December 23 in history — What Happened Today in History
Curious what December 23 in history holds? From 2025 back through the centuries, our timeline gathers everything that happened on December 23 — events, birthdays and deaths on one cozy page.
On this page, December 23 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about December 23 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on December 23 in History 40
- 2025
The crash of Harmony Jets Flight 185 killed all eight people on board, including the Libyan Army chief Mohammed al-Haddad in Ankara, Turkey.
- 2023
A series of massacres targeting Berom civilians unfold in the Plateau State in Nigeria, killing over 200 people and further injuring over 500. No group claims responsibility.
- 2015
A bomb explodes at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, killing one airport cleaner. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks claim responsibility for the attack four days later.
- 2008
A coup d'état occurs in Guinea hours after the death of President Lansana Conté.
- 2007
An agreement is made for the Kingdom of Nepal to be abolished and the country to become a federal republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of state.
- 2005
An Antonov An-140, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, heading across the Caspian Sea, crashes, killing 23 people.
- 2003
An explosion at the PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field in Kai County, Chongqing, China, kills at least 234.
- 2002
A U.S. MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25 in the first combat engagement between a drone and conventional aircraft.
- 1990
History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88.5% of Slovenia's overall electorate vote for independence from Yugoslavia.
- 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.
- 1984
After experiencing an engine fire, Aeroflot Flight 3519 attempts to make an emergency landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport but crashes, killing 110 of the 111 people on board.
- 1979
Soviet–Afghan War: Soviet Union forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.
All entries for December 23（+28）
- 1978
Alitalia Flight 4128 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea while on approach to Falcone Borsellino Airport in Palermo, Italy, killing 108.
- 1972
The Immaculate Reception is caught by Franco Harris to win the Pittsburgh Steelers their first ever playoff victory, after defeating the Oakland Raiders.
- 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, surviving by cannibalism.
- 1970
The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York is topped out at 417 metres (1,368 ft), making it the tallest building in the world.
- 1970
The Democratic Republic of the Congo officially becomes a one-party state.
- 1968
The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea.
- 1960
Hilkka Saarinen née Pylkkänen is murdered in the so-called "oven homicide" case in Krootila, Kokemäki, Finland.
- 1955
The first film adaptation of Väinö Linna's novel The Unknown Soldier, directed by Edvin Laine, premieres.
- 1954
First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray.
- 1950
Korean War: General Walton Walker dies in a jeep accident and is replaced by General Matthew Ridgway in the Eighth United States Army.
- 1948
Seven Japanese military and political leaders convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed by Allied occupation authorities at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo, Japan.
- 1947
The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
- 1941
World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupies Wake Island.
- 1936
Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1936
Spanish Civil War: The Spanish Republic legalizes the Regional Defence Council of Aragon.
- 1919
Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom, allowing women to serve as lawyers, civil servants, and in other professions, as well as to serve on juries.
- 1916
World War I: Battle of Magdhaba: Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in the Sinai Peninsula.
- 1914
World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt.
- 1914
World War I: During the Battle of Sarikamish, Ottoman forces mistook one another for Russian troops. The following friendly fire incident leaves 2,000 Ottomans dead and many more wounded.
- 1913
The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.
- 1905
The Tampere conference, where Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin meet for the first time, is held in Tampere, Finland.
- 1893
The opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed.
- 1876
First day of the Constantinople Conference which resulted in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans.
- 1823
The poem "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas," also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," is published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel.
- 1815
The novel Emma by Jane Austen is first published.
- 1793
The Battle of Savenay: A decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in War in the Vendée during the French Revolution.
- 1783
George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland.
Famous Birthdays on December 23 in History 25
- 2002
Finn Wolfhard, Canadian actor and musician
- 2000
Victor Boniface, Nigerian footballer
- 1999
Samuel Lino, Brazilian footballer
- 1996
Bartosz Kapustka, Polish footballer
- 1994
Reed Alexander, American actor
- 1992
Spencer Daniels, American actor
- 1992
Mbwana Samatta, Tanzanian footballer
- 1992
Jeff Schlupp, German footballer
- 1991
Kyren Wilson, English snooker player
- 1990
Brice Dja Djédjé, Ivorian footballer
- 1990
Mitch Haniger, American baseball player
- 1990
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress and singer
All entries for December 23（+13）
- 1989
David Szymanski, American video game developer
- 1988
Mallory Hagan, American beauty queen, Miss America 2013
- 1987
Tommaso Bellazzini, Italian footballer
- 1987
Owen Franks, New Zealand rugby player
- 1987
Jori Lehterä, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1986
Thomas Bourgin, French motorcycle racer (died 2013)
- 1986
Beau Champion, Australian rugby league player
- 1986
Balázs Dzsudzsák, Hungarian footballer
- 1986
T. J. Oshie, American ice hockey player
- 1985
Dev Hynes (also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion), English singer, songwriter, producer, and composer
- 1985
Harry Judd, English drummer and songwriter
- 1985
Alison Sudol, American actress and singer-songwriter
- 1984
Dudu Aharon, Israeli singer-songwriter
Notable Deaths on December 23 in History 25
- 2024
Shyam Benegal, Indian director and screenwriter (born 1934)
- 2024
Dési Bouterse, Surinamese general and politician, 9th President of Suriname (born 1945)
- 2024
Sophie Hediger, Swiss snowboarder (born 1998)
- 2023
William Pope.L, American performance artist (born 1955)
- 2022
Brandon Montrell, American TikTok personality and stand-up comedian (born 1979)
- 2021
Joan Didion, American writer (born 1934)
- 2020
Leslie West, American singer and guitarist (born 1945)
- 2017
Maurice Hayes, Irish educator and politician (born 1927)
- 2015
Alfred G. Gilman, American pharmacologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1941)
- 2015
Don Howe, English footballer and manager (born 1935)
- 2015
Jean-Marie Pelt, French biologist, pharmacist, and academic (born 1933)
- 2015
Bülent Ulusu, Turkish admiral and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1923)
All entries for December 23（+13）
- 2014
Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (born 1944)
- 2014
Robert V. Hogg, American statistician and academic (born 1924)
- 2013
Chryssa, Greek-American sculptor (born 1933)
- 2013
Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russian general and weapons designer, designed the AK-47 rifle (born 1919)
- 2013
Yusef Lateef, American saxophonist, composer, and educator (born 1920)
- 2013
Ricky Lawson, American drummer and composer (born 1954)
- 2013
G. S. Shivarudrappa, Indian poet and educator (born 1926)
- 2013
Robert W. Wilson, American philanthropist and art collector (born 1928)
- 2012
Jean Harris, American educator and murderer (born 1923)
- 2012
Eduardo Maiorino, Brazilian mixed martial artist and kick-boxer (born 1979)
- 2011
Aydın Menderes, Turkish economist and politician (born 1946)
- 2010
Fred Hargesheimer, American soldier and pilot (born 1916)
- 2010
K. Karunakaran, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Kerala (born 1918)
That is the story of December 23 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on December 23 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on December 23 in history?
The biggest event on December 23 in history is: 2025 — The crash of Harmony Jets Flight 185 killed all eight people on board, including the Libyan Army chief Mohammed al-Haddad in Ankara, Turkey.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on December 23?
25 famous people were born on December 23 in history, the best known being 2002 — Finn Wolfhard, Canadian actor and musician.
Who died on December 23?
25 notable people died on December 23 in history, including 2024 — Shyam Benegal, Indian director and screenwriter (born 1934).
Why should I read about December 23 in history?
Exploring December 23 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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