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Today December 23rd 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
962 – Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic of John the Baptist.
1493 – Georg Alt s German translation of Hartmann Schedel s Nuremberg Chronicle is published.
1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
1793 – The Battle of Savenay, the decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in Revolt in the Vendée during the French Revolution.
1893 – The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed.
1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve.
1914 – World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt.
1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba – Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt s Sinai peninsula.
1921 – Visva-Bharati University is inaugurated.
1936 – Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1937 – First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber.
1938 – Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa.
1940 – World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (?-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
1941 – World War II: The Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.
1947 – The PNP point-contact germanium transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
1948 – Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo.
1954 – The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
1958 – Dedication of Tokyo Tower, world s highest self-supporting iron tower.
1968 – The United States won the release of 82 sailors by issuing a written apology to North Korea for spying on the Communist country.
1972 – The Nicaraguan capital of Managua is struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 10,000.
1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
1972 – The famous NFL play dubbed the Immaculate Reception which propelled the Pittsburgh Steelers to playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders.
1979 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.
1979 – Opening of the highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn.
1982 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.
1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world.
1990 – History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88% of Slovenia s population vote for independence from Yugoslavia.
2002 – An MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, making it the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat.
2003 – PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
2004 – Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean is hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake.
2005 – Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan crashes shortly after takeoff killing 23 people.
2005 – Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
Births
245- Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra
1173 – Louis I, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1231)
1513 – Thomas Smith, English diplomat and scholar (d. 1577)
1537 – King John III of Sweden (d. 1592)
1582 – Severo Bonini, Italian composer (d. 1663)
1597 – Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)
1613 – Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish soldier (d. 1676)
1621 – Edmund Berry Godfrey, English magistrate (d. 1678)
1621 – Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682)
1689 – Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755)
1732 – Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)
1743 – Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian poet (d. 1803)
1750 – King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827)
1758 – Nathan Wilson U.S. Representative from New York (d. 1834)
1777 – Tsar Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)
1790 – Jean François Champollion, French Egyptologist (d. 1832)
1804 – Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (d. 1869)
1805 – Joseph Smith, Jr., American religious leader (d. 1844)
1819 – Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889)
1822 – Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875)
1843 – Richard Conner, American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (d. 1924)
1854 – Henry B. Guppy, British botanist (d. 1926)
1864 – Zorka of Montenegro, Princess of Serbia (d. 1890)
1867 – Madam C.J. Walker, American philanthropist and tycoon (d. 1919)
1878 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (d. 1972)
1885 – Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964)
1891 – Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)
1900 – Otto Soglow, American comics artist (d. 1975)
1902 – Norman Maclean, American author (d. 1990)
1907 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean writer and poet (d. 2005)
1907 – Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942)
1908 – Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. 2002)
1910 – Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (d. 1961)
1911 – Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994)
1911 – James Gregory, American actor (d. 2002)
1916 – Dino Risi, Italian film director and screenwriter
1918 – Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
1918 – José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)
1918 – Kumar Pallana, Indian-born American actor
1919 – Kenneth M. Taylor, American pilot (d. 2006)
1921 – Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
1922 – Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician (d. 2001)
1923 – Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist
1923 – Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor
1923 – James Stockdale, American admiral (d. 2005)
1923 – Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver (d. 1954)
1925 – Duncan Hallas, British political figure
1925 – Rayner Unwin, British book publisher (d. 2000)
1926 – Robert Bly, American poet
1928 – Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer
1929 – Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988)
1929 – Dick Weber, American professional tenpin bowler (d. 2005)
1931 – Ronnie Schell, American actor
1933 – Akihito, Emperor of Japan
1935 – Paul Hornung, American football player
1935 – Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)
1936 – Frederic Forrest, American actor
1937 – Edward Irving Wortis, American author
1937 – Barney Rosenzweig, American television producer
1938 – Bob Kahn, American Internet pioneer
1940 – Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
1940 – Robert Labine, French-Canadian politician
1940 – Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005)
1941 – Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)
1941 – Serge Reding, Belgian weightlifter (d. 1975)
1942 – John Peterman, American fashion designer
1943 – Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician
1943 – Harry Shearer, American actor
1943 – Ron Allen, American baseball player
1943 – Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987)
1943 – Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden
1944 – Wesley Clark, American military officer
1945 – Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly)
1946 – Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano
1946 – Susan Lucci, American actress
1948 – Jack Ham, American football player
1948 – Leslie Moonves, American television executive
1949 – Adrian Belew, American musician
1950 – Michael C. Burgess, American politician
1950 – Ilchi Lee, Korean educator and author
1951 – Anthony Phillips, British musician (Genesis)
1952 – William Kristol, American political commentator
1953 – Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
1956 – Michele Alboreto, Italian Formula one driver (d. 2001)
1956 – Dave Murray, English musician (Iron Maiden)
1957 – Dan Bigras, Canadian singer
1957 – Trisha Goddard, English television presenter
1958 – Victoria Williams, American singer
1958 – Joan Severance, American actress
1959 – Geoff Willis, British engineer
1961 – Carol Smillie, British television personality
1962 – Bertrand Gachot, Belgian racing driver
1962 – Kang Je-gyu, South Korean film director
1962 – Keiji Muto, Japanese professional wrestler
1963 – Jim Harbaugh, American football player
1963 – Jess Harnell, American voice actor
1963 – Donna Tartt, American author
1964 – Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)
1967 – Carla Bruni, Italian-French model and singer
1967 – Tim Fountain, British playwright
1968 – Quincy Jones III, Swedish-American musician
1969 – Greg Biffle, American racecar driver
1969 – Martha Byrne, American actress
1969 – Rob Pelinka, American sports agent
1970 – Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater
1970 – Raymont Harris, American football player
1971 – Corey Haim, Canadian actor
1971 – Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter
1971 – Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer
1971 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite
1971 – Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist
1974 – Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer
1974 – Mieszko Talarczyk, Swedish musician (Nasum) (d. 2004)
1975 – Sky Lopez, American actress
1975 – Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player
1976 – Brad Lidge, American baseball player
1976 – Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Greek footballer
1976 – Jamie Noble, American professional wrestler
1977 – Alge Crumpler, American football player
1977 – Jari Mäenpää, Finnish guitarist and singer
1977 – Paul Shirley, American basketball player
1978 – Andra Davis, American football player
1978 – Esthero, Canadian musician and singer
1978 – Jodie Marsh, British glamour model
1978 – Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player
1978 – Estella Warren, Canadian model and actress
1979 – Summer Altice, American model and actress
1979 – Scott Gomez, American ice hockey player
1979 – Holly Madison, American model
1979 – Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
1980 – Cody Ross, American baseball player
1981 – Beth, Spanish singer
1981 – Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuban boxer
1983 – Michael Chopra, English footballer
1983 – Hanley Ramírez, Dominican baseball player
1985 – Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly)
1985 – Luke O Loughlin, Australian actor
1986 – T.J. Oshie, American ice hockey player
1988 – Eri Kamei, Japanese singer
1990 – Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer
Deaths
679 – Dagobert II, King of Austrasia (b. c. 650)
910 – Naum of Preslav, Bulgarian scholar
913 – Conrad of Franconia
918 – Conrad I of Germany
1230 – Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
1556 – Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504)
1568 – Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England
1575 – Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531)
1588 – Henry I, Duke of Guise, French Catholic leader (b. 1550)
1631 – Michael Drayton, English poet (b. 1563)
1646 – François Maynard, French poet (b. 1582)
1652 – John Cotton, English-born founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. 1585)
1675 – Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)
1722 – Pierre Varignon, French mathematician (b. 1654)
1771 – Marie-Marguerite d Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)
1761 – Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish Jacobite spy
1779 – Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, British admiral and politician (b. 1724)
1789 – Charles-Michel de l Épée, French philanthropist (b. 1712)
1793 – Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (b. 1699)
1793 – Antoine François Prévost, French author and novelist (b. 1697)
1795 – Henry Clinton, British general (b. 1730)
1805 – Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. 1723)
1834 – Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766)
1846 – Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)
1902 – Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1821)
1912 – Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (b. 1850)
1931 – Wilson Bentley, American scientist (b. 1865)
1939 – Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890)
1946 – John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873)
1948 – Akira Muto, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. 1883)
1948 – Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884)
1953 – Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899)
1954 – René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897)
1961 – Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (b. 1910)
1970 – Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)
1972 – Andrei Tupolev, Soviet aircraft designer (b. 1888)
1973 – Charles Atlas, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. 1892)
1973 – Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901)
1979 – Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
1982 – Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920)
1983 – Colin Middleton, Northern Irish artist (b. 1910)
1984 – Joan Lindsay, Australian author (b. 1896)
1992 – Vincent Fourcade, French American interior designer and socialite (b. 1934)
1992 – Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950)
1994 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905)
1997 – Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908)
1998 – Michelle Thomas, American actress (b. 1968)
2000 – Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)
2000 – Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)
2000 – Noor Jehan, Indian singer and actress (b. 1926)
2001 – Bola Ige, Nigerian politician (b. 1930)
2005 – P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)
2005 – Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1914)
2005 – Norman D. Vaughan, American polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905)
2006 – Charlie Drake, English comedian (b. 1925)
2006 – Timothy J. Tobias, American composer and musician (b. 1952)
2006 – Marilyn Waltz, American actress and Playboy Playmate (b. 1931)
2006 – Johnny Vincent, English footballer for Birmingham City and Middlesbrough (b. 1947)
2007 – William Francis Ganong, American physiologist (b. 1924)
2007 – Michael Kidd, American film and stage choreographer (b. 1915)
2007 – Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)
Holidays and observances
Roman festivals – Larentalia, (hanged) a festival in honour of Larenta
R.C. Saints – O Emmanuel, John Cantius ; Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland
Japan – The Emperor s Birthday – Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan
Ancient Latvia – Ziemassvetki held
Sweden – Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day
Oaxaca – Night of the Radishes
Secular humanism (American) – HumanLight observed
Saint Abassad, in the Coptic Church
Saint Psote, in the Coptic Church
Festivus, a non-denominational holiday made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld.
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