Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate.

Emperor Wu of LiangXiao Tong

Pope John IV is elected.

Pope John IV

Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.

Tang dynastyDu FuDu FuPei Di

The capital of the crusader County of Edessa falls to Imad ad-Din Zengi, the atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo.

CrusadesCounty of EdessaSiege of EdessaImad ad-Din ZengiAtabeg

Pope Boniface VIII is elected, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned.

Pope Boniface VIIIPope Celestine VPapal resignation

A joint Venetian-Spanish fleet captures the Castle of St. George on the island of Cephalonia.

Siege of the Castle of St. GeorgeCephalonia

Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.

KiritimatiJames Cook

The Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise fails to kill Napoleon Bonaparte.

Plot of the rue Saint-NicaiseNapoleon

Representatives of Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.

Treaty of GhentWar of 1812

The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.

Silent NightOberndorf bei Salzburg

The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.

Eggnog RiotUnited States Military Academy

British acquired Labuan from the Sultanate of Brunei for Great Britain.

Crown Colony of LabuanSultanate of BruneiUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Library of Congress burns.

Library of Congress

The Ku Klux Klan is formed.

Ku Klux Klan

Aida opens in Cairo, Egypt.

AidaCairoEgypt

Radio: Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.

RadioReginald FessendenViolin

Lackawanna Cut-Off railway line opens in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Lackawanna Cut-OffNew JerseyPennsylvania

The Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan results in the deaths of 73 Christmas party participants (including 59 children) when someone falsely yells "fire".

Italian Hall disasterCalumet, MichiganChristmas

World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.

World War IChristmas truce

Albania becomes a republic.

Albania

Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen.

ArgentinaHipólito Yrigoyen

World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.

World War IIPope Pius XII

World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.

Kuching

World War II: Benghazi is conquered by British forces.

Benghazi

World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers, Algeria.

Fernand Bonnier de La ChapelleVichyFrançois DarlanAlgiersAlgeria

World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is named Supreme Allied Commander for the Invasion of Normandy.

Dwight D. EisenhowerSupreme Allied CommanderInvasion of Normandy

Five of nine children become missing after their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is burned down.

Sodder children disappearanceFayetteville, West Virginia

Libya becomes independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.

LibyaIdris of Libya

Tangiwai disaster: In New Zealand's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge is damaged by a lahar and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people.

Tangiwai disasterLahar

Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.

Vietnam WarViet Cong1964 Brinks Hotel bombingHo Chi Minh CitySouth Vietnam