December 23: Festivus The Emperor's Birthday in Japan.

Genial.Soul · Fun Addict Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 641 Gender:

December 23 is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 8 days remaining until the end of the year.

It is the first day of the Winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere, the last day of the spring season.

Events

1493 - Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle is published.
1783 - George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
1793 - The Battle of Savenay, decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in Revolt in the Vendée during the French Revolution.
1823 - The poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (AKA The Night Before Christmas) is published in the Sentinel.
1888 - Vincent van Gogh cuts off the lower part of his left ear, takes it to a brothel, and gives it to a prostitute named Rachel.
1911 - Stanislavski and Craig's seminal production of Hamlet opened at the Moscow Arts Theatre.
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.
1916 - World War I: Battle of Magdhaba - Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.
1921 - Visva-Bharati University inaugurated.
1936 - Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1937 - First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber.
1938 - Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa .
1940 - World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (Υ-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta.
1941 - World War II: Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.
1947 - The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
1948 - Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo.
1954 - The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
1958 - Dedication of Tokyo Tower, world's highest self-supporting iron tower.
1972 - The Nicaraguan capital of Managua is struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 10,000.
1972 - The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
1972 - The Pittsburgh Steelers win their first ever post-season NFL game, defeating the Oakland Raiders 13-7, on a last second play that would become known as The Immaculate Reception.
1979 - Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.
1982 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach, Missouri.
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.
1990 - History of Slovenia: In a referendum 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia .
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.
2004 - Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean is hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake.
2005 - Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan crashes shortly after takeoff killing 23 people.
2005 - Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18th attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
2007 - A grand conjunction in which the solar system will align with the galactic center.

Births

245- Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra
1173 - Louis I, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1231)
1513 - Thomas Smith, English diplomat and scholar (d. 1577)
1537 - King John III of Sweden (d. 1592)
1582 - Severo Bonini, Italian composer (d. 1663)
1597 - Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)
1613 - Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish soldier (d. 1676)
1621 - Edmund Berry Godfrey, English magistrate (d. 1678)
1621 - Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682)
1689 - Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755)
1732 - Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)
1743 - Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian poet (d. 1803)
1750 - King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827)
1777 - Tsar Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)
1790 - Jean François Champollion, French Egyptologist (d. 1832)
1804 - Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (d. 1869)
1805 - Joseph Smith, Jr., American founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1844)
1819 - Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889)
1822 - Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875)
1843 - Richard Conner, American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (d. 1924)
1854 - Henry B. Guppy, British botanist (d. 1926)
1864 - Zorka of Montenegro, Princess of Serbia (d. 1890)
1867 - Madam C.J. Walker, American philanthropist and tycoon(d. 1919)
1878 - Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (d. 1972)
1885 - Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964)
1891 - Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)
1900 - Otto Soglow, American comics artist (d. 1975)
1902 - Norman Maclean, American author (d. 1990)
1907 - Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942)
1908 - Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. 2002)
1911 - Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994)
1911 - James Gregory, American actor (d. 2002)
1916 - Dino Risi, Italian film director and screenwriter
1918 - Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
1918 - José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)
1921 - Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
1922 - Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician (d. 2001)
1923 - Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist
1923 - Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor
1923 - James Stockdale, U.S. Navy admiral (d. 2005)
1923 - Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver (d. 1954)
1926 - Robert Bly, American poet
1928 - Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer
1929 - Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988)
1931 - Ronnie Schell, American actor
1933 - Akihito, Emperor of Japan
1935 - Paul Hornung, American football player
1935 - Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)
1936 - Frederic Forrest, American actor
1937 - Barney Rosenzweig, American television producer
1938 - Bob Kahn, American Internet pioneer
1940 - Jorma Kaukonen, American musician
1940 - Robert Labine, former mayor of old city of Gatineau, Quebec
1940 - Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005)
1941 - Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)
1942 - John Peterman, American fashion designer
1943 - Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician
1943 - Harry Shearer, American actor
1943 - Ron Allen, baseball player
1943 - Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987)
1943 - Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden
1944 - Wesley Clark, U.S. general and NATO Supreme Allied Commander
1945 - Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly)
1946 - Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano
1946 - Susan Lucci, American actress
1947 – Heikki Lahtinen, Finnish race walker
1948 - Jack Ham, American football player
1949 - Adrian Belew, American musician
1950 - Michael C. Burgess, American politician
1950 - Ilchi Lee, Korean educator and author
1951 - Anthony Phillips, British guitarist (Genesis)
1952 - William Kristol, American political commentator
1956 - Dave Murray, English guitarist (Iron Maiden)
1956 - Michele Alboreto, Italian Formula one driver (d. 2001)
1957 - Dan Bigras, Canadian singer
1957 - Trisha Goddard, English television presenter
1958 - Victoria Williams, American singer
1958 - Joan Severance, American actress
1959 - Geoff Willis, British engineer
1961 - Carol Smillie, British television personality
1962 - Keiji Muto, Japanese professional wrestler
1962 - Bertrand Gachot, Belgian racing driver
1963 - Jim Harbaugh, American football player
1963 - Donna Tartt, American author
1964 - Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)
1968 - Carla Bruni, Italian-French model, songwriter and singer
1969 - Martha Byrne, American actress
1970 - Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater
1970 - Raymont Harris, American football player
1971 - Corey Haim, Canadian actor
1971 - Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter
1971 - Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer
1971 - Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite
1974 - Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer
1975 - Sky Lopez, American actress
1975 - Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player
1976 - Brad Lidge, American baseball player
1976 - Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Greek footballer
1976 - Jamie Noble, American professional wrestler
1977 - Alge Crumpler, American football player
1977 - Jari Mäenpää, Finnish guitarist and singer
1977 - Paul Shirley, American basketball player
1978 - Andra Davis, American football player
1978 - Esthero, Canadian musician and singer
1978 - Jodie Marsh, British pornographic model
1978 - Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player
1978 - Estella Warren, Canadian model and actress
1979 - Summer Altice, American model and actress
1979 - Scott Gomez, American ice hockey player
1981 - Beth, Spanish singer
1983 - Michael Chopra, English footballer
1983 - Hanley Ramírez, Dominican baseball player
1985 - Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly)
1985 - Luke O'Loughlin, Australian actor
1988 - Eri Kamei, Japanese singer
1990 - Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer

Deaths

679 - Dagobert II, King of Austrasia (b. c 650).(murdered)
910 - Naum of Preslav, Bulgarian scholar
913 - Conrad of Franconia
918 - Conrad I of Germany
1230 - Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
1556 - Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504)
1568 - Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England
1575 - Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531)
1588 - Henry I, Duke of Guise, French Catholic leader (b. 1550)
1631 - Michael Drayton, English poet (b. 1563)
1646 - François Maynard, French poet (b. 1582)
1652 - John Cotton, founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. 1585)
1675 - Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)
1722 - Pierre Varignon, French mathematician (b. 1654)
1771 - Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)
1761 - Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish Jacobite spy
1779 - Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, British admiral and politician (b. 1724)
1789 - Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French philanthropist and developer of signed French (b. 1712)
1793 - Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (b. 1699)
1793 - Antoine François Prévost, French author and novelist (b. 1697)
1795 - Henry Clinton, British general (b. 1730)
1805 - Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. 1723)
1834 - Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766)
1846 - Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)
1902 - Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1821)
1912 - Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (b. 1850)
1931 - Wilson Bentley, American scientist (b. 1865)
1939 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890)
1946 - John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873)
1948 - Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884)
1948 - Akira Muto, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. 1883)
1953 - Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899)
1954 - René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897)
1970 - Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)
1972 - Andrei Tupolev, Soviet aircraft designer (b. 1888)
1973 - Charles Atlas, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. 1892)
1973 - Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901)
1979 - Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
1982 - Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920)
1983 - Colin Middleton, Northern Irish artist (b. 1910)
1992 - Vincent Fourcade, French American interior designer and socialite (b. 1934)
1992 - Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950)
1994 - Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905)
1997 - Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908)
2000 - Noor Jehan, Mallika-e-Tarranum (Queen of Melody) (b. 1926)
2000 - Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)
2000 - Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)
2004 - P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)
2005 - Norman D. Vaughan, polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905)
2005 - Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1914)
2006 - Charlie Drake, English comedian (b. 1925)
2006 - Marilyn Waltz, American actress, model & Playboy Playmate (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances

Roman festivals - Larentalia, a festival in honour of Larenta
R.C. Saints - O Emmanuel, John Cantius ; Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland
Japan - The Emperor's Birthday - Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan
Ancient Latvia - Ziemassvētki held
Sweden - Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day
Oaxaca - Night of the Radishes
Secular humanism (American) - HumanLight observed
Saint Abassad, in the Coptic Church
Saint Psote, in the Coptic Church
Festivus, a holiday made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld.