Happy Christmas to You and to All the World
On Christmas Day, as millions of Christians throughout the world rejoice at the birth of their Lord, may I add my own greetings for a happy, peaceful and tolerant Christmas, and for that happiness, peace and tolerance to continue without end.
On 25th December, just like every other day of the year, lots of significant things happened. Do you want to know some of them?
Well, these people had birthdays.
Isaac Newton, possibly the world’s greatest scientist 1642; Dorothy Wordsworth, sister of the poet William 1771; Maurice Utrillo, French painter 1883;Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels 1887; Rebecca West, novelist 1892; Humphrey Bogart, American film star 1899; Cab Calloway, American jazz singer and bandleader 1907; Andrew Cruikshank, Scottish actor 1907; Lew Grade, former dancing champion and entertainment impresario 1907; Quentin Crisp, “The Naked Civil Servant” 1908; Tony Martin, American popular singer 1912; Anwar Sadat, former President of Egypt 1918; Kenny Everett, outrageous disc jockey and entertainer 1944; Sissy Spacek, American actress 1949; Annie Lennox, Scottish singer and member of the Eurythmics 1954; Gary McAllister, former Leicester City, Liverpool and Scotland footballer 1964; Marcus Trescothick, Somerset and England cricketer, 1975; Simon Jones, Glamorgan and England cricketer 1978; Alastair Cook, Essex cricketer and former captain of the England Under 19 team 1984.
These people passed away.
Karel Capek, Czech playwright who coined the term “robot” 1938; W.C.Fields, American comic actor 1946; Charles Chaplin, silent actor, songwriter and film director 1977; Joan Miro, Spanish painter 1983; Nicolae Ceaucescu, Romanian dictator 1989; Ted Croker, Secretary of the Football Association 1992; Dean Martin, American crooner and actor 1995; Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer 2000.
And lots of other things happened, too.
First recorded Christmas Day celebration, in Rome 336; Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor 800; William I crowned King of England 1066; William I ordered compilation of Domesday Book 1085; the first Eisteddfod held, at Cardigan 1176; the Centigrade scale devised by Celsius 1741; the first Christmas Tree in England set up by Queen Charlotte 1800; the famous Christmas truce during the First World War 1914; the first Royal Christmas broadcast, by George V 1932; Stone of Scone stolen from Westminster Abbey 1950; the first televised Royal Christmas broadcast, by Elizabeth II 1957; Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as Soviet President 1991.
I’m sure I’ve missed out lots of important things, in which case I apologise.
Have a wonderful Christmas.
Posted by colin on Saturday 24th December, 2005 at 11:50pm