1. On December 25, 1834, the Alabama state legislature decided to move the capital of the state from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery. This decision was made due to Montgomery's central location within the state and its proximity to the Alabama River.

2. In 1865, during the Civil War, Union General James H. Wilson led a raid on Selma, Alabama on Christmas Day. This raid resulted in the destruction of Confederate war materials and a significant blow to the Confederate army.

3. On December 25, 1888, John R. Brinkley, a controversial doctor who became famous for his use of goat glands as a cure for impotence, was born in Jackson County, Alabama. Brinkley's medical practices were eventually exposed as fraudulent, and he was stripped of his medical license.

4. On Christmas Day in 1947, the Birmingham Zoo opened its doors to the public. The zoo initially housed just a few animals, but it has since grown to become one of the top zoos in the Southeastern United States.

5. In 1974, Alabama Governor George Wallace was shot by Arthur Bremer while campaigning for the presidency at a shopping center in Laurel, Maryland. The shooting occurred on December 25, but Wallace survived the assassination attempt and lived until 1998.