On December 24, 1818, the first performance of “Silent Night” took place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria. Father Joseph Mohr had written the lyrics earlier, commissioning nearby schoolteacher and organist, Franz Xavier Gruber, to compose a melody appropriate for guitar accompaniment. It is one of the world’s most recognizable
Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley and author of satirical novels such as Thank You For Smoking and Supreme Courtship, was born on Christmas Eve, 1952