Today is Friday, Dec. 25th, the 359th day of 2009. There are 6 days left in the year. This is Christmas Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 25, 1818, "Silent Night," written by Franz Gruber and Father Joseph Mohr, was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.

On this date:

In A.D. 336, the first recorded celebration of Christmas on Dec. 25 took place in Rome.

In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned king of England.

In 1776, Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, N.J.

In 1926, Hirohito became emperor of Japan, succeeding his father, Emperor Yoshihito. (Hirohito was formally enthroned almost two years later.)

In 1941, during World War II, Japan announced the surrender of the British-Canadian garrison at Hong Kong.

In 1946, comedian W.C. Fields died in Pasadena, Calif., at age 66.

In 1977, comedian Charlie Chaplin died in Switzerland at age 88.

In 1989, ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were executed following a popular uprising. Former baseball manager Billy Martin died in a traffic accident in Fenton, N.Y.

In 1991, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as the eighth and final leader of a communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.

In 2006, James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," died of heart failure in Atlanta at age 73.

Ten years ago: Space shuttle Discovery's astronauts finished their repair job on the Hubble Space Telescope and released it back into orbit. A Cuban airplane crashed in northern Venezuela, killing all 22 aboard.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush urged Americans to help the neediest among them by volunteering to care for the sick, the elderly and the poor in a Christmas day call for compassion.

One year ago: Pope Benedict XVI urged a world confronting a financial crisis, conflict, and increasing poverty not to lose hope at Christmas, but to join in "authentic solidarity" to prevent global ruin. President-elect Barack Obama spent a private Christmas Day with family and close friends in Hawaii. Singer, dancer and actress Eartha Kitt died in Weston, Conn., at 81. Actress Ann Savage died in Los Angeles at 87.