What happened on this day in history: George Washington crosses the Delaware River with his troops, JonBenét Ramsey is murdered, and more events from December 25th throughout history.
800 CE: Charlemagne Is Crowned “Emperor Of The Romans”
Charlemagne is crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by Pope Leo III at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The sparked the beginning of a long line of Holy Roman Emperors that lasted until the 19th century. He became emperor for his efforts in ruthlessly spreading Christianity through central Europe.
1066: William The Conqueror Is Crowned King of England
William the Conqueror, also known as William the Bastard, is crowned the next king of England after a successful invasion from Normandy. After sailing over the English Channel, William’s forces faced those of the current English king, Harold Godwinson. Godwinson eventually died in battle and William took over the kingdom.
1776: George Washington Crosses The Delaware River
The Metropolitan Museum of ArtWashington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze. 1851.
General George Washington leads Continental Army troops across the Delaware River late Christmas night to carry out a surprise attack on Hessian forces. The German troops who were aiding the British Army in the Revolutionary War were camping in Trenton, New Jersey. Washington worried that they would be crossing the river once it froze over to attack the Continental Army, so he decided to act first, paddling through the partially-frozen water overnight and successfully winning the battle.
1831: The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt Begins
On Christmas Day, enslaved individuals in British-controlled Jamaica began a strike against plantation owners, asking for a working wage and more free time. This revolt eventually sparked the Baptist War and ended in early January 1832. Their demands were not met. Slavery was later outlawed by British Parliament in 1838.
1899: Humphrey Bogart Is Born
American actor Humphrey Bogart is born in New York City. He began his career by acting in Broadway shows, and his breakthrough movie roles came with the films High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon in 1941. However, he’s best known for his leading role in Casablanca alongside actress Ingrid Bergman. Bogart was married four times, most famously to Lauren Bacall. He died of esophageal cancer in 1957 at the age of 57.
1914: The World War I Christmas Truce
WikipediaThe London News’ illustration of the Christmas Truce: “British and German Soldiers Arm-in-Arm Exchanging Headgear: A Christmas Truce between Opposing Trenches.”
Five months into World War I, British and German soldiers along the Western Front agree to an unofficial ceasefire known as the Christmas Truce.
Six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey is killed at her home in Boulder, Colorado under extremely suspicious circumstances. The young beauty queen’s father, John Ramsey, found her body in the basement hours after reporting her missing. Her official cause of death was “asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma.”
Though her murder remains unsolved to this day, many believe that a member of her family was involved.
2006: James Brown Dies
James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” dies at 73 years old in Atlanta, Georgia.
2008: Death of Eartha Kitt
Actress, dancer, and singer Eartha Kitt dies colon cancer at the age of 81. Kitt played Catwoman in the 1960s Batman TV show, and was perhaps best known for her 1953 song Santa Baby. She was also a staunch activist of various social causes, including advocating for peace during the Vietnam War and supporting the right to same-sex marriage.
