What are the important events that happened on December 23? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
December 23: Facts & Myths About This Day
December 23 is the 357th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 8 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Tuesday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 10, 2025 – a Tuesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 490,680 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 ‘trihectapentacontaheptagon’ day.
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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 56 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 4,750 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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December 23 Historical Events
- 962 –Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo
- 1688 –As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees England to Paris after being deposed in favour of his nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary.
- 1823 –A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas, is published anonymously.
- 1921 –Visva-Bharati University is inaugurated.
- 1940 –World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (Υ-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
- 1947 –The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
- 1970 –The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.
- 1972 –A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the Nicaraguan capital of Managua killing more than 10,000.
- 1972 –The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
- 1979 –Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.
Who were born on December 23?
- 1713 –Maruyama Gondazaemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 3rd Yokozuna (d. 1749)
- 1942 –John Peterman, American fashion designer
- 1943 –Harry Shearer, American actor
- 1947 –Graham Bonnet, English musician
- 1968 –Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, American photographer
- 1981 –Mario Santana, Argentine footballer
- 1981 –Maritza Correia, American swimmer
- 1982 –Brad Nelson, American baseball player
- 1988 –Eri Kamei, Japanese singer
- 1990 –Anna Maria Perez de Taglé, American actress, model, and singer
Who died on December 23?
- 668 –Mor Gabriel, Syriac Orthodox Saint (b. 594)
- 918 –Conrad I of Germany
- 1230 –Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
- 1834 –Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766)
- 1846 –Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)
- 1994 –Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905)
- 2001 –Bola Ige, Nigerian politician (b. 1930)
- 2007 –Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)
- 2009 –Robert L. Howard, American Vietnam War soldier; Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1939)
- 2010 –Fred Hargesheimer, American World War II pilot (b. 1916)
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