The first recorded solar eclipse in ancient Babylonia, which marked the beginning of systematic astronomical observations.
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On This Day in History: December 25
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on December 25th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Roman emperor Augustus celebrates the Ludi Saeculares, a secular games event, marking the end of a saeculum (a generation) and the beginning of a new one.
The traditionally celebrated birth of Jesus Christ, though the exact date remains a subject of debate among scholars.
Roman Emperor Constantine I (Constantine the Great) is believed to have started promoting that the Roman sun festival of "Sol Invictus" coincides with Christmas. There is also some evidence suggesting Christians already marked Dec 25 for Jesus' birth for theological reasons (possibly linked to March 25th (conception/death)
Constantine's had started favoring Christianity after his vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 AD) and issued the Edict of Milan (313 AD) for religious tolerance. His conversion and Christian patronage were gradual, aiming for empire unity, although many pagan symbols, like the sun halo, were adopted into Christian imagery symbolizing Jesus as the "Light of the World". He also declared in 321 AD, Sunday (Dies Solis - Sun Day) a day of rest. He was baptized on his deathbed, shortly before he died on May 22, 337 CE, by Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, a practice reflecting a common belief that baptism offered full spiritual cleansing only once.
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Pope Liberius celebrates the first official Christmas mass in Rome on December 25, 352. Earlier the same year, his predecessor, Pope Julius I, had officially established December 25 as the date of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but Pope Julius died on April 352 before he could celebrate the first official Christmas Mass in Rome.
Many believe that the choice of December 25th was to align with the Roman festival of Natalis Invicti (Birth of the Unconquered Sun) and the winter solstice, allowing the Church to Christianize existing pagan observances.
Charlemagne becomes the King of the Franks as the sole ruler on December 25 771 after the death of his brother Carloman I.
Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day, December 25, 800 CE in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne "Emperor of the Romans" on Christmas Day, December 25, 800 CE. The coronation took place during a mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
This event established Charlemagne as the first emperor of a unified Western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire and solidified the strong relationship between the Frankish kingdom and the Papacy, creating a powerful link between secular and spiritual authority, The coronation took place after Charlemagne came to Rome to restore Pope Leo III's authority, who had faced a rebellion
The Danelaw, a region of England under Viking control, sees a series of treaties between the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons.
The coronation of Stephen I as the first Christian king of Hungary, marking the establishment of the Kingdom of Hungary and Hungary's conversion to Christianity.
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Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark is proclaimed King of England after the English nobility submits to him. Sweyn had built a strong an imposing Danish North Sea empire, establishing control in Norway in 1000 and conquering England in 1013. He died there on February 1014, having ruled England for only five weeks. Sweyn's cause of death is unknown.
William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, following the Norman conquest.
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Christopher Columbus Flagship, the Santa María, runs aground on Christmas Day 1492, on a reef off the northwest coast of what is now Haiti but the exact location remains a mystery. The ship was declared a total loss, and its timbers were salvaged to build the Fort which he named "La Navidad", the first European settlement in the New World, where 39 members of Columbus's crew were left behind.
Columbus left for Spain in January of 1493, with the other two ships, the Niña and the Pinta. Columbus returned to the settlement a year later to find it destroyed, the fort in ruins and his men gone.It is believed the Taíno people had retaliated against the European mistreatment and violence, killing the men and burning the fort.
General George Washington’s 2,400 strong army crosses the Delaware on the night of December 25-26, 1776, during a treacherous storm and surprises the garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton (Battle of Trenton) capturing more than 1000 of them at a cost of four American lives.
The Trenton victory was followed by the major success at Princeton a week later on January 3, 1777 boosted the morale and the momentum of the American troops. More
The Christmas Truce of 1914. Although fighting continued in many parts of the Western Front, a rare heart-warming display of humanity in the history of human conflict takes place in some sections. By Christmas of that year there were millions of soldiers dug in trenches packed together and living in freezing conditions. On Christmas Eve German troops began unwrapping gifts from home and singing Christmas carols and soon the British and French troops joined in. Christmas greetings and well wishes were exchanged, and offers of a temporary ceasefire were communicated between the trenches. On Christmas morning, The troops began to greet one another, messages and gifts were exchanged and spontaneous games of football(soccer) were rumored to have happened. More
An earthquake and tsunami in Northern Chile result in significant loss of life and destruction.
The first Kwanzaa celebration is held, a week-long holiday honoring African heritage in African American culture.
Vietnam invades Cambodia, leading to the eventual downfall of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR approved the Law of the RSFSR "On renaming of the state of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic", which took effect immediately. The new name of the state was the Russian Federation (Russia) Effective dissolving the USSR. The Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin and then replaced by the tricolor Russian Federation flag. More