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, 29,439,360 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 ‘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

• 1851 –
  The first freight train is operated in Roorkee, India.
• 1894 –
  The Dreyfus affair begins in France, when Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted of treason.
• 1939 –
  Indian Muslims observe a “Day of Deliverance” to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Congress over their not having been consulted over the decision to enter World War II with Britain.
• 1940 –
  World War II: Himarë is captured by the Greek army.
• 1947 –
  The Constituent Assembly of Italy approves the Constitution of Italy.
• 1963 –
  The cruise ship Lakonia burns 180 mi north of Madeira with the loss of 128 lives.
• 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.
• 1984 –
  Bernhard Hugo Goetz shoots four African-American would-be muggers on an express train in Manhattan, New York City.
• 1988 –
  Chico Mendes, a Brazilian rubber tapper, unionist and environmental activist, is assassinated.
• 1991 –
  Armed opposition groups launch a military coup against President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia.

Who were born on December 22?

• 1178 –
  Emperor Antoku of Japan (d. 1185)
• 1819 –
  Pierre Ossian Bonnet, French mathematician (d. 1892)
• 1874 –
  Franz Schmidt, Austrian composer (d. 1939)
• 1903 –
  Haldan Keffer Hartline, American physiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1983)
• 1909 –
  Patricia Hayes, English actress (d. 1998)
• 1943 –
  Stefan Janos, Slovak-Swiss physicist
• 1948 –
  Flip Mark, American actor
• 1963 –
  Giuseppe Bergomi, Italian footballer
• 1963 –
  Luna H. Mitani, Japanese American surrealism painter
• 1976 –
  Jason Lane, American baseball player

Who died on December 22?

• 69 –
  Vitellius (b. 15)
• 1603 –
  Mehmed III of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1566)
• 1708 –
  Hedwig Sophia, duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, Swedish writer (b. 1681)
• 1767 –
  John Newbery, English publisher (b. 1713)
• 1880 –
  George Eliot, English writer (b. 1819)
• 1968 –
  Raymond Gram Swing, American journalist and broadcaster (b. 1887)
• 1985 –
  D. Boon, American singer and guitarist (The Minutemen) (b. 1958)
• 1989 –
  Samuel Beckett, Irish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
• 1992 –
  Harry Bluestone, Film music Composer (b. 1907)
• 2007 –
  Adrian Cristobal, Filipino writer (b. 1932)