Christian X
A monarch who became a powerful symbol of quiet national defiance, riding horseback through occupied Copenhagen every day to bolster his people's spirit.
1870–1947 (age 77)·King of Denmark and Iceland·Birthday: September 26·The Gilded Age
Biography
Christian X's reign spanned two world wars and the dissolution of Denmark's union with Iceland, but it is his conduct during the Nazi occupation that defines his memory. A tall, austere figure with a stern public demeanor, he was initially a traditional constitutional monarch. The German invasion in 1940 forced him into a role of profound symbolic resistance. His daily, solitary rides through the streets of Copenhagen, unaccompanied by guards, became a potent act of psychological defiance, a living reminder of Danish sovereignty. While the popular tale of him wearing a yellow star in solidarity with Jews is apocryphal, his government's official protest and the successful evacuation of most Danish Jews to Sweden occurred under his reign. He emerged from the war as 'The King of the Occupation', a stoic embodiment of national unity and dignity under extreme duress.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Christian was born in 1870, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1870
Christian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1870Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1875Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1883Became a teenager
President: Chester A. Arthur
1886Could drive
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1888Could vote
President: Grover Cleveland
1891Turned 21
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Turned 30
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1910Turned 40
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 50
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 60
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 70
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1947Died at 77
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
Key Achievements
- Became a unifying symbol of Danish resistance through his daily public horseback rides during the Nazi occupation.
- Oversaw the peaceful dissolution of the Danish-Icelandic union, becoming the first and only King of Iceland.
- His reign saw Denmark navigate the immense social and political changes of the early 20th century, including the Easter Crisis of 1920.
- Presided over a government that facilitated the remarkable rescue of the majority of Denmark's Jewish population in 1943.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished equestrian and his daily rides were a personal habit long before the occupation gave them political meaning.
The story of him wearing a yellow star to oppose Nazi anti-Jewish measures is a myth, but it persists as a legend of his character.
He was the older brother of King Haakon VII of Norway.
A 1942 telegram from Adolf Hitler wishing him a happy birthday received only a terse, one-sentence reply from the King's staff.
“I am the living symbol of the nation, and I will take my morning ride.”
