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.
Do people and celebrities interest you? Discover all the December 23 famous birthdays who share your special day. Learn some fun facts about your birthday!
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December 23 Historical Events
- 1893 –The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed.
- 1916 –World War I: Battle of Magdhaba – Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.
- 1919 –Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the UK.
- 1940 –World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (Υ-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
- 1941 –World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.
- 1968 –The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea.
- 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.
- 1986 –Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling.
- 2003 –PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
Who were born on December 23?
- 1597 –Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)
- 1935 –Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)
- 1942 –John Peterman, American fashion designer
- 1943 –Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987)
- 1945 –Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly)
- 1946 –Susan Lucci, American actress
- 1971 –Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist
- 1978 –Andra Davis, American football player
- 1985 –Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly)
- 1987 –Tommaso Bellazzini, Italian footballer
Who died on December 23?
- 1556 –Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504)
- 1588 –Henry I, Duke of Guise, French Catholic leader (b. 1550)
- 1652 –John Cotton, English-born American minister (b. 1585)
- 1675 –Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)
- 1763 –Antoine François Prévost, French author and novelist (b. 1697)
- 1973 –Charles Atlas, Italian-born American bodybuilder (b. 1892)
- 1973 –Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901)
- 1979 –Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
- 1998 –Michelle Thomas, American actress (b. 1968)
- 2007 –Michael Kidd, American film and stage choreographer (b. 1915)
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