On this date in history…

Though the precise origin of the date is unclear, Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on this day, having been first identified as the date of Jesus’ birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221.

(2006) American singer and songwriter James Brown, known as “the Godfather of Soul,” died at the age of 73. (1991) Mikhail Gorbachev resigned the presidency of the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist at the end of the year. (1962) The film adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird premiered and became a classic, especially noted for Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch. (1821) Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was born in Oxford, Massachusetts. (1776) During the American Revolution, General George Washington crossed the Delaware River and surprised the British at Trenton, New Jersey. (1066) William I was crowned king of England, formally completing the Norman Conquest.