What Happened on December 24

Complete Timeline — December 24 Through the Ages

1. 640

   John IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope

   John IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope

2. 1046

   Pope Clement II, [Suitger] elected

   Pope Clement II, [Suitger] elected

3. 1161

   Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos marries Princess Maria of Antioch in the Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, with chariot

   Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos marries Princess Maria of Antioch in the Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, with chariot races to celebrate in the Hippodrome

4. 1294

   Cardinal Benedetto Gaetani chosen as Pope Boniface VIII

   Cardinal Benedetto Gaetani chosen as Pope Boniface VIII

5. 1476

   Burgundian soldiers freeze to death during siege of Nancy

   Burgundian soldiers freeze to death during siege of Nancy

6. 1565

   Compromise of the Nobles in Habsburg Netherlands closes against the Inquisition

   Compromise of the Nobles in Habsburg Netherlands closes against the Inquisition

7. 1568

   Morisco Revolt against Spanish suppression in the mountainous Alpujarra region of Granada, begins with a wave of violenc

   Morisco Revolt against Spanish suppression in the mountainous Alpujarra region of Granada, begins with a wave of violence led by Aben Humeya

8. 1593

   Storm hits the North Holland port of Texel: 40 ships are lost and about 500 seamen are killed [1]

   Storm hits the North Holland port of Texel: 40 ships are lost and about 500 seamen are killed [1]

9. 1651

   Jan van Riebeeck departs for Cape of Good Hope to found 1st permanent European settlement

   Jan van Riebeeck departs for Cape of Good Hope to found 1st permanent European settlement

10. 1715

    Swedish troops occupy Norway

    Swedish Pomerania (Swedish: Svenska Pommern; German: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion of Sweden from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland.

11. 1734

    Royal Alcázar of Madrid burns down in Madrid with the lost of many artworks, though paintings of Velázquez are saved

    Royal Alcázar of Madrid burns down in Madrid with the lost of many artworks, though paintings of Velázquez are saved

12. 1798

    Russia & Britain sign Second anti-French Coalition

    This is a list of sieges, land and naval battles of the War of the Second Coalition (1798 2, depending on periodisation).

13. 1814

    Treaty of Ghent signed, ending the War of 1812 between the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies

    The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States declared war on Britain on 18 June 1812.

14. 1815

    Karol Kurpiński's melodramatic opera "The Reward, or the Revival of the Polish Kingdom" premieres at the Warsaw Opera

    Karol Kurpiński's melodramatic opera "The Reward, or the Revival of the Polish Kingdom" premieres at the Warsaw Opera

15. 1818

    Christmas carol "Silent Night" composed by Franz Xaver Gruber is first sung at St Nicholas Parish Church in Oberndorf, A

    Christmas carol "Silent Night" composed by Franz Xaver Gruber is first sung at St Nicholas Parish Church in Oberndorf, Austria

16. 1818

    James Prescott Joule is born

    James Prescott Joule, English physicist, known for english physicist, was born on 1818-12-24. James Prescott Joule (24 December 1818 – 11 October 1889) was an English physicist.

17. 1822

    Matthew Arnold is born

    Matthew Arnold, English poet and cultural critic, known for english poet and cultural critic, was born on 1822-12-24.

18. 1824

    Chi Phi Society forms at the College of New Jersey in Princeton, said to be the first US fraternity; disbands after a ye

    Chi Phi Society forms at the College of New Jersey in Princeton, said to be the first US fraternity; disbands after a year, but later revives and merges with similar groups across the nation as part of the Chi Pi Fraternity

19. 1832

    First Negro hospital founded by whites chartered in Savannah, Georgia

    First Negro hospital founded by whites chartered in Savannah, Georgia

20. 1849

    First great fire of early San Francisco starts east side of the Plaza, first of great seven fires in 2 years

    San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 867,567 in 2024.

21. 1851

    Fire devastates US Library of Congress in Washington and destroys 35,000 volumes

    Fire devastates US Library of Congress in Washington and destroys 35,000 volumes

22. 1853

    William Henry Fry's "Santa Claus: Christmas Symphony" premiere performance by conductor Louis Antoine Jullien's orchestr

    William Henry Fry's "Santa Claus: Christmas Symphony" premiere performance by conductor Louis Antoine Jullien's orchestra at Metropolitan Hall, NYC [1]

23. 1860

    Actor Joseph Jefferson's dramatization of "Rip Van Winkle" premieres in NYC

    Actor Joseph Jefferson's dramatization of "Rip Van Winkle" premieres in NYC

24. 1864

    Battle of Gordonsville, Virginia

    The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War.

25. 1865

    Several Confederate veterans form Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee

    The Ku Klux Klan (KKK; ), sometimes called the Klan, is an American Protestant-led white supremacist and far-right hate group.

26. 1871

    Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Aida" premieres in Cairo, Egypt

    Aida is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni.

27. 1874

    Pope Pius IX proclaims a jubilee for 1875

    Pope Pius IX (Italian: Pio IX; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878.

28. 1884

    Austria-Hungary officially recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State

    The Congo Free State (CFS), also known as the Independent State of the Congo, was a large state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908.

29. 1889

    Daniel Stover and William Hance patent a bicycle with a backpedal brake

    Daniel Stover and William Hance patent a bicycle with a backpedal brake

30. 1894

    Scheveningse fishing boats destroyed by storm

    Scheveningse fishing boats destroyed by storm

31. 1895

    George Vanderbilt opens Biltmore estate, the largest privately owned house in America at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m

    George Vanderbilt opens Biltmore estate, the largest privately owned house in America at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m2) in Asheville, North Carolina

32. 1898

    Herman Heijermans' "Ghetto" premieres in Amsterdam

    Herman Heijermans, was a Dutch playwright, novelist and sketch story writer, who is considered to be the greatest Dutch dramatist of the modern era.

33. 1900

    Foreign powers present the Chinese Empress with their list of 'irrevocable conditions' before their nations will withdra

    Foreign powers present the Chinese Empress with their list of 'irrevocable conditions' before their nations will withdraw troops from China

34. 1901

    Private companies are allowed to use the word "postcard" in the US; previously, they were labeled "Private Mailing Cards

    Private companies are allowed to use the word "postcard" in the US; previously, they were labeled "Private Mailing Cards" and known as "souvenir cards"

35. 1904

    German South West Africa abolishes the slavery of young children

    German South West Africa abolishes the slavery of young children

36. 1905

    Howard Hughes is born

    Howard Hughes aviator, aerospace engineer and business magnate, known for american aviator, aerospace engineer and business magnate, was born on 1905-12-24. Howard Robard Hughes Jr.

37. 1906

    Reginald Fessenden becoomes 1st to broadcast music over radio (disputed)

    Reginald Fessenden becoomes 1st to broadcast music over radio (disputed)

38. 1910

    Luisa Tetrazzini sings to 250,000 people at Lotta's Fountain, San Francisco

    Luisa Tetrazzini (29 June 1871 – 28 April 1940) was an Italian coloratura soprano of great international fame.

39. 1912

    Irving Fisher patents archiving system with index cards

    Irving Fisher (February 27, 1867 – April 29, 1947) was an American economist, statistician, inventor, eugenicist and progressive social campaigner.

40. 1914

    Agatha Miller (later best selling detective author) marries aviator Archibald Christie

    Agatha Miller (later best selling detective author) marries aviator Archibald Christie

41. 1914

    German plane drops bombs on Dover, England

    German plane drops bombs on Dover, England

42. 1917

    Famous pilot James Doolittle (21) weds high school sweetheart Josephine E. Daniels

    Famous pilot James Doolittle (21) weds high school sweetheart Josephine E. Daniels

43. 1921

    Ottawa’s Harry Broadbent scores in 10-0 Senators blowout of the Montreal Canadiens; first in 16-game NHL record goal-sco

    Ottawa’s Harry Broadbent scores in 10-0 Senators blowout of the Montreal Canadiens; first in 16-game NHL record goal-scoring streak; Charlie Simmer’s 13 game streak (1979) is considered modern-day record

44. 1922

    BBC broadcasts the first British radio play "The Truth About Father Christmas"

    BBC broadcasts the first British radio play "The Truth About Father Christmas"

45. 1924

    Albania becomes a republic (ex-premier Ahmed Zogoe's coup)

    Albania becomes a republic (ex-premier Ahmed Zogoe's coup)

46. 1927

    Test cricket debut of Walter Hammond, who scores 51 and takes 5-36 against South Africa

    Walter Reginald Hammond (19 June 1903 – 1 July 1965) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951.

47. 1928

    George Abbott Theater (Adelphi, 54 St) opens at 152 W 54th St NYC

    George Abbott Theater (Adelphi, 54 St) opens at 152 W 54th St NYC

48. 1930

    F. García Lorca's "La zapatera prodigiosa" premieres in Madrid

    F. García Lorca's "La zapatera prodigiosa" premieres in Madrid

49. 1932

    Arturo Alessandri wins presidential election in Chile

    Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, extending along a narrow strip of land...

50. 1932

    Colin Cowdrey is born

    Colin Cowdrey, English athlete, known for english cricketer, was born on 1932-12-24.

51. 1936

    First radioactive isotope medicine is administered in Berkeley, California

    First radioactive isotope medicine is administered in Berkeley, California

52. 1937

    Dutch government recognizes Italian king Emanuel III as emperor of Abyssinia

    Dutch government recognizes Italian king Emanuel III as emperor of Abyssinia

53. 1941

    Anthony Fauci is born

    Anthony Fauci, American immunologist, known for american immunologist, was born on 1941-12-24.

54. 1942

    First powered flight of V-1 'buzz bomb', Peenemunde, Germany

    The V-1 flying bomb (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1, lit. 'Vengeance Weapon 1') was an early cruise missile.

55. 1943

    US President FDR appoints General Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces

    US President FDR appoints General Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces

56. 1946

    French Fourth Republic is founded

    The French Fourth Republic (French: Quatrième république française) was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution of...

57. 1947

    Jeff Sessions is born

    Jeff Sessions, American politician and attorney, known for american politician and attorney, was born on 1947-12-24.

58. 1948

    First US completely solar heated house is occupied in Dover, Massachusetts

    First US completely solar heated house is occupied in Dover, Massachusetts

59. 1951

    First opera commissioned for television - "Amahl and the Night Visitors" by Gian Carlo Menotti premieres on NBC with the

    First opera commissioned for television - "Amahl and the Night Visitors" by Gian Carlo Menotti premieres on NBC with the NBC Opera Theater

60. 1953

    KHOL (now KHGI) TV channel 13 in Kearney, NB (ABC) begins broadcasting

    KHOL (now KHGI) TV channel 13 in Kearney, NB (ABC) begins broadcasting

61. 1954

    Council for the Protection of Children forms in Netherlands

    The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with overseas territories in the Caribbean.

62. 1956

    "I Love Lucy" Christmas show airs, never put in syndication

    "I Love Lucy" Christmas show airs, never put in syndication

63. 1958

    Hamid Karzai is born

    Hamid Karzai is born

64. 1959

    Michael Flynn is born

    Michael Flynn u.s. army general and former u.s. national security advisor, known for u.s. army general and former u.s. national security advisor, was born on 1959-12-24.

65. 1960

    Dutch bishops question papacy values

    Dutch bishops question papacy values

66. 1960

    Lee Daniels is born

    Lee Daniels, American filmmaker and television producer, known for american filmmaker and television producer, was born on 1960-12-24.

67. 1962

    USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

    USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

68. 1963

    Greeks and Turks riot in Cyprus

    Greeks and Turks riot in Cyprus

69. 1966

    Soviet spacecraft Luna 13 lands on Moon

    Soviet spacecraft Luna 13 lands on Moon

70. 1967

    China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC

    China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC

71. 1968

    Apollo 8 astronauts read passages from Book of Genesis

    On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, the crew of Apollo 8, the first humans to orbit the Moon, read from the Book of Genesis during a television broadcast.

72. 1970

    Nine Jews are convicted in Leningrad of attempting to hijack a plane

    Nine Jews are convicted in Leningrad of attempting to hijack a plane

73. 1972

    Ricky Martin is born

    Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican puerto rican singer and actor, known for puerto rican singer and actor, was born on 1972-12-24.

74. 1973

    District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government

    The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is a United States federal law passed on December 24, 1973, which devolved certain congressional powers of the District of Columbia to local government,...

75. 1974

    Stephenie Meyer is born

    Stephenie Meyer, American novelist, known for american novelist, was born on 1974-12-24. Stephenie Meyer is an American novelist and film producer.

76. 1975

    Ryan Seacrest is born

    Ryan Seacrest, American television and radio host, known for american television and radio host, was born on 1975-12-24. Ryan John Seacrest is an American television host and producer.

77. 1977

    "Ghost to the Post", Raiders tight end Dave Casper ("The Ghost") catches a 42-yard reception to set up the Raiders' tyin

    "Ghost to the Post", Raiders tight end Dave Casper ("The Ghost") catches a 42-yard reception to set up the Raiders' tying field goal near the end of regulation (Raiders win in OT)

78. 1979

    First Ariane rocket launched

    Ariane is a series of European civilian expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne.

79. 1980

    Americans remember hostages held by Iran by shining lights for 417 seconds

    Americans remember hostages held by Iran by shining lights for 417 seconds

80. 1981

    USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan

    USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan

81. 1982

    Chaminade, with a student body of only 850 students, defeats #1 ranked Virginia 77-72 in a Honolulu holiday basketball c

    Chaminade, with a student body of only 850 students, defeats #1 ranked Virginia 77-72 in a Honolulu holiday basketball classic

82. 1984

    Palace coup in Mauritania

    The 1984 Mauritanian coup d'état was a bloodless military coup in Mauritania which took place on 12 December 1984.

83. 1986

    French hostage Aurel Cornea, held in Lebanon for 9 months, released

    French hostage Aurel Cornea, held in Lebanon for 9 months, released

84. 1990

    Expos trade Tim Raines to the White Sox for Iván Calderón and Barry Jones

    Timothy Raines Sr., nicknamed "Rock", is an American professional baseball coach and former player.

85. 1991

    Ballon d'Or: Marseille forward Jean-Pierre Papin is named Europe's best football player; first from the French League to

    Ballon d'Or: Marseille forward Jean-Pierre Papin is named Europe's best football player; first from the French League to win the trophy

86. 1992

    Louis Tomlinson is born

    Louis Tomlinson, English singer-songwriter, known for english singer-songwriter, was born on 1992-12-24.

87. 1994

    Four Muslim fundamentalists capture Air France pilot in Algiers

    Four Muslim fundamentalists capture Air France pilot in Algiers

88. 1995

    Ballon d'Or: PSG/Milan's Liberian striker George Weah is named Europe's best football player; first edition where player

    Ballon d'Or: PSG/Milan's Liberian striker George Weah is named Europe's best football player; first edition where players born outside Europe permitted to receive votes

89. 1996

    Ballon d'Or: Borussia Dortmund's German sweeper Matthias Sammer is named best football player in Europe ahead of PSV/Bar

    Ballon d'Or: Borussia Dortmund's German sweeper Matthias Sammer is named best football player in Europe ahead of PSV/Barcelona striker Ronaldo and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer

90. 1997

    Sid El-Antri massacre (or Sidi Lamri) in Algeria kills 50 to 100 people

    Sid El-Antri massacre (or Sidi Lamri) in Algeria kills 50 to 100 people

91. 2000

    The Texas 7 hold up a sports store in Irving, Texas. Police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot during the robbery

    The Texas 7 hold up a sports store in Irving, Texas. Police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot during the robbery

92. 2003

    Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Stat

    Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station.

93. 2010

    Gary Sinise converts to Catholicism, following his wife who converted in 2000

    Gary Sinise converts to Catholicism, following his wife who converted in 2000

94. 2012

    11 kindergarten children are killed after a minivan plunges into a roadside pond in Jiangxi, China

    11 kindergarten children are killed after a minivan plunges into a roadside pond in Jiangxi, China

95. 2023

    Beijing breaks its 1951 record for sub-zero December temperatures, recording more than 300 hours as a record cold spell

    Beijing breaks its 1951 record for sub-zero December temperatures, recording more than 300 hours as a record cold spell affects the north and northeast of China [1]

96. 2024

    NASA's Parker Solar probe makes a record-breaking approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilome

    NASA's Parker Solar probe makes a record-breaking approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the star [1]

People Associated with December 24

Years with Events on December 24

More Days in December