The earliest record of Christmas as a feast on 25 December is in a Roman almanac of 354.

354

The same 'Chronograph' lists the popes of Rome and the schedule of public games, with the number of chariot races.

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The event

• Nativity of Jesusc. 4 BC · Bethlehem. According to the Gospels, Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of King Herod. In the 6th century the monk Dionysius Exiguus made it the starting point of the Anno Domini era, though historians place the birth around 6–4 BC.

4th century

More amazing facts

• 301 · 313 · 330 Among the first Christian states were Armenia (traditionally 301) and Aksum in Ethiopia (around 330).
• 330 Aksum's tallest stele, 33 metres high, probably collapsed as it was being raised and still lies broken.
• 340 · 1972 A cure for malaria was found in a 1,600-year-old recipe.
• 350 The Romans used nanotechnology without knowing it. The 4th-century Lycurgus Cup is green in reflected light and red when lit from within, thanks to gold and silver particles just tens of nanometres wide.
• 378 In January 378, a party from Teotihuacan arrived at the Maya city of Tikal, about 1,000 km away.
• 402 · 1969 In 1969 Erich von Däniken cited Delhi's rustless iron pillar as evidence of alien visitors.

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