On this day...

1569 St. Philip of Moscow martyred by Ivan the Terrible
1672 Giovanni Cassini discovers Rhea, a satellite of Saturn
1690 John Flamsteed observes Uranus without realizing it's undiscovered
1776 Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France
1776 Thomas Paine writes "These are the times that try men's souls"
1779 Benedict Arnold court-martialed for improper conduct
1783 Washington resigns as US Army's commander-in-chief
1788 Maryland votes to cede a 10 square mile area for District of Columbia
1823 "Visit from St. Nicholas" by C. Moore published in Troy (NY) Sentinel
1834 Joseph Hansom of London receives patent for Hansom cabs
1907 First all-steel passenger railroad coach completed, Altoona PA
1909 Albert becomes King of Belgium
1913 President Woodrow Wilson signs Federal Reserve Act into law
1919 First hospital ship built to move wounded naval personnel launched
1920 Ireland divided into two parts, each with its own parliament
1928 NBC sets up a permanent, coast-to-coast network
1930 Police Bureau of Criminal Alien Investigation started in NYC
1933 Howie Morenz takes over NHL career goal lead at 251
1941 American forces on Wake Island surrender to Japanese
1943 First telecast of a complete opera (Hansel & Gretel), Schenectady, NY
1946 U. of Tennessee refuses to play Duquesne U., because they may use a black player in their basketball game
1947 Transistor invented by Bardeen, Brattain & Shockley in Bell Labs
1962 Cuba starts returning US prisoners from the Bay of Pigs invasion
1962 Dallas Texans beat Houston Oilers 20-17 in AFL championship game
1968 82 members of US intelligence ship `Pueblo' released by North Korea
1968 Borman, Lovell & Anders become first men to orbit Moon
1972 Earthquake destroys central Managua, Nicaragua
1973 "The Young and the Restless" premiers on TV
1973 6 Persian Gulf nations double their oil prices
1975 Congress passes Metric Conversion Act
1983 Journal Science publishes first report on nuclear winter
1990 Slovenians vote to secede from Yugoslavia

Birthdays which occurred on December 23rd:

1597 Martin Opitz, Germany, poet "Father of Modern German Poetry"
1732 Sir Richard Arkwright, inventor (spinning frame)
1777 Alexander I, Tsar of Russia (1801-25)
1805 Joseph Smith, Jr., Sharon VT, founded Mormon church
1812 Samuel Smiles, Scotland, author (Self-Help, Character, Duty)
1815 Henry Highland Garnet, Maryland, minister/abolitionist/diplomat
1860 Harriet Monroe, Chicago, poet/editor of Poetry magazine (You & I)
1906 Ross Lee Finney, Wells MN, composer (Landscapes Remembered)
1907 Don McNeill, Galena Illinois, TV host (Don McNeill TV Club)
1908 Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer (Life Magazine)
1909 Barney Ross, NY, Welterweight Boxing Champ (1934)
1911 James Gregory, NY, actor (My Favorite Martian, Barney Miller)
1918 Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
1921 Gerald S. O'Loughlin, NY, actor (Storefront Lawyer, Rookies, Wheels)
1923 Leonard Stern, TV writer (Phil Silvers Show, Get Smart)
1923 Milt Okun, orchestra leader (Starland Vocal Band Show)
1923 Ruth Roman, Boston, actress (Sylvia-Knots Landing, Dallas)
1925 Harry Guardino, NY, actor (Monty Nash, Perry Mason, Hill St. Blues)
1926 Robert Bly, US, poet/editor/translator (Loving a Woman in 2 Worlds)
1929 Dick Weber, pro bowler
1931 Ronnie Schell, Richmond CA, comedian (Gomer Pyle, Good Morning World)
1935 Paul Hornung, Green Bay Packer
1936 James Stacy, Los Angeles, actor (Fred-Adv. of Ozzie & Harriet)
1941 Elizabeth Hartman, Youngstown Ohio, actress (Walking Tall, Beguilled)
1941 Tim Hardin, Oregon, singer (If I Were a Carpenter, Bird on a Wire)
1942 Jerry Koosman, pitcher (NY Mets)
1943 Harry Shearer, comedian (Saturday Night Live)
1947 Bill Rodgers, marathon runner (Boston, NY)
1948 Jack Ham, NFL linebacker (Steelers)
1948 Susan Lucci, Westchester NY, actress (All My Children)
1955 Dave Murray, heavy metal rocker (Iron Maiden)
1956 Michele Alboretto, Formula One racer (Ferrari)
1958 Joan Severance, Houston, actress (Hear No Evil, See No Evil)
1971 Corey Haim, Toronto, actor (Silver Bullet, Lucas, License to Drive)

Deaths which occurred on December 23rd:

1569 St. Philip, of Moscow martyred by Ivan the Terrible
1652 John Cotton, Massachusetts Bay Puritan preacher dies at 68
1909 King Leopald II of Belgium
1948 Hideki Tojo, Japan PM & six other Japanese hung for war crimes by US
1953 Lavrenti P. Beria, Soviet minister of internal security, executed
1970 Charlie Ruggles, actor (Ruggles, Aesop-Bullwinkle Show), dies at 84
1972 Charles Atlas, body builder dies at 79
1975 Richard S. Welch, CIA station chief in Athens, shot dead
1982 Jack Webb, actor (Joe Friday-Dragnet), dies at 62 of a heart attack
1985 James Vance (20) & Raymond Belknap (18) commit suicide, sparking their families to sue rock group Judas Priest for subliminal messages