2014 Pope Francis gives his annual Christmas address from the Vatican, praying for groups that included refugees and exiles, persecuted Christian communities, and workers fighting the Ebola epidemic Sony Pictures releases its comedy 'The Interview' today in over 300 theaters and through online channels; the film depicts an attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and was initially canceled due to threats and hacking attacks 2013 Pope Francis gives his Urbi et Orbi speech (to the City of Rome and to the World), a papal address and Apostolic Blessing dating back to Ancient Rome; the Pope calls for peace in Syria and South Sudan The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is re-designated as a terrorist organization as part of a measure by the The Egyptian government to stop terrorists, and anyone financing the bombings and other terrorist acts that have occurred in their country 2012 Queen Elizabeth II shares her Christmas Message with her Commonwealth subjects, referencing the 'humbling' experience of her diamond jubilee celebrations and the 2012 Summer Olympics;the speech is the first to be broadcast in 3D At St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Rome, Pope Benedict XVI delivers the annual Christmas Message and holds traditional Mass at St. Peters Basilica 2011 The annual Christmas message is delivered by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City The South Pole records its warmest temperature at -12.3 degrees Celsius at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station 2010 The first snowfall in the last 128 years occurs in the U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia; 500 flights are affected Vanuatu experiences a 7.3 magnitude earthquake; a tsunami warning is issued for the region and later cancelled after a minor tsunami occurred 2003 Union des Transports Africains de Guinee flight 141 crashes on takeoff from Cotonou Airport 1997 For 1st time U.S. movie box office receipts pass $6 billion Jerry Seinfeld says this is the final season of his TV show 1994 "Comedy Tonight" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City after 8 performances 1991 Last day of a washout Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka at Gujranwala Mikhail Gorbachev formally resigned as President of U.S.S.R. 1990 "Godfather III" premieres 1989 Japanese scientist achieve -271.8 degrees C, coldest temp ever recorded 1987 Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, who escaped 2 days earlier, recaptured 1984 NBA's Bernard King scores 60 points 1983 1st live telecast of Christmas Parade 1982 Mudassar Nazar scores century, then Imran rips through Indians 1979 Opening day of 4th Test Cricket, India 8-112 vs. Pakistan at Kanpur U.S.S.R. airlifts invasionary army to Afghanistan 1977 Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets Egyptian President Sadat in Egypt 1976 Egyptian SS Patria sinks in Red Sea, about 100 killed Takeo Fukuda becomes Japanese premier 1974 Cyclone Tracy virtually destroys Darwin, Australia 1973 Tommy Chambers (Scotland) finishes 51 yr cycle tour (799,405 miles) 1972 England beat India by six wickets in the 1st Test Cricket at Delhi 1971 Longest NFL game (82m40s) as Dolphins beat Chiefs 27-24 Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) form Jesse Jackson Worst hotel fire in history kills 163 at Taeyokale Hotel in Seoul 1969 5 Israeli gunboats escape from Cherbourg harbor India all out for 163 at Madras vs. Australia, Ashley Mallett 5-91 1968 Frank Borman's Christmas reading while orbiting Moon 1967 Paul McCartney and Jane Asher get engaged 1964 "Goldfinger" premieres in US George Harrison's girlfriend Patti Boyd attacked by female Beatle fans 1963 Walt Disney's "The Sword in the Stone" is released 1962 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya U.S.S.R. 1959 A synagogue in Cologne Germany desecrated with swatstikas Richard Starkey receives his 1st drum set Sony brings transistor TV 8-301 to the market 1958 Alan Freed's Christmas Rock and Roll Spectacular opens 1957 Ed Gein found insane of murder 1955 Cleveland Browns win NFL championship Pope Pius XII encyclical on sacred music and popular music 1954 WSFA TV channel 12 in Montgomery, AL (NBC) begins broadcasting 1953 Avalanche of lava kills 150 (Ruapehu volcano, New Zealand) 1951 1st Christmas Day in Test Crickets, Australia vs. WI at Adelaide West Indies defeat Australia by 6 wkts on 3rd day of 3rd Test Cricket 1950 Cleveland Browns beat Los Angeles Rams 30-28 in NFL championship game Dick Tracy marries Tess Truehart Coronation Stone, taken from Scone in Scotland by Edward I in 1296, stolen from Westminster Abbey and smuggled back to Scotland 1947 Taiwan passes Human Rights laws (Day of Earth Law) 1946 Constitution accepted in Taiwan 1942 Admiral Dalans murderer of Bosinier de la Chapelle, sentenced to death British Col S W Bailey reaches Mihailovics headquarter Russian artillery/tank battle on German armies at Stalingrad 1941 Japan announces surrender of British-Canadian garrison at Hong Kong Japanese aircraft carriers Akagi/Kagu back in Kure, Japan 1940 Bradman out 1st ball for SA vs. Victoria before 6213 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Harts "Pal Joey," premieres in New York City 1939 Grimmett and Ward rip through Qld except Bill Brown (156) Montgomery Ward introduces Rudolph the 9th reindeer 1938 George Cukor announces Vivien Leigh will play Scarlett O'Hara 1937 Arturo Toscanini conducts 1st Symphony of the Air over NBC Radio Queensland all out for 93 vs. SA in front of 10,436 1936 Belgian bishops condemn fascism and communism Ron Hamence scores 104 for SA vs. Queensland before 4,865 1934 Four centuries for SA as they make 7-644 vs. Qld before 6,180 Samson Raphaelson's "Accent on Youth," premieres in New York City 1933 Another Christmas Day five-wicket haul by Clarrie Grimmett Belgian Working people's party accept Henry de Mans Plan of Labor Stan Smith takes 8-33 for Victoria vs. Tasmania at Hobart 1932 During King George V Christmas dinner speech, his chair collapes 1931 Albert Lonergan scores 137 SA vs. Qld at Adelaide before 5,697 Fleetwood-Smith takes 5-69 Victoria vs. Tas at Hobart New Yorks's Metropolitan Opera broadcasts an entire opera over radio 1930 Mount Van Hoevenberg bobsled run at Lake Placid, New York opens Slinger Nitschke scores 142 SA vs. Qld at Adelaide before 5,422 Tasmania all out 280, WI 2-139 at Hobart Crowd 2,500 1929 Grimmett takes 6-146 for SA, Queensland all out 380 Crowd 5,390 1928 Christmas Day attendance at cricket MCG (Vic vs. NSW) 14,887 NSW (v Vic) go from 8-74 to 9-113 to be 9-367 at stumps 1926 Hirohito becomes emperor of Japan 1926-1989 1923 Imperial Theater opens at 249 W 45th St. New York City 1922 Lenin dictates his "Political testament" 1917 "Why Marry," 1st drama to win Pulitzer Prize, premieres in New York City Hirsch/Harbach's musical "Going Up," premieres in New York City 1915 Irving Berlin and Harry B Smith's musical premieres in New York City 1914 Legendary/unofficial "Christmas Truce" takes place (Brits and Germans) 1911 Edward Knoblock's "Kismet," premieres in New York City 1908 Jack Johnson KO Tommy Burns and becomes 1st black heavyweight champ 1905 V Herbert/H Blossoms musical "Mlle Modiste," premieres in New York City 1902 Clyde Fitch' "Girl with Green Eyes," premieres in New York City 1901 Battle at Tweefontein Orange-Free state: Boers surprise attack Brits 1900 Arthur Schnitzlers "Leutnant Gustl" forbidden in Germany 1899 Farmers send/guide belegerd Ladysmith Kerstpudding/desire in grenade 1896 "Stars and Stripes Forever" written by John Philip Sousa 1894 1st midwestern football team to play on west coast, University of Chicago defeats Stanford 24-4 at Palo Alto, California in football 1888 1st indoor baseball game played at fairgrounds in Philadelphia 1875 Lambs Club in New York forms 1868 Despite bitter opposition, President A Johnson grants unconditional pardon to all persons involved in Southern rebellion (Civil War) 1862 40,000 watch Union army men play baseball at Hilton Head, SC 1848 New Haven Railroad opens 1843 1st theatre matinee (Olympic Theatre, New York City) 1837 Battle of Okeechobee-U.S. forces defeat Seminole Indians 1835 Charles Darwin company celebrates Christmas in Pahia, New Zealand 1834 Charles Darwin celebrates Christmas on Beagle at Tres Montes, Chile 1833 Charles Darwin celebrates Christmas in Port Desire, Patagonia 1832 Charles Darwin celebrates Christmas in St. Martin at Cape Receiver 1831 Louisiana and Arkansas are 1st states to observe Christmas as holiday 1830 Hector Berlioz's "Symphony Fantastic," premieres 1818 1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night") sung (Austria) Handel's Messiah, U.S. premieres in Boston 1776 Washington crosses Delaware and surprises and defeats 1,400 Hessians 1775 Pope Pius VI encyclical on the problems of the pontificate 1760 Juptier Hammon, New York slave, publishes poetry in "An Evening Throught" 1758 Halley's comet 1st sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch during return 1745 Prussia/Austria signs Treaty of Dresden Treaty of Dresden gives much of Silesia to the Prussians 1741 Astronomer Anders Celcius introduces Centigrade temperature scale 1717 Floods ravage Dutch coast provinces, 1000s killed 1688 English king James II lands in Ambleteuse, France Lord Delamere sides with King James II 1683 English Whig-leader duke of Monmouth flees to Holland 1651 Massachusetts General Court ordered a fine (five shillings) for "observing any such day as Christmas" 1641 Emperor Ferdinand III makes appointments with Sweden and France 1640 Pierre de Fermat writes to Marin Mersenne about Fermat's church thesis 1621 Governor William Bradford of Plymouth forbids game playing on Christmas 1613 Johan Sigismund of Brandenburg becomes protestant 1582 Zealand/Brabant adopts Gregorian calendar, yesterday was Dec 14th 1522 Turkish troops occupy Rhodos 1492 Columbus' ship Santa Maria docks at Dominican Republic 1223 St. Francis of Assisi assembles 1st Nativity scene (Greccio, Italy) 1130 Anti-pope Anacletus II crowns Roger II the Norman, king of Sicily 1121 Norbertus van Xanten finds order of the Norbertijnen 1101 Henry I of Limburg becomes duke of Netherlands-Lutherans 1100 Boudouin I of Boulogne crowned king of Jerusalem 1066 William the Conqueror, crowned king of England 1048 Parliament of Worms: Emperor Henry III names his cousin count Bruno van Egisheim/Dagsburg as Pope Leo IX 1046 Pope Clemens VI crowns Henry III RC-German emperor 1000 Monarch Istvan crowned king of Hungary 999 Heribertus becomes bishop of Cologne 979 Rotardus appointed as bishop of the kingdom 969 Johannes I Tzimisces, crowned emperor of Byzantium 967 John XIII crowned Otto II the Red German compassionate emperor 875 Charles, the Bare, crowned emperor of Rome 800 Pope Leo III crowns Charles the Great (Charlemagne), Roman emperor 795 Adrian I ends his reign as Catholic Pope 604 Battle at Etampes (Stampae): Burgundy beat Neustriers 597 England adopts Julian calendar 498 French king Clovis baptises himself 390 Roman emperor Theodosius admits debt on mass murder in Thessalonica 352 1st definite date Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th 337 Earliest possible date that Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th 1 1st Christmas, according to calendar-maker Dionysus Exiguus
