968 Emperor Zhenzong of Song, emperor of the Song dynasty (d. 1022)

1173 Louis I, Duke of Bavaria, duke of Bavaria (d. 1231)

1513 Thomas Smith (diplomat), English scholar and diplomat (d. 1577)

1525 John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg, duke of Mecklenburg (d. 1576)

1573 Giovanni Battista Crespi, Italian painter, sculptor and architect (d. 1632)

1582 Severo Bonini, Italian organist and composer (d. 1663)

1544 Anna of Saxony, only child and heiress of Maurice, Elector of Saxony (d. 1577)

1597 Martin Opitz, German poet and composer (d. 1639)

1605 Tianqi Emperor, Chinese emperor (d. 1627)

1613 Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish field marshal and politician, Lord High Constable of Sweden (d. 1676)

1621 Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682)

1621 Edmund Berry Godfrey, English lawyer and judge (d. 1678)

1689 Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755)

1690 Pamheiba, Indian emperor (d. 1751)

1713 Maruyama Gondazaemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 3rd Makuuchi # Yokozuna (d. 1749)

1732 Richard Arkwright, English businessman and inventor, invented the Water frame and Spinning frame (d. 1792)

1750 Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827)

1758 Nathan Wilson (politician), American soldier and politician (d. 1834)

1766 Wilhelm Hisinger, Swedish physicist and chemist (d. 1852)

1777 Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)

1782 William Armstrong (Virginia politician), American lawyer, civil servant, politician, and businessperson (d. 1865)

1790 Jean-François Champollion, French philologist, orientalist, and scholar (d. 1832)

1793 Dost Mohammad Khan, emir of Afghanistan (d. 1863)

1804 Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French author, critic, and academic (d. 1869)

1805 Joseph Smith, American religious leader, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement (d. 1844)

1807 Anthony Mary Claret, Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop and missionary (d. 1870)

1810 Edward Blyth, English zoologist (d. 1873)

1810 Karl Richard Lepsius, German Egyptologist (d. 1884)

1812 Samuel Smiles, Scottish-English author (d. 1904)

1812 Henri-Alexandre Wallon, French historian and statesman (d. 1904)

1819 Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch pastor and poet (d. 1889)

1822 Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875)

1828 Mathilde Wesendonck, German poet and author (d. 1902)

1839 János Murkovics, Slovene-Hungarian author and educator (d. 1917)

1843 Richard Conner, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1924)

1854 Henry B. Guppy, English botanist and author (d. 1926)

1861 Edgar P. Rucker, American lawyer, politician, and businessman (d. 1908)

1865 James M. Canty, American educator, school administrator, and businessperson (d. 1964)

1867 Madam C. J. Walker, American businesswoman and philanthropist (d. 1919)

1870 John Marin, American painter (d. 1953)

1878 Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-American engineer and academic (d. 1972)

1885 Pierre Brissaud, French illustrator, painter, and engraver (d. 1964)

1894 Arthur Gilligan, English cricketer (d. 1976)

1895 Nola Luxford, New Zealand-American actress and broadcaster (d. 1994)

1896 Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Italian lieutenant and author (d. 1957)

1900 Merle Barwis, American-Canadian supercentenarian (d. 2014)

1900 Marie Bell, French actress and stage director (d. 1985)

1900 Otto Soglow, American cartoonist (d. 1975)

1902 Norman Maclean, American author and academic (d. 1990)

1902 Charan Singh, Indian lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of India (d. 1987)

1907 Manuel Lopes (writer), Cape Verdean author and poet (d. 2005)

1907 James Roosevelt, American general and politician (d. 1991)

1907 Avraham Stern, Polish Zionism leader (d. 1942)

1908 Gertrude Bancroft, American economist (d. 1985)

1908 Yousuf Karsh, Armenian-Canadian photographer (d. 2002)

1910 Kurt Meyer, German general (d. 1961)

1911 James Gregory (actor), American actor (d. 2002)

1911 Niels Kaj Jerne, English-Danish physician and immunologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (d. 1994)

1912 Anna J. Harrison, American organic chemist and academic (d. 1998)

1916 Dino Risi, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2008)

1918 José Greco, Italian-American dancer and choreographer (d. 2000)

1918 Helmut Schmidt, German soldier, economist, and politician, 5th List of Chancellors of Germany (d. 2015)

1919 Kenneth M. Taylor, American general and pilot (d. 2006)

1921 Guy Beaulne, Canadian actor and director (d. 2001)

1922 Micheline Ostermeyer, French discus thrower, shot putter, and pianist (d. 2001)

1923 Onofre Marimón, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1954)

1923 Günther Schifter, Austrian journalist and radio host (d. 2008)

1923 James Stockdale, American admiral and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2005)

1924 Bob Kurland, American basketball player and politician (d. 2013)

1925 Duncan Hallas, English author and politician (d. 2002)

1925 Rayner Unwin, English publisher (d. 2000)

1926 Robert Bly, American poet and essayist (d. 2021)

1926 Harold Dorman, American singer-songwriter (d. 1988)

1929 Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player, flugelhorn player, and singer (d. 1988)

1929 Dick Weber, American professional bowler (d. 2005)

1931 Ronnie Schell, American comedian and actor

1932 Richard Clark Barkley, American soldier, academic, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to East Germany (d. 2015)

1933 Akihito, Japanese emperor

1933 Noella Leduc, American baseball player (d. 2014)

1935 Paul Hornung, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2020)

1935 Johnny Kidd (singer), English singer-songwriter (d. 1966)

1935 Abdul Ghani Minhat, Malaysian footballer and manager (d. 2012)

1935 Esther Phillips, American R&B singer (d. 1984)

1936 Frederic Forrest, American actor (d. 2023)

1936 Bobby Ross, American football player and coach

1936 Willie Wood (American football), American football player (d. 2020)

1937 Barney Rosenzweig, American screenwriter and producer

1937 Nelson Shanks, American painter, historian, and educator (d. 2015)

1938 Bob Kahn, American computer scientist and engineer, co-developed the Transmission Control Protocol

1939 Nancy Graves, American sculptor and painter (d. 1995)

1940 Mamnoon Hussain, Pakistani businessman and politician, 12th President of Pakistan (d. 2021)

1940 Jorma Kaukonen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1940 Robert Labine, Canadian politician (d. 2021)

1940 Jeanie Lambe, Scottish jazz singer (d. 2020)

1940 Kevin Longbottom, Australian rugby league player (d. 1986)

1940 Eugene Record, American soul singer-songwriter (d. 2005)

1941 Peter Davis (businessman), English businessman

1941 Tim Hardin, American folk singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1980)

1942 Quentin Bryce, Australian lawyer and politician, 25th Governor-General of Australia

1943 Ron Allen (baseball), American baseball player

1943 Mikhail Leonidovich Gromov, Russian-French mathematician and academic

1943 Terry Peder Rasmussen, American serial killer (d. 2010)

1943 Harry Shearer, American actor, voice artist, and comedian

1943 Queen Silvia of Sweden

1944 Wesley Clark, American general

1945 Adly Mansour, Egyptian lawyer, judge, and politician, List of Presidents of Egypt

1945 Geoffrey Wheatcroft, English journalist and author

1946 Robbie Dupree, American singer-songwriter

1946 Edita Gruberová, Slovak soprano and actress (d. 2021)

1946 Susan Lucci, American actress

1946 John Sullivan (writer), English screenwriter, producer, and composer (d. 2011)

1947 Bill Rodgers (runner), American runner

1948 David Davis (British politician), English politician, Minister of State for Europe

1948 Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, composer, and journalist

1948 Jack Ham, American football player and sportscaster

1948 Rick Wohlhuter, American runner

1949 Adrian Belew, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1949 Reinhold Weege, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2012)

1950 Michael C. Burgess, American obstetrician and politician

1950 Richard Dannatt, Baron Dannatt, English general

1950 Vicente del Bosque, Spanish footballer and manager

1950 Ilchi Lee, South Korean author and educator

1951 Anthony Phillips, English guitarist and songwriter

1952 William Kristol, American journalist, publisher, activist, and pundit

1953 Andres Alver, Estonian architect and academic

1953 Gerrit W. Gong, American religious leader and academic

1954 Raivo Järvi, Estonian radio host and politician (d. 2012)

1954 Brian Teacher, American tennis player

1955 Carol Ann Duffy, Scottish poet and playwright

1955 Grace Knight, English-Australian singer-songwriter

1956 Michele Alboreto, Italian race car driver (d. 2001)

1956 Dave Murray (musician), English guitarist and songwriter

1957 Dan Bigras, Canadian singer-songwriter

1957 Peter Wynn, Australian rugby league player and businessman

1958 Joan Severance, American actress

1958 Victoria Williams, American singer-songwriter

1961 Ezzat el Kamhawi, Egyptian journalist and author

1961 Ketan J. Patel, Kenyan-English biologist and academic

1961 Carol Smillie, Scottish model and actress

1961 Lorna Tolentino, Filipino actress and producer

1962 Bertrand Gachot, Belgian race car driver

1962 Stefan Hell, Romanian-German physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate

1962 Kang Je-gyu, South Korean director, producer, and screenwriter

1962 Keiji Mutoh, Japanese wrestler and actor

1963 Jim Harbaugh, American football player and coach

1963 Jess Harnell, American singer-songwriter and voice actor

1963 Donna Tartt, American author

1963 Ante Zelck, German businessman

1964 Eddie Vedder, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1966 Badi Assad, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist

1967 Carla Bruni, Italian-French singer-songwriter and model

1967 Otis Grant, Jamaican-Canadian boxer, coach, and manager

1968 Karyn Bryant, American journalist, actress, producer, and screenwriter

1968 Barry Kooser, American painter and animator

1968 Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, Puerto Rican-American photographer

1968 René Tretschok, German footballer and manager

1970 Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater and sportscaster

1970 Raymont Harris, American football player

1970 Karine Polwart, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist

1971 Chris Cook (racing driver), American race car driver

1971 Corey Haim, Canadian actor (d. 2010)

1971 Jo Johnson, English banker, journalist, and politician

1971 Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer

1971 Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, English model, actress, and author (d. 2017)

1971 Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist

1971 Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter

1972 Morgan (singer), Italian singer-songwriter and composer

1972 Christian Potenza, Canadian actor, voice actor and singer

1974 Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer and politician

1974 Mieszko Talarczyk, Polish-Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2004)

1975 Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player

1975 Lady Starlight, American singer-songwriter

1976 Joanna Hayes, American hurdler and coach

1976 Brad Lidge, American baseball player

1976 Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Uzbek-Greek footballer and manager

1976 Jamie Noble, American wrestler and producer

1976 Mikael Samuelsson, Swedish ice hockey player

1977 Matt Baker (presenter), English television presenter

1977 Alge Crumpler, American football player

1977 Tore Johansen, Norwegian trumpeter and composer

1977 Jari Mäenpää, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist

1977 Paul Shirley, American basketball player and blogger

1978 Esthero, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and producer

1978 Aleš Kotalík, Czech ice hockey player

1978 Víctor Martínez (baseball), Venezuelan baseball player

1978 Estella Warren, Canadian swimmer, model, and actress

1979 Abraham Chebii, Kenyan runner

1979 Johan Franzén, Swedish ice hockey player

1979 Scott Gomez, American ice hockey player

1979 Holly Madison, American model, television personality, and actress

1979 Megan Mayhew Bergman, American author and educator

1979 Kenny Miller, Scottish footballer

1979 Yukifumi Murakami, Japanese javelin thrower

1980 Cody Ross, American baseball player

1981 Maritza Correia, Puerto Rican-American swimmer

1981 Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuban boxer

1981 Hiro Fujiwara, Japanese manga artist

1981 Agnes Milowka, Polish-Australian diver, explorer, photographer, and author (d. 2011)

1981 Mario Santana, Argentine footballer

1982 Zbyněk Michálek, Czech ice hockey player

1982 Shaone Morrisonn, Canadian-Croatian ice hockey player

1982 Thomas Rohregger, Austrian cyclist

1983 Michael Chopra, English footballer

1983 Lisa Dobriskey, English runner

1983 Hanley Ramírez, Dominican baseball player

1984 Dudu Aharon, Israeli singer-songwriter

1984 Bernard Pollard, American football player

1984 Josh Satin, American baseball player

1984 Sebastian Werle, German rugby player

1985 Harry Judd, English drummer and songwriter

1985 Alison Sudol, American actress and singer-songwriter

1986 Thomas Bourgin, French motorcycle racer (d. 2013)

1986 Beau Champion, Australian rugby league player

1986 Balázs Dzsudzsák, Hungarian footballer

1986 T. J. Oshie, American ice hockey player

1987 Tommaso Bellazzini, Italian footballer

1987 Owen Franks, New Zealand rugby player

1987 Jori Lehterä, Finnish ice hockey player

1988 Mallory Hagan, American beauty queen, Miss America 2013

1989 Liis Koger, Estonian painter and poet

1990 Mitch Haniger, American baseball player

1990 Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress and singer

1991 Kyren Wilson, English snooker player

1992 Spencer Daniels, American actor

1992 Jeff Schlupp, German footballer

1994 Reed Alexander, American actor

1996 Bartosz Kapustka, Polish footballer

1997 Luka Jović, Serbian footballer

2000 Sekou Doumbouya, Guinean-French basketball player

2002 Finn Wolfhard, Canadian actor and musician

423 Emperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei, ruler of Northern Wei (b. 392)

484 Huneric, Vandal king

668 Gabriel of Beth Qustan, bishop and saint (b. 594)

AD 679 Dagobert II, Frankish king (probable; b. 650)

761 Gaubald, Frankish bishop (b. 700)

889 Solomon II (bishop of Constance), bishop of Bishopric of Constance

910 Saint Naum, Bulgarian missionary and scholar

918 Conrad I of Germany, king of East Francia (b. 890)

940 Ar-Radi, Abbasid caliph (b. 909)

1172 Ugo Ventimiglia, Italian cardinal

1193 Saint Thorlak, patron saint of Iceland (b. 1133)

1230 Berengaria of Navarre, queen of England (b. 1165)

1304 Matilda of Habsburg, duchess regent of Bavaria (b. 1253)

1383 Beatrice of Bourbon, Queen of Bohemia (b. 1320)

1384 Thomas Preljubović, ruler of Epirus

1392 Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York, duchess of York (b. 1355)

1556 Nicholas Udall, English cleric, playwright, and educator (b. 1504)

1572 Johann Sylvan, German theologian (executed; date of birth unknown)

1575 Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese samurai (b. 1531)

1588 Henry I, Duke of Guise, duke of Guise (b. 1550)

1631 Michael Drayton, English poet and playwright (b. 1563)

1638 Barbara Longhi, Italian painter (b. 1552)

1646 François Maynard, French poet and academic (b. 1582)

1652 John Cotton (minister), English minister and theologian (b. 1585)

1675 Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French general and diplomat (b. 1602)

1722 Pierre Varignon, French mathematician and academic (b. 1654)

1761 Alastair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish spy (b. 1725)

1771 Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian nun and saint, founded Grey Nuns (b. 1701)

1779 Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, English admiral and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (b. 1724)

1789 Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French priest and educator (b. 1712)

1795 Henry Clinton (British Army officer, born 1730), English general and politician (b. 1730)

1805 Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and author (b. 1723)

1834 Thomas Robert Malthus, English economist and demographer (b. 1766)

1884 John Chisum, American businessman and poker player (b. 1824)

1889 Constance Naden, English poet and philosopher (b. 1858)

1892 Frederick Tracy Dent, Brigadier General in the Regular United States Army, brother in law to President Ulysses S. Grant.

1902 Frederick Temple, English archbishop and academic (b. 1821)

1906 Gungunhana, last emperor of the Gaza Empire (b. c.1850)

1912 Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist and academic (b. 1850)

1926 Swami Shraddhanand, Indian monk, missionary, and educator (b. 1856)

1930 Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay, Turkish lieutenant and educator (b. 1906)

1931 Wilson Bentley, American meteorologist and photographer (b. 1865)

1939 Anthony Fokker, Indonesia-born Dutch pilot and engineer, designed the Fokker Dr.I and Fokker D.VII (b. 1890)

1946 John A. Sampson, American gynecologist and academic (b. 1873)

1948 Akira Mutō, Japanese general (b. 1883)

1948 Hideki Tojo, Japanese general and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1884)

1948 Seishirō Itagaki, Japanese general (b. 1885)

1948 Heitarō Kimura, Japanese general (b. 1888)

1948 Iwane Matsui, Japanese general (b. 1878)

1948 Kenji Doihara, Japanese general (b. 1883)

1948 Kōki Hirota, Japanese diplomat and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1878)

1950 Vincenzo Tommasini, Italian composer (b. 1878)

1953 Lavrentiy Beria, Soviet general and politician, head of the NKVD (b. 1899)

1954 René Iché, French soldier and sculptor (b. 1897)

1961 Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, American author (b. 1875)

1961 Kurt Meyer, German general (b. 1910)

1970 Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)

1970 Aleksander Warma, Estonian lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia in exile (b. 1890)

1972 Andrei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-95 and Tupolev Tu-104 (b. 1888)

1973 Irna Phillips, American screenwriter, created ''Guiding Light'' and ''As the World Turns'' (b. 1901)

1979 Peggy Guggenheim, American-Italian art collector (b. 1898)

1982 Jack Webb, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1920)

1983 Colin Middleton, Irish painter and illustrator (b. 1910)

1984 Joan Lindsay, Australian author and playwright (b. 1896)

1992 Vincent Fourcade, French interior designer (b. 1934)

1994 Sebastian Shaw (actor), English actor, director, and playwright (b. 1905)

1995 Patric Knowles, English actor (b. 1911)

1998 Joe Orlando, Italian-American author and illustrator (b. 1927)

2000 Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)

2000 Victor Borge, Danish-American comedian, pianist, and conductor (b. 1909)

2001 Bola Ige, Nigerian lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Oyo State (b. 1930)

2004 P. V. Narasimha Rao, Indian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)

2005 Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1914)

2005 Yao Wenyuan, Chinese writer and politician, member of the Gang of Four (b. 1931)

2006 Charlie Drake, English actor (b. 1925)

2006 Timothy J. Tobias, American pianist and composer (b. 1952)

2006 Johnny Vincent (footballer), English footballer (b. 1947)

2007 William Francis Ganong, Jr., American physiologist and academic (b. 1924)

2007 Michael Kidd, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1915)

2007 Oscar Peterson, Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1925)

2009 Robert L. Howard, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1939)

2009 Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Tibetan general and politician (b. 1910)

2009 Edward Schillebeeckx, Belgian theologian and academic (b. 1914)

2010 Fred Hargesheimer, American soldier and pilot (b. 1916)

2010 K. Karunakaran, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Kerala (b. 1918)

2011 Aydın Menderes, Turkish economist and politician (b. 1946)

2012 Jean Harris, American educator and murderer (b. 1923)

2012 Eduardo Maiorino, Brazilian mixed martial artist and kick-boxer (b. 1979)

2013 Chryssa, Greek-American sculptor (b. 1933)

2013 Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russian general and weapons designer, designed the AK-47 (b. 1919)

2013 Yusef Lateef, American saxophonist, composer, and educator (b. 1920)

2013 Ricky Lawson, American drummer and composer (b. 1954)

2013 G. S. Shivarudrappa, Indian poet and educator (b. 1926)

2013 Robert W. Wilson (philanthropist), American philanthropist and art collector (b. 1928)

2014 Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (b. 1944)

2014 Robert V. Hogg, American statistician and academic (b. 1924)

2015 Alfred G. Gilman, American pharmacologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (b. 1941)

2015 Don Howe, English footballer and manager (b. 1935)

2015 Jean-Marie Pelt, French biologist, pharmacist, and academic (b. 1933)

2015 Bülent Ulusu, Turkish admiral and politician, 18th List of Prime Ministers of Turkey (b. 1923)

2017 Maurice Hayes, Irish educator and politician (b. 1927)

2020 Leslie West, American singer and guitarist (b. 1945)

2021 Joan Didion, American writer (b. 1934)

2022 Brandon Montrell, American TikTok personality and stand-up comedian (b. 1979)

2023 William Pope.L, American performance artist (b. 1955)

Flag flying days in Sweden Queen Silvia of Sweden, an Flag flying days in Sweden (Sweden)

Children's Day # South Sudan (South Sudan and Sudan)

Christian Calendar of saints:

- Abassad (Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)

- Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs (Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)

- Dagobert II

- John Cantius

- O Emmanuel

- Psote (Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)

- Saint Thorlak, patron saint of Iceland; The last day of preparations before Christmas.

- Victoria, Anatolia, and Audax

- December 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Armed Forces of Ukraine # Military holidays (Ukraine)

Festivus, a secular holiday made popular by the sitcom ''Seinfeld''

HumanLight (Secular humanism in United States)

Charan Singh # Legacy (Uttar Pradesh, India)

Night of the Radishes (Oaxaca City, Mexico)

Tibb's Eve (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Tom Bawcock's Eve (Mousehole, Cornwall)

Victory Day (Egypt)

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/23 BBC: On This Day]

[https://www.onthisday.com/events/december/23 Historical Events on December 23]