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 358^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 7 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 11, 2025 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,766,534,400 seconds 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 ‘trihectapentacontaoctagon’ 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 55 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 4,751 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

December 24 Historical Events

• 1826 –
  The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.
• 1865 –
  The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
• 1871 –
  Aida opens in Cairo.
• 1943 –
  World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the Supreme Allied Commander.
• 1953 –
  Tangiwai disaster: A railway bridge is destroyed by a lahar at Tangiwai, in the Central North Island of New Zealand, sending a fully loaded passenger train into the Whangaehu River, and killing 153 people.
• 1964 –
  Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.
• 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.
• 1979 –
  The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
• 1980 –
  Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, an incident called “Britain’s Roswell”.
• 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?

• 1812 –
  Karl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal, German jurist (d. 1894)
• 1822 –
  Matthew Arnold, British poet (d. 1888)
• 1886 –
  Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-born director (d. 1962)
• 1898 –
  Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan footballer (d. 1967)
• 1907 –
  I. F. Stone, American journalist (d. 1989)
• 1949 –
  Randy Neugebauer, American politician
• 1965 –
  Millard Powers, American musician (Counting Crows)
• 1970 –
  Will Oldham, American singer and songwriter
• 1973 –
  Stephenie Meyer, American author
• 1981 –
  Shane Tuck, Australian rules footballer

Who died on December 24?

• 1400 –
  Archibald the Grim, Scottish magnate (b. 1328)
• 1660 –
  Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1631)
• 1872 –
  William John Macquorn Rankine, British physician and engenier (b. 1820)
• 1965 –
  William M. Branham, Christian minister (b. 1906)
• 1971 –
  Maria Koepcke, ornithologist (b. 1924)
• 1994 –
  Rossano Brazzi, Italian actor and singer (b. 1916)
• 1998 –
  Syl Apps, Canadian ice hockey player and pole vaulter (b. 1915)
• 2004 –
  Johnny Oates, baseball player and manager (b. 1946)
• 2009 –
  George Michael, American sportscaster (The George Michael Sports Machine) (b. 1939)
• 2011 –
  Johannes Heesters, Dutch actor and singer (b. 1903)