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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

wassail: To go from house to house at Christmastime, singing carols. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wassail

___________________________ 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)