As we mark Sunday, December 21, 2025, we find ourselves on the 355th day of the year, with just 10 days remaining until we welcome a new year. This date holds a significant place in history, echoing with events that shaped the world as we know it.
Today in history:
On this day in 1620, the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower set foot on what is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. This marked a pivotal moment in American history, as these settlers established one of the earliest European settlements in North America.
Also on this date:
Fast forward to 1864, during the turbulent years of the American Civil War, Union forces under the command of Major General William T. Sherman completed their infamous “March to the Sea.” This campaign concluded with the capture of Savannah, Georgia, marking a strategic victory for the Union army.
In the realm of sports, December 21, 1891, witnessed the inaugural basketball game. Conceived by James Naismith, this game was played at the International YMCA Training School, which is now Springfield College, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. This moment set the stage for what would become a globally beloved sport.
Shifting to the world of puzzles, 1913 saw the publication of the first-ever newspaper crossword puzzle, referred to as a “Word-Cross Puzzle,” in the New York World. This innovation sparked a pastime that continues to engage minds around the world.
In more recent history, on this day in 1976, environmental tragedy struck when the oil tanker Argo Merchant disintegrated near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The disaster occurred nearly a week after the vessel had run aground, resulting in a catastrophic spill of 7.7 million gallons of oil into the North Atlantic, highlighting the ongoing challenges in managing industrial impacts on the environment.
In 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded aboard New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people aboard the Boeing 747 and 11 on the ground. The blast occurred about 40 minutes into the flight from London and claimed the lives of citizens from 21 countries, including 190 Americans.
In 1991, 11 of the 12 former Soviet republics formally proclaimed the birth of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
In 2020, President-elect Joe Biden received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on live television as part of a growing effort early in the pandemic to convince the American public the inoculations were safe.
In 2023, a student opened fire at Charles University in Prague, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting. Authorities said the 24-year-old student, who had a license to own eight guns and no criminal record, killed himself as police closed in.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor Jane Fonda is 88.
- Singer Carla Thomas is 83.
- Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is 81.
- Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 77.
- Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg is 75.
- Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert is 71.
- Actor Jane Kaczmarek is 70.
- Country musician Lee Roy Parnell is 69.
- Actor-comedian Ray Romano is 68.
- Actor Kiefer Sutherland is 59.
- Actor-filmmaker Julie Delpy is 56.
- Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb is 51.
- French President Emmanuel Macron is 48.
- Actor Rutina Wesley is 47.
- Actor Steven Yeun is 42.
- Actor-producer-writer Quinta Brunson is 36.
- Actor Kaitlyn Dever is 29.
- Actor Madelyn Cline is 28.
