On This Day: 22 December

22 December in Indian history

• 1939Members of the All-India Muslim League observed a "Day of Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Congress over the decision to enter the Second World War at the request of the United Kingdom.India
• 1921Opening of Visva-Bharati College, also known as Santiniketan College, now Visva Bharati University, India.India
• 1851India's first freight train is operated in Roorkee, to transport material for the construction of the Ganges Canal.India

22 December in world history

• 2018The 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown, the second-longest shutdown of the U.S. federal government in history, begins.
• 2008A dike ruptured at a waste containment area for a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 million m3) of coal fly ash slurry in the largest industrial spill in US history.
• 1997Acteal massacre: Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces.
• 1997Somali Civil War: Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991.
• 1989Romanian Revolution: Communist President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu is overthrown by Ion Iliescu after days of bloody confrontations. The deposed dictator and his wife Elena flee Bucharest in a helicopter as protesters erupt in cheers.
• 1989German reunification: Berlin's Brandenburg Gate re-opens after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany.
• 1988Brazilian unionist and environmental activist Chico Mendes was murdered at his home in Xapuri.
• 1984While riding a New York City Subway train, Bernhard Goetz shot four African-American youths who had attempted to rob him, sparking a nationwide debate on vigilantism, racism, and the legal limits of self-defense.
• 1974Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli vote to become the independent nation of Comoros. Mayotte remains under French administration.
• 1948Chaired by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia was established to counter Dutch attempts to re-assert colonial control.
• 1920The Congress of Soviets approved the GOELRO plan, the first Soviet plan for national economic recovery and development.
• 1864American Civil War: Savannah, Georgia, falls to the Union's Army of the Tennessee, and General Sherman tells President Abraham Lincoln: "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah".
• 1808Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy.
• 1807In an effort to avoid engaging in the Napoleonic Wars, the United States Congress passed the Embargo Act, forbidding American ships from engaging in trade with foreign nations.
• 856An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 struck the eastern Alborz mountains in Persia, causing an estimated 200,000 deaths.

Born on 22 December

• 2000Joshua Bassett, American actor and singer
• 1948Lynne Thigpen, American actress and singer (died 2003)
• 1887Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and theorist (died 1920)India
• 1853Sarada Devi, Indian mystic and philosopher (died 1920)India
• 1853Teresa Carreño, Venezuelan-American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1917)
• 1666Guru Gobind Singh, Indian guru and poet (died 1708)India

Died on 22 December

• 1989Samuel Beckett, Irish author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906)
• 1899Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist and publisher, founded Moody Publishers (born 1837)
• 1870Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Spanish journalist, poet, and playwright (born 1836)
• 1012Baha' al-Dawla, Buyid amir of Iraq

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 22 December in history?

2018: The 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown, the second-longest shutdown of the U.S. federal government in history, begins. 2008: A dike ruptured at a waste containment area for a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 million m3) of coal fly ash slurry in the largest industrial spill in US history. 1997: Acteal massacre: Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces. 1997: Somali Civil War: Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991.

What happened on 22 December in Indian history?

1939: Members of the All-India Muslim League observed a "Day of Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Congress over the decision to enter the Second World War at the request of the United Kingdom. 1921: Opening of Visva-Bharati College, also known as Santiniketan College, now Visva Bharati University, India. 1851: India's first freight train is operated in Roorkee, to transport material for the construction of the Ganges Canal.

Which famous people were born on 22 December?

Joshua Bassett, American actor and singer (2000); Lynne Thigpen, American actress and singer (died 2003) (1948); Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and theorist (died 1920) (1887); Sarada Devi, Indian mystic and philosopher (died 1920) (1853).

Which day is observed on 22 December?

National Mathematics Day; National Mathematics Day (India); Dongzhi Festival; Armed Forces Day (Vietnam); Mother's Day (Indonesia).