On This Day: 25 December

25 December in Indian history

• 1968In Tamil Nadu, India, families of striking Dalit workers were massacred by a gang, allegedly led by their landlords.India
• 1927B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burn copies of the Manusmriti in Mahad, Maharashtra, to protest its treatment of Dalit people.India
• 1793Northwest Indian War: General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a 300 man detachment identify the site of St. Clair's 1791 defeat by the large number of unburied human remains at modern Fort Recovery, Ohio.India

25 December in world history

• 2016A Tupolev Tu-154 of the Russian Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea shortly after taking off from Sochi International Airport, killing all 92 people on board.
• 2009Aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.
• 2007A Siberian tiger named Tatania escapes her exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo and attacks three people, killing one and injuring two more.
• 1989Romanian Revolution: Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were condemned to death on a wide range of charges and executed.
• 1951A bomb explodes at the home of Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. S. Moore, early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, killing Harry instantly and fatally wounding Harriette.
• 1941Second World War: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when Mark Aitchison Young, the Governor of Hong Kong, surrendered the territory to Japan after 18 days of fierce fighting.
• 1927The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng, a revolutionary socialist political party that sought Vietnamese independence from French colonial rule, was formed in Hanoi.
• 1915The National Protection War breaks out against the Empire of China, as military leaders Cai E and Tang Jiyao proclaim the independence of Yunnan and begin a campaign to restore the Republic.
• 1837Second Seminole War: American general Zachary Taylor leads 1,100 troops against the Seminoles at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.
• 1776American Revolutionary War: General George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River at night to attack Hessian forces serving Great Britain at Trenton, New Jersey, the next day.
• 1766Mapuches in Chile launch a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish starting the Mapuche uprising of 1766.
• 1725J. S. Bach led the first performance of the Christmas cantata Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110, making laughter audible in singing.
• 1724Johann Sebastian Bach led the first performance of Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, based on the Christmas hymn written by Martin Luther in 1524.
• 1553Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeat the Spanish conquistadors and executes the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia.
• 1492The carrack Santa María, commanded by Christopher Columbus, runs onto a reef off Haiti due to an improper watch.

Born on 25 December

• 1959Ramdas Athawale, Indian poet and politicianIndia
• 1937Maung Aye, Burmese military officer
• 1936Ismail Merchant, Indian-English director and producer (died 2005)India
• 1924Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian poet and politician, 10th Prime Minister of India (died 2018)India
• 1904Philip Vera Cruz, Filipino-American labor leader and farmworker (died 1994)
• 1873Otto Frederick Hunziker, Swiss-American agriculturalist and educator (died 1959)

Died on 25 December

• 2024M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Indian author and screenwriter (born 1933)India
• 2018Sulagitti Narasamma, Indian midwife (born 1920)India
• 2013Mel Mathay, Filipino politician, 8th Mayor of Quezon City (born 1932)
• 1953Patsy Donovan, Irish-American baseball player and manager (born 1865)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 25 December in history?

2016: A Tupolev Tu-154 of the Russian Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea shortly after taking off from Sochi International Airport, killing all 92 people on board. 2009: Aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear. 2007: A Siberian tiger named Tatania escapes her exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo and attacks three people, killing one and injuring two more. 1989: Romanian Revolution: Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were condemned to death on a wide range of charges and executed.

What happened on 25 December in Indian history?

1968: In Tamil Nadu, India, families of striking Dalit workers were massacred by a gang, allegedly led by their landlords. 1927: B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burn copies of the Manusmriti in Mahad, Maharashtra, to protest its treatment of Dalit people. 1793: Northwest Indian War: General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a 300 man detachment identify the site of St. Clair's 1791 defeat by the large number of unburied human remains at modern Fort Recovery, Ohio.

Which famous people were born on 25 December?

Ramdas Athawale, Indian poet and politician (1959); Maung Aye, Burmese military officer (1937); Ismail Merchant, Indian-English director and producer (died 2005) (1936); Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian poet and politician, 10th Prime Minister of India (died 2018) (1924).

Which day is observed on 25 December?

Good Governance Day; Tulsi Pujan Diwas (India); Good Governance Day (India); Christmas Day, Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. (Internationally observed); Children's Day (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo).