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Historical events on December 25

DECEMBER 25, 1941
Second World War: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when Mark Aitchison Young, the Governor of Hong Kong, surrendered the territory to Japan after 18 days of fierce fighting.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1724
Johann Sebastian Bach led the first performance of Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, based on the Christmas hymn written by Martin Luther in 1524.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1989
Romanian Revolution: Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were condemned to death on a wide range of charges and executed.
The Romanian revolution was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of Read More
DECEMBER 25, 2007
A tiger at the San Francisco Zoo escaped from its enclosure and attacked three patrons before it was shot and killed.
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens is a 100-acre (40 ha) zoo located on the West Side of San Francisco, in the southwestern Read More
DECEMBER 25, 2009
Aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.
The attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 occurred on December 25, 2009, aboard an Airbus A330 as it prepared to land at Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1758
Based on predictions by Edmond Halley in 1705, Johann Georg Palitzsch observed a comet that was later named Halley's Comet .
Edmond Halley was an English astronomer, mathematician and physicist. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720.
DECEMBER 25, 2016
A Tupolev Tu-154 of the Russian Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea shortly after taking off from Sochi International Airport, killing all 92 people on board.
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1100
Baldwin I was crowned the first king of Jerusalem (depicted) in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Baldwin I was the first count of Edessa from 1098 to 1100 and king of Jerusalem from 1100 to his death in Read More
DECEMBER 25, 2009
A fire destroyed Longford's 19th-century St Mel's Cathedral, considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands.
Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1991
In a nationally televised speech, Mikhail Gorbachev (pictured) resigned as President of the Soviet Union.
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1831
A Baptist preacher named Samuel Sharpe began an unsuccessful eleven-day slave revolt in Jamaica.
Baptists are a denomination of Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches Read More
DECEMBER 25, 2000
Russian president Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill officially adopting a new national anthem, with music by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov originally composed for the anthem of the Soviet Union.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1968
In Tamil Nadu, India, families of striking Dalit workers were massacred by a gang, allegedly led by their landlords.
Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of India. The tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population, Tamil Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1046
Henry III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II.
Henry III, called the Black or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1927
The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng, a revolutionary socialist political party that sought Vietnamese independence from French colonial rule, was formed in Hanoi.
The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng, abbreviated VNQDĐ or Việt Quốc, was a nationalist and democratic socialist political party that sought independence Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1950
Four Scottish university students removed the Stone of Scone, used in the coronations of Scottish and British monarchs, from Westminster Abbey in London.
On 25 December 1950, four Scottish students from the University of Glasgow removed the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey in London Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1066
Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, but continued to face rebellions over the following years and was not secure on the throne until after 1072.
The Norman Conquest was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, French, Flemish, Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1809
American physician Ephraim McDowell performed the world's first removal of an ovarian tumor.
Ephraim McDowell was an American physician and pioneer surgeon. The first person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor, he has been called Read More
DECEMBER 25, 1990
British computer programmer Tim Berners-Lee introduced WorldWideWeb, the world's first web browser and WYSIWYG HTML editor.
Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, also known as TimBL, is an English computer scientist best known as the inventor of the World Wide Read More

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