August 24
August 24 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 129 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Virgo.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On August 24 the Sun's declination is approximately +10.3°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a August 24.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Abbán of Ireland
- Christian feast day: Aurea of Ostia
- Christian feast day: Bartholomew the Apostle (Roman Catholic, Anglican)
- Christian feast day: Jeanne-Antide Thouret
- Christian feast day: Maria Micaela Desmaisieres
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2023 — Japan officially begins discharging treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, sparking international concerns and condemnation. ↗(3 years ago)more
Radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan began being discharged into the Pacific Ocean on 11 March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster triggered by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Three of the plant's reactors experienced meltdowns, leaving behind melted fuel debris.
2020 — Erin O'Toole is elected leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ↗(6 years ago)more
Erin Michael O'Toole is a Canadian lawyer, former military officer and politician who was the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022. O'Toole was elected as a member of Parliament (MP) in 2012, representing Durham until 2023.
2017 — The National Space Agency of Taiwan successfully launches the observation satellite Formosat-5 into space. ↗(9 years ago)more
Government space agencies, established by the governments of countries and regioagencies are established as a means for advocating for engaging in activities related to outer space, exploitation of space systems, and/or space exploration.
2016 — An earthquake strikes Central Italy with a magnitude of 6.2, with aftershocks felt as far as Rome and Florence. Around 300 people are killed. ↗(10 years ago)more
An earthquake, measuring 6.2 ± 0.016 on the moment magnitude scale, hit Central Italy on 24 August 2016 at 03:36:32 CEST. Its epicentre was close to Accumoli, with its hypocentre at a depth of 4 ± 1 km, approximately 75 km (47 mi) southeast of Perugia and 45 km (28 mi) north of L'Aquila, in an area near the borders of the Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Marche...
2016 — Proxima Centauri b, the closest exoplanet to Earth, is discovered by the European Southern Observatory. ↗(10 years ago)more
Proxima Centauri b is an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri in the constellation Centaurus. It can also be referred to as Proxima b, or Alpha Centauri Cb.
2014 — A magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the largest in that area since 1989. ↗(12 years ago)more
The 2014 South Napa earthquake occurred in the northern San Francisco Bay Area on August 24 at 03:20:44 Pacific Daylight Time. At 6.0 on the moment magnitude scale and with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), the event was the largest in the San Francisco Bay Area since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
2012 — Anders Behring Breivik, perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, is sentenced to 21 years of preventive detention. ↗(14 years ago)more
Anders Behring Breivik is a Norwegian neo-Nazi, mass murderer, and domestic terrorist who perpetrated the 2011 Norway attacks. A believer in the Great Replacement, he sought to fight "Cultural Marxism" by detonating a car bomb in Oslo and committing a mass shooting on the island of Utøya.
2010 — In San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, 72 illegal immigrants are killed by Los Zetas and eventually found dead by Mexican authorities. ↗(16 years ago)more
San Fernando is a city located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas; it serves as the seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name. It is about 85 miles (137 km) away from Brownsville, Texas, United States. The municipality has a population of 57,220, while the city itself has a population of 29,665.
2010 — Henan Airlines Flight 8387 crashes at Yichun Lindu Airport in Yichun, Heilongjiang, China, killing 44 out of the 96 people on board. ↗(16 years ago)more
Henan Airlines Flight 8387 was a domestic flight operated by Henan Airlines from Harbin to Yichun, Heilongjiang. On the night of 24 August 2010, the Embraer E190 operating the route crashed on approach to Yichun Lindu Airport in fog. 44 of the 96 people on board were killed.
2010 — Agni Air Flight 101 crashes near Shikharpur, Makwanpur, Nepal, killing all 14 people on board. ↗(16 years ago)more
Agni Air Flight 101 was a regional flight between Kathmandu and Lukla, Nepal, that crashed on 24 August 2010, killing all 14 people on board. Twenty minutes after take-off, the flight crew of the Dornier 228 had reported a technical problem. Contact with the aircraft was lost shortly after. The aircraft crashed 50 miles (80 km) south of Kathmandu.
2008 — Sixty-five passengers are killed when Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 6895 crashes during an emergency landing at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. ↗(18 years ago)more
Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 6895, was a Boeing 737-200, registered as EX-009, operating a charter flight operated by Itek Air on behalf of Iran Aseman Airlines which crashed on 24 August 2008 near Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan while en route to Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran, Iran.
2008 — A Cessna 208 Caravan crashes in Cabañas, Zacapa, Guatemala, killing 11 people. ↗(18 years ago)more
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargomaster freighter variant was developed for FedEx. The 4 ft (1.2 m) longer 208B Super Cargomaster first flew in 1986 an...
Notable births
2000 — Griffin Gluck, American actor ↗(26 years ago)more
Griffin Alexander Gluck is an American actor. Gluck began his career as a child actor in comedy films such as Just Go with It (2011) and Why Him? (2016). He had his first leading role as a comatose teenager in the drama series Red Band Society (2014–2015) and gained acclaim for playing a young film prodigy in the Netflix mockumentary series American Vanda...
1998 — Sofia Richie, American model and social media personality ↗(28 years ago)more
Sofia Alexandra Richie Grainge is an American social media personality and model. She has been featured in campaigns by a number of major brands including Stuart Weitzman, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and Adidas. She is the youngest daughter of singer Lionel Richie and sister of television personality Nicole Richie.
1997 — Alan Walker, British-Norwegian DJ and record producer ↗(29 years ago)more
Alan Olav Walker is a Norwegian DJ and record producer. His songs "Faded", "Sing Me to Sleep", "Alone", "All Falls Down", "Ignite", and "Darkside" have each been multi-platinum-certified and reached number 1 on the VG-lista chart in Norway. Walker values his anonymity and is known to wear a hoodie and mask to remain inconspicuous.
1997 — Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary ↗(29 years ago)more
Karoline Leavitt is an American political spokesperson who since 2025 has served as the 36th White House press secretary. A member of the Republican Party, she was the party's nominee in the 2022 election for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district.
1995 — Noah Vonleh, American basketball player ↗(31 years ago)more
Noah Vonleh is an American professional basketball player who last played for Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Notable deaths
2024 — Christoph Daum, German footballer and manager (born 1953) ↗(2 years ago)more
Christoph Paul Daum was a German professional football manager and player. As a manager, he won eight trophies with clubs from Germany, Turkey and Austria. In 1992, he won the Bundesliga championship with VfB Stuttgart. In the Bundesliga, he also led 1. FC Köln to two and Bayer 04 Leverkusen to three second places.
2023 — Bray Wyatt, American wrestler (born 1987) ↗(3 years ago)more
Windham Lawrence Rotunda, better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures in WWE from 2009 to 2021 and again from 2022 until his death in 2023.
2021 — Charlie Watts, English musician (born 1941) ↗(5 years ago)more
Charles Robert Watts was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
2020 — Gail Sheehy, American author, journalist, and lecturer (born 1936) ↗(6 years ago)more
Gail Sheehy was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She was the author of seventeen books and numerous high-profile articles for magazines such as New York and Vanity Fair. Sheehy played a part in the movement Tom Wolfe called the New Journalism, sometimes known as creative nonfiction, in which journalists and essayists experimented with adoptin...
2017 — Jay Thomas, American actor, comedian, and radio talk show host (born 1948) ↗(9 years ago)more
Jon "Jay" Thomas Terrell was an American actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976 to 1979 on top-40 station 99X, and later on rhythmic CHR station 92KTU, and in Los Angeles beginning in 1986 on KPWR "Power 106", where he hosted the station's top-rated morning show until 1993.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (237) | 3 × 79 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (129) | 3 × 43 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 24082026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +10.33° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 65 days |