Historical Events on December 24
- 1777: James Cook discovered Kiritimati – also known as Christmas Island.
- 1800: The Machine Infernale Plot – also known as the Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise – fails to kill Napoleon.
- 1814: The War of 1812 ends when Great Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent.
- 1818: In the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria, the 1st performance of Silent Night is held.
- 1826: The Eggnog Riot – also known as the Grog Mutiny – occurs when a Christmas Party gets out of hand at the north barracks of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. It would last until the following morning.
- 1851: a fire ravages the Library of Congress on this day.
- 1865: The American terrorist organization – the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) – is formed on this day.
- 1906: The first radio broadcast is transmitted by Reginald Fessenden on this day.
- 1914: The Christmas Truce starts on this day during WWI.
- 1943: For the Invasion of Normandy, United States’ General Dwight D. Eisenhower is named the Supreme Allied Commander.
- 1964: The Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam is bombed by Viet Cong operatives.
- 1966: Almost 130 people are killed when a Canadair CL-44 that was chartered by the U.S military crashes into a small South Vietnamese village.
Famous Birthdays on December 24
- American frontiersman and Army officer, Kit Carson is born in 1809.
- English poet and critic, Matthew Arnold is born in 1822.
- American engineer, businessman and pilot, Howard Hughes is born in 1905.
- American author and poet, Fritz Leiber is born in 1910.
- American actress Ava Gardner is born in 1922.
- American general George Patton IV is born in 1923.
- American actor Wade Williams is born in 1961.
- American fashion designer and co-founder of Kate Spade New York, Kate Spade is born in 1962.
- American actor Mark Valley is born in 1964.
- English director and screenwriter, Nick Love is born in 1969.
- Scottish author Mark Millar is born in 1969.
