December 22 in History

• 1216

  December 22, 1216:

  Pope Honorius III sanctions the Dominican order.

• 1808

  December 22, 1808:

  “Symphony No. 5” by Ludwig van Beethoven is performed for the first time in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien.

• 1894

  December 22, 1894:

  The United States Golf Association is formed in New York.

• 1932

  December 22, 1932:

  The pre-Code horror film, “The Mummy” is released.

• 1941

  December 22, 1941:

  Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, meet in Washington to discuss World War II.

• 1956

  December 22, 1956:

  Colo, a baby gorilla born in Columbus Zoo in Ohio, becomes the first gorilla to be given birth to in captivity.

• 1965

  December 22, 1965:

  The epic romantic drama film, “Doctor Zhivago” is premiered in New York City.

• 1989

  December 22, 1989:

  Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu is forced out of power following his 24-year dictatorship.

• 2001

  December 22, 2001:

  Richard Reid, a British Islamist militant fails at his attempt to blow up an airplane on which he was also a passenger.

• 2010

  December 22, 2010:

  US President Barack Obama signs a law to repeal the 17-year-old ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy which was instituted to ban openly homosexual persons from serving in the United States Army.