December 25 is the 359th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; six days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about December 25th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about December 25th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- National Pumpkin Pie Day
- Christmas Day
- Good Governance Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – December 25
1989: Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu and wife Elena were executed
The communist leader and his wife were deposed after a revolution. Their trial lasted for about an hour and then they were summarily executed by a firing squad.
1979: USSR invades Afghanistan
The airlift of Soviet troops into Afghanistan started a 9 year long war. The anti-Soviet insurgents, the mujahideen, received support from the United States and other western allies.
1926: Hirohito becomes the 124th emperor of Japan
Michinomiya Hirohito, known as Emporor Shōwa after his death, becomes the 124th emperor of Japan after the death of his father, Emperor Yoshihito. Hirohito was the Emperor of Japan for 62 years, making him the longest reigning Emperor of Japan.
1809: First abdominal surgery performed
American physician Ephraim McDowell became the first person in recorded history to successfully remove an ovarian tumor. He is known as the father of ovariotomy and abdominal surgery. The procedure took about 30 minutes and was performed without any anesthesia.
1643: Christmas Island discovered
Captain William Mynors on the East India Company ship Royal Mary did not stop at the Australian island, which owes its name to the date of its discovery by Europeans. It was not until 44 years later that the first Europeans stepped on the Island. Sparsely populated, the Indian Ocean island is rich in phosphate, which is mined from the guano – bird droppings.
1902: 1-year-old Emperor of Japan Hirohito in 1902. He ruled Japan from 25 December 1926 to 7 January 1989
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, December 25
1984: Alastair Cook, English cricketer
1924: Rod Serling, American screenwriter, producer, created The Twilight Zone
1899: Humphrey Bogart, American actor
1876: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Indian/Pakistani lawyer, politician, founder of Pakistan
1642: Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, theologian
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, December 25
2006: James Brown, American singer-songwriter, producer, actor
1989: Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romanian politician, 11th President of Romania
1983: Joan Miró, Spanish painter
1977: Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, composer
1963: Tristan Tzara, Romanian/French poet, critic