This Day in Christian History: December 19 December 19, 1843: Charles Dickens first published A Christmas Carol One of the timeless classics of Christmas, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. It was an instant success, and Dickens is often credited with changing Christmas forever with this novella. One thing is for certain, his tale left a lasting impression on our culture, from the expression of "Bah-Humbug!" to images of Tiny Tim and his words "God bless us, everyone!" In Dicken's story, an old cranky businessman by the name of Ebeneezer Scrooge dreams that he is visited by three ghosts of Christmas. Through his dream, he learns that one can choose joy, peace and kindness, and it can be found even through darkness and despair. Read more about A Christmas Carol on Wikipedia