What are the important events that happened on December 22? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

December 22: Facts & Myths About This Day

December 22 is the 356^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 9 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 9, 2025 – a Monday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 490,656 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘trihectapentacontahexagon’ day.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Turquoise is the modern birthstone for this month. Onyx is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 57 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,749 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

December 22 Historical Events

• 69 –
  Emperor Vitellius is captured and murdered at the Gemonian stairs in Rome.
• 1940 –
  World War II: Himarë is captured by the Greek army.
• 1944 –
  World War II: Battle of the Bulge – German troops demand the surrender of United States troops at Bastogne, Belgium, prompting the famous one word reply by General Anthony McAuliffe: “Nuts!”
• 1947 –
  The Constituent Assembly of Italy approves the Constitution of Italy.
• 1951 –
  The Selangor Labour Party is founded in Selangor, Malaya.
• 1965 –
  In the United Kingdom, a 70 mph speed limit is applied to all rural roads including motorways for the first time. Previously, there had been no speed limit.
• 1997 –
  Hussein Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991.
• 1999 –
  Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509, a Boeing 747-200F crashes shortly after take-off from London Stansted Airport due to pilot error. All 4 crew members are killed.
• 2001 –
  Richard Reid attempts to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63.
• 2010 –
  The repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, the 17-year-old policy banning on homosexuals serving openly in the United States military, is signed into law by President Barack Obama.

Who were born on December 22?

• 1095 –
  Roger II of Sicily, King of Sicily (d. 1154)
• 1550 –
  Cesare Cremonini, Italian philosopher (d. 1631)
• 1901 –
  André Kostelanetz, American popular music orchestra leader and arranger (d. 1980)
• 1907 –
  Dame Peggy Ashcroft, English actress (d. 1991)
• 1945 –
  Diane Sawyer, American journalist
• 1966 –
  Dmitry Bilozerchev, Soviet gymnast
• 1969 –
  Myriam Bédard, Canadian athlete
• 1975 –
  Chris Adler, American actor
• 1987 –
  Éderzito António Macedo Lopes, Guinea-Bissaun footballer
• 1998 –
  G. Hannelius, American child actress

Who died on December 22?

• 1603 –
  Mehmed III of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1566)
• 1646 –
  Petru Movilă, Moldavian religious figure (b. 1596)
• 1738 –
  Constantia Jones, British prostitute (b. c. 1708)
• 1788 –
  Percivall Pott, English physician and surgeon (b. 1714)
• 1902 –
  Richard von Krafft-Ebing, German psychiatrist (b. 1840)
• 1918 –
  Aristeidis Moraitinis, pioneer Greek military aviator (b. 1891)
• 1960 –
  Ninian Comper, Scottish architect (b. 1864)
• 1971 –
  Godfried Bomans, Dutch author and television personality (b. 1913)
• 1987 –
  Luca Prodan, Italian-Scottish singer (Sumo) (b. 1953)
• 2007 –
  Adrian Cristobal, Filipino writer (b. 1932)