December 24: Fun Facts about Today in History

Today in History

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Learn about the most intriguing events and historical facts that occurred on December 24 throughout history. Capricorn rules the 24th of December. Louis Tomlinson (1991), Ricky Martin (1971), and Ava Gardner all had birthdays on this day (1922).

Event
(December 24, 1777) James Cook discovers Kiritimati, often known as Christmas Island. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (December 24, 1814) The Treaty of Ghent, signed in Belgium on this day in 1814, ended the War of 1812, signalled a reduction in American reliance on Europe, and sparked a sense of American nationalism in the United States. photo source: wikimedia.org
(December 24, 1818) The premiere of "Silent Night" takes place in Oberndorf, Austria, at the church of St. Nikolaus. photo source: wikimedia.org
(December 24, 1973) Stephenie Meyer, an American author best known for the Twilight Saga series of juvenile vampire books, was born. photo source: wikimedia.org
(December 24, 1997) Mifune Toshiro, a Japanese actor most known for his energetic, colourful representations of samurai characters in films directed by Akira Kurosawa, died near Tokyo. photo source: wikimedia.org
(Died on December 24, 2017) Heather Menzies, Canadian-American model and actress (b. 1949).