21th of December, also known as the Winter Solstice, is the day when Winter actually begins, the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
In many pre-Christian and pagan cultures, the Winter Solstice held an enormous significance on a cultural, religious and festival level.
And it's not a case that Pope Gregory XIII, in a side note of the encyclica Inter Gravissima, the one in which he defined the Christian Gregorian Calendar, he officially collocated Christ's birthdate under 25th December (before, it was a consuetude of Roman rite)
A lot of important things happened on 21th December also, far more than the 25th!
So, let's see why the 21th deserves a bit more of love, instead of being always surclassed by the "cool brother" 25th.
In the AD69, the Roman Senate declared Vespasiano last Emperor of Rome.
So the man who brought Rome's hegemony to ruin was elected on this very day!
In 1361, the turn of the Spanish reconquista got in Castillian favor thanks to their victory in the Battle of Linuesa. Hadn't this happened, unified Spain as we know it may not exist!
21th December 1588, Philipp II of Spain makes a speech to the nobles in Valladolid's cathedral regarding the developments of Spain's military situation.
In 1620 William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is known as Plymouth Rock, and establish the Plymouth colony.
In 1707, Peter the Great introduces the Roman Christian Rite for Christmas to the nobility's Duma.
In 1910, an underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, kills 344 miners.
In 1913, Arthur Wynne's first crossword puzzle, is published in the New York World.
In 1935, Reichsführer-SS and Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler makes a speech detailing his plans to substitute Christmas with a Nazi festivity based on the pagan Winter' Solstice.
In 21th of December 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the world's first full-length animated feature in technicolor premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre.
The 21th of December 1939, Lavrentji Pavlocic Berija is officially declared Security Commissar and NKVD Chief by the Politburo.
His terror reign under Stalin would have lasted almost 14 years.
In 1965, the Convention against Every Racial Discrimination is approved and adopted by NATO.
So, what are your thoughts on that?
Do you have any events I missed?
Thanks for reading, share your comments and Happy Winter' Solstice!
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