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Explore the historical events that shaped our world on December 22nd. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
Note: Sources for the historical content shown, include research and reviews of relevant Online History Resources or printed material. When possible, we show a link to a source which provides additional or unique perspective about the event.
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Hannibal of Carthage wins the Battle of the Trebbia against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal won the Battle by luring the Romans across the cold, swollen Trebia River, then attacking them from three sides with his cavalry, elephants, and a hidden force. eventually encircling and routing the Roman army.
Pope Honorius III officially recognizes the Order of Preachers (now known as the Dominican Order) on December 22, 1216. The order was founded by Saint Dominic de Guzman with a focus on preaching the Gospel, combating heresy, and combining rigorous scholarship with active ministry.
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The First gorilla is born in captivity was born in the Columbus Zoo and was named Colo (a combination of Columbus and Ohio). The newborn female, western lowland gorilla weighing in at approximately 4 pounds.
Colo lived her entire life at the Columbus Zoo and died one month after her 60th birthday celebration on Jan. 17, 2017,. At the time of her death, Colo was the oldest gorilla ever on record. More
Becker1999 from Grove City, OH, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Apartheid in South Africa is further entrenched with the passing of the Suppression of Communism Act.
The Brandenburg Gate in Germany, was reopened on December 22, 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, The gate had been closed for 28 years after the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
The reopening event was marked with a ceremony that saw West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and East German Prime Minister Hans Modrow walk through the crossing in celebration of the reunification of Germany.
Nicolae Ceaușescu, General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party and president of Romania was ousted on December 22, 1989, during the Romanian Revolution.
The dictator and his wife, Elena, were captured after attempting to flee Bucharest by helicopter. After a brief, trial, Ceaușescu and his wife were found guilty of genocide and other crimes and were executed by firing squad on Christmas Day, December 25, 1989.
Richard Reid, the “Shoe bomber” attempts to detonate bombs on a Paris to Miami flight, just months after the 9/11 attacks. More
