What happened today in history
December
What happened on December 28
On December 28 history recorded 40 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 101 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 40events
- 160births
- 101deaths
- 9observances
Highlights
Highlights
484Alaric II (depicted) succeeded his father Euric as King of the Visigoths.
Alaric II was the King of the Visigoths from 484 until his death. He succeeded his father Euric as King of the Visigoths in Toulouse on 28 December 484; he was the great-grandson of the more famous Alaric I, who sacked Rome in 410. He established his capital a
893
An earthquake destroyed the city of Dvin, Armenia, resulting in about 30,000 casualties.
The 893 Dvin earthquake occurred on 28 December 893 at around midnight. It had a magnitude of approximately 6 and a maximum intensity of approximately IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It destroyed the city of Dvin in Armenia, causing approximately
1065Westminster Abbey, built by Edward the Confessor as the first Romanesque church in England, was first consecrated.
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs and a burial s
December 28
On this day
V century
- 418
418A papal election begins, resulting in the election of Pope Boniface I. - 457
457Majorian is acclaimed as Western Roman emperor. - 484
484Alaric II succeeds his father Euric and becomes king of the Visigoths. He establishes his capital at Aire-sur-l'Adour (Southern Gaul).
IX century
XI century
XIV century
XVII century
XVIII century
XIX century
- 1832
1832John C. Calhoun becomes the first Vice President of the United States to resign. He resigned after being elected Senator from South Carolina. - 1835
1835Osceola leads his Seminole warriors in Florida into the Second Seminole War against the United States Army. - 1836
1836South Australia and Adelaide are founded. - 1836
1836Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico with the signing of the Santa María–Calatrava Treaty. - 1846
1846Iowa is admitted as the 29th U.S. state. - 1879
1879Tay Bridge disaster: The central part of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom collapses as a train passes over it, killing 75. - 1885
1885The Indian National Congress is founded in Bombay Presidency, British India. - 1895
1895The Lumière brothers perform for their first paying audience at the Grand Cafe in Boulevard des Capucines. - 1895
1895Wilhelm Röntgen publishes a paper detailing his discovery of a new type of radiation, which later will be known as x-rays.
XX century
- 1902
1902The Syracuse Athletic Club defeat the New York Philadelphians, 5–0, in the first indoor professional football game, which was held at Madison Square Garden. - 1908
1908The 7.1 Mw Messina earthquake shakes Southern Italy with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing between about 80,000. - 1912
1912The first municipally owned streetcars take to the streets in San Francisco. - 1918
1918Constance Markievicz, while detained in Holloway prison, becomes the first woman to be elected Member of Parliament (MP) to the British House of Commons. - 1941
1941World War II: Operation Anthropoid, the plot to assassinate high-ranking Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich, commences. - 1943
1943Soviet authorities launch Operation Ulussy, beginning the deportation of the Kalmyk nation to Siberia and Central Asia. - 1943
1943World War II: After eight days of brutal house-to-house fighting, the Battle of Ortona concludes with the victory of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division over the German 1st Parachute Division and the capture of the Italian town of Ortona. - 1944
1944Maurice Richard becomes the first player to score eight points in one game of NHL ice hockey. - 1948
1948The DC-3 airliner NC16002 disappears 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Miami. - 1956
1956Chin Peng, David Marshall and Tunku Abdul Rahman meet in Baling, Malaya to try to resolve the Malayan Emergency situation. - 1958
1958"Greatest Game Ever Played": The Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants in the first ever National Football League sudden death overtime game at New York's Yankee Stadium to win the NFL Championship. - 1967
1967American businesswoman Muriel Siebert becomes the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. - 1972
1972The last scheduled day for induction into the military by the Selective Service System. Due to the fact that President Richard Nixon declared this day a national day of mourning due to former President Harry S Truman's death, approximately 300 men were not able to report due to most Federal offices being closed. Since the draft was not resumed in 1973, they were never drafted. - 1973
1973The United States Endangered Species Act is signed into law by President Richard Nixon. - 1978
1978United Airlines Flight 173 crashes in a residential neighborhood near Portland International Airport, killing 10 people. - 1989
1989A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, killing 13 people.
XXI century
- 2006
2006War in Somalia: The militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and Ethiopian troops capture Mogadishu unopposed. - 2009
2009Forty-three people die in a suicide bombing in Karachi, Pakistan, where Shia Muslims are observing the Day of Ashura. - 2014
2014Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 crashes into the Karimata Strait en route from Surabaya to Singapore, killing all 162 people aboard. - 2014
2014Nine people die and another 19 are reported missing, when the MS Norman Atlantic catches fire in the Strait of Otranto, in the Adriatic Sea, in Italian waters. - 2019
2019A truck bomb is detonated in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing at least 85 people and injuring over 140 more. The militant group Al-Shabaab claims responsibility. - 2025
2025Unrest in the form of mass protests erupt across Iran, the largest uprising in the country since the Iranian Revolution.
Best known
Born on December 28
Best known
Died on December 28
Holidays and observances
- Christian feast day: Abel (Coptic Church)
- Christian feast day: Caterina Volpicelli
- Christian feast day: Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas; in Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church), and its related observances: Els Enfarinats (Ibi, Spain)
- Christian feast day: Simon the Athonite
- Christian feast day: December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- King Taksin Memorial Day (Thailand)
- Proclamation Day (South Australia), celebration started on the day following Christmas (South Australia)
- Republic Day (South Sudan)
- The fourth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
Frequently asked questions
What happened on December 28?
40 documented historical events happened on December 28, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Alaric II (depicted) succeeded his father Euric as King of the Visigoths. On the same day, in another year: An earthquake destroyed the city of Dvin, Armenia, resulting in about 30,000 casualties. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
Who was born on December 28?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on December 28, including Steve Van Buren, Johnny Otis, Lionel Bowen. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.
Who died on December 28?
101 people with a Wikipedia article died on December 28, including Robert II of Dreux, Hugh Aycelin, Ashikaga Yoshiakira. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.
What is celebrated on December 28?
9 observances are celebrated on December 28 around the world: Christian feast day: Abel (Coptic Church), Christian feast day: Caterina Volpicelli, Christian feast day: Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas; in Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church), and its related observances: Els Enfarinats (Ibi, Spain), Christian feast day: Simon the Athonite, Christian feast day: December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), King Taksin Memorial Day (Thailand). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
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Source: Wikipedia · Calendar