26 fun facts for December, 25

Discover dozens of fun facts for this special day. Read the summary for a quick recap on what happened.
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Summary
December 25th is not only celebrated as Christmas Day but also has a rich history of events such as the first performance of "Silent Night," the beginning of NASA, and the discovery of Christmas Island. Unique traditions and events worldwide add to the joy and significance of this special day.
26 Fun facts
  1. December 25th is known worldwide as Christmas Day, the annual Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a time of family gatherings, gift-giving, feasting, and goodwill.
  2. On December 25th, 336, the first documented Christmas celebration took place in Rome under the rule of Roman Emperor Constantine I.
  3. In 1643, Christmas Island was discovered by Captain William Mynors, an English sea captain, who named it after the holiday as he sailed past it on Christmas Day.
  4. December 25th, 1818, marked the first performance of the classic Christmas carol "Silent Night" at the St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria.
  5. On Christmas Day in 1914, during World War I, soldiers from opposing sides staged an unofficial truce along the Western Front, known as the Christmas Truce. They exchanged small gifts and even played soccer with one another.
  6. In Ethiopia, December 25th marks the national holiday of Ganna, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Jesus' birth, which predates the arrival of the currently celebrated Christmas in December.
  7. On Christmas Day in 1932, the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began in New York City.
  8. The English monarch, King George V, gave the first annual British royal family Christmas speech on December 25, 1932. The tradition of the annual message continues to this day.
  9. Newtonmas, celebrated as an alternative to Christmas, aims to celebrate the birth of Sir Isaac Newton on December 25, 1642. It was popularized by skeptics who wanted a secular alternative to Christmas.
  10. December 25th is the official National Pumpkin Pie Day in the United States.
  11. "White Christmas," the classic song composed by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby, was released on December 25, 1941.
  12. Millions of people in Japan eat KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) during Christmas, thanks to a successful marketing campaign launched in the 1970s.
  13. In India, December 25th is designated as Good Governance Day, aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the functioning of the government.
  14. December 25th is the tomb-sweeping day of Confucius in China. It is the 155th day after Confucius' birthday, a significant event in traditional Chinese culture.
  15. On Christmas Day 1831, the British Royal Navy's ship HMS Beagle set off on its famous voyage with naturalist Charles Darwin on board.
  16. In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was officially activated on December 25th, marking the beginning of the US space program.
  17. The famous Hindi film "Sholay" was released on December 25, 1975, in India. It is regarded as one of the best Indian films of all time.
  18. On December 25, 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts read from the Book of Genesis while orbiting the Moon, making it the first time scripture had been read in space.
  19. In 1991, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev resigned on December 25th, marking the end of the Soviet Union.
  20. On December 25, 2000, Russian novelist and Nobel Prize laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn made his first return to Russia after living in exile in the United States for almost 20 years.
  21. December 25, 1999, marked the opening of the Millennium Dome in London, a large exhibition center built to celebrate the upcoming millennium.
  22. In Colombia, December 25th is celebrated as the national holiday of Little Candles Day, celebrated as part of traditional Christmas festivities.
  23. On December 25, 1993, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to the Oslo Accords, leading to Palestine's self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
  24. Astronomer Galileo Galilei discovered the fourth satellite of Jupiter, later named "Callisto," on December 25 in 1612.
  25. Isaac Newton's "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" (Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica) was first published on December 25, 1666, containing his annotated laws of motion and universal gravitation.
  26. In Spain, December 25th is known as "El Gordo," or "The Fat One," due to the massive amount of money awarded in the world-famous Spanish Christmas Lottery this day.

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