On This Day - December 22, 2026

Long before Clark Griswold connected 250 strands of lights to decorate his house for Christmas, he must thank Edward H. Johnson. Thomas Edison hired Johnson in 1871 and by the time he founded the Edison Electric Light Company, Johnson was named as vice president. One of Johnson's favorite holidays was Christmas and in 1882, he put his electrical ingenuity to work. He hand-wired a string of 80 red, white, and blue bulbs the size of walnuts to his Christmas tree. Additional lights decorated his ceiling.

The Mummy starring Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, and David Manners premieres. Directed by Karl Freund, the film is the first horror movie to feature a mummy.

"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" written by Ross Bagdasarian (also known as David Seville) and performed by the animated characters, The Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore reach #1 on the music charts. Released only weeks before, it would become a holiday favorite for generations.

During a New Orleans Saints versus Tennessee Titans game, Saint wide receiver Michael Thomas set an NFL record for most catches in a season. He made his 144th catch and the Saints went on to win 38-28. The previous record was held by Marvin Harrison set in 2002. December 22nd Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) Birthdays