On this day: December 24
"Silent Night" is first performed, the Library of Congress burns, NORAD begins tracking Santa, and man orbits the Moon for the first time, all on this day.
1914: During World War I, the unofficial "Christmas truce" begins along the Western Front in Europe. British and German soldiers, who had already begun to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches in the weeks leading up to Christmas, independently ventured into "no man's land," where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing.
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