 1941)
- 1875 â Theodor Innitzer, Austrian cardinal (died 1955)
- 1876 â Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 1st Governor-General of Pakistan (died 1948)
- 1876 â Adolf Otto Reinhold Windaus, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1959)
- 1878 â Louis Chevrolet, American race car driver and businessman, co-founded Chevrolet (died 1941)
- 1878 â Noël, Countess of Rothes, British philanthropist, social leader and heroine of Titanic disaster (died 1956)
- 1878 â Joseph M. Schenck, Russian-American film producer (died 1961)[77]
- 1883 â Hugo Bergmann, Czech-Israeli philosopher and academic (died 1975)
- 1883 â Hana Meisel, Belarusian-Israeli agronomist and politician (died 1972)
- 1884 â Samuel Berger, American boxer (died 1925)
- 1884 â Evelyn Nesbit, American model and actress (died 1967)[78]
- 1886 â Malak Hifni Nasif, Egyptian poet and activist (died 1918)
- 1886 â Kid Ory, American trombonist and bandleader (died 1973)
- 1887 â Conrad Hilton, American entrepreneur (died 1979)[79]
- 1889 â Lila Bell Wallace, American publisher and philanthropist, co-founded Reader's Digest (died 1984)[80]
- 1890 â Noel Odell, English geologist and mountaineer (died 1987)
- 1891 â Kenneth Anderson, Indian-English general and politician, Governor of Gibraltar (died 1959)
- 1891 â Clarrie Grimmett, New Zealand-Australian cricketer (died 1980)
- 1899 â Humphrey Bogart, American actor (died 1957)
1901âpresent
- 1901 â Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (died 2004)[81]
- 1902 â William Bell, American tuba player and educator (died 1971)
- 1902 â Barton MacLane, American actor, playwright, and screenwriter (died 1969)
- 1903 â Antiochos Evangelatos, Greek composer and conductor (died 1981)
- 1904 â Gerhard Herzberg, German-Canadian physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1999)
- 1904 â Philip Vera Cruz, Filipino-American labor leader and farmworker (died 1994)[82]
- 1906 â Lew Grade, Baron Grade, Ukrainian-English film producer (died 1998)
- 1906 â Ernst Ruska, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1988)
- 1907 â Cab Calloway, American singer-songwriter and bandleader (died 1994)
- 1907 â Mike Mazurki, Ukrainian-American wrestler and actor (died 1990)
- 1907 â Glenn McCarthy, American businessman, founded the Shamrock Hotel (died 1988)
- 1908 â Quentin Crisp, English author and illustrator (died 1999)
- 1908 â Ernest L. Massad, American general (died 1993)
- 1908 â Jo-Jo Moore, American baseball player (died 2001)
- 1909 â Zora Arkus-Duntov, Belgian-American engineer (died 1996)
- 1911 â Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (died 2010)
- 1913 â Candy Candido, American singer, bass player, and voice actor (died 1999)
- 1913 â Tony Martin, American singer (died 2012)
- 1914 â James Fletcher Jnr, New Zealand businessman (died 2007)
- 1914 â Oscar Lewis, American anthropologist of Latin America (died 1970)
- 1915 â Pete Rugolo, Italian-American composer and producer (died 2011)
- 1916 â Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian soldier and politician, 1st President of Algeria (died 2012)
- 1917 â Arseny Mironov, Russian scientist, engineer, pilot, oldest active researcher in aircraft aerodynamics and flight testing (died 2019)
- 1917 â Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (died 2009)
- 1919 â Naushad Ali, Indian composer and director (died 2006)
- 1919 â Paul David, Canadian cardiologist and politician, founded the Montreal Heart Institute (died 1999)
- 1919 â Noele Gordon, English actress (died 1985)[83]
- 1921 â Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, Indian-Pakistani journalist and author (died 2000)
- 1921 â Steve Otto, Polish-Canadian lawyer and politician (died 1989)
- 1922 â William Demby, American author (died 2013)
- 1923 â René Girard, French-American historian, philosopher, and critic (died 2015)
- 1923 â Louis Lane, American conductor and educator (died 2016)
- 1924 â Rod Serling, American screenwriter and producer, created The Twilight Zone (died 1975)
- 1924 â Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian poet and politician, 10th Prime Minister of India (died 2018)
- 1925 â Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian-American anthropologist and author (died 1998)
- 1925 â Ned Garver, American baseball player (died 2017)
- 1925 â Sam Pollock, Canadian businessman (died 2007)
- 1926 â Enrique JorrÃn, Cuban violinist and composer (died 1987)
- 1927 â Nellie Fox, American baseball player and coach (died 1975)
- 1927 â Ram Narayan, Indian sarangi player (died 2024)
- 1928 â Irish McCalla, American actress and model (died 2002)
- 1928 â Dick Miller, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2019)
- 1929 â Christine M. Jones, American educator and politician (died 2013)
- 1929 â China Machado, Chinese-born Portuguese-American fashion model, editor and television producer (died 2016)
- 1929 â Chris Kenner, American singer and songwriter (died 1976)[84]
- 1930 â Emmanuel Agassi, Iranian-American boxer and coach (died 2021)
- 1930 â Armenak Alachachian, Armenian basketball player and coach (died 2017)
- 1930 â Mary Rose Tuitt, Montserrat politician (died 2005)[85]
- 1932 â Mabel King, American actress and singer (died 1999)
- 1933 â Basil Heatley, English runner (died 2019)
- 1935 â Sadiq al-Mahdi, Sudanese politician, Prime Minister of Sudan (died 2020)
- 1935 â Stephen Barnett, American scholar and academic (died 2009)
- 1935 â Jeanne Hopkins Lucas, American educator and politician (died 2007)
- 1936 â Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
- 1936 â Ismail Merchant, Indian-English director and producer (died 2005)
- 1937 â Maung Aye, Burmese military officer[86]
- 1937 â O'Kelly Isley Jr., American R&B/soul singer-songwriter (died 1986)
- 1938 â Duane Armstrong, American painter
- 1938 â Noel Picard, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2017)
- 1939 â Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Pakistani businessman and politician
- 1939 â Bob James, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
- 1939 â Akong Rinpoche, Tibetan-Chinese spiritual leader (died 2013)
- 1940 â Hilary Spurling, English journalist and author
- 1941 â Kenneth Calman, Scottish physician and academic
- 1942 â Françoise Dürr, French tennis player and coach[87]
- 1942 â Barbara Follett, English politician
- 1942 â Barry Goldberg, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (died 2025)
- 1942 â Enrique Morente, Spanish singer-songwriter (died 2010)
- 1943 â Wilson Fittipaldi Júnior, Brazilian race car driver and businessman (died 2024)
- 1943 â Ravish Malhotra, Indian pilot and military officer[88]
- 1943 â Eve Pollard, English journalist and author
- 1943 â Hanna Schygulla, German actress[89]
- 1943 â Jacqui McShee, English singer[90]
- 1944 â Kenny Everett, British comedian and broadcaster (died 1995)
- 1944 â Jairzinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1944 â Sam Strahan, New Zealand rugby player (died 2019)
- 1945 â Rick Berman, American screenwriter and producer
- 1945 â Mike Pringle, Zambian-Scottish lawyer and politician
- 1945 â Noel Redding, English singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2003)
- 1945 â Ken Stabler, American football player and sportscaster (died 2015)
- 1946 â Jimmy Buffett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (died 2023)[89]
- 1948 â Merry Clayton, American singer and actress
- 1948 â Kay Hymowitz, American sociologist and writer
- 1948 â Barbara Mandrell, American singer-songwriter and actress[89]
- 1948 â Joel Santana, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1949 â Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, Brazilian singer
- 1949 â Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani politician, 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan
- 1950 â Peter Boardman, English mountaineer and author (died 1982)
- 1950 â Karl Rove, American political strategist and activist[89]
- 1950 â Manny Trillo, Venezuelan baseball player and manager
- 1951 â Warren Robinett, American video game designer[91]
- 1952 â Tolossa Kotu, Ethiopian runner and coach
- 1952 â Desireless, French singer and songwriter[92]
- 1953 â Kaarlo Maaninka, Finnish runner
- 1954 â Annie Lennox, Scottish singer-songwriter and pianist[89]
- 1957 â Mansoor Akhtar, Pakistani cricketer
- 1957 â Chris Kamara, English footballer and sportscaster
- 1958 â Cheryl Chase, American voice actress and singer
- 1958 â Rickey Henderson, American baseball player and coach (died 2024)[89]
- 1958 â Konstantin Kinchev, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1958 â Alannah Myles, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
- 1959 â Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (died 2003)
- 1959 â Ramdas Athawale, Indian poet and politician
- 1961 â Ãngrid Betancourt, Colombian political scientist and politician
- 1961 â Ghislaine Maxwell, British socialite and sex offender[93]
- 1962 â Francis Dunnery, English musician
- 1964 â Ian Bostridge, English tenor
- 1964 â Gary McAllister, Scottish footballer and manager
- 1964 â Bob Stanley, British musician and writer[94]
- 1965 â Ed Davey, English politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
- 1965 â Dmitri Mironov, Russian ice hockey player[95]
- 1965 â David Rath, Czech physician and politician
- 1966 â Toshi Arai, Japanese race car driver
- 1967 â Andreas Haitzer, Austrian politician[96]
- 1967 â Jason Thirsk, American bass player (died 1996)
- 1968 â Jim Dowd, American ice hockey player
- 1969 â Nicolas Godin, French musician
- 1969 â Noel Goldthorpe, Australian rugby league player
- 1969 â Frederick Onyancha, Kenyan runner
- 1970 â Emmanuel Amunike, Nigerian footballer and manager
- 1970 â Rodney Dent, American basketball player
- 1971 â Justin Trudeau, Canadian educator and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Canada[89]
- 1972 â Qu Yunxia, Chinese runner
- 1973 â Robbie Elliott, English footballer and coach
- 1973 â Chris Harris, American wrestler
- 1973 â Daisuke Miura, Japanese baseball player and coach
- 1973 â Alexandre Trudeau, Canadian journalist and director
- 1975 â Hideki Okajima, Japanese baseball player
- 1975 â Choi Sung-yong, South Korean footballer and manager
- 1975 â Marcus Trescothick, English cricketer
- 1976 â Tuomas Holopainen, Finnish keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
- 1976 â Atko Väikmeri, Estonian footballer
- 1976 â Armin van Buuren, Dutch DJ and record producer
- 1977 â Ali TandoÄan, Turkish footballer
- 1977 â Israel Vázquez, Mexican boxer (died 2024)[97]
- 1978 â Simon Jones, Welsh cricketer
- 1978 â Joel Porter, Australian footballer and manager
- 1978 â Jeremy Strong, American actor
- 1979 â Ferman Akgül, Turkish singer-songwriter
- 1979 â Laurent Bonnart, French footballer
- 1979 â Robert Huff, English race car driver
- 1979 â Hyun Young-min, South Korean footballer
- 1980 â Laura Sadler, English actress (died 2003)
- 1980 â Marcus Trufant, American football player
- 1981 â Trenesha Biggers, American wrestler and model
- 1981 â Camille Herron, American ultramarathon runner[98]
- 1981 â Christian Holst, Danish-Faroese footballer
- 1981 â Willy Taveras, Dominican baseball player
- 1982 â Shawn Andrews, American football player
- 1982 â Rob Edwards, Welsh footballer
- 1982 â Ethan Kath, Canadian keyboard player, songwriter and producer
- 1982 â Chris Rene, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1984 â Chris Cahill, Samoan footballer
- 1984 â Alastair Cook, English cricketer
- 1984 â Chris Richard, American basketball player
- 1985 â Martin Mathathi, Kenyan runner
- 1985 â Rusev, Bulgarian-American professional wrestler
- 1987 â Ceyhun Gülselam, Turkish footballer
- 1987 â Demaryius Thomas, American football player (died 2021)[99]
- 1988 â Eric Gordon, American basketball player[100]
- 1988 â Lukas Hinds-Johnson, German rugby player[101]
- 1988 â Joãozinho, Brazilian footballer[102]
- 1991 â Avu-chan, Japanese musician, songwriter, actor, model and producer[103]
- 1992 â Mitakeumi Hisashi, Japanese sumo wrestler[104]
- 1993 â Emi Takei, Japanese actress, fashion model and singer[105]
- 1996 â Emiliano BuendÃa, Argentine footballer[106]
- 1999 â Adut Akech, South Sudanese-Australian fashion model[107]
- 2000 â Wilfried Singo, Ivorian footballer[108]
Deaths
Pre-1600
- 304 â Saint Anastasia
- 795 â Pope Adrian I
- 820 â Emperor Leo V
- 936 â Zhang Jingda, general of Later Tang
- 940 â Makan ibn Kaki, Iranian general
- 1147 â Guy II, Count of Ponthieu (born c.â1120)
- 1156 â Peter the Venerable, French abbot and saint (born 1092)
- 1156 â Sverker the Elder, king of Sweden
- 1294 â Mestwin II, Duke of Pomerania
- 1395 â Elisabeth, Countess of Neuchâtel, Swiss ruler
- 1406 â Henry III of Castile (born 1379)
- 1505 â George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent, English politician (born 1454)
- 1553 â Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish explorer and politician, 1st Royal Governor of Chile (born 1500)
1601â1900
- 1634 â Lettice Knollys, English noblewoman (born 1543)[109]
- 1635 â Samuel de Champlain, French soldier, geographer, and explorer (born 1567)
- 1676 â William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire (born 1592)
- 1676 â Matthew Hale, English lawyer and jurist, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (born 1609)
- 1683 â Kara Mustafa Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 111th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (born 1634)
- 1708 â Jørgen Thormøhlen, German-Norwegian merchant (born c.1640)[110]
- 1730 â Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine, Scottish peer and general (born 1676)
- 1758 â James Hervey, English priest and author (born 1714)
- 1784 â Yosa Buson, Japanese poet and painter (born 1716)
- 1796 â Velu Nachiyar, Queen of Sivagangai (born 1730)
- 1824 â Barbara von Krüdener, German mystic and author (born 1764)
- 1824 â William Lawless, Irish revolutionary, later French Army general (born 1772)
- 1866 â Hayrullah Efendi, Ottoman physician, historian, and official (born 1818)[111]
- 1868 â Linus Yale, Jr., American engineer and businessman (born 1821)
- 1875 â Young Tom Morris, Scottish golfer (born 1851)
- 1880 â Fridolin Anderwert, Swiss lawyer and politician, President of the Swiss National Council (born 1828)
1901âpresent
- 1916 â Albert Chmielowski, Polish saint, founded the Albertine Brothers (born 1845)
- 1921 â Vladimir Korolenko, Russian journalist, author, and activist (born 1853)
- 1925 â Karl Abraham, German psychoanalyst and author (born 1877)
- 1926 â Emperor TaishÅ of Japan (born 1879)
- 1928 â Miles Burke, American boxer (born 1885)
- 1930 â Jakob Mändmets, Estonian journalist and author (born 1871)
- 1933 â Francesc Macià , Catalan colonel and politician, 122nd President of Catalonia (born 1859)
- 1935 â Paul Bourget, French author and critic (born 1852)
- 1938 â Karel Äapek, Czech author and playwright (born 1890)
- 1940 â Agnes Ayres, American actress (born 1898)
- 1941 â Richard S. Aldrich, American lawyer and politician (born 1884)
- 1944 â George Steer, South African-English journalist and author (born 1909)
- 1946 â W. C. Fields, American actor, comedian, juggler, and screenwriter (born 1880)
- 1947 â Gaspar G. Bacon, American lawyer and politician, 51st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (born 1886)
- 1949 â Leon Schlesinger, American animator and producer, founded Warner Bros. Cartoons (born 1884)
- 1950 â Neil Francis Hawkins, English politician (born 1903)
- 1952 â Margrethe Mather, American photographer (born 1886)
- 1953 â Patsy Donovan, Irish-American baseball player and manager (born 1865)[112]
- 1953 â William Haselden, British cartoonist (born 1872)
- 1956 â Robert Walser, Swiss author and playwright (born 1878)
- 1957 â Charles Pathé, French record producer, founded Pathé Records (born 1863)
- 1961 â Owen Brewster, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 54th Governor of Maine (born 1888)
- 1961 â Otto Loewi, German-American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1873)
- 1963 â Tristan Tzara, Romanian-French poet, playwright, painter, and critic (born 1896)
- 1970 â Michael Peto, Hungarian-English photographer and journalist (born 1908)
- 1973 â Ä°smet Ä°nönü, Turkish general and politician, 2nd President of Turkey (born 1884)
- 1973 â Gabriel Voisin, French pilot and engineer (born 1880)
- 1975 â Gaston Gallimard, French publisher, founded Ãditions Gallimard (born 1881)
- 1975 â Gunnar Kangro, Estonian mathematician and author (born 1913)
- 1977 â Charlie Chaplin, English actor and director (born 1889)
- 1979 â Joan Blondell, American actress and singer (born 1906)
- 1979 â Jordi Bonet, Canadian painter and sculptor (born 1932)
- 1980 â Fred Emney, English actor and comedian (born 1900)
- 1983 â Joan Miró, Spanish painter and sculptor (born 1893)
- 1988 â ShÅhei Åoka, Japanese author and critic (born 1909)
- 1988 â Edward Pelham-Clinton, 10th Duke of Newcastle, English entomologist and lepidopterist (born 1920)
- 1989 â Benny Binion, American poker player and businessman (born 1904)
- 1989 â Elena CeauÈescu, Romanian politician, First Lady of Romania (born 1916)
- 1989 â Nicolae CeauÈescu, Romanian general and politician, 1st President of Romania (born 1918)
- 1989 â Betty Garde, American actress (born 1905)
- 1989 â Frederick F. Houser, American judge and politician, 34th Lieutenant Governor of California (born 1905)
- 1989 â Billy Martin, American baseball player and manager (born 1928)
- 1989 â Robert Pirosh, American director and screenwriter (born 1910)
- 1991 â Wilbur Snyder, American football player and wrestler (born 1929)
- 1992 â Monica Dickens, British-American nurse and author (born 1915)
- 1993 â Pierre Victor Auger, French physicist and academic (born 1899)
- 1994 â Zail Singh, Indian politician, 7th President of India (born 1916)
- 1995 â Emmanuel Levinas, Lithuanian-French philosopher and academic (born 1906)
- 1995 â Dean Martin, American singer and actor (born 1917)
- 1995 â Chang Kee-ryo, Korean surgeon (born 1914)
- 1995 â Vincent Patriarca, Italian-American aviator and mercenary (born 1914)[113]
- 1996 â Bill Hewitt, Canadian sportscaster (born 1928)
- 1997 â Anatoli Boukreev, Kazakh mountaineer and explorer (born 1958)
- 1997 â Denver Pyle, American actor (born 1920)
- 1998 â John Pulman, English snooker player (born 1923)[114]
- 2000 â Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer and footballer (born 1939)
- 2000 â Willard Van Orman Quine, American philosopher and academic (born 1908)
- 2001 â Alfred A. Tomatis, French otolaryngologist and academic (born 1920)
- 2003 â Nicholas Mavroules, American politician (born 1929)
- 2004 â Gennadi Strekalov, Russian engineer and astronaut (born 1940)
- 2005 â Derek Bailey, English guitarist (born 1930)
- 2005 â Robert Barbers, Filipino police officer, lawyer, and politician, 15th Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (born 1944)
- 2005 â Birgit Nilsson, Swedish operatic soprano (born 1918)
- 2005 â Joseph Pararajasingham, Sri Lankan journalist, businessman, and politician (born 1934)
- 2006 â James Brown, American singer-songwriter (born 1933)[115]
- 2007 â Des Barrick, English cricketer (born 1927)[116]
- 2007 â Jim Beauchamp, American baseball player and coach (born 1939)[117]
- 2008 â Eartha Kitt, American singer and actress (born 1927)[118]
- 2009 â Vic Chesnutt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1964)[119]
- 2010 â Carlos Andrés Pérez, Venezuelan politician, 66th President of Venezuela (born 1922)[120]
- 2011 â Giorgio Bocca, Italian journalist (born 1920)[121]
- 2011 â Jim Sherwood, American saxophonist (born 1942)[122]
- 2011 â Simms Taback, American author and illustrator (born 1932)[123]
- 2012 â Erico Aumentado, Filipino journalist, lawyer, and politician (born 1940)[124]
- 2012 â Halfdan Hegtun, Norwegian radio host and politician (born 1918)[125]
- 2012 â Joe Krivak, American football player and coach (born 1935)[126]
- 2012 â Turki bin Sultan, Saudi Arabian politician (born 1959)[127]
- 2012 â Åerafettin Elçi, Turkish lawyer, politician, government minister (born 1938)[128]
- 2013 â Anthony J. Bryant, American historian and author (born 1961)[129]
- 2013 â David R. Harris, English geographer, anthropologist, archaeologist and academic (born 1930)[130]
- 2013 â Wayne Harrison, English footballer (born 1967)[131]
- 2013 â Mike Hegan, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1942)[132]
- 2013 â Lola Lange, Canadian rural feminist and appointee to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women (born 1922)[133]
- 2013 â Mel Mathay, Filipino politician, 8th Mayor of Quezon City (born 1932)[134]
- 2014 â Ricardo Porro, Cuban-French architect (born 1925)[135]
- 2014 â Geoff Pullar, English cricketer (born 1935)[136]
- 2014 â David Ryall, English actor (born 1935)[137]
- 2015 â George Clayton Johnson, American author and screenwriter (born 1929)[138]
- 2015 â Dorothy M. Murdock, American author and historian (born 1961)[139]
- 2016 â Valery Khalilov, Russian military musician and composer (born 1952)[140]
- 2016 â George Michael, British singer and songwriter (born 1963)[141]
- 2016 â Vera Rubin, American astronomer (born 1928)[142]
- 2017 â D. Herbert Lipson, American magazine publisher (Philadelphia, Boston) (born 1929)[143]
- 2018 â Sulagitti Narasamma, Indian midwife (born 1920)[144]
- 2019 â Ari Behn, Norwegian writer (born 1972)[145]
- 2020 â K. C. Jones, American basketball player and coach (born 1932)[146]
- 2021 â Wayne Thiebaud, American artist (born 1920)[147]
- 2022 â Fabián O'Neill, Uruguayan footballer (born 1973)[148]
- 2023 â Jim Breaks, British wrestler (born 1940)[149]
- 2024 â Britt Allcroft, English writer (born 1943)[150]
- 2024 â Bill Bergey, American football player (born 1945)[151]
- 2024 â Jax Dane, American professional wrestler (born 1976)[152]
- 2024 â M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Indian author and screenwriter (born 1933)[153]
- 2024 â Osamu Suzuki, Japanese businessman (born 1930)[154]
Holidays and observances
- Christmas Day, Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. (Internationally observed)
- Christian feast day:
- Children's Day (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo)
- Tulsi Pujan Diwas (India)
- Constitution Day (Taiwan)
- Good Governance Day (India)
- Quaid-e-Azam's Day (Pakistan)
- Takanakuy (Chumbivilcas Province, Peru)
