Britannica On This Day December 25 2023 * Christmas celebrated worldwide, and more *

This Day in History: December 25

Featured Event

Christmas celebrated worldwide
Though the precise origin of the date is unclear, Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on this day, having been first identified as the date of Jesus' birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221.

More Events On This Day

American singer and songwriter James Brown, known as “the Godfather of Soul,” died at the age of 73.Test your knowledge of music
:copyright: Rudi Keuntje—ZUMA/Newscom
1991

Mikhail Gorbachev resigned the presidency of the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist at the end of the year.How much do you know about Russian history?
Boris Yurchenko/AP Images
1977

Charlie Chaplin, the British comedic actor and director who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in motion-picture history, died in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.Take our quiz about movies
Brown Brothers
1962

The film adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird premiered and became a classic, especially noted for Gregory Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch.Test your knowledge of To Kill a Mockingbird
:copyright: 1962 Universal Pictures Company, Inc.; photograph from a private collection
1821

Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was born in Oxford, Massachusetts.Take our quiz about the United States
National Archives, Washington, D.C. (111-B-1857)
1776

During the American Revolution, General George Washington crossed the Delaware River and surprised the British at Trenton, New Jersey.Read our timeline of the American Revolution
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of John Stewart Kennedy, 1897 (97.34), www. metmuseum.org
1066

William I was crowned king of England, formally completing the Norman Conquest.How much do you know about the kings of England?
:copyright: Photos.com/Getty Images
800

Charlemagne, king of the Franks, became the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.Sort fact from fiction in our Charlemagne quiz
SuperStock

Featured Biography

Anwar Sadat
president of Egypt

BornDecember 25, 1918
Mit Abu al-Kum, Egypt
(Birthday tomorrow)
DiedOctober 6, 1981 (aged 62)
Cairo, Egypt


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Justin Trudeau
prime minister of Canada

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Nawaz Sharif
prime minister of Pakistan

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Atal Bihari Vajpayee
prime minister of India

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Rod Serling
American writer

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Humphrey Bogart
American actor

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