What are the important events that happened on December 24? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
December 24: Facts & Myths About This Day
December 24 is the 359th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 7 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Tuesday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 11, 2024 – a Tuesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 28,916,640 minutes has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘trihectapentacontaenneagon’ day.
Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Turquoise is the modern birthstone for this month. Onyx is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 36 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,386 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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December 24 Historical Events
- 1826 –The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.
- 1871 –Aida opens in Cairo.
- 1941 –World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.
- 1942 –World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers.
- 1943 –World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the Supreme Allied Commander.
- 1951 –Libya becomes independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
- 1968 –Apollo Program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.
- 1974 –Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
- 2003 –The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid’s busy Chamartín Station.
- 2005 –Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
Who were born on December 24?
- 1745 –Benjamin Rush, doctor and Founding Father of the United States (d. 1813)
- 1879 –Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, Queen Consort to Christian X (d. 1952)
- 1924 –Lee Dorsey, American singer (d.1986)
- 1944 –Mike Curb, American musician, record company executive and politician
- 1950 –Dana Gioia, American poet
- 1953 –Timothy Carhart, American actor
- 1957 –Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan
- 1974 –Ryan Seacrest, American television host
- 1981 –Shane Tuck, Australian rules footballer
- 2000 –Ethan Bortnick, American musician
Who died on December 24?
- 1257 –John I, Count of Hainaut (b. 1218)
- 1863 –William Makepeace Thackeray, British writer (b. 1811)
- 1957 –Norma Talmadge, American actress (b. 1893)
- 1990 –Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian author (b. 1922)
- 1992 –Bobby LaKind, American musician and singer (The Doobie Brothers) (b. 1945)
- 1994 –Rossano Brazzi, Italian actor and singer (b. 1916)
- 1997 –Pierre Péladeau, Quebec businessman, founder of Quebecor (b. 1925)
- 2000 –John Cooper, English race car designer (b. 1923)
- 2006 –Kenneth Sivertsen, Norwegian singer, poet and comedian (b. 1961)
- 2007 –Akbar Radi, Iranian dramatist and playwright (b. 1939)
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