December 23rd in History

Michael Dobson | December 23

A Visit from St. Nicholas is first published, December 23, 1823

Today in History

  • Glorious Revolution: James II of England flees to Paris after being deposed (1688)
  • American Revolution: George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1783)
  • A Visit from St. Nicholas (‘Twas the night before Christmas) is published (1823)
  • Sailors from the USS Pueblo are released by North Korea after eleven months of captivity (1968)
  • Voyager, the first aircraft to fly nonstop around the world without refueling, lands (1986)

Birthdays

  • Joseph Smith, Mormon leader (1805)
  • James Stockdale, admiral and vice-presidential candidat (1923)
  • Robert Bly, poet (1926)
  • Heisei Emperor (Akihito, 明仁) (1933)
  • Paul Hornung, football player (1935)
  • Jorma Kaukonen, singer-songwriter with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna (1940)
  • John Peterman, businessman (1942)
  • Harry Shearer, comedian (1943)
  • Wesley Clark, general and presidential candidate (1944)
  • Susan Lucci, actress (1946)
  • William Kristol, journalist and publisher (1952)
  • Joan Severance, actress (1958)
  • Eddie Vedder, singer-songwriter with Pearl Jam (1964)
  • Corey Haim, actor (1971)

Deaths

  • Robert Malthus, demographer and political economist (1834)
  • John Chisum, cattle baron (1884)
  • Anthony Fokker, aircraft designer (1939)
  • Hideki Tōjō (東條 英機), prime minister of Japan (1948)
  • Лавре́нтий Па́влович (Lavrentiy Beria), Soviet secret police chief (1953)
  • Charles Ruggles, actor (1970)
  • Андрей Туполев (Andrei Tupolev), aircraft designer (1972)
  • Charles Atlas, bodybuilder (1973)
  • Jack Webb, actor and producer (1982)
  • Sebastian Shaw, actor (1994)
  • Joe Orlando, comic book artist and writer (1998)
  • Billy Barty, actor (2000)
  • Victor Borge, pianist and comedian (2000)
  • Oscar Peterson, jazz pianist (2007)
  • Михаи́л Кала́шников (Mikhail Kalashnikov), weapons designer (2013)
  • Yusef Lateef, jazz musician (2013)

Holidays and Celebrations

  • Birthday of Queen Silvia (Sweden)
  • Children’s Day (South Sudan)
  • Festivus (Seinfeld fans)
  • Human Light (secular humanists in the US)
  • Larentalia (Roman Empire)
  • Night of the Radishes (Oaxaca, Mexico)
  • The Emperor’s Birthday (Japan)
  • Tibb’s Eve (Newfoundland and Labrador)
  • Victory Day (Egypt)
Informal and made-up holidays include National Pfeffernusse Day.
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December 23 is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years). There are 8 days remaining until the end of the year.