Seven Historical Events of December 25th

Coronation of Charlemagne (800 AD)
Charlemagne was one of the most illustrious and celebrated rulers of the Middle Ages. Originally the King of the Franks, a West Germanic confederation of tribes, he expanded his empire throughout Western and Central Europe, conquering Italy and the Saxons. He is considered to be the founder of the French and German monarchies. Remarkably, Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the domination of the Roman Empire. His conquest of Italy was completed in 800 AD when Pope Leo III crowned him Imperator Augustus, or Holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne would serve as the first Holy Roman Emperor of the Carolingian dynasty from 800-814 AD, during which time he helped spark the Carolingian Renaissance.

Kingdom of Hungary Formed (1000 AD)
The Kingdom of Hungary was formed from the old Principality of Hungary with the coronation of Stephen I y Ppe Sylvester II as the king of Hungary. This legitimized Hungary as a Western kingdom that was separate from the Holy Roman and Byzantine empires. This led to a massive reconstruction of Hungarian society. Catholicism gained incredible strength throughout the land. The runic-like script used to write Hungarian was replaced with the Latin alphabet during this time. This also led to a restructuring of Hungary's kingdom administration along the Frankish Empire model.

William the Conqueror Crowned (1066 AD)
One of the most significant and important events in European history, the coronation of William the Conqueror as the first Norman King of England was the pivotal moment of the Normal Conquest of England. It began with William's invasion of England and his decisive victory over King Harold II of England at the Battle of Hastings. The transfer of rule over England to the Norman's led to several defining moments of English history. The native ruling class was removed and replaced with a French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. The Norman Conquest of England also led to the Norman conquests of Wales and Ireland. Many also see this as the birth of the legendary rivalry between Great Britain and France.

Washington's Crossing of the Delaware (1776 AD)
It was the moment that turned the American War for Independence from the Colonial British to the American revolutionaries. On December 25th, 1776, George Washington led a column of the Continental Army across the frozen Delaware River in order to carry out a surprise attack against the Hessian mercenary forces in Trenton, New Jersey. The attack was an overwhelming success for the American forces, only suffering nine casualties while capturing 1,000 prisoners. The battle was also a major morale victory for the beleaguered American forces who had been systematically defeated by the British at almost every engagement.

Halley's Comet Confirmed (1758 AD)
Although Halley's Comet, a short-period comet that becomes visible on earth every 75 to 76 years, had been observed and recorded periodically by astronomers since at least 240 BC, it was not until 1705 that scientist Edmond Halley proposed that it was the same object. He predicted that it would return in 1758. That year, it was first spotted on December 25th, by Johann Georg Palitzsh. Halley's Comet has gone on to be one of the most important visible objects in our general vicinity of space.

First Christmas (336 AD)
The first recorded celebration of Christmas was marked in a list of Roman bishops that was compiled in 354 AD. Nobody is sure which day Jesus was actually born, though it is proposed that the date December 25th was chosen as the day to celebrate his birth because the date was already used by many cultures and pagan religions as a holiday to hold feasts and celebrate the winter solstice.

Christmas Truce (1914 AD)
The story of the Christmas Truce is one of the most heart-touch events to take place during the horrors of World War I. On Christmas Day, 1914, a series of unofficial truces took place all along the Western Front. It is estimated that around 100,000 British and German troops were involved in these impromptu truces. The soldiers sang carols and met in the middle of No Man's Land to exchange gifts. Joint Christmas services were also held for the involved troops. While there were other, smaller truces that took place during the rest of the war, there would not be another that was on such a wide scale as the Christmas Truce. The event has been glorified as a symbol of goodwill and peace, even among the horrors of war. The Christmas truce has been glorified in numerous books, films, and songs.