Events

Pre-1600

502 __NOTOC__ Year 502 ( DII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Avienus and Probus (or, less frequently, year 1255 ' ...

–

Chinese emperor ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...

Xiao Yan Emperor Wu of Liang () (464 – 12 June 549), personal name Xiao Yan (蕭衍), courtesy name Shuda (叔達), childhood name Lian'er (練兒), was the founding emperor of the Chinese Liang dynasty, during the Northern and Southern dynasties perio ...

names

Xiao Tong Xiao Tong (, September/October 501 – 30 May 531), courtesy name Deshi (), formally Crown Prince Zhaoming (昭明太子, literally "Accomplished and Understanding Crown Prince"), was a Crown Prince of the Chinese Liang Dynasty, posthumousl ...

his heir designate. * 640 –

Pope John IV Pope John IV ( la, Ioannes IV; died 12 October 642) was the bishop of Rome from 24 December 640 to his death. His election followed a four-month vacancy. He wrote to the clergy of Ireland and Scotland to tell them of the mistakes they were maki ...

is elected, several months after his predecessor's death. *

759 __NOTOC__ Year 759 ( DCCLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 759 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...

–

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

poet

Du Fu Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Tang dynasty poet and politician. Along with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai (Li Po), he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets.Ebrey, 103. His greatest ambition was to serve his country as ...

departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet

Pei Di Pei Di () was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty, approximate year of birth 714, with one work included in the popular ''Three Hundred Tang Poems''. Pei Di was a contemporary of Wang Wei, although younger by fifteen years. Pei Di has twenty pres ...

. * 1144 – The capital of the crusader

County of Edessa The County of Edessa (Latin: ''Comitatus Edessanus'') was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century. Ferdinandi, Sergio (2017). La Contea Franca di Edessa. Fondazione e Profilo Storico del Primo Principato Crociato nel Levante (1098-115 ...

falls to

Imad ad-Din Zengi Imad al-Din Zengi ( ar, عماد الدین زنكي; – 14 September 1146), also romanized as Zangi, Zengui, Zenki, and Zanki, was a Turkmen atabeg, who ruled Mosul, Aleppo, Hama, and, later, Edessa. He was the namesake of the Zengid dyna ...

, the

atabeg Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the title's use was wit ...

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...

and

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

. * 1294 –

Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...

is elected, replacing St. Celestine V, who had

resigned Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...

. *

1500 Year 1500 (Roman numerals, MD) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The year 1500 was not a leap year in the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. The year was seen as being especially important by many Christians in Europe, ...

– A joint Venetian–

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

fleet captures the Castle of St. George on the island of

Cephalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It i ...

1601–1900

1737 Events January–March * January 5 – Spain and the Holy Roman Empire sign instruments of cession at Pontremoli in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in Italy, with the Empire receiving control of Tuscany and the Grand Duchy of Parma a ...

– The

Marathas The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

defeat the combined forces of the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

, Rajputs of Jaipur,

Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

Nawab of Awadh The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishap ...

and Nawab of Bengal in the

Battle of Bhopal The Battle of Bhopal was fought on 24 December 1737 in Bhopal between the Maratha Empire and the combined army of the Nizam and several Mughal Empire, Mughal generals. Background As the Mughal empire continued to weaken after Aurangzeb's death, ...

. * 1777 –

Kiritimati Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonolog ...

, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

. * 1800 – The

Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise The Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise, also known as the plot, was an assassination attempt on the First Consul of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, in Paris on 24 December 1800. It followed the of 10 October 1800, and was one of many Royalist and Cat ...

fails to kill

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. * 1814 – Representatives of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

sign the

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

, ending the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. * 1818 – The first performance of "

Silent Night "Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...

" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf,

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. * 1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

begins that night, wrapping up the following morning. *

1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway' ...

– British acquired

Labuan Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan), is a Federal Territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capita ...

from the Sultanate of Brunei for

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. * 1865 – Jonathan Shank and Barry Ownby form The

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

. *

1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...

– The Greek

Presidential Guard Presidential Guard may refer to: *President Guard Regiment (Bangladesh) *Presidential Guard Regiment (Turkey) *Presidential Guard (Greece) *Presidential Guard (Belarus) *Presidential Guard (South Vietnam) *President's Own Guard Regiment (Ghana) * ...

is established as the royal escort by King George I. * 1871 – The opera ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December ...

'' premieres in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

1901–present

* 1906 –

Reginald Fessenden Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (October 6, 1866 – July 22, 1932) was a Canadian-born inventor, who did a majority of his work in the United States and also claimed U.S. citizenship through his American-born father. During his life he received hundre ...

transmits the first

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

solo, and a speech. * 1913 – The Italian Hall disaster in

Calumet, Michigan Calumet ( or ) is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the C ...

results in the deaths of 73 striking workers families at a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

party participants (including 59 children) when someone falsely yells "fire". * 1914 –

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

: The "

Christmas truce ckb: ئاگربەستی کریسماس The Christmas truce (german: Weihnachtsfrieden; french: Trêve de Noël; nl, Kerstbestand) was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of the First World War around Christ ...

" begins. * 1918 – Region of Međimurje is captured by the

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

from

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. * 1920 – Gabriele D'Annunzio surrendered the

Italian Regency of Carnaro The Italian Regency of Carnaro ( it, Reggenza Italiana del Carnaro), also known in Italian as (), was a self-proclaimed state in the city of Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia) led by Gabriele d'Annunzio between 1919 and 1920. ''Impresa di Fiume'' ...

in the city of

Fiume Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...

. * 1924 –

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

becomes a republic. * 1929 – Assassination attempt on

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

President

Hipólito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen (; 12 July 1852 – 3 July 1933) was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union and two-time President of Argentina, who served his first term from 1916 to 1922 and his second ...

. * 1929 – A four alarm fire breaks out in the

West Wing The West Wing of the White House houses the offices of the president of the United States. The West Wing contains the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room. The West Wing's four floors contain offices for ...

of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

in Washington, D.C. * 1939 –

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

makes a

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

appeal for peace. *

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

– World War II:

Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River ...

is conquered by Japanese forces. * 1941 – World War II:

Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...

is conquered by the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...

. * 1942 – World War II: French monarchist,

Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle (4 November 1922 – 26 December 1942) was a royalist member of the French resistance during World War II. He assassinated Admiral of the Fleet François Darlan, the former chief of government of Vichy France and t ...

, assassinates

Vichy Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais. It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of ...

French Admiral

François Darlan Jean Louis Xavier François Darlan (7 August 1881 – 24 December 1942) was a French admiral and political figure. Born in Nérac, Darlan graduated from the ''École navale'' in 1902 and quickly advanced through the ranks following his service d ...

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. * 1943 – World War II: U.S. General

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

is named Supreme Allied Commander for the

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

. *

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

– World War II: The Belgian Troopship Leopoldville was torpedoed and sank with the loss of 763 soldiers and 56 crew. *

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

– Five of nine children become missing after their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is burned down. * 1951 –

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

becomes independent.

Idris I Idris (I) ibn Abd Allah ( ar, إدريس بن عبد الله, translit=Idrīs ibn ʿAbd Allāh), also known as Idris the Elder ( ar, إدريس الأكبر, translit=Idrīs al-Akbar), (d. 791) was an Arab Hasanid Sharif and the founder of the ...

is proclaimed King of Libya. * 1952 – First flight of Britain's

Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor is a British jet-powered strategic bomber developed and produced by Handley Page during the Cold War. It was the third and final '' V bomber'' to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the other two being the Avro ...

strategic bomber A strategic bomber is a medium- to long-range penetration bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of air-to-ground weaponry onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating the enemy's capacity to wage war. Unlike tactical bombers, ...

. * 1953 –

Tangiwai disaster The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 10:21 p.m. on 24 December 1953 when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath an express passenger train at Tangiwai, North Island, New Zealand. The locomotive and the first six carriage ...

: In

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

, at

Tangiwai Tangiwai is a census area and a small rural community in the Ruapehu District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Ohakune and Rangataua and west of Waiouru on State Highway 49. In 2018 37.5% ...

, a railway bridge is damaged by a

lahar A lahar (, from jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. Lahars are extreme ...

and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people. * 1964 –

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

Viet Cong , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...

operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in

Saigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital. * 1964 –

Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 refers to the crash of a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft, N6915C, shortly after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport in the early morning hours of Thursday, December 24, 1964. There were 3 crewmen a ...

crashes after takeoff from

San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is an international airport in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, south of Downtown San Francisco. It has flights to points throughout North America and is a major gateway to Europe, the Middle E ...

, killing three. * 1966 – A

Canadair CL-44 The Canadair CL-44 was a Canadian turboprop airliner and cargo aircraft based on the Bristol Britannia that was developed and produced by Canadair in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although innovative, only a small number of the aircraft were ...

chartered by the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

crashes into a small village in

, killing 111. * 1968 – Apollo program: The crew of

Apollo 8 Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing, and then departed safely back to Earth. These ...

enters into orbit around the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten

lunar orbit In astronomy, lunar orbit (also known as a selenocentric orbit) is the orbit of an object around the Moon. As used in the space program, this refers not to the orbit of the Moon about the Earth, but to orbits by spacecraft around the Moon. The ...

s and broadcast live TV pictures. * 1969 – Nigerian troops capture

Umuahia Umuahia () is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south,and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nig ...

, the

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

n capital. *

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

–

LANSA Flight 508 LANSA Flight 508 was a Lockheed L-188A Electra turboprop, registered OB-R-941, operated as a scheduled domestic passenger flight by Lineas Aéreas Nacionales Sociedad Anonima (LANSA), which crashed in a thunderstorm en route from Lima to Pucall ...

is struck by lightning and crashes in the Puerto Inca District in the

Department of Huánuco Huánuco () is a department and region in central Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad, San Martín, Loreto and Ucayali regions in the north, the Ucayali Region in the east, the Pasco Region in the south and the Lima and Ancash regions in ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, killing 91. * 1973 –

District of Columbia Home Rule Act 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, furthering District of Columbia home rule. In par ...

is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

. * 1974 –

Cyclone Tracy Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. The small, developing easterly storm had been observed passing clear of the city initially, but then turned t ...

devastates Darwin, Australia. *

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

–

Air France Flight 8969 Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA) at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers. The terrorists murdered three passengers and their intention was either t ...

is hijacked on the ground at

Houari Boumediene Airport Houari Boumediene International Airport ( ar, مطار هواري بومدين الدولي, Maṭār Hawwārī Būmadyan al-Duwaliyy) , also known as Algiers Airport or Algiers International Airport, is the main international airport serving A ...

, Algeria. Over the course of three days three passengers are killed, as are all four terrorists. * 1996 – A

Learjet 35 The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet. When used by the United States Air Force they carry the designation C-21A. The aircraft are powered by ...

crashes into Smarts Mountain near

Dorchester, New Hampshire Dorchester is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 339 at the 2020 census. History Originally granted by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761, Dorchester was named for Dorchester in Dorset, England. When the r ...

, killing both pilots on board. * 1997 – The

Sid El-Antri massacre The Sid El-Antri massacre took place on the night of 23–24 December 1997 in two small villages near Tiaret, Algeria. The death toll is unclear; Reuters cites "at least 80", or 48 according to the government. ''Le Jeune Independent'' reported 11 ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

kills between 50 and 100 people. * 1999 –

Indian Airlines Flight 814 Indian Airlines Flight 814, commonly known as IC 814, was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, on Friday, 24 December 1999, whe ...

is hijacked in Indian airspace between

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

, and

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, India. The aircraft landed at

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. The incident ended on

December 31 It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve or Old Years Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the following ...

with the release of 190 survivors (one passenger is killed). * 2003 – The Spanish police thwart an attempt by

ETA Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...

to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

's busy Chamartín Station. *

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

–

Chad–Sudan relations The populations of eastern Chad and western Sudan established social and religious ties long before either nation's independence, and these remained strong despite disputes between governments.Byrnes, Rita M. "Relations with Nigeria and Sudan"''C ...

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

declares a state of belligerence against

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

following a

December 18 Events Pre-1600 *1271 – Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia and China. *1499 – A rebellion breaks out in Alpujarras in response to the forced conversions ...

attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead. * 2008 – The

Lord's Resistance Army The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...

, a

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

n rebel group, begins a series of attacks against civilians in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, massacring more than 400. * 2018 – A helicopter crash kills Martha Érika Alonso, first female

Governor of Puebla The governor of Puebla is the chief executive of the Mexican state of Puebla. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Governor Of Puebla * Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre ...

, Mexico, and her husband

Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas (30 June 1968 – 24 December 2018) was a Mexican politician affiliated with the National Action Party (PAN). He was the governor of Puebla from February 2011 through January 2017. Moreno Valle also served as a deputy ...

, former governor.

Births

Pre-1600

3 BC __NOTOC__ Year 3 BC was a common year starting on Wednesday or Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar (the sources differ, see leap year error for further information) and a common year starting on Tuesday of the ...

–

Galba Galba (; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was the sixth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 68 to 69. After his adoption by his stepmother, and before becoming emperor, he was known as Livius Ocella Sulpicius Ga ...

, Roman emperor (d. 69) * 1166 –

John, King of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

(d. 1216) *

1389 Year 1389 ( MCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 24 – Queen Margaret of Norway and Denmark defeats Albert, King of Swede ...

–

John V, Duke of Brittany John V, sometimes numbered as VI, (24 December 1389 – 29 August 1442) bynamed John the Wise ( br, Yann ar Fur; french: Jean le Sage), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1399 to his death. His rule coincided with the height of t ...

(d. 1442) * 1474 –

Bartolomeo degli Organi Bartolomeo degli Organi (24 December 1474 – 12 December 1539) was an Italian composer, singer and organist of the Renaissance. Living in Florence, he was closely associated with Lorenzo de' Medici, and was music teacher both to the Florentine ...

, Italian musician (d. 1539) * 1475 –

Thomas Murner Thomas Murner, OFM (24 December 1475c. 1537) was an Alsatian satirist, poet and translator. He was born at Oberehnheim (Obernai) near Strasbourg. In 1490 he entered the Franciscan order, and in 1495 began travelling, studying and then teaching a ...

, German poet and translator (d. 1537) * 1508 –

Pietro Carnesecchi Pietro Carnesecchi (24 December 1508 – 1 October 1567) was an Italian humanist. Biography Born in Florence, he was the son of a da Andrea Carnesecchi, a merchant who under the patronage of the Medici, and especially of Giulio de' Medici a ...

, Italian scholar (d. 1567) * 1520 –

Martha Leijonhufvud Martha Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud (24 December 1520 in Ödeby Lillkyrka, Ekeberg, Närke – 15 January 1584 in Stegeholm), known as (), was a politically-active Swedish noblewoman. She was the sister of Queen Margaret Leijonhufvud and sister-in ...

, Swedish noble (d. 1584) * 1537 –

Willem IV van den Bergh Willem IV, Count van den Bergh (1537-1586) was the Dutch Stadtholder of Guelders and Zutphen from 1581 until his arrest for treason in 1583. Biography Early Years Willem was the son of Count Oswald II van den BerghThe name "Van den Bergh" ...

, Stadtholder of Guelders and Zutphen (d. 1586) * 1549 –

Kaspar Ulenberg Kaspar Ulenberg (24 December 1549 – 16 February 1617) was a Catholic convert, theological writer and translator of the Bible. He was born at Lippstadt on the Lippe, Westphalia, the son of Lutheran parents, and was intended for the Lutheran min ...

, German theologian (d. 1617) *

1588 __NOTOC__ Events January–June * February – The Sinhalese abandon the siege of Colombo, capital of Portuguese Ceylon. * February 9 – The sudden death of Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, in the midst of pr ...

–

Constance of Austria Constance of Austria (german: Konstanza; pl, Konstancja; 24 December 1588 – 10 July 1631) was Queen of Poland as the second wife of King Sigismund III Vasa and the mother of King John II Casimir. Biography Constance was a daughter of Charles ...

(d. 1631) * 1596 –

Leonaert Bramer Leonaert Bramer, also Leendert or Leonard (24 December 1596 – before 10 February 1674 (date of burial)),Leonaert Bramer< ...

, Dutch painter (d. 1674) * 1597 –

Honoré II, Prince of Monaco Honoré II (24 December 1597 – 10 January 1662) was Prince of Monaco from 1604 to 1662. He was the first to be called Prince (in 1612), but started his reign as Lord of Monaco. Early life Honoré II was born on 24 December 1597. He was the so ...

(d. 1662)

1601–1900

* 1625 –

Johann Rudolph Ahle Johann Rudolph Ahle (24 December 1625 – 9 July 1673) was a German composer, organist, theorist, and Protestant church musician. Biography Ahle was born in Mühlhausen, Thuringia. While not much is known of his early musical training, he attende ...

, German organist, composer, and theorist (d. 1673) * 1635 –

Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria ( es, Mariana de Austria) or Maria Anna (24 December 163416 May 1696) was List of Spanish royal consorts, Queen of Spain as the second wife of her uncle Philip IV of Spain from their marriage in 1649 until Philip died in 1665. ...

(d. 1696) * 1679 –

Domenico Sarro Domenico Natale Sarro, also Sarri (24 December 1679 – 25 January 1744) was an Italian composer. Born in Trani, Apulia, he studied at the Neapolitan conservatory of S. Onofrio. He composed extensively in the early 18th century. His opera '' Di ...

, Italian composer and educator (d. 1744) * 1698 –

William Warburton William Warburton (24 December 16987 June 1779) was an English writer, literary critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759 until his death. He edited editions of the works of his friend Alexander Pope, and of William Shakespeare. Li ...

, English bishop (d. 1779) * 1726 – Johann Hartmann, Danish composer (d. 1793) * 1731 –

Julie Bondeli Susanna Julie von Bondeli (born 24 December 1731;1754 –

George Crabbe George Crabbe ( ; 24 December 1754 – 3 February 1832) was an English poet, surgeon and clergyman. He is best known for his early use of the realistic narrative form and his descriptions of middle and working-class life and people. In the 177 ...

, English priest, surgeon, and poet (d. 1832) * 1761 – Selim III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1808) * 1761 –

Jean-Louis Pons Jean-Louis Pons (24 December 176114 October 1831) was a French astronomer. Despite humble beginnings and being self-taught, he went on to become the greatest visual comet discoverer of all time: between 1801 and 1827 Pons discovered thirty-seven ...

, French astronomer (d. 1831) * 1797 – Carl Georg von Wächter, German jurist (d. 1880) * 1798 –

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...

, Polish poet and playwright (d. 1855) * 1809 –

Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and ...

, American general (d. 1868) * 1810 –

Wilhelm Marstrand Nicolai Wilhelm Marstrand (24 December 1810 – 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith. Marstrand is one of the most renowned ar ...

, Danish painter and illustrator (d. 1873) *

1812 Events January–March * January 1 – The ''Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch'' (the Austrian civil code) enters into force in the Austrian Empire. * January 19 – Peninsular War: The French-held fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo Siege of ...

–

Karl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal Karl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal (December 24, 1812 – June 3, 1894) was an eminent German jurist and the son of Karl Salomo Zachariae von Lingenthal. Life He studied philosophy, history, mathematics and linguistics, as well as jurisprud ...

, German lawyer and jurist (d. 1894) * 1818 –

James Prescott Joule James Prescott Joule (; 24 December 1818 11 October 1889) was an English physicist, mathematician and brewer, born in Salford, Lancashire. Joule studied the nature of heat, and discovered its relationship to mechanical work (see energy). Th ...

, English physicist and brewer (d. 1889) * 1822 –

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the celebrated headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, lit ...

, English poet and critic (d. 1888) *

1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...

– Alexander von Oettingen, German theologian and statistician (d. 1905) * 1837 –

Empress Elisabeth of Austria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...

(d. 1898) * 1843 –

Lydia Koidula Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen, ( – ), known by her pen name Lydia Koidula, was an Estonian poet. Her sobriquet means 'Lydia of the Dawn' in Estonian. It was given to her by the writer Carl Robert Jakobson. She is also frequently referred to ...

, Estonian poet and playwright (d. 1886) *

1845 Events January–March * January 10 – Elizabeth Barrett receives a love letter from the younger poet Robert Browning; on May 20, they meet for the first time in London. She begins writing her ''Sonnets from the Portuguese''. * January 23 ...

–

George I of Greece George I ( Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination in 1913. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen, and seemed destined for ...

(d. 1913) * 1865 – Szymon Askenazy, Polish historian, educator, and diplomat, founded the Askenazy school (d. 1935) * 1867 –

Tevfik Fikret Tevfik Fikret ( ota, توفیق فكرت) was the pseudonym of Mehmed Tevfik (December 24, 1867 – August 19, 1915), an Ottoman-Turkish educator and poet, who is considered the founder of the modern school of Turkish poetry. Biography Fam ...

, Turkish poet and educator (d. 1915) *

–

Charles Harvey Bollman Charles Harvey Bollman (1868–1889) was an American naturalist who published on fishes and myriapods, becoming known internationally for his work in a short career before dying at the age of 20, considered by David Starr Jordan one of the most ...

, American naturalist (d. 1889) * 1868 –

Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker (; December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, the longest reign of any officially recognised World Chess Champ ...

, German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1941) * 1869 –

Henriette Roland Holst Henriette Goverdine Anna "Jet" Roland Holst-van der Schalk (24 December 1869 – 21 November 1952) was a Dutch poet and communist. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The poet Adriaan Roland Holst (1888–1976), nicknamed "the D ...

, Dutch poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1952) *

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

– Frederick Semple, American golfer and tennis player (d. 1927) *

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

– Émile Wegelin, French rower (d. 1962) * 1877 – Sigrid Schauman, Finnish painter and critic (d. 1979) * 1879 –

Émile Nelligan Émile Nelligan (December 24, 1879 – November 18, 1941) was a Canadian Symbolist poet from Montreal who wrote in French. Even though he stopped writing poetry after being institutionalized at the age of 19, Nelligan remains an iconic figure ...

, Canadian poet (d. 1941) * 1879 –

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (24 December 1879 – 28 December 1952) was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, as well Queen of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 as the spouse of King Christian X. She was the paternal grandmother of the current rei ...

(d. 1952) * 1880 –

Johnny Gruelle John Barton Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and ...

, American author and illustrator (d. 1939) * 1881 –

Charles Wakefield Cadman Charles Wakefield Cadman (December 24, 1881 – December 30, 1946) was an American composer. For 40 years he worked closely with Nelle Richmond Eberhart, who wrote most of the texts to his songs, including ''Four American Indian Songs''. She also ...

, American composer and critic (d. 1946) * 1882 –

Hans Rebane Hans Rebane ( – 16 December 1961) was an Estonian politician, diplomat and journalist. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia from 1927 to 1928 in Jaan Tõnisson's third cabinet. Rebane was Estonian envoy in Helsinki 1931–1 ...

, Estonian journalist and politician, 8th

Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs , insignia = Coat of arms of Estonia.svg , insigniasize = 80px , department = Ministry of Foreign Affairs , image = File:Urmas Reinsalu 2017-05-25 (cropped).jpg , incumbent = Urmas Reinsalu , incumbentsince = 18 July 2022 , acting = , fo ...

(d. 1961) * 1882 –

Georges Legagneux Georges Théophile Legagneux (24 December 1882 in Puteaux – 6 July 1914 in Saumur) was a French aviator, the first person to fly an aircraft in several countries, and the first to fly a fixed wing aircraft higher than 10,000 and 20,000 feet. ...

, French aviator (d. 1914) *

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

– Stefan Jaracz, Polish actor and producer (d. 1945) * 1885 –

Paul Manship Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885 – January 28, 1966) was an American sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco movement. He is well known for his large public com ...

, American sculptor (d. 1966) * 1886 –

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

, Hungarian-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1962) * 1887 – Louis Jouvet, French actor and producer (d. 1951) * 1891 –

Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky Feodor Stepanovich "Rojan" Rojankovsky (russian: Фёдор Степанович Рожанковский) (December 24, 1891 – October 12, 1970), also known as Rojan, was a Russian émigré illustrator. He is well known both for children's boo ...

, Russian illustrator and painter (d. 1970) *

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

–

Ruth Chatterton Ruth Chatterton (December 24, 1892 – November 24, 1961) was an American stage, film, and television actress, aviator and novelist. She was at her most popular in the early to mid-1930s, and in the same era gained prominence as an aviator, ...

, American actress (d. 1961) * 1893 – Harry Warren, American pianist and composer (d. 1981) * 1894 –

Georges Guynemer Georges Guynemer (, 24 December 1894 – 11 September 1917 MIA) was the second highest-scoring French fighter ace with 54 victories during World War I, and a French national hero at the time of his death. Guynemer's death was a profound s ...

, French captain and pilot (d. 1917) * 1894 – Jack Thayer, American businessman (d. 1945) * 1895 –

E. Roland Harriman Edward Roland Noel "Bunny" Harriman (December 24, 1895 – February 16, 1978) was an American financier and philanthropist. Early life Harriman was born on December 24, 1895, in New York City.Kenneth T. Jackson, Lisa Keller, Nancy Flood, ''The En ...

, American financier and philanthropist (d. 1978) * 1895 –

Noel Streatfeild Mary Noel Streatfeild OBE (24 December 1895 –11 September 1986) was an English author, best known for children's books including the "Shoes" books, which were not a series (though some books made references to others). Random House, the ...

, English author (d. 1986) * 1895 –

Marguerite Williams Marguerite Thomas Williams (born Marguerite Thomas; December 24, 1895 – August 17, 1991) was an American geologist. She was the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States. Early years and education Marguerite Th ...

, American geologist (d. 1991) * 1897 – Ville Pörhölä, Finnish shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1964) * 1897 – Väinö Sipilä, Finnish runner (d. 1987) * 1898 –

Baby Dodds Warren "Baby" Dodds (December 24, 1898 – February 14, 1959) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He is regarded as one of the best jazz drummers of the pre-big band era, and one of the most important ...

, American drummer (d. 1959) *

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

– Joey Smallwood, Canadian journalist and politician, 1st

Premier of Newfoundland The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 1949, the premier's duties and office has been the successor to the ministerial position of the pri ...

(d. 1991) * 1900 –

Hawayo Takata Hawayo Hiromi Takata (December 24, 1900 – December 11, 1980) was a Japanese-American woman born in Hanamaulu, Territory of Hawaii, who helped introduce the spiritual practice of Reiki to the Western World. Takata was trained in Reiki by Chujiro ...

, Japanese-American teacher and master practitioner of

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing, a type of alternative medicine. Reiki practitioners use a technique called ''palm healing'' or ''hands-on healing'' through which a " universal energy" is said to be transferred through the palms of the ...

(d. 1980)

1901–present

* 1903 –

Joseph Cornell Joseph Cornell (December 24, 1903 – December 29, 1972) was an American visual artist and film-maker, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of Assemblage (art), assemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he was also an avant-garde e ...

, American sculptor and director (d. 1972) * 1903 –

Ernst Krenkel Ernst Teodorovich Krenkel (russian: Эрнст Теодо́рович Кре́нкель; in Białystok – 8 December 1971 in Moscow) was a Soviet Arctic explorer, radio operator, doctor of geographical sciences (1938), and Hero of the Sovie ...

, Polish-Russian geographer and explorer (d. 1971) * 1903 –

Ava Helen Pauling Ava Helen Pauling (born Miller; December 24, 1903 – December 7, 1981) was an American human rights activist and wife of Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling. Throughout her life, she was involved in various social movements including women's right ...

, American humanitarian and activist (d. 1981) * 1904 –

Joseph M. Juran Joseph Moses Juran (December 24, 1904 – February 28, 2008) was a Romanian-born American engineer and management consultant. He was an evangelist for quality and quality management, having written several books on those subjects. He was the brot ...

, Romanian-American engineer and businessman (d. 2008) * 1905 –

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (d. 1976) * 1906 –

Franz Waxman Franz Waxman (né Wachsmann; December 24, 1906February 24, 1967) was a German-born composer and conductor of Jewish descent, known primarily for his work in the film music genre. His film scores include ''Bride of Frankenstein'', ''Rebecca'', ' ...

, German-American composer and conductor (d. 1967) * 1907 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (d. 1989) * 1910 – Ellen Braumüller, German javelin thrower and triathlete (d. 1991) * 1910 –

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Rober ...

, American author and poet (d. 1992) * 1910 –

Max Miedinger Max Miedinger (24 December 1910 – 8 March 1980) was a Swiss typeface designer, best known for creating the ''Neue Haas Grotesk'' typeface in 1957, renamed Helvetica in 1960. Marketed as a symbol of cutting-edge Swiss technology, Helvetica achie ...

, Swiss typeface designer, created

Helvetica Helvetica (originally Neue Haas Grotesk) is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann. Helvetica is a neo-grotesque design, one influenced by the famous 19th century (1890s) ...

(d. 1980) * 1913 –

Ad Reinhardt Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt (December 24, 1913 – August 30, 1967) was an abstract painter active in New York for more than three decades. He was a member of the American Abstract Artists (AAA) and part of the movement center ...

, American painter and academic (d. 1967) * 1914 –

Ralph Marterie Ralph Marterie (24 December 1914 – 10 October 1978) was an Italian big-band leader born in Acerra (near Naples), Italy. Life and career Marterie first played professionally at age 14 in Chicago. In the 1940s, he played trumpet for various b ...

, Italian-American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 1978) * 1914 –

Herbert Reinecker Herbert Reinecker (24 December 1914 – 27 January 2007) was a very prolific German novelist, dramatist, screenwriter and former Nazi SS officer. Career Born in Hagen, Westphalia, Reinecker began to write short story, short stories already as a h ...

, German author and screenwriter (d. 2007) * 1918 –

Dave Bartholomew David Louis Bartholomew (December 24, 1918 – June 23, 2019) was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer. He was prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century. Originally ...

, American bandleader, composer and arranger (d. 2019) * 1919 –

Qateel Shifai Muhammad Aurangzeb or Qateel Shifai ( ur, ), (24 December 1919 – 11 July 2001) was a Pakistani Urdu poet and lyricist. Early life and career Qateel Shifai was born in Haripur District as Muhammad Aurangzeb in 1919 in British India (now Paki ...

, Pakistani poet and songwriter (d. 2001) * 1919 –

Pierre Soulages Pierre Jean Louis Germain Soulages (; 24 December 1919 – 26 October 2022) was a French painter, printmaker, and sculptor. In 2014, President François Hollande of France described him as "the world's greatest living artist." His works are hel ...

, French artist (d. 2022) * 1920 – Franco Lucentini, Italian author and screenwriter (d. 2002) * 1920 –

Yevgeniya Rudneva Yevgeniya Maksimovna Rudneva (russian: Евгения Максимовна Руднева; 24 May 1921 – 9 April 1944) was the head navigator of the Night Witches, 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment posthumously awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. ...

, Ukrainian-Russian lieutenant and navigator (d. 1944) * 1921 –

Bill Dudley William McGarvey "Bullet Bill" Dudley (December 24, 1921 – February 4, 2010) was an American professional football player in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins. He was inducte ...

, American football player (d. 2010) *

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

–

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

, American actress (d. 1990) * 1923 –

George Patton IV George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 – June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Military career Patton was e ...

, American general (d. 2004) * 1923 – William C. Schneider, American aerospace engineer (d. 1999) * 1924 –

Lee Dorsey Irving Lee Dorsey (December 24, 1924 – December 1, 1986) was an American pop and R&B singer during the 1960s. His biggest hits were "Ya Ya" (1961) and " Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint, with ...

, American singer-songwriter (d. 1986) * 1924 –

Abdirizak Haji Hussein Abdirizak Haji Hussein ( so, Cabdirisaaq Xaaji Xuseen; ar, عبد الرزاق حاجي حسين‎; 24 December 192431 January 2014) was a Somali diplomat and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Somali Republic from 14 June 1964 to 15 Ju ...

, Somalian soldier and politician, 4th

Prime Minister of Somalia This is a list of prime ministers of Somalia. The prime minister of Somalia ( so, Ra'iisul wasaaraha Soomaaliya) is the head of government of Somalia. There have been 22 official prime ministers since the office was created in 1956. The first p ...

(d. 2014) * 1924 –

Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...

, Indian singer (d. 1980) * 1927 –

Mary Higgins Clark Mary Higgins Clark (born Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins (December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020) was an American author of suspense novels. Each of her 51 books was a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of he ...

, American author (d. 2020) * 1928 –

Lev Vlassenko Lev Nikolaevich Vlassenko ( Russian: Лев Никола́евич Вла́сенко; 24 December 1928 – 24 August 1996), was a Soviet pianist and teacher. Biography Lev Vlassenko was born on 24 December 1928 in Tiflis, Georgian SSR, Soviet Un ...

, Georgian-Australian pianist and educator (d. 1996) * 1928 –

Norman Rossington Norman Rossington (24 December 1928 – 21 May 1999) was an English actor best remembered for his roles in ''The Army Game'', the ''Carry On'' films and the Beatles' film '' A Hard Day's Night''. Early life Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, ...

, English actor (d. 1999) * 1929 –

Lennart Skoglund Karl Lennart "Nacka" Skoglund (; 24 December 1929 – 8 July 1975) was a Swedish footballer who played as left winger. He began his career in his home country with Hammarby IF, but later played for several Italian clubs, most notably Inter Milan ...

, Swedish footballer (d. 1975) * 1929 –

Philip Ziegler Philip Sandeman Ziegler (born 24 December 1929) is a British biographer and historian. Background Born in Ringwood, Hampshire, Ziegler was educated at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, and went with the school when it merged with Summer Field ...

, English historian and author * 1930 –

Robert Joffrey Robert Joffrey (December 24, 1930 – March 25, 1988) was an American dancer, teacher, producer, choreographer, and co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets. He was born Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan in Se ...

, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1988) * 1930 – John J. Kelley, American runner (d. 2011) *

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

–

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

, American pianist and composer (d. 2011) * 1931 –

Mauricio Kagel Mauricio Raúl Kagel (; 24 December 1931 – 18 September 2008) was an Argentine-German composer. Biography Kagel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, into an Ashkenazi Jewish family that had fled from Russia in the 1920s . He studied music, his ...

, Argentinian-German composer and scholar (d. 2008) * 1932 –

Colin Cowdrey Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, (24 December 19324 December 2000) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University (1952–1954), Kent County Cricket Club (1950–1976) and England (1954–1975). Univers ...

, Indian-English cricketer (d. 2000) * 1932 –

On Kawara was a Japanese conceptual artist who lived in New York City from 1965. He took part in many solo and group exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale in 1976. Early life Kawara was born in Kariya, Japan on December 24, 1932. After graduating fro ...

, Japanese-American painter (d. 2014) * 1934 –

John Critchinson John William Frank Critchinson (24 December 1934 – 15 December 2017) also known as "Critch", was an English jazz pianist. Biography Critchinson was born in London in 1934. He worked as a part-time musician with Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, and J ...

, English pianist and composer (d. 2017) * 1934 –

Stjepan Mesić Stjepan "Stipe" Mesić (; born 24 December 1934) is a Croatian lawyer and politician who served as President of Croatia from 2000 to 2010. Before serving two five-year terms as president, he was prime minister of SR Croatia (1990) after the fir ...

, Croatian lawyer and politician, 2nd

President of Croatia The president of Croatia, officially the President of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and chief representative of the Republic of Croatia both within the ...

* 1934 – Alex Hutchinson, Australian jazz musician * 1936 – Ivan Lawrence, English lawyer and politician * 1937 – Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian footballer and manager (d. 2012) * 1937 –

John Taylor, Baron Kilclooney John David Taylor, Baron Kilclooney, PC (NI) (born 24 December 1937) is a Crossbench life peer from Northern Ireland, who has sat in the House of Lords since 2001. He previously served as the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Member of Parliamen ...

, Northern Irish politician, Irish Minister of Home Affairs * 1938 – Bobby Henrich, American baseball player * 1938 –

Valentim Loureiro Valentim dos Santos de Loureiro ComM (born 24 December 1938 in Calde, Viseu) is a Portuguese politician, and former football chairman of Boavista F.C. and Portuguese League for Professional Football. He has the rank of Major of the Portuguese A ...

, Portuguese soldier and politician * 1940 – Janet Carroll, American actress and singer (d. 2012) * 1940 – Anthony Fauci, American physician, Director of

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NIAID's ...

–

Mike Hazlewood Michael Edward Hazlewood (24 December 1941 – 6 May 2001)Mike Hazelwood – Credits ...

, English singer-songwriter (d. 2001) * 1942 –

Indra Bania Indra Bania ( as, ইন্দ্ৰ বনিয়া‎; 24 December 1942 – 25 March 2015) was an Indian theatre actor, playwright, film actor and director from Assam. His performance in Jahnu Barua's ''Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Kha ...

, Indian actor, director, and playwright (d. 2015) * 1942 –

Jonathan Borofsky Jonathan Borofsky (born December 24, 1942) is an American sculptor and printmaker who lives and works in Ogunquit, Maine. Early life and education Borofsky was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Carnegie M ...

, American sculptor and painter * 1942 – Đoàn Viết Hoạt, Vietnamese journalist, educator, and activist * 1943 –

Tarja Halonen Tarja Kaarina Halonen (; born 24 December 1943) is a Finnish politician who served as the 11th president of Finland, and the first woman to hold the position, from 2000 to 2012. She first rose to prominence as a lawyer with the Central Organisa ...

, Finnish lawyer and politician, 11th

President of Finland The president of the Republic of Finland ( fi, Suomen tasavallan presidentti; sv, Republiken Finlands president) is the head of state of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the Finnish Government and the p ...

* 1943 –

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...

, English journalist and critic *

– Barry Elliott, English actor and screenwriter (d. 2018) * 1944 – Mike Curb, American businessman and politician, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California * 1944 –

Oswald Gracias Oswald Gracias (born 24 December 1944) is an Indian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was appointed Latin Church Archbishop of Bombay by Pope Benedict XVI on 14 October 2006 and was raised to the cardinalate in 2007. In 2008, he beca ...

, Indian cardinal * 1944 –

Daniel Johnson, Jr. Daniel Johnson Jr. (born December 24, 1944) is a former Canadian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Quebec and was the 25th premier of Quebec for nine months in 1994 until his party's defeat in the provincial general election. ...

, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th

Premier of Quebec The premier of Quebec ( French: ''premier ministre du Québec'' (masculine) or ''première ministre du Québec'' (feminine)) is the head of government of the Canadian province of Quebec. The current premier of Quebec is François Legault of th ...

* 1944 –

Erhard Keller Erhard Keller (born 24 December 1944) is a former speed skater from Germany. Career Competing for West Germany, Keller specialised on the sprint distances – the 500 m and the 1000 m – and he joined the world's sprint skat ...

, German speed skater * 1944 –

Bob Shaw Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" ...

, Australian golfer * 1944 –

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

, American trumpeter (d. 1989) *

– Lemmy, English hard rock singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015) * 1945 –

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

, Canadian-American actor and comedian * 1946 –

Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band Focus, which he co-founded with Thijs van Leer. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding jazz fusion in ...

, Dutch rock guitarist and songwriter * 1946 –

Jeff Sessions Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 84th United States Attorney General from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as United States ...

, American lawyer and politician, 44th Attorney General of Alabama and 84th

Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

* 1947 – Kevin Sheedy, Australian footballer and coach * 1948 – Stan Bowles, English footballer and sportscaster * 1948 – Frank Oliver, New Zealand rugby player and coach * 1949 –

Warwick Brown Warwick Brown (born 24 December 1949 in Sydney) is a former racing driver from Australia. Racing career Brown participated in a single Formula One Grand Prix, on 10 October 1976. He drove a Wolf–Williams Racing car at the 1976 United States ...

, Australian race car driver * 1949 –

Randy Neugebauer Robert Randolph "Randy" Neugebauer (born December 24, 1949) is an American politician who was the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for , having served from a special election in Texas' 19th congressional district specia ...

, American accountant and politician * 1950 –

Dana Gioia Michael Dana Gioia (; born December 24, 1950) is an American poet, literary critic, literary translator, and essayist. Since the early 1980s, Gioia has been considered part of the literary movements within American poetry known as New Forma ...

, American poet and critic * 1950 –

Hiroshi Ikushima Chunichi Sports (March 13, 2011) is a Japanese announcer and financial planner who is the chief executive officer of Ikushima Planning Office. He is the visiting professor of Tohoku Fukushi University is a Japanese private university in Send ...

, Japanese businessman and academic * 1950 –

Libby Larsen Elizabeth Brown Larsen (born December 24, 1950) is a contemporary American classical composer. Along with composer Stephen Paulus, she is a co-founder of the Minnesota Composers Forum, now the American Composers Forum. A former holder of the Pa ...

, American composer * 1950 – Tommy Turtle, British soldier (d. 2020) * 1951 –

John D'Acquisto John Francis D'Acquisto (born December 24, 1951) is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched for six teams in his ten-year career that spanned from to . He is the cousin of former major league pitcher Lou Marone. Career San Francisc ...

, American baseball player * 1951 –

Nick Kent Nick Kent (born 24 December 1951) is a British rock critic best known for his writing for the '' NME'' in the 1970s, and his books ''The Dark Stuff'' (1994) and ''Apathy for the Devil'' (2010). Early life Kent, the son of a former Abbey Road S ...

, English-French journalist and author * 1952 – Michael Ray, American jazz musician * 1953 –

Timothy Carhart Timothy Carhart (born December 24, 1953) is an American actor. He starred in the CBS drama ''Island Son'' (1989–90) and has had recurring roles in ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2000–03) and '' 24'' (2002). He also starred in the 1992 ...

, American actor * 1954 – Yves Debay, Congolese-French commander and journalist (d. 2013) * 1954 –

José María Figueres José María Figueres Olsen (born 24 December 1954 in San José, Costa Rica) is a Costa Rican businessman and politician, who served as President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. He also ran for president in the 2022 presidential election bu ...

, Costa Rican businessman and politician,

President of Costa Rica The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two Vice President of C ...

* 1954 –

Helen Jones Helen Mary Jones (born 24 December 1954) is a British Labour politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Warrington North from 1997 to 2019. Jones has served as Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government and Shadow Home Of ...

, English lawyer and politician *

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

– Scott Fischer, American mountaineer and guide (d. 1996) * 1955 –

Clarence Gilyard Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. (December 24, 1955 – November 28, 2022) was an American university professor, actor, and author. As a performer, he appeared in film, television, and stage productions; some sources give his middle name as Alfred. ...

, American actor and educator (d. 2022) * 1956 –

Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi films, besides television and international films and television. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a producer, Kapo ...

, Indian actor and producer * 1956 –

Shim Hwa-jin Shim Hwa-jin (born December 24, 1956) is a South Korean academic specialising in the history of clothing and textiles. She was president of Sungshin Women's University from 2007 until 2017, when she was imprisoned for embezzlement. Biography Shim ...

, South Korean academic and educator * 1957 –

Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...

, Afghan politician, 12th

President of Afghanistan The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was constitutionally the head of state and head of government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021) and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. On 15 August 2021, as th ...

* 1958 –

Munetaka Higuchi (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record producer. He is best known as the original drummer of the heavy metal band Loudness, but first rose to prominence as a member of Lazy in the 1970s. Career From a ...

, Japanese drummer and producer (d. 2008) * 1958 –

Paul Pressey Paul Matthew Pressey (born December 24, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who was also an assistant coach for seven different National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. Pressey is widely credited as being one of the initi ...

, American basketball player and coach * 1958 –

Gene Sperling Eugene Benton Sperling (born December 24, 1958) is an American lawyer who was director of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He is the only person to s ...

, American economist * 1958 –

Diane Tell Diane Tell (born December 24, 1959) is a Canadian musician who was born in Quebec City, Quebec. She entered the Val d’Or conservatory at the age of six. She continued her studies at the Montréal conservatory and then at CEGEP Saint-Laurent and ...

, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist *

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

–

Chris Blackhurst Chris Blackhurst (born 24 December 1959) is a strategic communications advisor and commentator, who is a former editor of ''The Independent''. For four years, he was a director of CT Partners, the international strategic communications, campaignin ...

, English journalist * 1959 –

Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...

, American director and producer * 1960 – Glenn McQueen, Canadian-American animator (d. 2002) * 1960 –

Carol Vorderman Carol Jean Vorderman, HonFIET (born 24 December 1960) is a Welsh media personality, best known for appearing on the game show ''Countdown'' for 26 years from 1982 until 2008, as a newspaper columnist and nominal author of educational and diet ...

, Welsh television host *

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

–

Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003. The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...

, Azerbaijani businessman and politician, 4th

President of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", ...

* 1961 –

Mary Barra Mary Teresa Barra (née Makela; born December 24, 1961) is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker. In D ...

, American businesswoman, current CEO and chairwoman of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

* 1961 – Eriko Kitagawa, Japanese director and screenwriter * 1961 –

Darren Wharton Darren Leigh Wharton (born 25 December 1961) is a British keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He has fronted his own band, Dare, since 1985, but first came to attention as a member of Thin Lizzy. His son, Paris, is also a musician. Biography Wh ...

, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player * 1961 –

Wade Williams Wade Andrew Williams (born December 24, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for his various character roles, and for a major supporting role as correctional officer Brad Bellick on the Fox television series '' Prison Break'' and Father Cronin ...

, American actor * 1961 – Jay Wright, American basketball player and coach * 1962 –

Kate Spade Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan Spade (born Katherine Noel Brosnahan; December 24, 1962 – June 5, 2018) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur as well as a fashion Icon. She was the founder and co-owner of the designer brand ...

, American fashion designer (d. 2018) * 1963 –

Caroline Aherne Caroline Mary Aherne (24 December 1963 – 2 July 2016) was an English actress, comedian and writer. She was best known for performing as the acerbic chat show host ''The Mrs Merton Show, Mrs Merton'', in various roles in ''The Fast Show'', and ...

, English actress, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016) * 1963 –

Jay Bilas Jay Scot Bilas (born December 24, 1963) is an American college basketball analyst who currently works for ESPN. Bilas is a former professional basketball player and coach who played for and served as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke Uni ...

, American basketball player and sportscaster * 1963 –

Timo Jutila Timo Juhani "Juti" Jutila (born 24 December 1963 in Tampere, Finland) is a retired Finnish ice hockey defenceman. Jutila was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres (4th round, 68th overall) in 1982 NHL Entry Draft. Playing career Jutila's ice hockey ca ...

, Finnish ice hockey player and sportscaster * 1963 –

Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo ...

, American singer-songwriter and violinist * 1963 –

Neil Turbin Neil Turbin (born December 24, 1963) is an American singer known for being the first full-time vocalist for thrash metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax. He is the current lead vocalist and songwriter of Heavy metal music, heavy metal ban ...

, American singer-songwriter * 1964 – Mark Valley, American actor *

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

–

Millard Powers Avery Millard Powers III (born December 24, 1965) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and Grammy-nominated recording engineer. While a student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the 1980s, he collaborated wit ...

, American bass player, songwriter, and producer * 1966 –

Diedrich Bader Karl Diedrich Bader (born December 24, 1966) is an American actor and comedian who is best known for his comedy roles. He has appeared as a series regular in television sitcoms ''The Drew Carey Show'', '' American Housewife'', and '' Outsourced' ...

, American actor * 1967 –

Mikhail Shchennikov Mikhail Anatolyevich Shchennikov (russian: Михаил Анатольевич Щенников; born 24 December 1967, in Sverdlovsk) is a Russian race walker. He was born in Sverdlovsk. His son Georgi Shchennikov is a professional footballer ...

, Russian race walker * 1967 –

Pernilla Wahlgren Pernilla Nina Elisabeth Wahlgren (born 24 December 1967) is a Swedish singer and actress. She has sung in Melodifestivalen several times; her 1985 entry titled " Piccadilly Circus" became popular and successful. She has acted in several plays an ...

, Swedish singer and actress * 1968 –

Doyle Bramhall II Doyle Bramhall II (born December 24, 1968) is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall. Early life Bramhall was born i ...

, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1968 –

Marleen Renders Marleen Renders (born 24 December 1968, in Diest) is a retired female long-distance runner from Belgium, who represented her native country thrice at the Summer Olympics: in 1988, 1996 and 2000. In 1995 she won the Antwerp Marathon, in 1998 t ...

, Belgian runner * 1969 – Brad Anderson, American wrestler * 1969 – Milan Blagojevic, Australian footballer and manager * 1969 –

Pernille Fischer Christensen Pernille Fischer Christensen (born 24 December 1969) is a Danish film director and the older sister of actress Stine Fischer Christensen. She started out in the movie business when she was 20 years old as an assistant to . During that time, Gis ...

, Danish director and screenwriter * 1969 – Taro Goto, Japanese soccer player * 1969 –

Leavander Johnson Leavander Johnson (December 24, 1969 – September 22, 2005) was an American lightweight boxer from Atlantic City, New Jersey, who once held the International Boxing Federation version of the world title. He won the title on June 17, 2005, again ...

, American boxer (d. 2005) * 1969 – Ryuji Kato, Japanese soccer player * 1969 –

Nick Love Nick Love (born 24 December 1969) is an English film director and writer. His credits include the films '' The Football Factory'', '' The Business'', '' Goodbye Charlie Bright'', '' Outlaw'', '' The Sweeney'', and a 2009 remake of football ho ...

, English director and screenwriter * 1969 – Clinton McKinnon, American saxophonist and keyboard player * 1969 –

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel "Ed" Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero since 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North since 2005. Miliband ...

, English academic and politician,

Minister for the Cabinet Office The Minister for the Cabinet Office is a position in the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. The minister is responsible for the work and policies of the Cabinet Office, and since February 2022, reports to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lan ...

* 1969 –

Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer and television producer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series '' The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ex ...

, Scottish author * 1969 –

Luis Musrri Luis Eduardo Musrri Saravia (born 24 December 1969 in Mallarauco) is a former Chilean footballer and current coach of San Antonio Unido. Club career Musrri played mostly for Universidad de Chile as well as one season in Yunnan Hongta. He was ca ...

, Chilean footballer and manager * 1969 –

Oleg Skripochka Oleg Ivanovich Skripochka (russian: Оле́г Ива́нович Скри́почка; born 24 December 1969 in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union) is a Russian engineer and cosmonaut. In 2011 he was in space serving as a ...

, Russian astronaut and engineer * 1969 –

Gintaras Staučė Gintaras Staučė (born 24 December 1969) is a Lithuanian football coach and a former player. Club career Among the other teams he played for were Spartak Moscow, Galatasaray in Turkey, and the Bundesliga's MSV Duisburg. International ca ...

, Lithuanian footballer and manager * 1969 –

Michael Zucchet Michael J. Zucchet (born December 24, 1969) is an American Democratic politician, a former member of the San Diego City Council, and a former Deputy Mayor of San Diego. In 2005, he briefly served as the Acting Mayor of San Diego. Early life and ...

, American economist and politician *

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

–

Adam Haslett Adam Haslett (born December 24, 1970) is an American fiction writer and journalist. His debut short story collection, ''You Are Not a Stranger Here'', and his second novel, '' Imagine Me Gone,'' were both finalists for both the Pulitzer Prize and ...

, American author and academic * 1970 –

Amaury Nolasco Amaury Nolasco Garrido (born December 24, 1970) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the Fox television series '' Prison Break'', and for his role in ''Transformers''. Early life Nolasco was born ...

, Puerto Rican-American actor *

–

Geoff Allott Geoffrey Ian Allott (born 24 December 1971) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 10 Tests and 31 One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 1996 to 2000. He retired from all cricket in 2001, following series of injuries International career ...

, New Zealand cricketer * 1971 –

Sascha Fischer Sascha Fischer (born 24 December 1971, in Stuttgart)Sascha Fischer profile at scru ...

, German rugby player * 1971 –

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and actor *

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

–

Álvaro Mesén Álvaro Mesén Murillo (born December 24, 1972) is a retired Costa Rican footballer. Club career Upon club legend Alejandro González Rojas's retirement in September 1990, then-sixteen years old Álvaro Mesén was called upon to the Alajuele ...

, Costa Rican footballer * 1972 – Klaus Schnellenkamp, Chilean businessman and author * 1973 – Liu Dong, Chinese-Spanish runner * 1973 – Paul Foot, English comedian * 1973 –

Stephenie Meyer Stephenie Meyer (; née Morgan; born December 24, 1973) is an American novelist and film producer. She is best known for writing the vampire romance series ''Twilight'', which has sold over 100 million copies, with translations into 37 differ ...

, American author and film producer * 1973 –

Ali Salem Tamek Ali Salem Tamek ( ar, علي سالم التامك; born on December 24, 1973) is a Sahrawi independence activist and trade unionist. Ali Salem Tamek was born in Assa, southern Morocco. He has emerged as one of the most outspoken Sahrawi dissid ...

, Moroccan activist * 1974 –

Thure Lindhardt Thure Frank Lindhardt (; born 24 December 1974) is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theatre in 1998. Life and career Lindhardt was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in Roskilde. At the age of 12, he got a part in Bille Augu ...

, Danish actor * 1974 –

Paal Nilssen-Love Paal Nilssen-Love (born 24 December 1974) is a Norwegian drummer and composer in the jazz, free jazz and free improvisation genres. (in Norwegian) Early life Nilssen-Love was born in Molde, Norway. His parents ran a jazz club in Stavanger, and h ...

, Norwegian drummer and composer * 1974 –

Marcelo Salas José Marcelo Salas Melinao (; born 24 December 1974), nicknamed ''Matador'' (due to his goalscoring celebrations), ''El Fenómeno'' and ''Shileno'', is a Chilean former footballer who played as a striker. Salas is considered the best strik ...

, Chilean footballer * 1974 – Ryan Seacrest, American radio host and television personality, and producer * 1974 – J.D. Walsh, American actor, director, and producer *

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

– Linda Ferga, French hurdler * 1977 –

Michael Raymond-James Michael Raymond-James (born Michael Weverstad; December 24, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for playing René Lenier in the first season of the HBO series ''True Blood'', Britt Pollack on the FX series ''Terriers'', Neal Cassidy/B ...

, American actor * 1978 –

Yıldıray Baştürk Yıldıray Baştürk (, born 24 December 1978) is a retired professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Born in Germany, he was capped 49 times for the Turkey national football team, representing the team at the 2002 FIFA Wor ...

, German-Turkish footballer * 1978 –

Warren Tredrea Warren Gary Tredrea (born 24 December 1978) is a former Australian Rules Footballer with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and former Weekday Sports Presenter on ''Nine News Adelaide''. Since his retire ...

, Australian footballer and sportscaster * 1979 – Chris Hero, American wrestler and trainer * 1980 – Stephen Appiah, Ghanaian footballer * 1980 –

Tomas Kalnoky Tomas Kalnoky (born December 24, 1980) is a Czechoslovakia-born United States, American musician. He is the lead singer/guitarist and songwriter of the bands Streetlight Manifesto and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, and goes by the pseudonym ...

, Czech-American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1980 – Maarja Liis-Ilus, Estonian pop musician * 1981 –

Dima Bilan Dima Nikolayevich Bilan (russian: Ди́ма Никола́евич Била́н; born Viktor Nikolayevich Belan, russian: Ви́ктор Никола́евич Бела́н, links=no; 24 December 1981) is a Russian singer, songwriter and acto ...

, Russian singer-songwriter and actor * 1984 – Isaac De Gois, Australian rugby league player * 1985 –

Alexey Dmitriev Alexey Dmitriev (born 24 December 1985) is a Belarusian-born German professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Löwen Frankfurt of the DEL2 Playing career Dmitriev moved to Germany from Belarus as a 10-year-old with his family. Hi ...

, German ice hockey player * 1985 –

David Ragan David Lee Ragan (born December 24, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, and is also an analyst for NASCAR on Fox on ...

, American race car driver *

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

–

Tim Elliott Timothy Samuel Elliott (born December 24, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former Titan FC Flyweight Champion. He has been profes ...

, American mixed martial artist * 1986 –

Kyrylo Fesenko Kyrylo Anatoliyovych Fesenko ( uk, Кирило Анатолійович Фесенко; born 24 December 1986) is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for Al-Nasr SC of the Libyan Division I Basketball League. Standing at , he plays the c ...

, Ukrainian basketball player * 1987 –

Jane Summersett Jane Summersett (born December 24, 1987) is an American former competitive ice dancer. She teamed up with Todd Gilles in April 2007. The two won the bronze medal at the 2008 Nebelhorn Trophy and placed seventh at the 2010 Four Continents Champi ...

, American ice dancer *

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

– Stefanos Athanasiadis, Greek footballer * 1988 –

Emre Özkan Emre Özkan (born 24 December 1988) is a Turkish football defender who plays for Afjet Afyonspor. Career During his contract with Beşiktaş, he has been on loan at Zeytinburnuspor, Ankaragücü, Eskişehirspor, and Orduspor. On 31 August 2 ...

, Turkish footballer * 1988 –

Simon Zenke Simon Terwase Zenke (born 24 December 1988) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward. Career Zenke began his career in his hometown Kaduna with Kaduna United before joining RC Strasbourg in 2008. In November 2018, he sign ...

, Nigerian footballer *

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

– Brigetta Barrett, American high jumper * 1990 –

Marcus Jordan Marcus James Jordan (born December 24, 1990) is an American former college basketball player who played for the UCF Knights men's basketball team.

, American basketball player * 1990 –

Ryo Miyake is a Japanese fencer. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he competed in the Men's foil, but was defeated in the second round. He won a silver medal in the team foil event. During the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Miyake worked as a deli ...

, Japanese fencer *

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

–

Lara Michel Lara Michel (born 24 December 1991) is a Swiss tennis player. Michel has won six singles and two doubles titles on the International Tennis Federation, ITF Circuit in her career. On 13 October 2014, she reached her best singles ranking of world ...

, Swiss tennis player * 1991 – Louis Tomlinson, English singer *

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

–

Davante Adams Davante Lavell Adams (born December 24, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Fresno State, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the s ...

, American football player *

– Fa'amanu Brown, New Zealand rugby league player * 1994 –

Miguel Castro Miguel Ángel Castro (born December 24, 1994) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Oriol ...

, Dominican baseball player * 1994 – Matt Frawley, Australian rugby league player * 1994 – Han Seung-woo, South Korean singer * 1994 – Seola, South Korean singer and actress *

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

–

Anett Kontaveit Anett Kontaveit (; born 24 December 1995) is an Estonian professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 2 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which she first achieved on 6 June 2022, making her the highest-ranked Eston ...

, Estonian tennis player

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 36 –

Gongsun Shu Gongsun Shu (, died 24 December 36 AD) was the founder and only emperor of Chengjia, a state that controlled China's Sichuan Basin from 25 to 36. A successful official of the Western Han and short-lived Xin dynasties, Gongsun was the Administr ...

, emperor of

Chengjia Chengjia (; 25–36 AD), also called the Cheng dynasty or Great Cheng, was a self-proclaimed empire established by Gongsun Shu in 25 AD after the collapse of the Xin dynasty of Chinese history, rivalling the Eastern Han dynasty founded by ...

427 __NOTOC__ Year 427 (Roman numerals, CDXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hierus and Ardabur (or, less frequen ...

– Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople *

903 __NOTOC__ Year 903 ( CMIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Berengar I of Italy proceeds to issue concessions and privileges to the Lo ...

– Hedwiga, duchess of

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

950 Year 950 ( CML) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: A Hamdanid army (30,000 men) led by Sayf al-Dawla raids int ...

–

Shi Hongzhao Shi Hongzhao () (died December 24, 950''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 289.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Huayuan (), formally the Prince of Zheng () (as posthumously honored during Later Zhou), was a major general of ...

, Chinese general * 950 –

Wang Zhang Wang Zhang () (died December 24, 950''Zizhi Tongjian'', :zh:s:資治通鑑/卷289, vol. 289.Academia ...

, Chinese official * 950 –

Yang Bin Yang Bin (楊邠) (died December 24, 950''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 289. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), formally the Prince of Hongnong (弘農王) (as posthumously honored during Later Zhou), was a chancellor of the Chine ...

, Chinese chancellor *

1193 Year 1193 ( MCXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Levant * March 4 – Saladin (the Lion) dies of a fever at Damascus. The lands of the Ayyu ...

–

Roger III of Sicily Roger III ( it, Ruggero III, scn, Ruggeru III; 1175 – 24 December 1193), of the House of Hauteville, was the eldest son and heir of King Tancred of Sicily and Queen Sibylla of Acerra, Sibylla. He was made Duke of Apulia (as Roger V), probably in ...

(b. 1175) *

1257 Year 1257 (Roman numerals, MCCLVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – The Epirote–Nicaean conflict (1257–59), Epirote–Nicae ...

– John I, Count of Hainaut (b. 1218) * 1263 –

Hōjō Tokiyori Hōjō Tokiyori (, June 29, 1227 – December 24, 1263) was the fifth shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. Early life He was born to warrior monk Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori. Rule Tokiyori became shikken f ...

, regent of Japan (b. 1227) * 1281 –

Henry V of Luxembourg Henry V the Blondell (1216 – 24 December 1281), called the Great, was the Count of Arlon from 1226 to his death, lord of Ligny from 1240 to his death, Count of Luxembourg and Laroche from 1247 to his death, and the Marquis of Namur between 125 ...

(b. 1216) * 1449 –

Walter Bower Walter Bower (or Bowmaker; 24 December 1449) was a Scottish canon regular and abbot of Inchcolm Abbey in the Firth of Forth, who is noted as a chronicler of his era. He was born about 1385 at Haddington, East Lothian, in the Kingdom of Sc ...

, Scottish chronicler (b. 1385) * 1453 –

John Dunstaple John Dunstaple (or Dunstable, – 24 December 1453) was an English composer whose music helped inaugurate the transition from the medieval to the Renaissance periods. The central proponent of the ''Contenance angloise'' style (), Dunstaple was ...

, English composer (b. 1390) * 1456 –

Đurađ Branković Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Anka ...

, Despot of Serbia (b. 1377) * 1473 –

John Cantius John Cantius ( la, Joannes Cantius; pl, Jan z Kęt or ; 23 June 1390 – 24 December 1473) was a Polish priest, scholastic philosopher, physicist and theologian. Biography John Cantius was born in Kęty, a small town near Oświęcim, Polan ...

, Polish scholar and theologian (b. 1390) * 1524 –

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...

, Portuguese explorer and politician,

Governor of Portuguese India , insignia = , insigniasize = , insigniacaption = , image = Lesser coat of arms of Portuguese India.svg , imagesize = 120px , imagecaption = Coat of arms of Portuguese India , style ...

(b. 1469) * 1541 – Andreas Karlstadt, Christian theologian and reformer (b. 1486)

1601–1900

* 1635 – Hester Jonas, German nurse (b. 1570) * 1660 –

Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange Mary, Princess Royal (Mary Henrietta Stuart; 4 November 1631 – 24 December 1660), was an English princess, a member of the House of Stuart, and by marriage Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau. She acted as regent for her minor son from 1 ...

(b. 1631) * 1707 –

Noël Coypel Noël Coypel (; 25 December 1628 – 24 December 1707) was a French painter, and was also called Coypel le Poussin, because he was heavily influenced by Poussin. Coypel was born in Paris, the son of an unsuccessful artist. Having been employed ...

, French painter and educator (b. 1628) * 1813 –

Empress Go-Sakuramachi was the 117th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後桜町天皇 (120)/ref>Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 120. She was named after he ...

of Japan (b. 1740) * 1844 –

Friedrich Bernhard Westphal Friedrich Bernhard Westphal (5 October 1803, Schleswig – 24 December 1844) was a German-Danish genre painter and illustrator. He was also known by his nickname Fritz Westphal. Life From 1821 to 1826 he studied at the Royal Danish Academy ...

, Danish-German painter (b. 1803) * 1863 –

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...

, English author and poet (b. 1811) * 1865 –

Charles Lock Eastlake Sir Charles Lock Eastlake (17 November 1793 – 24 December 1865) was a British painter, gallery director, collector and writer of the 19th century. After a period as keeper, he was the first director of the National Gallery. Life Eastlak ...

, English painter and historian (b. 1793) * 1867 –

José Mariano Salas José Mariano de Salas (11 May 1797 – 24 December 1867) was a Mexican soldier and politician who served twice as interim president of Mexico, once in 1846, during the Mexican American War, and once in 1859 during the War of Reform. He was a ...

, Mexican general and politician. President of Mexico (1846, 1859) and

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of the

Second Mexican Empire The Second Mexican Empire (), officially the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists in conjunction with the Second French Empire. The period is sometimes referred to as the Second French i ...

(b. 1797) *

–

Adolphe d'Archiac Étienne Jules Adolphe Desmier de Saint-Simon, Vicomte d'Archiac (24 September 180224 December 1868) was a French geologist and paleontologist. Early life He was born at Reims and educated at the Military School of St. Cyr. He served for nine yea ...

, French paleontologist and geologist (b. 1802) *

–

William John Macquorn Rankine William John Macquorn Rankine (; 5 July 1820 – 24 December 1872) was a Scottish mechanical engineer who also contributed to civil engineering, physics and mathematics. He was a founding contributor, with Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson ( ...

, Scottish physicist and engineer (b. 1820) * 1873 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1795) * 1879 – Anna Bochkoltz, German operatic soprano, voice teacher and composer (b. 1815) * 1889 –

Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate (December 23, 1819December 24, 1889) was a Dutch divine, prose writer and poet. Life He was born at The Hague. He started in life as a lawyer's clerk. It was his friend, Dr Heldring, pastor at Hemmen, in Gelderland, ...

, Dutch pastor and poet (b. 1819) * 1893 –

B. T. Finniss Boyle Travers Finniss (18 August 1807 – 24 December 1893) was the first premier of South Australia, serving from 24 October 1856 to 20 August 1857. Early life Finniss was born at sea off the Cape of Good Hope, Southern Africa, and lived in ...

, Australian politician, 1st

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...

(b. 1807) * 1898 –

Charbel Makhluf Charbel Makhlouf, O.L.M. ( ar, شربل مخلوف, May 8, 1828 – December 24, 1898), born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf and venerated as Saint Charbel, was a Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon. During his life, he obtained a wide reputation for ...

, Lebanese priest and saint (b. 1828)

1901–present

* 1914 –

John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, a ...

, Scottish-American geologist, botanist, and author, founded

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...

(b. 1838) * 1920 –

Stephen Mosher Wood Stephen Mosher Wood (June 10, 1832 – December 24, 1920) was an American politician. Mr. Wood represented Chase County, Kansas in the Kansas House of Representatives in 1871 and 1875, and was a member of the Kansas Senate in 1876 after repl ...

, American lieutenant and politician (b. 1832) * 1926 –

Wesley Coe Wesley William Coe Jr. (May 8, 1879 – December 24, 1926), sometimes listed as William Wesley Coe Jr., was an American track and field athlete who competed principally in the shot put and also in the hammer throw, discus throw, and tug of war. ...

, American shot putter, hammer thrower, and discus thrower (b. 1879) *

–

Carlo Fornasini ''Cavaliere dottore'' Carlo Fornasini (3 November 185424 December 1931) was an Italian micropalaeontologist who specialised in Foraminifera ('forams'). He was a pioneer in using fossil forams to sequence marine sedimentary deposits by their rel ...

, micropalaeontologist (b. 1854) * 1931 –

Flying Hawk Flying Hawk (Oglala Lakota: ''Čhetáŋ Kiŋyáŋ'' in Standard Lakota Orthography; also known as Moses Flying Hawk; March 1854 – December 24, 1931) was an Oglala Lakota warrior, historian, educator and philosopher. Flying Hawk's life chron ...

, American warrior, educator and historian (b. 1854) *1935 – Alban Berg, Austrian composer and educator (b. 1885) * 1938 – Bruno Taut, German architect and urban planner (b. 1880) *

– Siegfried Alkan, German composer (b. 1858) * 1942 –

, French admiral and politician, 122nd Prime Minister of France (b. 1881) *

– Josephine Sabel, American singer and comedian (b. 1866) * 1947 – Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (b. 1875) * 1957 – Norma Talmadge, American actress and producer (b. 1894) *

– Robert Hillyer, American poet and academic (b. 1895) * 1962 – Wilhelm Ackermann, German mathematician (b. 1896) * 1962 – Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German illustrator (b. 1890) * 1964 – Claudia Jones, Trinidad-British journalist and activist (b. 1915) *

– John Black (businessman), John Black, English businessman (b. 1895) * 1965 – William M. Branham, American minister and theologian (b. 1906) * 1967 – Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (b. 1913) * 1969 – Stanisław Błeszyński, Polish-German entomologist and lepidopterist (b. 1927) * 1969 – Cortelia Clark, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1907) * 1969 – Olivia FitzRoy, English soldier and author (b. 1921) * 1969 – Alfred B. Skar, Norwegian journalist and politician (b. 1896) *

– Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist and zoologist (b. 1924) *

– Gisela Richter, English-American archaeologist and historian (b. 1882) * 1973 – Fritz Gause, German historian and author (b. 1893) *1975 – Bernard Herrmann, American composer and conductor (b. 1911) * 1977 – Samael Aun Weor, Colombian author and educator (b. 1917) * 1980 – Karl Dönitz, German admiral and politician, List of German presidents, President of Germany (b. 1891) *1982 – Louis Aragon, French author and poet (b. 1897) * 1984 – Peter Lawford, English-American actor (b. 1923) * 1985 – Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, American lawyer (b. 1904) * 1985 – Camille Tourville, Canadian-American wrestler and manager (b. 1927) *

– Gardner Fox, American author (b. 1911) * 1987 – Joop den Uyl, Dutch journalist, economist, and politician, 45th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1919) * 1987 – M. G. Ramachandran, Sri Lankan-Indian actor, producer, and politician, 5th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (b. 1917) *

– Jainendra Kumar, Indian author (b. 1905) *

– Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian playwright and songwriter (b. 1922) *

– Virginia Sorensen, American author (b. 1912) *

– Bobby LaKind, American singer-songwriter and conga player (b. 1945) * 1992 – James Mathews (rugby league), James Mathews, Australian rugby league player (b. 1968) * 1992 – Peyo, Belgian cartoonist, created The Smurfs (b. 1928) *1993 – Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (b. 1898) *

– John Boswell, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1947) * 1994 – Rossano Brazzi, Italian actor (b. 1916) * 1997 – James Komack, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1930) * 1997 – Toshiro Mifune, Chinese-Japanese actor and producer (b. 1920) * 1997 – Pierre Péladeau, Canadian businessman, founded Quebecor (b. 1925) *1998 – Syl Apps, Canadian ice hockey player and pole vaulter (b. 1915) * 1999 – Bill Bowerman, American runner, coach, and businessman, co-founded Nike, Inc. (b. 1911) * 1999 – Maurice Couve de Murville, French soldier and politician, 152nd List of Prime Ministers of France, Prime Minister of France (b. 1907) * 1999 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil (b. 1918) * 1999 – William C. Schneider, American aerospace engineer (b. 1923) *2000 – John Cooper (car maker), John Cooper, English businessman, co-founded the Cooper Car Company (b. 1923) *2002 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author and poet (b. 1920) * 2002 – Jake Thackray, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1938) *2004 – Johnny Oates, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1946) *2006 – Braguinha (composer), Braguinha, Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1907) * 2006 – Kenneth Sivertsen (musician), Kenneth Sivertsen, Norwegian guitarist and composer (b. 1961) * 2006 – Frank Stanton (executive), Frank Stanton, American businessman (b. 1908) *2007 – Nicholas Pumfrey, English lawyer and judge (b. 1951) * 2007 – George Warrington, American businessman (b. 1952) * 2008 – Ralph Harris (journalist), Ralph Harris, British journalist (b. 1921) * 2008 – Harold Pinter, English playwright, screenwriter, director, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1930) *2009 – Marcus Bakker, Dutch journalist and politician (b. 1923) * 2009 – Rafael Caldera, Venezuelan lawyer and politician, 65th President of Venezuela (b. 1916) * 2009 – George Michael (sportscaster), George Michael, American sportscaster (b. 1939) * 2009 – Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic (b. 1933) *2010 – Elisabeth Beresford, English journalist and author (b. 1926) * 2010 – Frans de Munck, Dutch footballer and manager (b. 1922) * 2010 – Orestes Quércia, Brazilian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 28th List of Governors of São Paulo, Governor of São Paulo State (b. 1938) * 2010 – Eino Tamberg, Estonian composer and educator (b. 1930) *2011 – Johannes Heesters, Dutch-German entertainer (b. 1903) *2012 – Richard Rodney Bennett, English-American composer and academic (b. 1936) * 2012 – Charles Durning, American soldier and actor (b. 1923) * 2012 – Jack Klugman, American actor (b. 1922) * 2012 – Dennis O'Driscoll, Irish poet and critic (b. 1954) *2013 – Frédéric Back, German-Canadian director, animator, and screenwriter (b. 1924) * 2013 – Ian Barbour, Chinese-American author and scholar (b. 1923) * 2013 – John M. Goldman, English haematologist and oncologist (b. 1938) * 2013 – Allan McKeown, English-American screenwriter and producer (b. 1946) *2014 – Buddy DeFranco, American clarinet player (b. 1923) * 2014 – Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author (b. 1944) * 2014 – Herbert Harris, American lawyer and politician (b. 1926) * 2014 – Krzysztof Krauze, Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1953) *2015 – Turid Birkeland, Norwegian businesswoman and politician, Minister of Culture (Norway), Norwegian Minister of Culture (b. 1962) * 2015 – Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, Filipino journalist (b. 1941) * 2015 – Adriana Olguín, Chilean lawyer and politician, Ministry of Justice (Chile), Chilean Minister of Justice (b. 1911) *2016 – Rick Parfitt, British musician (b. 1948) * 2016 – Liz Smith (actress), Liz Smith, English actress (b. 1921) * 2016 – Richard Adams, English author (b. 1920) * 2016 – Ben Xi, Chinese singer (b.1994) *2017 – Jerry Kindall, American baseball player and coach (b. 1935) * 2017 – Heather Menzies, Canadian-American model and actress (b. 1949) * 2018 – Martha Érika Alonso, first female

, Mexico, and her husband

, former governor; helicopter crash (Alonso b. 1973, Valle b. 1968)

Holidays and observances

* Christian Calendar of saints, feast day: ** Adela and Irmina ** Paola Elisabetta Cerioli ** Adam and Eve ** December 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *

(Christianity) and its related observances: ** Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lads, Yule Lad arrives to towns. (Iceland) ** Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian Americans) ** Juleaften (Denmark)/Julaften (Norway)/Julafton, Julafton (Sweden) ** Nittel Nacht (certain Orthodox Jewish denominations) ** Nochebuena (Spain and Spanish-speaking countries) ** The Declaration of Christmas Peace (Old Great Square (Turku), 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) * Days of Military Honour, Day of Military Honour – Siege of Ismail (Russia)

References

External links

BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on December 24
{{months Days of the year December