Let's not forget it's also:
The feast of St. Benedict Bobures
The feast of St. Basil
Circumcision Day (Protestant)
193 CE -- Pertinax was chosen as the Roman Emperor.
1515 -- King Luois XII of France died.
1527 -- Ferdinand of Austria elected king of Ctroatia.
1596 -- [The first Dutch landed on Sumatra.
1713 -- The Battle of Agra (India).
1776 -- The first US flag ("The Great Union")displayed.
1788 -- The Times of LOndon first appeared under that name.
1801 -- Ceres, the first asteroid is discovered.
1808 -- Importation of slaves into the United States prohibited.
1822 -- Greece adopted it's national flag.
1879 -- E.M. Forster Born.
1909 -- Australia became a commonwealth.
1912 -- China became a Republic.
1927 -- The BBC founded.
1944 -- Syria became a Republic.
1959 -- Castro assumed power in Cuba
1962 -- Independance given to Western Samoa.