Date·Lore

On This Day · The 357th day of the year

December 23

Few dates reach as far back as December 23: its recorded history runs unusually deep, stretching to 583. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and politics and nation-building recur.

♑ZodiacCapricorn ◈BirthstoneTurquoise ❀Birth flowerHolly

Capricorn is the sign for December 23 — read more on the Capricorn page, or see December's birthstone & birth flower.

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed September 6, 2026

What happened on December 23?

December 23 is the 357th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 583 and 1984. Famous people born on December 23 include Jean-François Champollion, Chet Baker and Helmut Schmidt.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 583

    Yohl Ikʼnal

  2. 1783

    George Washington

  3. 1914

    World War I

  4. 1919

    Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919

  5. 1936

    Colombia

  6. 1941

    World War II

  7. 1947

    Transistor

  8. 1948

    Japan

  9. 1970

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

  10. 1984

    Aeroflot Flight 3519

Famous birthday twins

Born on December 23

Jean-François Champollion

b. 1790

Chet Baker

b. 1929

Helmut Schmidt

b. 1918

Emperor Zhenzong

b. 968

Anna J. Harrison

b. 1912

Tianqi Emperor

b. 1605

Alexander I of Russia

b. 1777

Dost Mohammad Khan

b. 1793

Deaths

  • 2024Shyam Benegal
  • 2024Dési Bouterse
  • 1961Kurt Meyer
  • 1834Thomas Robert Malthus
  • 1638Barbara Longhi

Holidays & observances

  • —Birthday of the Queen Silvia, an official flag flying day (Sweden)
  • —Children's Day (South Sudan and Sudan)
  • —Christian Feast Day: Abassad (Coptic Church)
  • —Christian Feast Day: Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs (Coptic Church)
  • —Christian Feast Day: Dagobert II
  • —Christian Feast Day: John Cantius
  • —Christian Feast Day: O Emmanuel
  • —Christian Feast Day: Psote (Coptic Church)

The factual record above — event titles, dates, names, and observances — is drawn from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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