What Happened on December 25?
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events
births
deaths
holidays
EVENTS ON DECEMBER 25
Explore the most important historical events that happened on December 25, featuring key moments that shaped the world.
Mapuche
Year:
1766
Mapuches in Chile launch a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish starting the Mapuche uprising of 1766.
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American Revolutionary War
Year:
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.
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Halley's Comet
Year:
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.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Year:
1725
J. S. Bach leads the first performance of the Christmas cantata Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110, making laughter audible in singing.
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Pope Pius IV
Year:
1559
Pope Pius IV is elected, four months after his predecessor's death.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Year:
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.
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Northwest Indian War
Year:
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.
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Ephraim McDowell
Year:
1809
Dr. Ephraim McDowell performs the first ovariotomy, removing a 22-pound tumor.
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BIRTHS ON DECEMBER 25
Discover famous people and historical figures born on December 25, including leaders, artists, scientists, and cultural icons.
Oscar Lewis
Year of birth:
1914
Oscar Lewis, American anthropologist of Latin America (died 1970)
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James Fletcher Jnr
Year of birth:
1914
James Fletcher Jnr, New Zealand businessman (died 2007)
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Candy Candido
Year of birth:
1913
Candy Candido, American singer, bass player, and voice actor (died 1999)
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Tony Martin (American singer)
Year of birth:
1913
Tony Martin, American singer (died 2012)
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Zora Arkus-Duntov
Year of birth:
1909
Zora Arkus-Duntov, Belgian-American engineer (died 1996)
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Louise Bourgeois
Year of birth:
1911
Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (died 2010)
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Pete Rugolo
Year of birth:
1915
Pete Rugolo, Italian-American composer and producer (died 2011)
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Ahmed Ben Bella
Year of birth:
1916
Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian soldier and politician, 1st President of Algeria (died 2012)
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DEATHS ON DECEMBER 25
Look back at notable individuals who passed away on December 25, and learn about their lasting influences on history.
Robert Walser
Year of death:
1956
Robert Walser, Swiss author and playwright (born 1878)
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Patsy Donovan
Year of death:
1953
Patsy Donovan, Irish-American baseball player and manager (born 1865)
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Charles Pathé
Year of death:
1957
Charles Pathé, French record producer, founded Pathé Records (born 1863)
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Otto Loewi
Year of death:
1961
Otto Loewi, German-American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1873)
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Tristan Tzara
Year of death:
1963
Tristan Tzara, Romanian-French poet, playwright, painter, and critic (born 1896)
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Owen Brewster
Year of death:
1961
Owen Brewster, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 54th Governor of Maine (born 1888)
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William Haselden
Year of death:
1953
William Haselden, British cartoonist (born 1872)
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Margrethe Mather
Year of death:
1952
Margrethe Mather, American photographer (born 1886)
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HOLIDAYS ON DECEMBER 25
See which holidays, observances, and special celebrations take place on December 25 around the world.
Asaram
Tulsi Pujan Diwas (India)
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Public holidays in Taiwan
Constitution Day (Taiwan)
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Jinnah's birthday
Quaid-e-Azam's Day (Pakistan)
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Children's Day
Children's Day (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo)
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Christmas
Christmas Day, Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. (Internationally observed)
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Anastasia of Sirmium
Christian feast day: Anastasia of Sirmium (Catholic Church)
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December 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Christian feast day: December 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
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Saint Stephen
Christian feast day: Stephen (Armenian Apostolic Church)
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