Galba
b. -3
Roman emperor
On This Day · The 358th day of the year
December 24
December 24 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 759 and 2021. Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on December 24?
December 24 is the 358th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 759 and 2021. Famous people born on December 24 include Galba, Brigetta Barrett and Nicholas Meyer.
The shape of the day
December 24 carries an unusually long memory — its events reach back as far as 759. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.
Capricorn is the sign for December 24 — read more on the Capricorn page, or see December's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on December 24
Movies, games, albums & shows2025
- Movie Anaconda
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 759
Tang dynasty
Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.
- 1814
United Kingdom
Representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
- 1871
Aida
The opera Aida premieres in Cairo, Egypt.
- 1913
Italian Hall disaster
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".
- 1914
World War I
World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
- 1924
Albania
Albania becomes a republic.
- 1929
Argentina
Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen.
- 1939
World War II
World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
- 2008
Lord's Resistance Army
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.
- 2021
Tatmadaw
Burmese military forces commit the Mo So massacre, killing at least 44 civilians.
Famous birthday twins
Born on December 24Brigetta Barrett
b. 1990
American high jumper
Nicholas Meyer
b. 1945
American screenwriter, film director, and author
James Prescott Joule
b. 1818
English physicist and brewer
George I of Greece
b. 1845
King of Greece from 1863 to 1913
Tarja Halonen
b. 1943
Finnish lawyer and politician, 11th President of Finland
Dima Bilan
b. 1981
Russian singer-songwriter and actor
Hamid Karzai
b. 1957
Afghan politician, 12th President of Afghanistan
Deaths
- 2008Harold Pinter
- 1997Toshiro Mifune
- 1982Louis Aragon
- 1541Andreas Karlstadt
- 1524Vasco da Gama
Holidays & observances
- —Christian feast day: Adela and Irmina
- —Christian feast day: Paola Elisabetta Cerioli
- —Christian feast day: Adam and Eve
- —Christian feast day: 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)
- —Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances: Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian Americans)
- —Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances: Juleaften (Denmark)/Julaften (Norway)/Julafton (Sweden)
- —Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances: Nittel Nacht (certain Orthodox Jewish denominations)
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.
Born on this day?
Make your birthday card.
Drop in your birth year and we'll work out your exact age, the day of the week you were born, your Chinese zodiac, your generation, and the countdown to your next candle.
Please pick a valid date in the past.
—
Years old
—
Days lived
—
Day you were born