The compilation of the Domesday Book, a survey of England initiated by William the Conqueror, begins.
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What Happened in December?
Victories, births, and treaties. Explore the significant historical events and milestones that occurred in December. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Bishop Anselm. Abbot of the Bec Abbey, reluctantly becomes Archbishop of Canterbury on December 4, 1093. He was consecrated in Canterbury after King William II agreed to restore the lands of the archbishopric that had been seized by the crown.
His tenure was marked by conflict with William II and his successor, King Henry I, over the issue of royal control over Church appointments (lay investiture). He is recognized as a Christian philosopher and theologian of the eleventh century. More
1098 CE, c December
Crusaders under Raymond IV of Toulouse capture Ma'arrat al-Numan in Syria during the First Crusade. The capture of Ma'arra was followed by the infamous practice of cannibalism among the starving Crusader forces, which is well-documented in contemporary sources.
Baldwin I of Jerusalem is crowned as the first King of Jerusalem on December 25, 1100 in the Church of the Nativity.
Some sources indicate he was crowned in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre but it is now believed that Baldwin chose Bethlehem for the ceremony because the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional coronation site, was controlled by the Latin Patriarch Daimbert of Pisa, who had a political conflict with Baldwin.
King Alfonso I of Aragon captures the city of Zaragoza from the Almoravids control on December 18th, 1118 during the Reconquista. The siege lasted about eight months before the city fell.
Roger II is crowned the first King of Sicily, on Christmas Day, December 25, 1130, by Antipope Anacletus II in the Palermo Cathedral, establishing the Kingdom of Sicily and becoming its first Norman ruler. The event unified his Norman territories in Sicily and Southern forming a powerful Mediterranean kingdom.
King Henry I of England, dies on December 1, 1135. Although an arrangement had been made by Henry I for his daughter, Empress Matilda, to become Queen, her cousin Stephen of Blois was crowned King of England on the 22nd December, leading to a succession crisis and period of civil war known as "The Anarchy."
Zengi, Atabeg of Mosul, captures Edessa, on December 24, 1144, after a month-long siege, sparking the Second Crusade.,
Pope Eugenius III issues his papal bull Quantum praedecessores, on December 1,1145, calling for the Second Crusade to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims.
His call was preached throughout Europe by Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux. The same indulgences as those offered during the First Crusade were granted to encourage participation.
Adrian IV is elected pope on December 4, 1154 following the death of Pope Anastasius IV. He was the only English person to ever hold the position and served until his death on September 1, 1159.
Pope Adrian IV was born Nicholas Breakspear in Hertfordshire, England. He played a key role in the 12th-century church. He dealt with political tensions with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and issued the bull Laudabiliter, permitting Henry II of England to invade Ireland. He died on September 1, 1159, in Anagni, province of Frosinone, Lazio.
Henry II of England is crowned as king on December 19, 1154 at Westminster Abbey, following the death of Stephen. His coronation marked the beginning the Angevin Empire.
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, returns to England from exile on December 1, 1170, after an agreement with King Henry II. His return was met with a mixed reception and Becket was murdered in the cathedral on December 29, 1170.
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Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral, leading to a conflict between church and state in England.
It is believed the Henry II's expressed frustrations with Becket were interpreted by some of the Kings supporters as a mandate to eliminate him, prompting four knights to travel to Canterbury where they murdered Becket in the cathedral on December 29, 1170.
King Richard the Lionheart is captured in Austria on December 20, 1192 while returning from the Third Crusade, by Duke Leopold V. Richard was then sold to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and held for a massive ransom.
The ransom demanded was about 100,000 pounds of silver) equivalent to a king's fortune and twice England's annual income and it took over a year and heavy English taxation to pay before his release in 1194. Richard was finally freed after about 15 months of captivity in February 1194. He dad been captured near Vienna, Austria, after his ship was wrecked and he was forced to travel overland, highlighting the dangerous journey home for crusaders and the political rivalries of the time.
King Alexander II of Scotland, the only son of King William the Lion and Ermengarde de Beaumont, was crowned at Scone Abbey in Perthshire, Scotland on December 6, 1214 succeeding his father. He focused on consolidating royal power in Scotland and in challenging English influence. He died in 1249.
Pope Honorius III officially recognizes the Order of Preachers (now known as the Dominican Order) on December 22, 1216. The order was founded by Saint Dominic de Guzman with a focus on preaching the Gospel, combating heresy, and combining rigorous scholarship with active ministry.
The city of Ryazan in Russia is captured and burned on December 21, 1237 by Mongol forces under Batu Khan a grandson of Genghis Khan The city was left in ruins and most inhabitants slaughtered.
After an eight-day siege, a Mongol army led by Batu Khan occupies and destroys Kyiv on December 6, 1240. Out of 50,000 people in the city, only 2,000 survived. The victory allowed Batu Khan to proceed westward into Central Europe.
Pope Innocent IV canonizes Saint Edmund of Abingdon, the Archbishop of Canterbury on December 16, 1246, six years after his death.
The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending a conflict between King Louis IX of France and King Henry III of England. The treaty established a complex feudal relationship that ultimately sowed seeds for future conflicts like the Hundred Years' War.