The Christmas Companion

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 1

 

Princess Alexandra was born on Christmas day 1936 at 3, Belgrave Square in London.
Conrad Hilton the founder of the hotel chain was born 1887

Dorothy Wordsworth the English prose writer and younger sister of poet William Wordsworth was born in 1771 in Cockermouth Cumbria.

Sir Isaac Newton the renowned scientist was born near Grantham in Lincolnshire, on December 25, 1642

Actor Humphrey Deforest Bogart was born on Christmas day in 1899 in New York

 

DIED ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 1

 

W.C. Fields (William Claude Dukenfield) died December 25, 1946 aged 66 in Pasadena.

Paul Bourget the French novelist and critic died 1935.
The comic film star Charles Spencer Chaplin died at his home in Switzerland in 1977 aged 88.

And in 1995 entertainer Dean Martin died at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 78

 

 

 

352

Christmas was celebrated on December 25^th.for the first time.

 

597
England adopted the Julian calendar

800

Pope Leo III crowned Charles the Great of the Franks, Charlemagne, Roman emperor.

1024

Boleslaw I Chrobry was crowned as the first king of Poland.

 

1100

Boudouin I of Boulogne was crowned king of Jerusalem

 

1492

Christopher Columbus' ship the Santa Maria docked in what was to become the Dominican Republic.

1599

The city of Natal was founded in Brazil.

 

1651

The Massachusetts General Court ordered a fine of five shillings for anyone who observed the day of Christmas.

1717

Floods ravaged the Dutch coastal provinces and many thousands were killed.

 

1741
The Astronomer Anders Celsius introduced the Centigrade temperature scale.

1758

Farmer and amateur astronomer Johann George Palitzsch was the first to sight

Halley's Comet on its first predicted return.

 

1776

George Washington crossed the Delaware River and surprised and defeated 1,400 Hessians.

 

1831

Louisiana and Arkansas were the first states to observe Christmas as holiday.

1837

The United States forces defeated the Seminole Indians at the Battle of Okeechobee.

 

1868

Despite bitter opposition United States President Andrew Johnson granted unconditional pardons to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion.

1868

The Ezo Republic was founded in Hokkaido by Shogunate rebels.

 

1896

John Philip Sousa wrote "Stars & Stripes Forever".

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 2

 

Born on christmas day 1901 was Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.

While on christmas day 1742 Charlotte von Stein the girlfriend of Goethe was born.

The telecommunications pioneer Claude Chappe the inventor of semaphore lines was born on christmas day 1763

Christmas day 1821 Clara Barton the founder of the American Red Cross was born.

While on December 25^th 1886 Kid Ory, jazz musician made his first entrance and.

Noel Redding, bassist with The Jimi Hendrix Experience was born 1945.

 

DIED ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 2

 

Adrian I a well regarded Pope and friend to Charlemagne died christmas day 795.

Samuel de Champlain the French explorer and founder of Quebec City died in Canada in 1635.

Czech author and inventor of the word robot Karel Èapek died December 25^th 1938 

Harry T. Moore the black civil rights activist was murdered along with his wife Harriet in their home in Florida christmas day 1951.

English snooker player John Pulman passed away on December 25^th 1998.

 

 

1901

The Boers launched a surprise attack against the British forces in the Orange-Free state at the Battle at Tweefontein.

1918

Just after midnight on Christmas morning the unofficial "Christmas Truce" began, German troops ceased firing their guns and artillery and then started singing Christmas carols. Later in the day men from both sides left their trenches and met in No man's land where they traded gifts with the enemy. The truce lasted for three days.

 

1926

Hirohito becomes Emperor of Japan, succeeding the Taisho Emperor.

 

1932

An earthquake measuring 7.6 struck Gansu in China killing

70,000 people.

 

1932

While King George V was delivering his Christmas dinner speech his chair collapsed.

 

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 3

 

The famous German painter Hans von Bartels was born on christmas day in 1856 and another artist was born the same day in 1883, Maurice Utrillo, one of the "Montmartre" artist’s.

Bandleader Cab Calloway way born on the savior’s day in 1907

Sir Lew Grade the famous film producer was first produced on christmas day 1906 and fellow movie producer Ismail Merchant made his festive debut in 1936.

 

DIED ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 3

 

Ismet Inonu Turkish statesman died at his home on 1973.

Tristan Tzara, poet and essayist and founder of Dada, the nihilistic revolutionary movement in the arts died in Paris1963

Joan Miró, Spanish Surrealist Painter and Sculptor died on Christmas day 1983.

Nicolae Ceauºescu the Romanian dictator was executed in his palace in 1989.

American baseball player and manager Billy Martin died on December 25^th 1989.

 

1938

The great American film director, George Cukor, announced that Vivien Leigh would play Scarlett O'Hara in the epic Gone with the Wind.

1939

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was introduced by Montgomery Ward stores to become the 9th reindeer.

1939

Charles Dickens' story of redemption “A Christmas Carol” was read on radio for the first time. It was broadcast on CBS radio.

 

1941

Japan announced the surrender of the British-Canadian garrison in Hong Kong to the forces of Japan.

 

1947

The Constitution of the Republic of China went into effect

 

POLITICAL FIGURES BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY

 

Muhammed Ali Jinnah, first Governor-General of Pakistan 1876

Anwar Sadat, Egyptian president 1918

Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India 1924

Ingrid Betancourt, Colombian senator 1961

 

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 4

 

On christmas day 1908 the actress Helen Twelvetrees made her first appearance and in 1943 another actress Hanna Schygulla did the same.

In 1945 actor Gary Sandy made his Christmas debut and in 1949 Sissy Spacek arrived in time for Christmas lunch.

 

1950

The Coronation Stone, taken from Scone in Scotland by Edward I in 1296, was stolen from Westminster Abbey and smuggled back to Scotland.

1953

An Avalanche of lava killed 150 people after the volcano Ruapehu erupted in New Zealand.

1971

The Worst hotel fire in history killed 163 people at the Taeyokale Hotel in the South Korean capital Seoul.

1974

Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, Australia causing unprecedented damage

 

1976

Takeo Fukuda became the Japanese premier

 

1977

The Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin met in Egypt with the President of Egypt Anwar Sadat

 

1991

Mikhail Gorbachev formally resigned as president of the Soviet Union and the Union was formally dissolved the next day.

 

2004

The Cassini orbiter launched the Huygens probe towards titan, Saturn's m

 

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 5

 

Quite a few singers have had their first releases on Christmas day

In 1912 it was Tony Martin, 1932 rock and roll legend Little Richard, singer, songwriter Jimmy Buffett in 1946 two years later in 1948 it was the turn of  actress and singer Barbara Mandrell. UB40 singer and guitarist Robin Campbell was born on christmas day 1954 as was Annie Lennox, singer with the Eurythmics, then on the holy day in 1971 it was the singer Dido.

 

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 6

 

On christmas day 1908 Quentin Crisp, gay author and activist for homosexuals was born while fellow author Carlos Castaneda arrived in 1925.

Rod Serling scriptwriter and the host of The Twilight Zone was born christmas day 1924 and in 1913 it was Henri Nannen, journalist and publisher.

 

SPORTSMEN BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY

 

Kenny Stabler, American football born 1945

Larry Csonka, American football born 1946

Rickey Henderson, baseball born 1958