December 23

It is the first day of the Winter season in the, in the , the last day of the spring season.

Events

 * - Georg Alt's German translation of 's  is published.
 * - resigns as  of the  at the  in.
 * - The Battle of, decisive defeat of the counter-revolutionaries in  during the.
 * - The poem  (AKA The Night Before Christmas) is published in the Sentinel.
 * - cuts off the lower part of his left ear, takes it to a brothel, and gives it to a prostitute named Rachel.
 * - and  seminal  opened at the.
 * - The is signed into law by President, creating the.
 * - : The Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo.
 * - : -  forces defeat  forces in 's.
 * - inaugurated.
 * - becomes a signatory to the.
 * - First flight of the  bomber.
 * - Discovery of the first modern.
 * - : Greek sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
 * - World War II: occupied.
 * - The is first demonstrated at.
 * - Seven convicted of war crimes by the  were executed at  in.
 * - The first human is performed by Dr.  at  in.
 * - Dedication of, world's highest self-supporting iron tower.
 * 1972  - The  capital of  is struck by a 6.5 magnitude, killing more than 10,000.
 * 1972  - The 16 survivors of the  are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
 * 1972  - The Pittsburgh Steelers win their first ever post-season  game, defeating the Oakland Raiders 13-7, on a last second play that would become known as The.
 * - : forces occupy, the Afghan capital.
 * - The announces it has identified dangerous levels of  in the soil of.
 * - , piloted by and, lands at  in  and becomes the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world.
 * - : 88% of 's population vote for independence from in a referendum.
 * - A was shot down by an Iraqi, making it the first time in history an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat.
 * - in the  is hit by an 8.1 magnitude.
 * - Flight 217 from, , to ,  crashed shortly after takeoff killing 23 people.
 * 2005 -  declares a  against  following a December 18th attack on, which left about 100 people dead.

Births

 * -, Queen of Palmyra
 * - (d. )
 * -, English diplomat and scholar (d. )
 * - King (d. )
 * -, Italian composer (d. )
 * -, German poet (d. )
 * -, Swedish soldier (d. )
 * -, English magistrate (d. )
 * 1621  -,  (d. )
 * -, French composer (d. )
 * -, English industrialist and inventor (d. )
 * -, Russian poet (d. )
 * - King (d. )
 * - Tsar (d. )
 * -, French Egyptologist (d. )
 * -, French literary critic (d. )
 * -, American founder of (d. )
 * -, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. )
 * -, German engineer (d. )
 * -, American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (d. )
 * -, British botanist (d. )
 * -, Princess of Serbia (d. )
 * -, American philanthropist and tycoon(d. )
 * -, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (d. )
 * -, French artist (d. )
 * -, Russian painter and photographer (d. )
 * -, American comics artist (d. )
 * -, American author (d. )
 * -, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. )
 * -, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. )
 * -, English-born immunologist, recipient of the (d. )
 * 1911  -, American actor (d. )
 * 1918  -, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. )
 * -, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. )
 * -, French athlete and musician (d. )
 * -, Austrian music journalist
 * 1923  -, Italian conductor
 * 1923  -, U.S. Navy admiral (d. )
 * 1923  -, Argentine racing driver (d. )
 * -, American poet
 * -, Greek singer
 * -, American jazz trumpet player (d. )
 * -, American actor
 * -, American football player
 * 1935  -, American singer (d. )
 * -, American actor
 * -, American television producer
 * -, American Internet pioneer
 * -, American musician
 * 1940  -, former mayor of old city of
 * 1940  -, American singer  (d. )
 * -, American musician (d. )
 * -, American fashion designer
 * -, Russian-born mathematician
 * 1943  -, American actor
 * 1943  -, baseball player
 * 1943  -, American actress (d. )
 * 1943  -, Queen of Sweden
 * -, U.S. general and NATO Supreme Allied Commander
 * -, American drummer
 * -, Slovak operatic soprano
 * 1946  -, American actress
 * –, Finnish race walker
 * -, American football player
 * -, American musician
 * -, American politician
 * -, Korean educator and author
 * -, British guitarist
 * -, American political commentator
 * -, English guitarist
 * 1956  -, Italian  driver (d. )
 * -, Canadian singer
 * 1957  -, English television presenter
 * -, American singer
 * 1958  -, American actress
 * -, British engineer
 * -, British television personality
 * -, Japanese professional wrestler
 * 1962  -, Belgian racing driver
 * -, American football player
 * 1963  -, American author
 * -, American musician
 * -, Italian-French model, songwriter and singer
 * -, American actress
 * -, Canadian speed skater
 * 1970  -, American football player
 * -, Canadian actor
 * 1971  -, Japanese singer-songwriter
 * 1971  -, Greek footballer
 * 1971  -, British socialite
 * -, Ecuadorian footballer
 * -, American actress
 * 1975  -, Russian ice hockey player
 * -, American baseball player
 * 1976  -, Greek footballer
 * 1976  -, American professional wrestler
 * -, American football player
 * 1977  -, Finnish guitarist and singer
 * 1977  -, American basketball player
 * -, American football player
 * 1978  -, Canadian musician and singer
 * 1978  -, British pornographic model
 * 1978  -, Venezuelan baseball player
 * 1978  -, Canadian model and actress
 * -, American model and actress
 * 1979  -, American ice hockey player
 * -, Spanish singer
 * -, English footballer
 * 1983  -, Dominican baseball player
 * -, British drummer
 * 1985  -, Australian actor
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, American actress, model, and singer
 * -, Japanese singer
 * -, American actress, model, and singer

Deaths

 * -, Bulgarian scholar
 * -, queen of
 * -, English playwright (b. )
 * -, tutor of of England
 * -, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. )
 * -, French Catholic leader (b. )
 * -, English poet (b. )
 * -, French poet (b. )
 * -, founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. )
 * -, French marshal and diplomat (b. )
 * -, French mathematician (b. )
 * -, Canadian saint (b. )
 * -, Scottish Jacobite spy
 * -, British admiral and politician (b. )
 * -, French philanthropist and developer of signed French (b. )
 * -, German composer (b. )
 * 1793 -, French author and novelist (b. )
 * -, British general (b. )
 * -, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. )
 * -, English demographer and economist (b. )
 * -, French naturalist (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, German anthropologist (b. )
 * -, American scientist
 * -, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. )
 * -, American gynecologist (b. )
 * -, (hanged) (b. )
 * 1948  -, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. )
 * -, Soviet Communist leader (b. )
 * -, French sculptor (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Soviet aircraft designer (b. )
 * -, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. )
 * 1973  -, American television writer, director, and producer (b. )
 * -, American art collector (b. )
 * -, American actor, producer, and director (b. )
 * -, Northern Irish artist (b. )
 * -, French American interior designer and socialite (b. )
 * 1992  -, American guitarist  (b. )
 * -, English actor (b. )
 * -, American cinematographer (b. )
 * -, Mallika-e-Tarranum (Queen of Melody) (b. )
 * 2000  -, American actor (b. )
 * 2000  -, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * -, polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. )
 * 2005  -, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. )
 * -, English comedian (b. )
 * 2006  -, American actress, model & Playboy Playmate (b. )
 * -, English comedian (b. )
 * 2006  -, American actress, model & Playboy Playmate (b. )

Holidays and observances

 * -, a festival in honour of
 * -, ; , patron saint of Iceland
 * - - Birthday of, the current
 * Ancient -  held
 * - Birthday of, an
 * (American) - observed
 * , in the
 * Saint, in the Coptic Church
 * , a holiday made popular by the sitcom .
 * , a holiday made popular by the sitcom .