December 24 in history — What Happened Today in History
Curious what December 24 in history holds? From 2021 back through the centuries, our timeline gathers everything that happened on December 24 — events, birthdays and deaths on one cozy page.
On this page, December 24 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about December 24 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on December 24 in History 40
- 2021
Burmese military forces commit the Mo So massacre, killing at least 44 civilians.
- 2018
A helicopter crash kills Martha Érika Alonso, first female Governor of Puebla, Mexico, and her husband Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, former governor.
- 2008
The Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks against civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400.
- 2005
Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of belligerence against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
- 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.
- 1999
Indian Airlines Flight 814 is hijacked in Indian airspace between Kathmandu, Nepal, and Delhi, India. The aircraft landed at Kandahar in Afghanistan. The incident ended on December 31 with the release of 190 survivors (one passenger is killed).
- 1997
The Sid El-Antri massacre in Algeria kills between 50 and 100 people.
- 1996
A Learjet 35 crashes into Smarts Mountain near Dorchester, New Hampshire, killing both pilots on board.
- 1994
Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers, Algeria. Over the course of three days three passengers are killed, as are all four terrorists.
- 1983
Aeroflot Flight 601 crashes during takeoff from Leshukonskoye Airport, Russia, killing 44 of the 49 people on board.
- 1979
The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre.
- 1974
Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
All entries for December 24（+28）
- 1973
District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
- 1971
LANSA Flight 508 is struck by lightning and crashes in the Puerto Inca District in the Department of Huánuco in Peru, killing 91.
- 1969
Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
- 1968
Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
- 1968
Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 crashes on approach to Bradford Regional Airport, killing 20.
- 1966
A Canadair CL-44 chartered by the United States military crashes into a small village in South Vietnam, killing 111.
- 1964
Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.
- 1964
Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 crashes after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport, killing three.
- 1955
A flood devastates California, killing 74 people across portions of the state.
- 1953
Tangiwai disaster: In New Zealand's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge is damaged by a lahar and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people.
- 1952
First flight of Britain's Handley Page Victor strategic bomber.
- 1951
Libya becomes independent. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
- 1945
Five of nine children become missing after their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is burned down.
- 1944
World War II: The Belgian Troopship Leopoldville was torpedoed and sank with the loss of 763 soldiers and 56 crew.
- 1943
World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is named Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord.
- 1942
World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers, Algeria.
- 1941
World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.
- 1941
World War II: Benghazi is conquered by the British Eighth Army.
- 1939
World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
- 1929
Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen.
- 1929
A four alarm fire breaks out in the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C.
- 1924
Albania becomes a republic.
- 1920
Gabriele D'Annunzio surrendered the Italian Regency of Carnaro in the city of Fiume to Italian Armed Forces.
- 1918
Region of Međimurje is captured by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from Hungary.
- 1914
World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
- 1913
The Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan results in the deaths of 73 striking workers families at a Christmas party participants (including 59 children) when someone falsely yells "fire".
- 1906
Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.
- 1868
The Greek Presidential Guard is established as the royal escort by King George I.
Famous Birthdays on December 24 in History 25
- 2002
Joshua Primo, Canadian basketball player
- 2002
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., American football player
- 2001
Choi Sung-beom, South Korean football player
- 1998
Alexis Mac Allister, Argentine footballer
- 1997
Neeraj Chopra, Indian javelin thrower
- 1997
William Contreras, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1995
Anett Kontaveit, Estonian tennis player
- 1994
Han Seung-woo, South Korean singer
- 1992
Davante Adams, American football player
- 1992
Serge Aurier, Ivorian footballer
- 1992
P. J. Hairston, American basketball player
- 1991
Sofia Black-D'Elia, American actress
All entries for December 24（+13）
- 1991
Lara Michel, Swiss tennis player
- 1991
Eric Moreland, American basketball player
- 1991
Louis Tomlinson, English singer
- 1991
Taylor Zakhar Perez, American actor
- 1990
Brigetta Barrett, American high jumper
- 1989
Matt Calvert, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988
Stefanos Athanasiadis, Greek footballer
- 1988
Emre Özkan, Turkish footballer
- 1988
Simon Zenke, Nigerian footballer
- 1987
Jane Summersett, American ice dancer
- 1986
Kyrylo Fesenko, Ukrainian basketball player
- 1985
Alexey Dmitriev, German ice hockey player
- 1984
Isaac De Gois, Australian rugby league player
Notable Deaths on December 24 in History 25
- 2024
Hudson Meek, American actor (born 2008)
- 2024
Richard Perry, American record producer (born 1942)
- 2023
Cheri Barry, American politician and mayor of Meridian, Mississippi (born 1955)
- 2023
Richard Bowes, American science fiction author (born 1944)
- 2023
Troy Dargan, Cook Islands rugby league footballer (born 1997)
- 2018
Martha Érika Alonso, Governor of Puebla (born 1973)
- 2018
Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, former governor of Puebla (born 1968)
- 2017
Jerry Kindall, American baseball player and coach (born 1935)
- 2017
Heather Menzies, Canadian-American model and actress (born 1949)
- 2016
Rick Parfitt, British musician (born 1948)
- 2016
Liz Smith, English actress (born 1921)
- 2016
Richard Adams, English author (born 1920)
All entries for December 24（+13）
- 2016
Ben Xi, Chinese singer (born 1994)
- 2015
Turid Birkeland, Norwegian businesswoman and politician, Norwegian Minister of Culture (born 1962)
- 2015
Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, Filipino journalist (born 1941)
- 2015
Adriana Olguín, Chilean lawyer and politician, Chilean Minister of Justice (born 1911)
- 2014
Buddy DeFranco, American clarinet player (born 1923)
- 2014
Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (born 1944)
- 2014
Herbert Harris, American lawyer and politician (born 1926)
- 2014
Krzysztof Krauze, Polish director and screenwriter (born 1953)
- 2013
Frédéric Back, German-Canadian director, animator, and screenwriter (born 1924)
- 2013
Ian Barbour, Chinese-American author and scholar (born 1923)
- 2013
John M. Goldman, English haematologist and oncologist (born 1938)
- 2013
Allan McKeown, English-American screenwriter and producer (born 1946)
- 2012
Richard Rodney Bennett, English-American composer and academic (born 1936)
That is the story of December 24 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on December 24 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on December 24 in history?
The biggest event on December 24 in history is: 2021 — Burmese military forces commit the Mo So massacre, killing at least 44 civilians.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on December 24?
25 famous people were born on December 24 in history, the best known being 2002 — Joshua Primo, Canadian basketball player.
Who died on December 24?
25 notable people died on December 24 in history, including 2024 — Hudson Meek, American actor (born 2008).
Why should I read about December 24 in history?
Exploring December 24 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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