#TodayInHistory – December 28
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December 28 – Some important events on this day
1065 👉🏼 Westminster Abbey in London consecrated.
One of the most famous and well-known buildings in all of Britain is Westminster Abbey, the site of numerous royal weddings, coronations and funerals over its 1000 year history. The construction of the present church began in 1245 during the reign of Henry III, who selected the site for his burial, but an abbey of various sorts has existed on the site since around 1060, and an order of Benedictine monks occupied the area since at least 960 or 970.
Edward the Confessor began building an abbey in 1042, taking about ten years. On this day, the abbey was consecrated, only a week before his death. His successor Harold II was likely crowned there, but the first notable, recorded coronation was that of William the Conqueror on December 25, 1066 after his successful invasion of England and Harold’s subsequent death.
Since then every coronation of English and later British monarch has taken place at the Abbey. Thousands of notable people are buried there, including sixteen monarchs, eight Prime Ministers and various other actors, scientists and military leaders.
1612 👉🏼 First observation of Neptune – Galileo observes and records a “fixed star” without realising it is a planet
1767 👉🏼 King Taksin crowned King of Thailand and establishes Thonburi as his capital
1836 👉🏼 Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico
1849 👉🏼 M Jolly-Bellin discovers dry-cleaning, he accidentally upset lamp containing turpentine & oil on his clothing & sees cleaning effect
1860 👉🏼 Harriet Tubman arrives in Auburn, New York, on her last mission to free slaves, having evaded capture for 8 years on the Underground Railroad
1895 👉🏼 Filmmakers the Lumiere brothers, hold the first commercial film screening at Salon Indien du Grand Café, Paris
1902 👉🏼 1st indoor pro football game, Syracuse beats Philadelphia 6-0 (Madison Square Garden, NYC)
1908 👉🏼 Earthquake strikes Messina, Italy, killing nearly 80,000
1836 👉🏼 The colony of Adelaide, South Australia is formally proclaimed
1943 👉🏼 All Kalmyk inhabitants of the Republic of Kalmukkie deported by the Soviet Union to Central Asia and Siberia. Many die en route.
2008 👉🏼 Detroit Lions crash to a 31-21 loss to Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field; first team in NFL history to go winless in a 16-game season
