25 December

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 25^th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.

Keep reading for more interesting facts about December 25^th in history!

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