Baptism of Clovis I

Date: December 25, 508 • Location: Reims, France

Clovis I, king of the Franks, is baptized into the Catholic faith at Reims, by Saint Remigius.

Clovis I was the first Frankish king to unite the Franks, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single king, and ensuring that the kingship was passed down to his heirs. He is considered the founder of the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled the Frankish kingdom for the next two centuries. Clovis is an important figure in the history of France. According to Charles de Gaulle, he was "the first king of what would become France."