Date·Lore

On This Day · The 236th day of the year

August 24

August 24 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1643 and 2006. A Dutch fleet establishes a new colony in the ruins of Valdivia in southern Chile.

♍ZodiacVirgo ◈BirthstonePeridot ❀Birth flowerGladiolus

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on August 24?

August 24 is the 236th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1643 and 2006. Famous people born on August 24 include Jorge Luis Borges, Orlando Engelaar and Paulo Coelho.

The shape of the day

From 1643 to 2006, August 24 gathers 363 years of history. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.

Virgo is the sign for August 24 — read more on the Virgo page, or see August's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on August 24

Movies, games, albums & shows

2023

  • Game Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
  • Game Firewall Ultra

2022

  • Game SD Gundam Battle Alliance

2021

  • Game Psychonauts 2

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1643

    Dutch expedition to Valdivia

    A Dutch fleet establishes a new colony in the ruins of Valdivia in southern Chile.

  2. 1662

    Book of Common Prayer (1662)

    The 1662 Book of Common Prayer is legally enforced as the liturgy of the Church of England, precipitating the Great Ejection of Dissenter ministers from their benefices.

  3. 1781

    American Revolutionary War

    American Revolutionary War: A small force of Pennsylvania militia is ambushed and overwhelmed by an American Indian group, which forces George Rogers Clark to abandon his attempt to attack Detroit.

  4. 1914

    Battle of Cer

    World War I: The Battle of Cer ends as the first Allied victory in the war.

  5. 1914

    World War I

    World War I: German troops capture Namur.

  6. 1942

    World War II

    World War II: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons. Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō is sunk, with the loss of seven officers and 113 crewmen. The US carrier USS Enterprise is heavily damaged.

  7. 1963

    Buddhist crisis

    Buddhist crisis: As a result of the Xá Lợi Pagoda raids, the US State Department cables the United States Embassy, Saigon to encourage Army of the Republic of Vietnam generals to launch a coup against President Ngô Đình Diệm if he did not remove his brother Ngô Đình Nhu.

  8. 1991

    Ukraine

    Ukraine declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.

  9. 1992

    Hurricane Andrew

    Hurricane Andrew makes landfall in Homestead, Florida as a Category 5 hurricane, causing up to $25 billion (1992 USD) in damages.

  10. 2006

    International Astronomical Union

    The International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefines the term "planet" such that Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet.

Famous birthday twins

Born on August 24

Jorge Luis Borges

b. 1899

Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator

Orlando Engelaar

b. 1979

Dutch footballer

Paulo Coelho

b. 1947

Brazilian author and songwriter

Rupert Grint

b. 1988

English actor

Todd Young

b. 1972

American politician

Sauli Niinistö

b. 1948

Finnish captain and politician, 12th President of Finland

Karen Uhlenbeck

b. 1942

American mathematician

Dave Chappelle

b. 1973

American comedian, actor, producer and screenwriter

Deaths

  • 2016Walter Scheel
  • 2014Richard Attenborough
  • 1954Getúlio Vargas
  • 1888Rudolf Clausius
  • 1540Parmigianino
  • 1042Michael V Kalaphates

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Abbán of Ireland
  • —Christian feast day: Aurea of Ostia
  • —Christian feast day: Bartholomew the Apostle (Roman Catholic, Anglican)
  • —Christian feast day: Jeanne-Antide Thouret
  • —Christian feast day: Maria Micaela Desmaisieres
  • —Christian feast day: Massa Candida (Martyrs of Utica)
  • —Christian feast day: Owen (Audoin)
  • —Christian feast day: August 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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