This Day In History- Christmas Kings
December 25…
508 - Clovis I, King of the Franks, Is Baptized
Clovis I was the first King to fully unify the Frankish tribes of Western Europe, forming the basis of what would eventually become France. An extension of this shaping of France was his conversion to Christianity, largely pushed by his wife (Clotilde) who would later be venerated as a saint for this act.
800 - Charlemagne is Coronated as Emperor of the Newly Founded Holy Roman Empire
After waging successful wars across Europe in the name of Christianity, Charlemagne was invited to spend Christmas with the Pope in Rome. On Christmas Day, the Pope (in a surprise move) coronated Charlemagne as the new “Holy Roman Emperor”, founding the Holy Roman Empire - an entity that would continue to exist for the next 1,005 years.
1000 - Stephen I is Coronated, Founding The Kingdom of Hungary as a Christian State
The Huns that had moved into Europe with the invasions of Atilla, which had ravaged the Roman Empire, largely lacked a centralized government from the point of Attila’s until the coronation of the first Hungarian King, Stephen I. In forming his Kingdom, Stephen also made the fateful decision to make it Christian, for which he would later be venerated as a saint.
1066 - William The Conqueror is Coronated as King of England in Westminster Abbey
Hailing from the French state of Normandy, William The Conqueror became the first true king of modern England in 1066, bringing many changes - not least of which were the changes to the English language. Since William’s native Normandy was largely French, he and the French aristocrats he appointed began to merge the native Saxon with French, forming English. Because much of the French speakers worked government jobs, most of the French-introduced words in modern English are typically more upper class; for instance, while an Englishman would enter a “room”, a Frenchman would enter a, “chamber”.
1076 - Bolesław II (The Generous) is Coronated as King of Poland
Bolesław II was the ruler of the Polish Kingdom from 1058 - 1079. Best known for his funding of churches and monasteries (earning him his nickname), Bolesław II also worked to reform Poland’s currency. He founded new coinages in Krakow and Wroclaw, and created enough money to replace the foreign money Poland had been relying on.
