🎄 December in the Time Tunnel

Every day of December: one big moment from history, famous birthdays and special days. Click a date for the full story and a quiz.

1. December 11924: The Boston Bruins played their first NHL hockey game🎂 Marie Tussaud
2. December 21409: Leipzig University in Germany opened🎂 Britney Spears
3. December 3♿ International Day of Persons with Disabilities1910: Georges Claude showed modern neon lighting for the first time in Paris🎂 Brendan Fraser
4. December 41791: The Observer was published — the world’s first Sunday newspaper🎂 Jeff Bridges
5. December 5🙋 International Volunteer Day1901: Walt Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse, was born in Chicago🎂 Walt Disney
6. December 61492: Christopher Columbus reached the island he named Hispaniola🎂 Nick Park
7. December 7⚓ National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day1732: The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London opened🎂 Yuzuru Hanyu
8. December 81660: A woman performed on a public stage in England for the first time, in "Othello"🎂 Eli Whitney
9. December 91851: The first YMCA in North America opened in Montreal🎂 Jean de Brunhoff
10. December 10⚖️ Human Rights Day1768: The first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica began to be published🎂 Ada Lovelace
11. December 11⛰️ International Mountain Day1913: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, stolen two years earlier, was found in Florence🎂 Robert Koch
12. December 121917: Father Edward Flanagan founded Boys Town, a home for children, in Nebraska🎂 Edvard Munch
13. December 131577: Francis Drake set out on his voyage around the world🎂 Taylor Swift
14. December 141782: The Montgolfier brothers tested their first hot-air balloon in France, with no passengers🎂 Tycho Brahe
15. December 15📜 Bill of Rights Day1791: The Bill of Rights — the first ten amendments to the US Constitution — took effect🎂 Gustave Eiffel
16. December 161707: Mount Fuji in Japan erupted — its last eruption so far🎂 Ludwig van Beethoven
17. December 171790: The famous Aztec Calendar Stone was found in Mexico City🎂 Martin Ødegaard
18. December 181892: Tchaikovsky’s ballet "The Nutcracker" premiered in St. Petersburg🎂 Steven Spielberg
19. December 191843: Charles Dickens published "A Christmas Carol"🎂 Édith Piaf
20. December 201803: The Louisiana Purchase was completed — the United States grew enormously🎂 Kylian Mbappé
21. December 211620: The Mayflower Pilgrims landed near Plymouth Rock in America🎂 Chris Evert
22. December 221808: Beethoven conducted the first performances of his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies🎂 Srinivasa Ramanujan
23. December 231815: Jane Austen’s novel "Emma" was published🎂 Finn Wolfhard
24. December 24🌟 Christmas Eve1777: James Cook found Kiritimati (Christmas Island)🎂 James Prescott Joule
25. December 25🎄 Christmas1758: Halley’s Comet was spotted — the first comet whose return was predicted ahead of time🎂 Isaac Newton
26. December 26🕯️ Kwanzaa begins1860: Sheffield FC and Hallam FC played the world’s oldest soccer derby🎂 Charles Babbage
27. December 271831: Charles Darwin set sail on HMS Beagle — the voyage that led to his theory of evolution🎂 Johannes Kepler
28. December 281836: South Australia and the city of Adelaide were founded🎂 Stan Lee
29. December 291913: Cecil B. DeMille began filming Hollywood’s first feature-length movie, "The Squaw Man"🎂 Pablo Casals
30. December 301902: The Discovery expedition reached the farthest point south anyone had reached in Antarctica🎂 Rudyard Kipling
31. December 31🎉 New Year’s Eve1853: A New Year’s dinner was held inside a giant model of an Iguanodon dinosaur in London🎂 Henri Matisse