# What happened on December 25 in history?

**Date:** December 25  
**Events recorded:** 69  
**Years spanned:** 36 – 2024  
**Full page:** https://thisday.info/events/december/25/

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## Featured Event

**2024** — Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashes in Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 of its occupants.

[Read more on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan_Airlines_Flight_8243)

---

## Events on this date

- **36** — Forces of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han, under the command of Wu Han, conquer the separatist Chengjia empire, reuniting China. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD_36))
- **274** — A temple to Sol Invictus is dedicated in Rome by Emperor Aurelian. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_the_Sun_(Rome)))
- **333** — Roman Emperor Constantine the Great elevates his youngest son Constans to the rank of Caesar. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great))
- **336** — First documented sign of Christmas celebration in Rome. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas))
- **350** — Vetranio meets Constantius II at Naissus (Serbia) and is forced to abdicate his imperial title. Constantius allows him to live as a private citizen on a state pension. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetranio))
- **508** — Clovis I, king of the Franks, is baptized into the Catholic faith at Reims, by Saint Remigius. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_I))
- **597** — Augustine of Canterbury and his fellow-labourers baptise in Kent more than 10,000 Anglo-Saxons. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Canterbury))
- **800** — The coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne))
- **820** — Eastern Emperor Leo V is murdered in a church of the Great Palace of Constantinople by followers of Michael II. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_V_the_Armenian))
- **1000** — The foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary: Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD_1000))
- **1013** — Sweyn Forkbeard takes control of the Danelaw and is proclaimed king of England. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swein_Forkbeard))
- **1025** — Coronation of Mieszko II Lambert as king of Poland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mieszko_II_Lambert))
- **1046** — Henry III is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor))
- **1066** — William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy is crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror))
- **1076** — Coronation of Bolesław II the Generous as king of Poland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boles%C5%82aw_II_the_Bold))
- **1100** — Baldwin of Boulogne is crowned the first King of Jerusalem in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Jerusalem))
- **1130** — Count Roger II of Sicily is crowned the first king of Sicily. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_II_of_Sicily))
- **1261** — Eleven-year-old John IV Laskaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaiologos. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_IV_Doukas_Laskaris))
- **1356** — Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, promulgates the Golden Bull, a constitution for his empire. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IV%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor))
- **1492** — The carrack Santa María, commanded by Christopher Columbus, runs onto a reef off Haiti due to an improper watch. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrack))
- **1553** — Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeat the Spanish conquistadors and executes the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tucapel))
- **1559** — Pope Pius IV is elected, four months after his predecessor's death. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_IV))
- **1724** — J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91, in Leipzig, based on Luther's 1524 Christmas hymn. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach))
- **1725** — J. S. Bach leads the first performance of the Christmas cantata Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110, making laughter audible in singing. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach))
- **1758** — Halley's Comet is sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch, confirming Edmund Halley's prediction of its passage.  This was the first passage of a comet predicted ahead of time. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley's_Comet))
- **1766** — Mapuches in Chile launch a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish starting the Mapuche uprising of 1766. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapuche))
- **1776** — American Revolutionary War: General George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River at night to attack Hessian forces serving Great Britain at Trenton, New Jersey, the next day. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War))
- **1793** — Northwest Indian War: General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a 300 man detachment identify the site of St. Clair's 1791 defeat by the large number of unburied human remains at modern Fort Recovery, Ohio. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Indian_War))
- **1809** — Dr. Ephraim McDowell performs the first ovariotomy, removing a 22-pound tumor. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephraim_McDowell))
- **1814** — Rev. Samuel Marsden holds the first Christian service on land in New Zealand at Rangihoua Bay. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Marsden))
- **1815** — The Handel and Haydn Society, oldest continually performing arts organization in the United States, gives its first performance. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handel_and_Haydn_Society))
- **1826** — The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy concludes after beginning the previous evening. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggnog_riot))
- **1831** — The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt begins; up to 20% of Jamaica's slaves mobilize in an ultimately unsuccessful fight for freedom. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist_War))
- **1837** — Second Seminole War: American general Zachary Taylor leads 1,100 troops against the Seminoles at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Seminole_War))
- **1868** — Pardons for ex-Confederates: United States President Andrew Johnson grants an unconditional pardon to all Confederate veterans. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardons_for_ex-Confederates))
- **1870** — Wagner's Siegfried Idyll is first performed. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner))
- **1914** — World War I: A series of unofficial truces occur across the Western Front to celebrate Christmas. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I))
- **1915** — The National Protection War breaks out against the Empire of China, as military leaders Cai E and Tang Jiyao proclaim the independence of Yunnan and begin a campaign to restore the Republic. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Protection_War))
- **1927** — B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burn copies of the Manusmriti in Mahad, Maharashtra, to protest its treatment of Dalit people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._R._Ambedkar))
- **1932** — A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Gansu, China kills 275 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_Changma_earthquake))
- **1941** — Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, appointed commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet on December 17, arrives at Pearl Harbor. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_W._Nimitz))
- **1941** — World War II: Battle of Hong Kong ends, beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II))
- **1941** — Admiral Émile Muselier seizes the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which become the first part of France to be liberated by the Free French Forces. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Muselier))
- **1946** — The first European self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is initiated within the Soviet Union's F-1 nuclear reactor. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_chain_reaction))
- **1950** — The Stone of Scone, traditional coronation stone of British monarchs, is taken from Westminster Abbey by Scottish nationalist students. It later turns up in Scotland on April 11, 1951. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Scone))
- **1951** — A bomb explodes at the home of Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. S. Moore, early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, killing Harry instantly and fatally wounding Harriette. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Harry_and_Harriette_Moore))
- **1962** — The Soviet Union conducts its final above-ground nuclear weapon test, in anticipation of the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union))
- **1963** — Turkish Cypriot Bayrak Radio begins transmitting in Cyprus after Turkish Cypriots are forcibly excluded from Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayrak))
- **1968** — Apollo program: Apollo 8 performs the first successful Trans-Earth injection (TEI) maneuver, sending the crew and spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth from Lunar orbit. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program))
- **1968** — Kilvenmani massacre: Forty-four Dalits (untouchables) are burnt to death in Kizhavenmani village, Tamil Nadu, a retaliation for a campaign for higher wages by Dalit laborers. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilvenmani_massacre))
- **1971** — A fire at the Daeyeonggak Hotel in Seoul, South Korea kills 164 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daeyeonggak_Hotel_fire))
- **1976** — EgyptAir Flight 864, a Boeing 707-366C, crashes on approach to Don Mueang International Airport, killing 71 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EgyptAir_Flight_864))
- **1977** — Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets in Egypt with its president Anwar Sadat. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Begin))
- **1986** — Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737-270C, is hijacked and crashes in Arar, Saudi Arabia, killing 63 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Airways_Flight_163))
- **1989** — Romanian Revolution: Deposed President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena, are condemned to death and executed after a summary trial. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_revolution))
- **1991** — Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day). Ukraine's referendum is finalized and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gorbachev))
- **1996** — The body of American child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was found in her family's Boulder, Colorado, home. Her murder remains unsolved. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_JonBen%C3%A9t_Ramsey))
- **1999** — Cubana de Aviación Flight 310, a Yakovlev Yak-42, crashes near Bejuma, Carabobo State, Venezuela, killing 22 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubana_de_Aviaci%C3%B3n_Flight_310))
- **2003** — UTA Flight 141, a Boeing 727-223, crashes at the Cotonou Airport in Benin, killing 141 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTA_Flight_141))
- **2003** — The ill-fated Beagle 2 probe, released from the Mars Express spacecraft on December 19, stops transmitting shortly before its scheduled landing. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_2))
- **2004** — The Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens))
- **2007** — A Siberian tiger named Tatania escapes her exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo and attacks three people, killing one and injuring two more. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger))
- **2012** — An Antonov An-72 plane crashes close to the city of Shymkent, killing 27 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-72))
- **2012** — Air Bagan Flight 011, a Fokker 100, crashes on approach to Heho Airport in Heho, Myanmar, killing two people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Bagan_Flight_011))
- **2016** — A Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 carrying members of the Alexandrov Ensemble crashes into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 92 people on board. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(Russia)))
- **2019** — Twenty people are killed and thousands are left homeless by Typhoon Phanfone in the Philippines. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Phanfone))
- **2020** — An explosion in Nashville, Tennessee, occurs, leaving three civilians in the hospital. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Nashville_bombing))
- **2021** — The James Webb Space Telescope is launched. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope))
- **2024** — Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashes in Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 of its occupants. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan_Airlines_Flight_8243))

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## Notable births on December 25

- **2000** — **Wilfried Singo** — Ivorian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfried_Singo))
- **1999** — **Adut Akech** — South Sudanese-Australian fashion model ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adut_Akech))
- **1996** — **Emiliano Buendía** — Argentine footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emiliano_Buend%C3%ADa))
- **1993** — **Emi Takei** — Japanese actress, fashion model and singer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emi_Takei))
- **1992** — **Mitakeumi Hisashi** — Japanese sumo wrestler ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitakeumi_Hisashi))
- **1991** — **Avu-chan** — Japanese musician, songwriter, actor, model and producer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avu-chan))
- **1988** — **Eric Gordon** — American basketball player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Gordon))
- **1988** — **Lukas Hinds-Johnson** — German rugby player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukas_Hinds-Johnson))
- **1988** — **Joãozinho** — Brazilian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3ozinho_(footballer%2C_born_1988)))
- **1987** — **Ceyhun Gülselam** — Turkish footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceyhun_G%C3%BClselam))

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## Notable deaths on December 25

- **2024** — **Britt Allcroft** — English writer (born 1943) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britt_Allcroft))
- **2024** — **Bill Bergey** — American football player (born 1945) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bergey))
- **2024** — **Jax Dane** — American professional wrestler (born 1976) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jax_Dane))
- **2024** — **M. T. Vasudevan Nair** — Indian author and screenwriter (born 1933) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._T._Vasudevan_Nair))
- **2024** — **Osamu Suzuki** — Japanese businessman (born 1930) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Suzuki_(businessman)))
- **2023** — **Jim Breaks** — British wrestler (born 1940) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Breaks))
- **2022** — **Fabián O'Neill** — Uruguayan footballer (born 1973) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabi%C3%A1n_O'Neill))
- **2021** — **Wayne Thiebaud** — American artist (born 1920) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Thiebaud))
- **2020** — **K. C. Jones** — American basketball player and coach (born 1932) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K.C._Jones))
- **2019** — **Ari Behn** — Norwegian writer (born 1972) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Behn))

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## About this page

This is a machine-readable Markdown summary of [thisday.info/events/december/25/](https://thisday.info/events/december/25/).  
Historical data is sourced from [Wikipedia/Wikimedia](https://www.wikipedia.org) under [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).  
Editorial framing and site content © thisday.info.