December 24

Events

 * - The Byzantine church in  is inaugurated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.
 * - becomes.
 * - is elected, replacing , who had.
 * - is named the English.
 * -, also called Christmas Island, was discovered by.
 * - Assassination attempt on 's life.
 * - The was signed which ended the.
 * - "" composed by and.
 * - burns.
 * - Several US Civil War veterans form the.
 * - cuts off his ear during some sort of.
 * - :  transmitted the first radio broadcast. The first program, consisted of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.
 * - : The "" begins.
 * - becomes a republic.
 * - Assassination attempt of Argentine President.
 * - : makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
 * - World War II: falls to the.
 * 1941  - World War II:  is conquered by Japanese forces.
 * - World War II: French monarchist,, assassinates  French Admiral  in
 * - World War II: U.S. General becomes the.
 * - 's founded.
 * - becomes independent from .  is proclaimed King of Libya.
 * - : A railway bridge collapse at, sends a fully loaded passenger train into the , killing 153 people.
 * 1953  - 's  becomes the first network-sponsored  program.
 * - becomes independent.
 * - A  chartered by the  crashes into a small village in, killing 129.
 * - The crew of the is released by  after being held for 11 months on suspicion of.
 * 1968  - : The crew of  enter into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous, one of the most watched programs in history.
 * - devastates.
 * - The   to support the country's Marxist government.
 * 1979  - The first European  rocket is launched.
 * - ese legendary  declares their breakup at the  Kokaido.
 * - The (or Sidi Lamri) in  kills 50-100 people.
 * 1997  - The  becomes a member of the.
 * - The holds up a sports store in . Police officer  is shot during the robbery.
 * - The opens.
 * - The police thwart an attempt by  to detonate 50 kg of s at 3:55  p.m. inside 's busy.

Births

 * - King (d. )
 * - (d. )
 * -, German writer (d.c. )
 * -, Spanish founder of the Jesuit order (d. )
 * -, Italian humanist (d. )
 * -, queen of Poland (d. )
 * -, English writer and politician (d. )
 * -, second wife of king Philip IV of Spain (d. )
 * -, English Bishop of Gloucester (d. )
 * -, Swiss physician and naturalist (d. )
 * -, English poet and naturalist (d. )
 * -, French astronomer (d. )
 * -, Polish poet (d. )
 * -, American frontiersman (d. )
 * -, German jurist (d. )
 * -, British physicist (d. )
 * -, English poet (d. )
 * - a.k.a, Empress of Austria (d. )
 * -, Estonian poet (d. )
 * - King (d. )
 * -, 42nd (d. )
 * -, German chess player (d. )
 * -, Queen Consort to (d. )
 * 1879  -, Quebec poet (d. )
 * -, American cartoonist, children's book writer and creator of (d. )
 * -, Spanish writer, laureate (d. )
 * -, Hungarian-born director (d. )
 * -, French actor and producer (d. )
 * -, American composer and lyricist ( - ) (d. )
 * -, French aviator (d. )
 * -, American financier (d. )
 * -, Uruguayan footballer (d. )
 * 1898  -, American jazz drummer (d. )
 * -, Canadian politician, Premier of Newfoundland (d. )
 * -, American film producer and inventor (d. )
 * -, German film composer (d. )
 * -, American writer (d. )
 * -, German writer
 * -, Wife of Kim Il-sung, mother of Kim Jung-Il, "The Heroine of the Anti-Japanese Revolution" (d. )
 * -, Russian World War II heroine (d. )
 * -, American actress (d. )
 * -, American general (d. )
 * 1923  -, American wrestler (d. )
 * -, American singer (d. )
 * 1924  -, Russian Olympic champion fencer
 * -, Indian actor and playback singer (d. )
 * -, French-born Quebec theatre director
 * -, American author
 * -, Argentine composer
 * 1931  -, American jazz pianist and composer
 * -, Japanese conceptual artist
 * -, Brazilian football player
 * -, American baseball player
 * 1938  -,  politician, and former football chairman of  and 
 * -, British actor
 * -, Quebec politician,
 * 1944  -, American musician, record company executive and politician
 * 1944  - ,
 * 1944  -, British comedian
 * -, British singer, bassist
 * 1945  -, American author
 * -, American bisexual activist (d. )
 * 1946  -, American politician
 * -, coach of club
 * 1948  -, New Zealand rugby player
 * -, American politician
 * 1949  -, Australian racing driver
 * -, American poet
 * -, baseball player
 * -, French politician
 * 1954  -, Costa Rican politician
 * -, American actor
 * 1955  -, American actor
 * 1957  -, Quebec singer
 * -, Japanese drummer
 * -, English darts player
 * 1959  -, Indian actor
 * -, American animator
 * -, British television presenter
 * -, President of Azerbaijan Republic
 * -, American singer
 * -, American actor
 * -, Russian race walker
 * -, American guitarist
 * -, Scottish comic book writer
 * -, American actor
 * 1970  -, American singer and songwriter
 * -, American professional wrestler
 * 1971  -, Puerto Rican singer
 * 1971  -, Greek singer
 * -, Costa Rican footballer
 * -, American soccer player
 * -, Author
 * -, Chilean footballer
 * 1974  -, American television host
 * -, Turkish footballer
 * -, American professional wrestler
 * -, American musician
 * -, Karachay-Russian pop artist
 * -, Japanese singer and actor
 * -, American race car driver
 * -, English composer
 * 1986  -, Miss Universe 2007 from Japan
 * -, English composer
 * 1986  -, Miss Universe 2007 from Japan

Deaths

 * -, (assassinated) (b. )
 * - (b. )
 * -, English composer (bc. )
 * -, Portuguese explorer (bc. )
 * - (b. )
 * -, French painter (b. )
 * - (b. )
 * -, English writer (b. )
 * - Sir, English painter and writer (b. )
 * -, French paleontologist and geologist (b. )
 * -, Scotish physician and engenier (b. )
 * -, Baltimore philanthropist and businessman (b. )
 * -, Dutch poet and clergyman (b. )
 * -, Lebanese monk canonized in 1977 by Pope Paul VI (b. )
 * -, Scottish-born naturalist (b. )
 * -, Austrian composer (b. )
 * -, German architect (b. )
 * -, German composer (b. )
 * -, vice-premier of Vichy France (b. )
 * -, American actress (b. )
 * -, English art historian (b. )
 * 1972  -, American actor (b. )
 * -, American film composer (b. )
 * -, heir to the throne of (b. )
 * -, Columbian writer (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * 1980  -, model, actress, entertainer, socialite and lead singer of The  (b. )
 * -, French writer (b. )
 * -, English actor (b. )
 * -, Last Lincoln descendant (b. )
 * -, American writer (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * 1987  -,  (b. )
 * -, Norwegian author (b. )
 * -, Belgian comics artist, and creator of (b. )
 * 1992  -, American musician and singer  (b. )
 * -, American writer (b. )
 * -, American historian (b. )
 * 1994  -, Italian actor and singer (b. )
 * -, Japanese actor (b. )
 * 1997  -, Quebec businessman, founder of  (b. )
 * -, (b. )
 * 1999  -, French politician, Prime minister of France (b. )
 * 1999  -, American track and field coach
 * -, American singer (b. )
 * -, Norwegian author (b. )
 * 2002   -, American murder victim (b. )
 * -, baseball player and manager (b. )
 * -, commercial actor (b. )
 * -, Brazilian songwriter (b. )
 * 2006  -, Norwegian singer, poet and comedian (b. )
 * 2006  -, American television executive (b. )
 * 2006  -, American television executive (b. )

Holidays and observances

 * December 24 is celebrated as the day before, thus called.
 * Feast of and Saint Irmina.
 * It is the day when food is traditionally set out for and his . Children around the world are urged to go to bed early so they are not awake when he arrives.
 * In, , , , , , , , , , the , and the , among others, this is the day that presents are exchanged and opened.
 * The takes place in the Old Great Square of, 's official , according to old traditions dating back to the.