William the Conqueror (c. 1028 – 1087) was the first Norman King of
England. He had been Duke of Normandy since 1035, although his
illegitimate status and youth caused him difficulties and he did not
secure his hold over the duchy until about 1060. In the 1050s and early
1060s William became a contender for the English throne, then held by
his childless relative Edward the Confessor. Among other potential
claimants was the powerful English earl Harold Godwinson, who Edward
named as the next king on his deathbed in January 1066. William argued
that Edward had previously promised him the throne, and that Harold had
sworn to support William's claim. William invaded England in September
1066, defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and was crowned on
Christmas Day 1066. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, but by
1075 William's hold on England was mostly secure. William's final years
were marked by difficulties in his continental domains, troubles with
his eldest son, and threatened invasions of England by the Danes. In
1086 he ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, listing all the
landholders in England and their holdings. He died in September 1087 on
campaign in northern France, and was buried in Caen.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1643:
Captain William Mynors of the East India Company vessel, the
Royal Mary, landed at an uninhabited island and named it Christmas
Island.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Island>
1815:
The Handel and Haydn Society, the oldest continuously
performing arts organization in the United States, premiered at King's
Chapel in Boston.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handel_and_Haydn_Society>
1926:
Emperor Taishō died of a heart attack, and was succeeded by
his son, Hirohito, who became the longest-reigning Emperor of Japan
until his death in 1989.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirohito>
1989:
Romanian Revolution: Dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife
Elena were condemned to death and executed under a wide range of
charges.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceau%C8%99escu>
2009:
Aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab
attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar_Farouk_Abdulmutallab>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
wassail:
To go from house to house at Christmastime, singing carols.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wassail>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Do you hear the people sing Lost in the valley of the night? It is the
music of a people Who are climbing to the light. For the wretched of the
earth There is a flame that never dies. Even the darkest night will end
And the sun will rise. They will live again in freedom In the Garden of
the Lord. They will walk behind the plough-share, They will put away the
sword. The chain will be broken And all men will have their reward!
--Les Misérables
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables_(musical)>