Christmas was first celebrated in 336 AD after Constantine made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. Massachusetts banned Christmas celebrations in 1659, citing dishonoring God. The World Wide Web had its first successful test in 1990 with two computers and a server. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned in 1991, marking the end of the USSR and the Cold War. JonBenet Ramsay was murdered in 1996, sparking a media frenzy. St. Francis of Assisi set up the first nativity scene in Italy in 1223. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was introduced in 1939, and To Kill a Mockingbird debuted in 1962.
Christmas Day was celebrated for the first time. (336 AD) Previously, Christmas celebrations were quite rare and usually took place in January, if at all. Many early Christians actually thought it was immoral to celebrate Christmas, as it was so similar to many pagan celebrations of the time. It only became popular in 336 after the Roman leader Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire.
The Massachusetts court has banned the celebration of Christmas. (1659) People could be fined five shillings for not working at Christmas or for having a celebratory meal. The prohibition also specifically forbade Christmas celebrations, playing cards, drinking and merrymaking. The rationale behind the ban was that leaders felt most people were not celebrating Christmas with the gravitas it deserved, which led to “dishonoring God and offending others”. Massachusetts’ Christmas ban has been on the books for over 20 years.
The first test of the World Wide Web took place. (1990) The network consisted of two computers and a single server. The prototype had only been in development for two months before the successful test. The creators, Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau, looked into several possible names, including “Mine of Information” and “Information Mesh” before settling on the “World Wide Web”.
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has resigned. (1991) Just four days earlier, 11 of the USSR’s republics had split off to form the Commonwealth of Independent States. Gorbachev’s resignation marked the end of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.
JonBenet Ramsay was murdered. (1996) Ramsay was famous for her participation in children’s beauty pageants and her murder sparked a media frenzy. She was found the next day tied up and sexually assaulted. Her parents were later suspected of involvement in her death, but no charges were ever filed against them.
One of the first cribs is born. (1223) St. Francis of Assisi sets up the first nativity scene in the city of Grecchio, in Italy. The scene consisted of a donkey and an ox with a manger filled with straw between them. St. Francis also celebrated a Christmas Mass using the manger as an altar.
Stars and Stripes Forever was composed. (1896) John Philip Sousa composed the patriotic anthem in his head as he returned from a vacation in Europe. Sousa claims that the entire march was composed in his head before he wrote a note about it.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was introduced to the public. (1939) Robert L. May created Rudolph for Montgomery-Ward Department Store, who hoped to save money on their annual Christmas coloring book by using an original character. Almost two and a half million copies were distributed in the first year alone.
US President Andrew Johnson granted general amnesty to all Confederates. (1898) Although Lincoln had issued previous pardons, these had been selective and limited. It was one of Johnson’s last significant acts in office before being impeached.
To Kill a Mockingbird debuted. (1962) Based on the Harper Lee novel of the same name, To Kill a Mockingbird was an instant classic. Gregory Peck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Atticus Finch. The film was later held in the Library of Congress as a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” film.
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