December 24 facts for kids

December 24 is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; seven days remain until the end of the year.

December 24th is a special day around the world, especially known as Christmas Eve. Many important events have happened on this day throughout history, and many famous people were born or passed away. Let's explore some of these moments!

Exciting Events in History

Early Times (Before 1600)

• 502 – In China, Emperor Xiao Yan chose his son, Xiao Tong, to be the next ruler.
• 640 – Pope John IV was chosen as the new leader of the Catholic Church.
• 759 – A famous Chinese poet named Du Fu moved to Chengdu, where another poet, Pei Di, welcomed him.
• 1144 – The city of Edessa, an important place for crusaders, was captured by Imad ad-Din Zengi.
• 1294 – Pope Boniface VIII became Pope after Celestine V decided to step down.
• 1500 – A combined fleet from Venice and Spain captured the Castle of St. George on Cephalonia island.

Later Years (1601–1900)

• 1737 – The Marathas won a big battle against several other armies in the Battle of Bhopal.
• 1777 – Explorer James Cook discovered an island he named Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island.
• 1800 – An attempt to kill Napoleon Bonaparte in Paris failed.
• 1814 – The United Kingdom and the United States signed the Treaty of Ghent, officially ending the War of 1812.
• 1818 – The popular Christmas song "Silent Night" was performed for the very first time in Austria.
• 1826 – The "Eggnog Riot" began at the U.S. Military Academy.
• 1846 – Great Britain took control of Labuan island from the Sultanate of Brunei.
• 1868 – The Greek Presidential Guard was created by King George I.
• 1871 – The famous opera Aida had its first show in Cairo, Egypt.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1906 – Reginald Fessenden made the first ever radio broadcast. It included a poem, a violin song, and a speech.
• 1913 – A false "fire" alarm at a Christmas party in Michigan caused a terrible panic, leading to the deaths of 73 people, including 59 children.
• 1914 – During World War I, soldiers on both sides stopped fighting for a "Christmas truce".
• 1924 – Albania became a republic, meaning its people could elect their leaders.
• 1929 – A fire broke out in the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C.
• 1939 – As World War II began, Pope Pius XII made a special appeal for peace on Christmas Eve.
• 1941 – During World War II, Japanese forces took control of Kuching.
• 1941 – Also in World War II, the British Eighth Army captured Benghazi.
• 1943 – U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was chosen to lead the major Operation Overlord in World War II.
• 1944 – The Belgian troopship Leopoldville was sunk during World War II, and many soldiers were lost.
• 1951 – Libya became an independent country, and Idris I was named its king.
• 1964 – During the Vietnam War, Viet Cong members bombed the Brinks Hotel in Saigon.
• 1968 – The Apollo 8 crew became the first humans to orbit the Moon. They took the famous Earthrise photo and read from the Bible.
• 1971 – LANSA Flight 508 crashed in Peru after being hit by lightning, killing 91 people.
• 1974 – Cyclone Tracy caused huge damage to Darwin, Australia.
• 1999 – Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked in Indian airspace.
• 2005 – Chad declared a state of war against Sudan after an attack.
• 2018 – A helicopter crash in Mexico killed Martha Érika Alonso, the governor of Puebla, and her husband, Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas.

People Born on This Day

Historical Figures (Before 1600)

• 3 BC – Galba, who later became a Roman emperor.
• 1166 – John, who became King of England.
• 1389 – John V, Duke of Brittany, a French duke.
• 1475 – Thomas Murner, a German poet.
• 1588 – Constance of Austria, an Austrian princess.
• 1597 – Honoré II, Prince of Monaco, a prince of Monaco.

Notable People (1601–1900)

• 1635 – Mariana of Austria, a queen of Spain.
• 1761 – Selim III, an Ottoman sultan.
• 1798 – Adam Mickiewicz, a famous Polish poet.
• 1809 – Kit Carson, an American general and explorer.
• 1818 – James Prescott Joule, an English physicist known for his work on heat and energy.
• 1822 – Matthew Arnold, an English poet and critic.
• 1837 – Empress Elisabeth of Austria, an empress of Austria.
• 1845 – George I of Greece, a king of Greece.
• 1868 – Emanuel Lasker, a German chess champion and mathematician.
• 1886 – Michael Curtiz, a Hungarian-American film director.
• 1892 – Ruth Chatterton, an American actress.
• 1895 – Noel Streatfeild, an English author.

Famous People (1901–Present)

• 1905 – Howard Hughes, an American businessman, engineer, and pilot.
• 1922 – Ava Gardner, a well-known American actress.
• 1924 – Mohammed Rafi, a famous Indian singer.
• 1927 – Mary Higgins Clark, an American author of suspense novels.
• 1940 – Anthony Fauci, an American physician and scientist.
• 1943 – Tarja Halonen, who became the first female President of Finland.
• 1945 – Lemmy, an English hard rock singer and bass player.
• 1946 – Jeff Sessions, an American lawyer and politician.
• 1956 – Anil Kapoor, a popular Indian actor.
• 1957 – Hamid Karzai, who became President of Afghanistan.
• 1961 – Ilham Aliyev, the current President of Azerbaijan.
• 1961 – Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors.
• 1962 – Kate Spade, an American fashion designer.
• 1969 – Ed Miliband, an English politician.
• 1971 – Ricky Martin, a famous Puerto Rican singer and actor.
• 1973 – Stephenie Meyer, the American author of the Twilight series.
• 1974 – Ryan Seacrest, an American radio and television host.
• 1980 – Dima Bilan, a Russian singer.
• 1991 – Louis Tomlinson, an English singer from the band One Direction.
• 1998 – Alexis Mac Allister, an Argentine footballer.

People Who Passed Away on This Day

Historical Figures (Before 1600)

• 36 AD – Gongsun Shu, an emperor in China.
• 903 – Hedwiga, a duchess in Saxony.
• 1193 – Roger III of Sicily, a king of Sicily.
• 1263 – Hōjō Tokiyori, a regent of Japan.
• 1453 – John Dunstaple, an English composer.
• 1524 – Vasco da Gama, a famous Portuguese explorer.

Notable People (1601–1900)

• 1660 – Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, an English princess.
• 1707 – Noël Coypel, a French painter.
• 1813 – Empress Go-Sakuramachi of Japan.
• 1863 – William Makepeace Thackeray, an English author.
• 1873 – Johns Hopkins, an American businessman and giver, who founded Johns Hopkins University.
• 1898 – Charbel Makhluf, a Lebanese priest and saint.

Famous People (1901–Present)

• 1914 – John Muir, a Scottish-American geologist and author who helped create national parks.
• 1935 – Alban Berg, an Austrian composer.
• 1942 – François Darlan, a French admiral and politician.
• 1957 – Norma Talmadge, an American actress.
• 1964 – Claudia Jones, a Trinidad-British journalist and activist.
• 1967 – Burt Baskin, who co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream company.
• 1975 – Bernard Herrmann, an American composer known for film scores.
• 1980 – Karl Dönitz, a German admiral and politician.
• 1984 – Peter Lawford, an English-American actor.
• 1987 – Joop den Uyl, a former Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
• 1992 – Peyo, a Belgian cartoonist who created The Smurfs.
• 1993 – Norman Vincent Peale, an American minister and author.
• 1997 – Toshiro Mifune, a famous Japanese actor.
• 1999 – Bill Bowerman, who co-founded Nike, Inc.
• 2008 – Harold Pinter, an English playwright and Nobel Prize winner.
• 2009 – Rafael Caldera, a former President of Venezuela.
• 2011 – Johannes Heesters, a Dutch-German entertainer.
• 2012 – Charles Durning and Jack Klugman, both American actors.
• 2015 – Rick Parfitt, a British musician.
• 2016 – Richard Adams, an English author.

Holidays and Celebrations

• Christian feast day:
  • Adela and Irmina
  • Paola Elisabetta Cerioli
  • Adam and Eve
  • December 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances:
  • Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lad arrives to towns. (Iceland)
  • Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian Americans)
  • Juleaften (Denmark)/Julaften (Norway)/Julafton (Sweden)
  • Nittel Nacht (certain Orthodox Jewish denominations)
  • Nochebuena (Spain and Spanish-speaking countries)
  • The Declaration of Christmas Peace (Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official Christmas City)
  • Wigilia (Poland)
  • Quviasukvik, the Inuit new year (Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia)
• Kūčios (Lithuania)
• Independence Day (Libya)
• Day of Military Honour – Siege of Ismail (Russia)

Images for kids

• 

  A friendly robot to guide you through learning!

See also

In Spanish: 24 de diciembre para niños