December 22 in History: Notable Events Through the Years
Today is December 22, 2025, marking the 356th day of the year with only nine days remaining. On this day in history, significant events took place. In 1894, French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was wrongly convicted of treason, sparking global accusations of antisemitism. However, Dreyfus was later exonerated. During World War II in 1944, U.S. Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe famously responded to a German surrender demand with the word "Nuts!" leading to the successful repulsion of the German offensive. In 1984, Bernhard Goetz shot and injured four young Black men on a New York City subway, claiming self-defense, which resulted in a controversial legal case. Lech Walesa was sworn in as Poland's first popularly elected president in 1990, marking a significant moment in Polish history. In 2001, Richard C. Reid attempted to detonate explosives in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami, but was thwarted by passengers and crew. President Barack Obama signed a law in 2010 allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals to serve openly in the military, overturning the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The year 2018 saw a 34-day federal government shutdown during Donald Trump's presidency due to disagreements over funding, including the proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.