Welcome to our historical roundup for December 21, 2025. It is the 355th day of the year, with only 10 days remaining.
Significant Events on this Day:
– In 1620, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, marking a pivotal moment in American history.
– In 1864, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman captured Savannah, Georgia, concluding their famous “March to the Sea” during the Civil War.
– In 1891, the first basketball game was played at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, created by James Naismith.
– In 1913, the first newspaper crossword puzzle, known as a “Word-Cross Puzzle,” was published in the New York World.
– In 1976, the oil tanker Argo Merchant spilled 7.7 million gallons of oil into the North Atlantic near Nantucket Island.
– In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, claiming the lives of all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground.
– In 1991, the Commonwealth of Independent States was established by 11 of the 12 former Soviet republics.
– In 2020, President-elect Joe Biden received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on live television.
– In 2023, a tragic mass shooting took place at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Notable Birthdays on this Day:
- – Actor Jane Fonda turns 88.
- – Singer Carla Thomas celebrates her 83rd birthday.
- – Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is 81.
- – Actor Samuel L. Jackson turns 77.
- – Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg is 75.
- – Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert celebrates her 71st birthday.
- – Actor Jane Kaczmarek turns 70.
- – Country musician Lee Roy Parnell is 69.
- – Actor-comedian Ray Romano celebrates his 68th birthday.
- – Actor Kiefer Sutherland turns 59.
- – Actor-filmmaker Julie Delpy is 56.
- – Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb celebrates her 51st birthday.
- – French President Emmanuel Macron turns 48.
- – Actor Rutina Wesley is 47.
- – Actor Steven Yeun celebrates his 42nd birthday.
- – Actor-producer-writer Quinta Brunson is 36.
- – Actor Kaitlyn Dever turns 29.
- – Actor Madelyn Cline is 28.
