Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab unsuccessfully attempts a terrorist attack against the US while on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253

Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.

The ill-fated Beagle 2 probe, released from the Mars Express Spacecraft on December 19, disappears shortly before its scheduled landing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a bill into law that officially establishes a new National Anthem of Russia, with music adopted from the anthem of the Soviet Union that was composed by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov.

Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day). Ukraine's referendum is finalized and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union.

The first successful trial run of the system which would become the World Wide Web.

Nicolae Ceauşescu, former communist dictator of Romania and his wife Elena are condemned to death and executed under a wide range of charges.

Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin meets in Egypt with President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat.

Marshall Fields drives a vehicle through the gates of the White House, resulting in a four-hour standoff.

Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Northern Territory Australia.

42 Dalits are burned alive in Kilavenmani village, Tamil Nadu, India, a retaliation for a campaign for higher wages by Dalit labourers.

Apollo program: Apollo 8 performs the very first successful Trans Earth Injection (TEI) maneouver, sending the crew and spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth from Lunar orbit.

The Yemeni Nasserite Unionist People's Organisation is founded in Taiz

Turkish Cypriot Bayrak Radio begins transmitting in Cyprus after Turkish Cypriots are forcibly excluded from Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.

The Stone of Scone, traditional coronation stone of British monarchs, is taken from Westminster Abbey by Scottish nationalist students. It later turns up in Scotland on April 11, 1951.

The Constitution of the Republic of China goes into effect.

The first in Europe artificial, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was initiated within Soviet nuclear reactor F-1.

Admiral Chester W Nimitz arrives at Pearl Harbor to assume command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet

World War II: Battle of Hong Kong ends, beginning the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong.

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Gansu, China kills

The Vietnamese Nationalist Party is founded.

Emperor Taishō of Japan dies. His son, Prince Hirohito succeeds him as Emperor Shōwa.

World War I: Known as the Christmas truce, German and British troops on the Western Front temporarily cease fire.

U.S. President Andrew Johnson grants unconditional pardon to all Civil War Confederate soldiers.

Battle of Lake Okeechobee: United States forces defeat Seminole Native Americans.

The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy concludes after beginning the previous evening.

The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.

George Washington and his army cross the Delaware River to attack the Kingdom of Great Britain's Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey.

Christmas Island found and named by Captain William Mynors of the East India Ship Company vessel, the ''Royal Mary''.

The city of Natal, Brazil is founded.

Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeats the Spanish conquistadors and executes the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia.

John IV Lascaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaeologus.

St. Francis of Assisi assembles the first Nativity scene.

Count Roger II of Sicily is crowned the first King of Sicily.

Baldwin of Boulogne is crowned the first King of Jerusalem in the Church of the Nativity.

William the Conqueror is crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London.

The foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary: Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary.

Coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome.