This Day In History, December 23rd.
Five Historical Events That Happened on December 23rd
962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the command of future Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, Byzantine armies retake Aleppo, Syria, from Arab forces.
A Visit from St. Nicholas, widely known as "The Night Before Christmas," is published anonymously in upstate New York's Troy Sentinel newspaper in 1823.
President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act into law, establishing the Federal Reserve System as the nation's central bank.
1947 - The transistor is first shown at Bell Labs in New Jersey by its creators, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley, opening the path for contemporary electronics.
During the Vietnam War, the United States launches intensive bombardment of Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam, in an operation known as Linebacker II.
962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, Byzantine forces recapture the city of Aleppo, Syria, from the Arab forces.
During the Byzantine-Arab Wars, the Byzantine Empire, led by Nikephoros II Phokas, regained the Syrian city of Aleppo from Arab forces in 962 AD. The city had been in Arab control since 637 AD, but Nikephoros II Phokas conducted a victorious military operation to reclaim it, bringing the Byzantine Empire a huge victory. The recovery of Aleppo also signaled the start of an era of Byzantine military expansion under Nikephoros II Phokas, who went on to conquer additional areas in the region.
1823 - A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as "The Night Before Christmas", is published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel newspaper in upstate New York.
"A Visit from St. Nicholas," widely known as "The Night Before Christmas," is a poem that was originally published anonymously on December 23, 1823 in the Troy Sentinel newspaper in upstate New York. The poem, which is now generally regarded a classic Christmas tale, portrays Santa Claus' arrival on Christmas Eve and has become a prominent feature of many nations' Christmas celebrations. The poem's authorship has been disputed, although it is commonly assigned to Clement Clarke Moore, a biblical languages professor at the General Theological Seminary in New York City.
1913 - The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System to serve as the central bank of the United States.
President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law on December 23, 1913, establishing the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve System was formed as the United States' central banking system, with the primary function of executing monetary policy, supervising banks, and fostering financial system stability. The Federal Reserve System is made up of 12 regional banks and a Board of Governors based in Washington, D.C. The Federal Reserve Act was enacted in reaction to the financial panics that occurred in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the goal of providing a more stable financial system. The Federal Reserve System is still a significant aspect of the American economy.
1947 - The transistor is first demonstrated by its inventors, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley, at Bell Labs in New Jersey, paving the way for modern electronics.
The transistor was initially shown on December 23, 1947, at Bell Labs in New Jersey by its creators, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley. The transistor, a tiny semiconductor device that can amplify and switch electrical impulses, opened the way for contemporary electronics. Vacuum tubes were employed for amplification in electronic devices prior to the transistor, but they were huge, brittle, and required a lot of power. The transistor transformed the electronics industry, allowing for the creation of a wide range of electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, and TVs. In 1956, Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the transistor.
1972 - The United States begins intense bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam, during the Vietnam War, in an operation known as Linebacker II.
On December 18, 1972, the United States launched Linebacker II, an aggressive bombing campaign on Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam. In response to the North Vietnamese Army's attack against South Vietnam, the bombing campaign was launched with the goal of eliminating North Vietnam's infrastructure and military capabilities. The bombing campaign lasted 11 days and was the most intensive of the Vietnam War. It caused enormous damage to North Vietnam's infrastructure and military sites, but it also led in large civilian fatalities and non-military objectives being damaged. The operation was contentious, drawing considerable condemnation from anti-war groups in the United States and across the world. The operation came to an end on December 29, 1972, with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, which effectively terminated the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War.