December 28

In December 1065, King Edward the Confessor presided over the consecration of his Westminster Abbey church. The Romanesque building featured Norman influences and intricate stone carvings. It served as both a royal chapel and the king’s burial site, reflecting his piety. This consecration set the stage for future expansions, making Abbey a coronation site. Westminster Abbey became a lasting symbol of English royal and religious heritage.

In 1308, Prince Tomihito became Emperor Hanazono following the abdication of Emperor Go-Nijō. His reign unfolded under the shadow of the Kamakura shogunate, which held real political power. Hanazono was a notable patron of waka poetry and Buddhist arts, sponsoring cultural endeavors. He established the Hanazono-in palace and later retired to monastic life, leaving literary works. His tenure illustrates the ceremonial role of the emperor amid rising warrior rule in Japan.

On December 28, 1895, Auguste and Louis Lumière held their first paid public screening at the Grand Café on Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. Using their invention, the cinématographe, they projected a series of short actuality films, including the famous “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory.” Audiences were astonished by moving images appearing on the screen, a novelty that had never been commoditized before. This landmark event is widely regarded as the birth of cinema as an entertainment industry. The success of the screening spurred the rapid spread of movie theaters and the development of narrative filmmaking worldwide.