Today King Tupou I Day is observed, a public holiday in Tonga. The holiday marks the start of the reign of King Tupou I in December, 1845 and the beginning of modern Tonga as a unified Christian Kingdom under the Tu’i Kanokupolu dynasty.
King George (Siaosi) Taufa’ahau Tupou I was Tonga’s first Christian King and he is seen as a key figure in the foundation of Modern Tonga. Tupou was born around 1797. December 4th is said to be his birthday, but that is not definitive. Tupou adopted the name Siaosi, the Tongan version of George, after King George III of the United Kingdom, when he was baptized in 1831.
He was declared King in 1845 following a consolidation of the various tribes that ruled over the area of Tonga. Tupou’s legacy is his help in spreading Christianity across the Pacific and his leadership in avoiding foreign domination from European nations. Despite a close relationship with Britain, Tonga never relinquished its sovereignty unlike many other countries in the region.
Tupou passed away at the age of 96 in 1893 after catching a cold.
Taufa’ahau Tupou I, King of Tonga (86), standing on a mat outside his palace in Neiafu. Image by Burton Brothers , via National Library of New Zealand
Oddly specific…
Welcome Christmas Season!
Today is the birthday, in 1981, of Britney Spears, US singer, (1999 US & UK No.1 single ”Baby One More Time’, 1999 album ‘Baby One More Time’, spent 82 weeks on the UK chart. Biggest selling teenage act in the world with album sales over 40m). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4
