This Day in World History- December 25

Dec 25, 2022 News

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First documented Christmas celebration (A.D.336)

In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A. D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: “25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae” meaning December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas. For the first three hundred years of the church’s existence, birthdays were not given much emphasis–not even the birth of Christ. The day on which a saint died was considered more significant than his or her birth, as it ushered him or her into the kingdom of heaven. Christ’s baptism received more attention than his birthday in the January 6th feast of Epiphany.

No one knows for sure on what day Christ was born. Dionysus Exiguus, a sixth-century monk, who was the first to date all of history from December 25th, the year of our Lord 1. Other traditions gave dates as early as mid-November or as late as March. How did Christmas come to be celebrated on December 25th? Cultures around the Mediterranean and across Europe observed feasts on or around December 25th, marking the winter solstice. The Jews had a festival of lights. Germans had a Yule festival. Celtic legends connected the solstice with Balder, the Scandinavian sun god who was struck down by a mistletoe arrow. At the pagan festival of Saturnalia, Romans feasted and gave gifts to the poor. Drinking was closely connected with these pagan feasts. At some point, a Christian bishop may have adopted the day to keep his people from indulging in the old pagan festival. (Source: Christianity.com)

Halley’s Comet is sighted after first correct prediction (1758)

On December 25, 1758, Halley’s Comet became the first comet to be seen after accurately predicting its passage. Some of the first recorded sightings of Halley’s Comet date back to 240 BC. The comet was seen and recorded by the Chinese, Babylonians, and medieval Europeans, none of whom recognized it as a reappearance. Rather, they thought they were seeing different comets. Up until the Renaissance, it was believed that comets were disturbances in the Earth’s atmosphere, as suggested by Aristotle.

Tycho Brahe disproved this in 1577, though many didn’t believe it. Then in 1687, Isaac Newton, wrote about the laws of gravity and motion and touched on comets. He believed that two comets he saw in 1680 and 1681 were the same comet passing to and from the Sun (he was later proven right). But the most well-known name in comets was Newton’s friend, editor, and publisher, Royal Astronomer Sir Edmond Halley. Using the laws outlined by Newton and studying historical accounts, he concluded that the three comets seen in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were in fact the same comet, returning about every 76 years (later studies would reveal it returns every 74 to 79 years). Based on his research and calculations, Halley predicted that the comet would return in 1758. Unfortunately, he died in 1742 and was unable to see if his prediction would come true. Then on December 25, 1758, German farmer and amateur astronomer Johann Georg Palitzsch witnessed the comet’s return, just as Halley had predicted. This marked the first time that any object other than a planet had been shown to orbit the sun. (Mysticstampcompany)

The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt begins (1831)

The Baptist War, also known as the Sam Sharp Rebellion, the Christmas Rebellion, the Christmas Uprising and the Great Jamaican Slave Revolt of 1831–32, was an eleven-day rebellion that started on 25 December 1831 and involved up to 60,000 of the 300,000 slaves in the Colony of Jamaica. The uprising was led by a black Baptist deacon, Samuel Sharpe, and waged largely by his followers. The revolt, though militarily unsuccessful, played a major part in the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.

The National Protection War breaks out against the Empire of China (1915)

The National Protection War, also known as the Anti-Monarchy War, was a civil war that took place in China, between 1915 and 1916. Only three years earlier, the last Chinese dynasty, the Qing dynasty, had been overthrown and the Republic of China was established in its place.

The cause of the war was the proclamation by Yuan Shikai, the President of the Republic, of himself as the Hongxian Emperor, Emperor of the Empire of China.

In Yunnan province, military leaders, including Tang Jiyao, Cai E and Li Liejun, declared their independence and launched military expeditions against Yuan Shikai. Yuan’s army experienced several defeats and fractured, which led other provinces in the south to declare independence as well. Eventually, under immense pressure from the entire nation, Yuan Shikai was forced to abdicate. He resumed his rule as President and died a few months later.

Copies of the Manusmriti is burnt in Maharashtra to protest treatment of the Dalit people (1927)

On December 25, 1927, huge strides were made in the movement for self-dignity of Dalits. Under the leadership of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, a small town/village, Mahad in Konkan, the coastal region of Maharashtra, made history.

Manusmurti Dahan Din. The day that the text of caste Hindus epitomizing hegemony, indignity and cruelty to Dalits and mlecchas (that included women) was publicly burned in a specially constructed symbolic funeral pyre before Dr Ambedkar and thousands of volunteers gathered to protest and agitate.

The Mahad satyagraha (peaceful agitation and protest) had been organised so that Dalits (untouchables) could drink from the Mahad (Chavadar) water tank, a public water source open to all. A previous legal notification of the Collectorate authorised free access to all. Despite the existence of this order, caste hegemony and oppression had not created conditions for access to this facility for the oppressed. On the eve of the protest, caste Brahmins had obtained a stay order from a local court against untouchables accessing water from the tank.

Caste Hindus had tightened access to any public ground for the proposed meeting. A local gentleman, Mr. Fattekhan, who happened to be a Muslim, gave his private land for the protest, extending solidarity with the struggle.  In the late evening at the conference, the resolution to burn the Manusmruti was moved by Brahmin associate of Ambedkar, Gangadhar Neelkanth Sahastrabuddhe and was seconded by PN Rajabhoj, an untouchable leader.

Thereafter, the book Manusmruti was kept on this pyre and burned. The Brahmin associate of Ambedkar, Gangadhar Neelkanth Sahastrabuddhe and five six other Dalit sadhus completed the task. At the pandal, the only photo placed was that of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. This has been interpreted to mean that, at this stage the Dalit leadership, including Dr. Ambedkar had yet to be disillusioned with Gandhi.

The James Webb Space Telescope is launched (2021)

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope which conducts infrared astronomy. As the largest optical telescope in space, its high resolution and sensitivity allow it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. This will enable investigations across many fields of astronomy and cosmology, such as observation of the first stars, the formation of the first galaxies, and detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.

 

 

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