The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending a conflict between King Louis IX of France and King Henry III of England.
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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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Kublai Khan issues a decree that allows Marco Polo to become an emissary of the Mongol Empire.
The Battle of Orewin Bridge takes place near Builth Wells in mid-Wales on December 11, 1282 between the English and Welsh armies. It resulted in a decisive Welsh defeat and the death of their leader, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd; effectively ended Welsh autonomy.
A heavy storm over the North Sea generated surging waves that collapsed a thin land barrier, flooding the Zuiderzee inlet and causing more than 50,000 casualties. The flood, called the St. Lucia flood, has been rated as one of the most destructive floods in recorded history. The event also created direct sea access for the village of Amsterdam, allowing its development into a major port city.
c. 1287, December 14
A massive flood known as the "Saint Lucia's flood" strikes the Netherlands, causing widespread destruction. along the North Sea coast devastating the province of Friesland and killing an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people. In response, a dike was built between the villages of Beetgum and Britsum, which was a major step in reclaiming a large inland sea area called Bordine.
Pope Celestine V abdicates the papacy, becoming one of the few popes to voluntarily resign.
Pope Benedict XII, born Jacques Fournier, was elected Pope on December 20, 1334. He was the third Avignon Pope and was consecrated on January 8, 1335,
Pope Gregory XI, the last French Pope and final Avignon Pope, is elected on December 30, 1370, by the cardinals in Avignon, France, succeeding Pope Urban V. Avignon had been the seat of the papacy since 1309, Gregory XI returned the papacy to Rome in 1377. His Papacy reign was from December 30, 1370 – March 27, 1378
King Charles III of Naples is crowned King of Hungary in Naples, beginning a personal union between the two kingdoms.
King Charles III (also known as Charles of Durazzo) was crowned King of Hungary in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, after claiming the throne from Queen Mary. He had previously been crowned King of Naples in Naples in 1381, but his rule in Hungary was short-lived as he was assassinated there in February 1386.
The Joseon Dynasty in Korea repels the Japanese invasion during the Battle of Wihwa Island.
Tamerlane (Timur) captures and sacks Delhi, leading to the massacre of its inhabitants.
The Council of Oxford condemns the teachings of John Wycliffe, a precursor to the Protestant Reformation.
The Battle of Castillon marks the end of the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
The Battle of Wakefield takes place during the Wars of the Roses in England, resulting in a Lancastrian victory.
During his first voyage, Columbus lands on December 6, 1492, on what is now the north coast of Haiti at a bay he named San Nicolas going on to name the Island, "La Isla Española", which was later Anglicized to Hispaniola. His arrival on the island followed his initial landing in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. Hispaniola went on to became a base for future Spanish colonization of the Americas.
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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.
John Cabot, an Italian explorer sailing under the English flag, reaches the coast of what is now North America, likely Canada.
Martin Luther throws a copy of the Papal bull, Exsurge Domine (“Arise O Lord”) into a bonfire after the expiration of the period stipulated in the bull from Pope Leo X for Luther to recant his teachings.
Luther refused and continued to rebuke the papacy. As a result, Luther was excommunicated on Jan 3, 1521. More
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama passes away in India during his second voyage to the East.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most important religious icons in Mexico, is believed to have appeared to Juan Diego.