1154day.year
Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
On December 19, 1154, Henry II was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, marking the start of the Plantagenet dynasty.
In 1154 on this day Henry II ascended the English throne at Westminster Abbey, ending a period of civil strife known as The Anarchy.
As the first Plantagenet king, he brought judicial reforms and strengthened royal authority across his realms.
His reign laid the foundations for the Angevin Empire, spanning England and large parts of France.
The coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey became the model for future English monarchs.
Henry's legacy includes the development of common law and clashes with Thomas Becket.
This event marked a turning point in England's medieval history.
Fans of royal heritage will be fascinated by his storied reign.
1154
Henry II of England
Westminster Abbey
1187day.year
Pope Clement III is elected.
On December 19, 1187, Paolo Scolari was elected Pope Clement III, beginning a papacy focused on restoring stability after turmoil.
On this day in 1187, Paolo Scolari was elected Pope Clement III, providing much-needed leadership after a schism in the Church.
He negotiated peace with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, ending decades of conflict between papacy and empire.
Clement convened synods to reform clerical discipline and restore ecclesiastical order.
His pontificate also saw relief efforts following the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin.
Known for his diplomacy and pastoral care, he re-established Rome as the center of Catholic Christendom.
His moderate and reconciliatory approach left a stabilizing imprint on the medieval Church.
1187
Pope Clement III
1490day.year
Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy.
On December 19, 1490, Anne of Brittany married Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I by proxy, a union with far-reaching political implications.
On this day in 1490, Anne, Duchess of Brittany, was wed by proxy to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, in a bold dynastic move.
This marriage aimed to preserve Brittany's autonomy amid French expansion and Habsburg ambitions.
Anne's union with Maximilian threatened French King Charles VIII, sparking diplomatic tension in Europe.
Though the proxy ceremony took place at Rennes, the marriage was annulled under French pressure the following year.
Anne later married Charles VIII, bringing Brittany into the French crown.
The episode exemplifies the high-stakes chess game of Renaissance dynastic politics.
1490
Anne, Duchess of Brittany
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
proxy
1783day.year
William Pitt the Younger becomes the youngest Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at 24.
On December 19, 1783, William Pitt the Younger, at just 24 years old, became the youngest Prime Minister in British history.
On this day in 1783, William Pitt the Younger assumed office as Prime Minister of Great Britain at age 24.
Supported by King George III, Pitt brought fresh energy and a vision to post-war governance after the American Revolution.
He championed financial reforms, reducing the national debt and modernizing customs and taxation.
Pitt also navigated complex European diplomatic tensions and laid groundwork for the modern prime ministerial office.
His prolonged tenure and administrative innovations shaped Britain's parliamentary politics.
Pitt's record as the youngest and one of the most enduring prime ministers remains unmatched.
1783
William Pitt the Younger
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1828day.year
Vice President of the United States John C. Calhoun sparks the Nullification Crisis when he anonymously publishes the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, protesting the Tariff of 1828.
Vice President John C. Calhoun anonymously publishes the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, igniting the Nullification Crisis over the Tariff of 1828.
On December 19, 1828, Vice President John C. Calhoun published the South Carolina Exposition and Protest anonymously, challenging the constitutionality of the federal tariff.
His document argued that states could nullify federal laws they deemed oppressive, sparking the Nullification Crisis.
Calhoun's bold stance heightened tensions between state and national governments, bringing the nation to the brink of sectional conflict.
President Andrew Jackson responded forcefully, insisting on federal supremacy while seeking a compromise tariff.
The crisis tested the young republic's balance of power and foreshadowed conflicts leading up to the Civil War.
1828
Vice President of the United States
John C. Calhoun
Nullification Crisis
South Carolina Exposition and Protest
Tariff of 1828
1900day.year
Hopetoun Blunder: The first Governor-General of Australia John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, appoints Sir William Lyne premier of the new state of New South Wales, but he is unable to persuade other colonial politicians to join his government and is forced to resign.
In Australia's early federation, Governor-General John Hope's appointment of William Lyne as premier fails, leading to the 'Hopetoun Blunder'.
On December 19, 1900, just ahead of Australia's official federation, Governor-General John Hope faced the challenge of appointing New South Wales' first premier.
He chose Sir William Lyne, a veteran colonial politician, to form a government.
However, Lyne was unable to persuade key politicians to join his ministry, fracturing support across party lines.
After days of negotiation failures, Lyne resigned under pressure from both colonial leaders and the British government.
The misstep, dubbed the 'Hopetoun Blunder,' underscored the complexities of uniting diverse colonial governments.
1900
Hopetoun Blunder
Governor-General of Australia
John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun
William Lyne
New South Wales
1900day.year
French parliament votes amnesty for all involved in scandalous army treason trial known as Dreyfus affair.
The French Parliament grants a general amnesty to those involved in the Dreyfus affair, offering closure to a scandal that divided a nation.
On December 19, 1900, the French Parliament voted to grant amnesty to all individuals implicated in the Dreyfus affair.
The decision aimed to heal deep political and social rifts caused by the wrongful conviction of Captain Alfred Dreyfus for treason.
For years, the affair had exposed rampant anti-Semitism and fractured French society into Dreyfusards and anti-Dreyfusards.
The amnesty marked an official end to legal proceedings but left lingering debates over justice and civil rights.
This event proved pivotal in restoring public trust and reshaping France's political landscape.
Dreyfus affair
1912day.year
William Van Schaick, captain of the steamship General Slocum which caught fire and killed over one thousand people, is pardoned by U.S. President William Howard Taft after 3+1⁄2 years in Sing Sing prison.
President Taft pardons William Van Schaick, captain of the steamship General Slocum, after he served more than three years for the deadly 1904 disaster.
On December 19, 1912, U.S. President William Howard Taft granted a pardon to William Van Schaick, former captain of the steamship General Slocum.
The vessel's 1904 fire in New York City claimed over 1,000 lives, marking one of the worst maritime disasters in American history.
Van Schaick had been convicted of criminal negligence and served over three years at Sing Sing prison.
Supporters argued that he had acted under instruction and that systemic failures contributed to the tragedy.
The pardon reignited discussions about responsibility and safety in passenger shipping.
1912
steamship
General Slocum
William Howard Taft
Sing Sing
1920day.year
King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander of Greece and a plebiscite.
King Constantine I is restored to the Greek throne following his son's death and a national plebiscite.
On December 19, 1920, King Constantine I was reinstated as King of the Hellenes after a national plebiscite.
His return followed the unexpected death of his son, King Alexander, and shifting public sentiment.
Constantine had previously abdicated in 1917 under Allied pressure during World War I.
The plebiscite reflected Greece's war-weariness and desire for familiar leadership after years of conflict.
His restoration would soon influence Greece's role in the Greco-Turkish War and regional politics.
1920
King Constantine I
King of the Hellenes
Alexander of Greece
plebiscite
1924day.year
German serial killer Fritz Haarmann is sentenced to death for a series of murders.
German serial killer Fritz Haarmann, known as the 'Butcher of Hanover,' is sentenced to death for multiple gruesome murders.
On December 19, 1924, Fritz Haarmann was sentenced to death by a German court for the murders of numerous young men and boys in Hanover.
His brutal crimes between 1918 and 1924 had horrified the nation and drawn intense media attention.
Haarmann's trial revealed the depths of his violence and led to widespread public outrage.
Dubbed the 'Butcher of Hanover,' he became one of Germany's most notorious serial killers.
His case prompted reforms in criminal investigations and victim protection protocols.
Fritz Haarmann
1929day.year
The Indian National Congress promulgates the Purna Swaraj (the Declaration of the Independence of India).
On December 19, 1929, the Indian National Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence (Purna Swaraj), marking a decisive step in India's struggle against British rule.
On December 19, 1929, the Indian National Congress formally adopted the Purna Swaraj resolution.
Meaning "complete self-rule," Purna Swaraj became the rallying cry for full independence from British colonial rule.
The resolution was passed at the Lahore Session under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru.
It rejected dominion status within the British Empire and called for the complete end of colonial governance.
The declaration inspired widespread civil disobedience and mass protests across India.
It laid the ideological foundation for future national movements, culminating in independence in 1947.
1929
Indian National Congress
Purna Swaraj
1940day.year
Risto Ryti, the Prime Minister of Finland, is elected President of the Republic of Finland in a presidential election, which is exceptionally held by the 1937 electoral college.
On December 19, 1940, Prime Minister Risto Ryti was elected President of Finland by the wartime 1937 electoral college.
On December 19, 1940, Finland's parliamentary electoral college convened to elect the country's president for the wartime period.
Prime Minister Risto Ryti was chosen by the exceptional 1937 electoral college, bypassing a general election due to wartime exigencies.
Ryti's presidency came amid Finland's conflict with the Soviet Union following the Winter War.
As President, he sought to balance national security with diplomatic relations with both Germany and the Allies.
His wartime leadership was marked by controversial alliances and efforts to maintain Finland's sovereignty.
Ryti remained in office until August 1944, when he resigned after the Continuation War's pressures.
1940
Risto Ryti
Prime Minister of Finland
President of the Republic of Finland
presidential election
1937 electoral college