December 23 is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are eight days remaining until the end of the year. [edit] Events - 962 – Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo
- 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.
- 1893 – The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed.
- 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, Egypt.
- 1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba – Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.
- 1921 – Visva-Bharati University is 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.
- 1968 – The United States won the release of 82 sailors by issuing a written apology to North Korea for spying on the Communist country.
- 1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2003 – PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234.
- 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 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
[edit] 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)
- 1758 – Nathan Wilson U.S. Representative from New York
- 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 religious leader (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 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean writer and poet (d. 2005)
- 1907 – Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942)
- 1908 – Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. 2002)
- 1910 – Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (d. 1961)
- 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)
- 1918 – Kumar Pallana, Indian-born American actor
- 1919 – Kenneth M. Taylor, American pilot (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
- 1922 – Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician (d. 2001)
- 1923 – Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver (d. 1954)
- 1923 – Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist
- 1923 – Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor
- 1923 – James Stockdale, American admiral (d. 2005)
- 1925 – Duncan Hallas, British political figure
- 1925 – Rayner Unwin, British book publisher (d. 2000)
- 1926 – Robert Bly, American poet
- 1928 – Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer
- 1929 – Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988)
- 1929 – Dick Weber, American professional tenpin bowler (d. 2005)
- 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
- 1937 – Edward Irving Wortis, American author
- 1938 – Bob Kahn, American Internet pioneer
- 1940 – Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
- 1940 – Robert Labine, French-Canadian politician
- 1940 – Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005)
- 1941 – Ron Bushy, American musician
- 1941 – Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)
- 1941 – Serge Reding, Belgian weightlifter (d. 1975)
- 1942 – John Peterman, American fashion designer
- 1943 – Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician
- 1943 – Harry Shearer, American actor
- 1943 – Ron Allen, American baseball player
- 1943 – Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987)
- 1943 – Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden
- 1944 – Wesley Clark, American military officer
- 1945 – Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly)
- 1946 – Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano
- 1946 – Susan Lucci, American actress
- 1947 – Graham Bonnet, English musician
- 1948 – Jack Ham, American football player
- 1948 – Leslie Moonves, American television executive
- 1949 – Adrian Belew, American musician
- 1950 – Michael C. Burgess, American politician
- 1950 – Ilchi Lee, Korean educator and author
- 1951 – Anthony Phillips, British musician (Genesis)
- 1952 – William Kristol, American political commentator
- 1953 – Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
- 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
- 1958 – Dave Murray, English musician (Iron Maiden)
- 1959 – Geoff Willis, British engineer
- 1961 – Carol Smillie, British television personality
- 1961 – Ezzat el Kamhawi, Egyptian novelist.
- 1962 – Bertrand Gachot, Belgian racing driver
- 1962 – Kang Je-gyu, South Korean film director
- 1962 – Great Muta, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1963 – Jim Harbaugh, American football player
- 1963 – Donna Tartt, American author
- 1964 – Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)
- 1967 – Carla Bruni, Italian-French model and singer
- 1967 – Tim Fountain, British playwright
- 1967 – Otis Grant, Jamaican-Canadian Professional Boxer
- 1968 – Quincy Jones III, Swedish-American musician
- 1969 – Greg Biffle, American racecar driver
- 1969 – Martha Byrne, American actress
- 1969 – Rob Pelinka, American sports agent
- 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
- 1971 – Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist
- 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 glamour 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
- 1979 – Holly Madison, American model
- 1979 – Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
- 1980 – Cody Ross, American baseball player
- 1981 – Beth, Spanish singer
- 1981 – Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuban boxer
- 1982 – Brad Nelson, American baseball player
- 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
[edit] Deaths - 668 – Mor Gabriel, Syriac Orthodox Saint
- 679 – Dagobert II, King of Austrasia (b. c. 650)
- 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, English-born 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 (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 – Akira Muto, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. 1883)
- 1948 – Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884)
- 1953 – Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899)
- 1954 – René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897)
- 1961 – Kurt Meyer, German SS officer (b. 1910)
- 1970 – Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)
- 1971 – Pasha Hristova, Bulgarian singer (b. 1946)
- 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)
- 1984 – Joan Lindsay, Australian author (b. 1896)
- 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)
- 1998 – Michelle Thomas, American actress (b. 1968)
- 2000 – Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)
- 2000 – Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)
- 2000 – Noor Jehan, Pakistani singer and actress (b. 1926)
- 2001 – Bola Ige, Nigerian politician (b. 1930)
- 2004 – P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)
- 2005 – Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1914)
- 2005 – Norman D. Vaughan, American polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905)
- 2006 – Charlie Drake, English comedian (b. 1925)
- 2006 – Timothy J. Tobias, American composer and musician (b. 1952)
- 2006 – Marilyn Waltz, American actress and Playboy Playmate (b. 1931)
- 2006 – Johnny Vincent, English footballer (b. 1947)
- 2007 – William Francis Ganong, American physiologist (b. 1924)
- 2007 – Michael Kidd, American film and stage choreographer (b. 1915)
- 2007 – Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)
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