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 357^th 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, 29,440,800 minutes 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.

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.

December 23 Historical Events

• 962 –
  Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo
• 1572 –
  Theologian Johann Sylvan executed in Heidelberg for his heretical Antitrinitarian beliefs
• 1913 –
  The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve.
• 1914 –
  World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt.
• 1916 –
  World War I: Battle of Magdhaba – Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.
• 1940 –
  World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (Υ-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
• 1948 –
  Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo.
• 2002 –
  A MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, making it the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat.
• 2003 –
  PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
• 2007 –
  An agreement is made for the monarchy of Nepal to be abolished and the country to become a federal republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of state.

Who were born on December 23?

• 1597 –
  Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)
• 1819 –
  Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889)
• 1891 –
  Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)
• 1935 –
  Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)
• 1948 –
  Leslie Moonves, American television executive
• 1958 –
  Victoria Williams, American singer
• 1963 –
  Ante Zelck, German entrepreneur and hostel pioneer.
• 1968 –
  Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, American photographer
• 1978 –
  Andra Davis, American football player
• 1992 –
  Jeffrey Schlupp, German footballer

Who died on December 23?

• 1230 –
  Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
• 1675 –
  Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)
• 1771 –
  Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)
• 1846 –
  Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)
• 1931 –
  Wilson Bentley, American scientist (b. 1865)
• 1946 –
  John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873)
• 1984 –
  Joan Lindsay, Australian author (b. 1896)
• 2004 –
  P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)
• 2007 –
  Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)
• 2009 –
  Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Tibetan official (b. 1910)