December 28: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On December 28, 1895, Wilhelm Röntgen published a paper on a mysterious new radiation—what we now call x-rays—forever changing medicine and science.
About December 28
That same December day in 1895, the Lumière brothers staged their first paid public screening at the Grand Café on Boulevard des Capacines in Paris, quietly launching the commercial cinema industry. Meanwhile, Röntgen's paper on x-rays opened a window into the human body that physicians had never imagined possible. Two breakthroughs, one date, and the modern world took a leap forward.
December 28 also carries deep political weight across the globe. In 1768, King Taksin was crowned after his conquest, establishing Thonburi as Thailand's capital—a legacy now honored with King Taksin Memorial Day. South Australia marks its 1836 founding on Proclamation Day, and South Sudan celebrates Republic Day. In 1885, the Indian National Congress held its inaugural meeting in Bombay, planting seeds for a nation's independence.
The day has witnessed its share of bold firsts: Constance Markievicz became the first woman elected to the British House of Commons in 1918 while imprisoned; Muriel Siebert broke Wall Street's gender barrier in 1967; and Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act in 1973. And for those still counting, it is the fourth day of Christmas—three French hens and all that.
Holidays & Observances on December 28
- 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)
Fun & National Days on December 28
- National Chocolate Candy Day — Grab your favorite truffles or chocolate bars and savor one last sugar rush before the New Year's resolutions kick in.
- National Card Playing Day — Deal a hand of poker, rummy, or solitaire—no screens required, just you and a well-worn deck.
- Call a Friend Day — Pick up the phone and ring someone you have been meaning to catch up with all holiday season.
- National Short Film Day — Queue up a few bite-sized cinematic gems and celebrate the art form the Lumière brothers launched on this very date.
- Holy Innocents' Day
- National Download Day
- Pledge of Allegiance Day
On This Day in History
- 1065 — Edward the Confessor's Romanesque monastic church at Westminster Abbey was formally consecrated in a grand ceremony just days before the king's own death.
- 1768 — King Taksin was crowned through military conquest, establishing Thonburi as the new capital of Thailand and unifying the kingdom after the fall of Ayutthaya.
- 1836 — The colony of South Australia and its capital city of Adelaide were officially founded, shaping a new British settlement on the continent's southern coast.
- 1885 — The Indian National Congress held its founding meeting in Bombay Presidency, British India, creating an organization that would eventually lead the country to independence.
- 1895 — Wilhelm Röntgen published his groundbreaking paper describing a new form of radiation—soon dubbed x-rays—transforming medical diagnosis forever.
- 1895 — The Lumière brothers presented their first paid public film screening at the Grand Café on Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, marking the dawn of commercial cinema.
- 1918 — Constance Markievicz, detained in Holloway Prison, became the first woman elected as a Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons.
- 1958 — The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants in the NFL's first sudden-death overtime game at Yankee Stadium—an event later dubbed the Greatest Game Ever Played.
- 1967 — Muriel Siebert made history as the first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, shattering a major Wall Street gender barrier.
- 1973 — President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law, creating one of the world's most powerful legal frameworks for wildlife conservation.
Famous Birthdays on December 28
- 1856 — Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and architect of the League of Nations vision after World War I.
- 1903 — John von Neumann, Hungarian-American mathematician and polymath whose work shaped quantum mechanics, game theory, and early computer architecture.
- 1922 — Stan Lee, Legendary comic-book publisher who co-created Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, defining the modern superhero genre.
- 1932 — Nichelle Nichols, American actress who broke racial barriers as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, inspiring generations of Black viewers and future astronauts.
- 1934 — Maggie Smith, Dame Maggie Smith, the revered English actress whose career spanned Shakespearean stage triumphs to Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.
- 1954 — Denzel Washington, Academy Award-winning American actor and director celebrated for powerful performances in films like Training Day and Malcolm X.
- 1969 — Linus Torvalds, Finnish-American software engineer who created the Linux kernel, the open-source foundation powering much of the world's computing infrastructure.
- 1978 — John Legend, EGOT-winning American singer-songwriter and pianist known for soulful hits like All of Me and his advocacy for social justice.