I have frequently written about the significance of a special date in history and readers seem to enjoy hearing about the events that took place on a specific date.

As we approach the Holiest of days, I thought it would be interesting to report some of the facts I have uncovered concerning Christmas Day itself, December 25^th, quite apart from the most well-known in the Christian world, the estimated date of Jesus of Nazareth’s birth in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

But were you also aware for instance, that the founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton, was born on December 25^th in 1821?  Or that hotel mogul, Conrad Hilton, was also born on Christmas day of 1887?  

In addition, December 25^th, 1899, was the birth date of actor Humphrey Bogart. Anwar-Sadat was also born on December 25^th in 1918, and more recently Christmas day birthdays were celebrated by singer Barbara Mandrell (1948) and actress Sissy Spacek (1949).

Many well-known personalities have also died on this important date in history.  In 1977, for instance, Charlie Chaplin died in Switzerland at the age of 88 on Christmas day. Two years later in 1979, actress Joan Blondell died at the age of 70 on December 25^th.

The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25^th was said to have occurred in Rome in the year 336, and in the year 597, England adopted the Julian calendar on December 25th.  In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England on December 25^th, and in the year 1223 St. Francis of Assisi assembled the first Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy on this special date in history.

On Christmas day of 1776 Washington crossed the Delaware, and in 1818 Franz Joseph Gruber & Joseph Mohr’s rendition of “Silent Night” was sung for the first time …. naturally on December 25^th. Handel’s “Messiah” was also performed for the first time in Boston on Christmas day that year.

In 1923, in Washington, D.C., the first electrically lit Christmas tree appeared in the White House, and on Christmas day of 1926, Hirohito became the Emperor of Japan.  At Christmas in 1939, Rudolph, the ninth reindeer with the red nose, made his first appearance in stores in North America.

A tragic avalanche of lava killed 150 people in New Zealand on Christmas day of 1953, and on December 25^th of 1963 Walt Disney released “The Sword in The Stone”, while Christmas Day of 1990 saw “Godfather III” released in cinemas.

It is interesting to note that Jesus’ birth was commemorated on January 6^th in the Greek Orthodox religion, although by the 400s most of the Eastern Churches had already accepted the Roman date of December 25^th as being the birth of Christ.

German reformer, Martin Luther, was once recorded as saying “It is the most ungodly and dangerous business to abandon the certain and revealed will of God in order to search into the hidden mysteries of God.”  He was said to have spoken those words on Christmas day of 1527.

Hope you have enjoyed these additional pieces of historical trivia for this very special date in world history.

May you all have a Happy, Peaceful Christmas day, full of joy, love and goodwill.