Christmas Day During Wartime

From the collection of the Imperial War Museums.

British officers and men stationed in Salonika (Thessaloniki), Greece play football on the 25th of December, 1915. First World War.

On this day: the Turks depart Crete

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Ottoman Turks are seen departing Chania (Hania) on the Greek island of Crete on the 3rd of November, 1898.

During Ottoman occupation, Chania’s churches were turned into mosques. However, a population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s at the Ottoman Empire’s dissolution ended Islamic influence in the region.

On this day: the Battle of Lepanto

On the 7^th of October, 1571, the Holy League destroyed Ottoman Empire forces in the Battle of Lepanto.
The coalition, made up of European Catholic maritime forces and organised by Pope Pius V, met the Turkish forces sailing west at the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

The battle concluded at about 4pm.

The Holy League lost around 7500 soldiers, sailors and rowers, but they freed about as many Christian prisoners. The Ottomans lost around 15000, and at least 3500 were taken prisoner.

On this day: German tanks in Athens

German tanks roll through the streets of Athens on the 7th of June, 1943.

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On this day: the Nazi invasion of Crete

Germany’s invasion of Crete began on the 20th of May, 1941. This is a photograph of Nazi paratroopers landing on the Greek island.

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When we stayed on Crete our house had a Nazi pillbox directly behind it, which had a stairway down into a cave system behind it.

Christmas in 19th Century Greece

Nikiphoros Lytras, Carols, 1872. Greece.

On this day: the Great Fire of Smyrna began

Smyrna citizens trying to reach the Allied ships

The Great Fire of Smyrna destroyed much of Smyrna (known as İzmir today) in September 1922. It began on the 13^th and was more or less extinguished by the 22^nd of September. It effectively marked the end of the Greco-Turkish War.

The city on fire. 14th September. 0600 AM.

At the outbreak of the fire, up to 400 000 Greek and Armenian refugees were forced to remain on the waterfront while Turkish troops committed massacres.

The death toll from the fire is disputed, but Greek and Armenian deaths are placed somewhere between 50 000 and 100 000.

The aftermath.

 

On this day: the 1906 Intercalated Games close

You probably know them better as the 1906 Olympic Games, but by either name, they ran from the 22^nd of April to the 2^nd of May. The medals awarded at the event aren’t recognised by the IOC as Olympic medals.

 

The stadium in Athens.

Here’s what Wikipedia had to say:

The Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of International Olympic Games half-way between what is now known as the Games of the Olympiad. This proposed series of games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was to always be held in Athens, and were to have equal status with the international games. However, the only such games were held in 1906.

 

The finish of the marathon.

The marathon was won by a Canadian named Billy Sherring, and Prince George ran with him on the final lap.

848 men and six women competed. Four athletes from Australia participated.