2014 Event 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 2013 Event Before celebrating Christmas Mass at Pope Francis pays a visit to Pope Benedict XVI at his retirement home 2013 Event President Barack Obama and the First Family begin their 17-day Hawaiian vacation; this is the sixth year in a row the Obama's have visited family and friends on the island of Oahu for Christmas and New Year's 2013 Event A boat carrying asylum seekers capsizes north of Christmas Island; Australian authorities rescue 88 people and 9 are feared dead 2012 Event Severe weather hits the U.S. on Christmas Day; more than 30 tornadoes are reported in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana 2012 Event 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 2012 Event 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 2012 Event Christmas food parcels are distributed in the Republic of Ireland; hundreds of people line up to receive them 2011 Event The annual Christmas message is delivered by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City 2011 Event NBA team owners and players reach an agreement, ending the 149-day NBA lockout; the new NBA season will begin Christmas day 2011 Event The 'underwear bomber', Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, pleads guilty to attempting to blow up an airplane on Christmas, 2009 2002 Death Rosemary Clooney, singer/actress, White Christmas, dies at 74 2001 Death Albert Hague, composer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, dies at 81 1995 Event "Christmas Carol" closes at Richard Rodgers Theater New York City after 18 performances 1995 Event "Tuna Christmas" closes at Booth Theater New York City 20 performances 1994 Event "Christmas Carol" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater New York City for 18 performances 1994 Event "Tuna Christmas" opens at Booth Theater New York City for 20 performances 1994 Death Walter Kent, U.S. composer (I'll Be Home for Christmas), dies at 82 1993 Event "Christmas Carol" closes at Broadhurst Theater New York City after 22 performances 1992 Event "Christmas Carol" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 22 performances 1991 Event "Christmas Carol" closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater New York City after 14 performances 1991 Event "Christmas Carol" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater New York City for 14 performances 1991 Death Jason Christmas, dies of gunshot wound during robbery in New York at 49 1989 Event "I Love Lucy" Christmas episode, shown for 1st time in over 30 years 1983 Event 1st live telecast of Christmas Parade 1979 Event Paul McCartney releases "Wonderful Christmas" 1977 Event Christmas Tinto sentenced to 7 years in Robbeneiland South Africa 1976 Death Alastair Sim, actor 'Christmas Carol', 'Green for Danger', dies at 75 1971 Event CBS airs "Homecoming A Christmas Story," (introducing the Waltons) 1970 Death William Christmas, U.S. black activist, shot dead 1969 Event Beatle's 7th Christmas album is released 1969 Event "War is Over! If You Want It, Happy Christmas from John and Yoko" posters begin appearing 1968 Event Frank Borman's Christmas reading while orbiting Moon 1967 Event Beatles release "Christmas Time is Here Again" 1966 Event Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" airs for 1st time on CBS 1966 Event Beatles release "Everywhere its Christmas" in UK 1965 Event "A Charlie Brown Christmas," premieres 1963 Event Beatles begin a tradition of releasing a Christmas record for fans 1963 Event Hindemith and Wilder's opera "Long Christmas Dinner," premieres in New York City 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric) 1962 Event U.S. performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric) 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1962 Event U.S. resumes above ground nuclear testing, at Christmas Island 1961 Birthday Jennifer Runyon, actress, Cindy-A Very Brady Christmas 1958 Event Alan Freed's Christmas Rock and Roll Spectacular opens 1958 Event 1st voice from space: recorded Christmas message by Eisenhower 1958 Event Britain transfers Christmas Island (south of Java) to Australia 1958 Event Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1958 Event Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1958 Event Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1958 Birthday Tim Burton, born in Burbank, California, film director, films include, 'Edward Scissorhands', 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', 'Alice in Wonderland', 'Batman', 'Batman Returns' 1958 Event Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1958 Event Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1957 Event Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island 1957 Event Great Britain performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric) 1957 Event 1st British H-bomb explosion (over Christmas Island) 1956 Event "I Love Lucy" Christmas show airs, never put in syndication 1951 Event 1st Christmas Day in Test Crickets, Australia vs. WI at Adelaide 1950 Event U.N. troops begin an assault intending to end Korean War by Christmas 1950 Birthday Tom Wopat, Lodi WI, actor, Durning Rage, Christmas Comes to Willow 1948 Birthday Takeshi Kitano, Tokyo, Japan, actor, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence 1947 Birthday Steve Khan, jazz musician, Christmas Waltz 1942 Event Bing Crosby records "White Christmas," greatest selling record to date 1941 Birthday Ivana Loudova, born in Chlumec nad Cidlinou, Czech Republic, composer, wrote chamber, orchestral, children's choral works, including 'Little Christmas Cantata' 1934 Event 1st flight from Netherland to Curacao (Christmas flight 1934) 1933 Event Another Christmas Day five-wicket haul by Clarrie Grimmett 1932 Event During King George V Christmas dinner speech, his chair collapes 1930 Birthday Chinua Achebe, Nigerian author, Christmas in Biafra 1928 Event Christmas Day attendance at cricket MCG (Vic vs. NSW) 14,887 1925 Birthday Christmas F Tinto, South African ANC'er/UDF-leader 1922 Event BBC sends 1st British radio play "Truth about Father Christmas" 1914 Event Legendary/unofficial "Christmas Truce" takes place (Brits and Germans) 1914 Birthday Dylan Thomas, born in Swansea, Wales, poet, Child's Christmas in Wales 1914 Death John Murray, piloted HMS Challenger to Christmas Island, dies 1909 Event 1st Christmas Club payment made, to Carlisle Trust Co, Pa 1907 Event 1st Christmas Seals sold (Wilmington Del post office) 1903 Birthday Bing Crosby, born in Tacoma, Washington, singer, White Christmas, Going My Way 1901 Birthday Christmas Humphreys, England, lawyer/writer/Buddhist, Awakening of Zen 1900 Birthday Alastair Sim, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, actor, 'Christmas Carol', 'Stage Fright' 1896 Birthday Jack Warner, born in London, England, actor, Christmas Carol 1891 Birthday Gene Lockhart, New York City, actor, Going My Way, Christmas Carol 1887 Birthday Raymond Walburn, Plymouth, Indiana, actor, Christmas in July 1882 Event 1st string of Christmas tree lights created by Thomas Edison 1861 Birthday Emily Perkins Bissell, welfare worker, 1st christmas seal drive, 1907 1843 Event Charles Dickens publishes "A Christmas Carol," in England 1843 Event "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens published, 6,000 copies sold 1835 Event Charles Darwin company celebrates Christmas in Pahia, New Zealand 1834 Event Charles Darwin celebrates Christmas on Beagle at Tres Montes, Chile 1833 Event Charles Darwin celebrates Christmas in Port Desire, Patagonia 1832 Event Charles Darwin celebrates Christmas in St. Martin at Cape Receiver 1831 Event Louisiana and Arkansas are 1st states to observe Christmas as holiday 1818 Event 1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night") sung (Austria) 1809 Death John "Christmas" Beckwith, composer, dies at 58 1750 Birthday John "Christmas" Beckwith, composer 1651 Event Massachusetts General Court ordered a fine (five shillings) for "observing any such day as Christmas" 1621 Event Governor William Bradford of Plymouth forbids game playing on Christmas 1621 Event Governor Bradford of U.S. colony Plymouth disallows sport on Christmas Day 352 Event 1st definite date Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th 337 Event Earliest possible date that Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th 1 Event 1st Christmas, according to calendar-maker Dionysus Exiguus
