December 24
December 24 is the 359th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 7 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Capricorn.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On December 24 the Sun's declination is approximately -23.4°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter 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 December 24.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Adela and Irmina
- Christian feast day: Paola Elisabetta Cerioli
- Christian feast day: Adam and Eve
- Christian feast day: December 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances: Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lad arrives to towns. (Iceland)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2021 — Burmese military forces commit the Mo So massacre, killing at least 44 civilians. ↗(5 years ago)more
The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar. It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Myanmar Police Force, the Border Guard Forces, the Myanmar Coast Guard, and the People's Militia Units.
2018 — A helicopter crash kills Martha Érika Alonso, first female Governor of Puebla, Mexico, and her husband Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, former governor. ↗(8 years ago)more
On December 24, 2018, a helicopter carrying Martha Érika Alonso Hidalgo, the newly elected governor of the Mexican state of Puebla, and her husband, senator and former governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, crashed on a hill in Coronango near the city of Puebla.
2008 — The Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks against civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400. ↗(18 years ago)more
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is a Christian extremist and Acholi nationalist organization operating in Central and East Africa. Its origins were in the Ugandan insurgency (1986–1994) against Yoweri Museveni, during which Joseph Kony founded the LRA in 1987.
2005 — Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of belligerence against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead. ↗(21 years ago)more
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. In recent times, relations have been strained due to the conflict in Darfur and a civil war in Chad, which both governments accuse the other of supporting.
2003 — The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station. ↗(23 years ago)more
ETA, an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, was an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization active in Spain and France between 1959 and 2018. It was founded in 1959, during Francoist Spain, by a group of Basque nationalist students seeking to promote Basque identity and independence.
1999 — Indian Airlines Flight 814 is hijacked in Indian airspace between Kathmandu, Nepal, and Delhi, India. The aircraft landed at Kandahar in Afghanistan. The incident ended on December 31 with the release of 190 survivors (one passenger is killed). ↗(27 years ago)more
Indian Airlines Flight 814, commonly known as IC 814, was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 that was hijacked on 24 December 1999 by five members of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The passenger flight, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was taken over shortly after it entered Indian airspace at about 16:53 IST.
- 1997 — The Sid El-Antri massacre in Algeria kills between 50 and 100 people. ↗(29 years ago)
more
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 117 people were killed and 11 abducted by terrorists, and a timeline gives 53 killed in Sidi el-Antri and 28 in Shari.
1996 — A Learjet 35 crashes into Smarts Mountain near Dorchester, New Hampshire, killing both pilots on board. ↗(30 years ago)more
The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet between 1973 and 1993. When used by the United States Air Force, they carry the designation C-21A.
1994 — Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers, Algeria. Over the course of three days three passengers are killed, as are all four terrorists. ↗(32 years ago)more
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 militants murdered three passengers and their intention was either to detonate the aircraft over the Eiffel Tower or the Tour Montparnasse in Paris.
1983 — Aeroflot Flight 601 crashes during takeoff from Leshukonskoye Airport, Russia, killing 44 of the 49 people on board. ↗(43 years ago)more
Aeroflot Flight 601 was a scheduled Soviet domestic passenger flight from Arkhangelsk to Leshukonskoye in the Russian SSR, operated by Aeroflot. The Antonov An-24RV that was involved crashed on 24 December 1983 during approach to Leshukonskoye. Forty-four people were killed; five survived the accident. Pilot error was cited as the cause of the accident.
1979 — The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre. ↗(47 years ago)more
Ariane 1 was the first rocket in the Ariane family of expendable launch systems. It was developed for and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), which had been formed in 1973, the same year that development of the launcher had commenced. Aérospatiale was designated to lead the programme.
1974 — Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia. ↗(52 years ago)more
Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy was a small but destructive tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, in December 1974. The small but developing easterly storm was originally expected to pass clear of the city, but it turned towards it early on 24 December. After 10:00 p.m.
Notable births
- 2002 — Joshua Primo, Canadian basketball player ↗(24 years ago)
more
Joshua Lincoln Alexander Primo is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Ontario Clippers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
- 2002 — Jeremiah Trotter Jr., American football player ↗(24 years ago)
more
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is an American professional football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He is the son of former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.
- 2001 — Choi Sung-beom, South Korean football player ↗(25 years ago)
more
Choi Sung-beom is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a winger for K League 1 club FC Anyang. He made his appearance in the 2023 K League 2 season and scored his debut goal at the 2023 Korean FA Cup.
1998 — Alexis Mac Allister, Argentine footballer ↗(28 years ago)more
Alexis Mac Allister is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Argentina national team. Considered as one of the best midfielders in the world, he is known for his passing, shooting ability, and versatility.
1997 — Neeraj Chopra, Indian javelin thrower ↗(29 years ago)more
Lieutenant Colonel Neeraj Chopra is an Indian javelin thrower. He has won gold medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and Asian Games. Chopra has won the Diamond League once. He won the Olympic gold medal in 2020 and became the first Asian javelin thrower to do so.
1997 — William Contreras, Venezuelan baseball player ↗(29 years ago)more
William Jesus Contreras is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves.
Notable deaths
2024 — Hudson Meek, American actor (born 2008) ↗(2 years ago)more
Hudson Joseph Meek was an American child actor, known for his role as young Baby in the 2017 film Baby Driver.
2024 — Richard Perry, American record producer (born 1942) ↗(2 years ago)more
Richard Van Perry was an American record producer. He began his musical career as a performer while attending Poly Prep, his high school in Brooklyn. After graduating from college he rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a successful and popular record producer.
2023 — Cheri Barry, American politician and mayor of Meridian, Mississippi (born 1955) ↗(3 years ago)more
Cheryl Merritt Barry was an American politician who served as mayor of Meridian, Mississippi. She was the first woman to hold that position.
2023 — Richard Bowes, American science fiction author (born 1944) ↗(3 years ago)more
Richard Dirrane Bowes was an American author described as an "urban fantasist" whose stories tended to be "set in, and to evoke, a congested, magically altered New York." He won two World Fantasy Awards for his short fiction along with the Lambda Award for his 1999 mosaic novel Minions of the Moon.
2023 — Troy Dargan, Cook Islands rugby league footballer (born 1997) ↗(3 years ago)more
Troy Junior Clifton Dargan was an Australian-born Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who played as a five-eighth or halfback. In 2020, Dargan played two games for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (359) | 359 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (7) | 7 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 24122026 · next palindrome year: 2142 |
| Sun declination | -23.38° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 4 days |