December 24 - wikipedia December 24 This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 1 March 2018. < < December > > Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2018 December 24 in recent years 2017 ( Sunday ) 2016 ( Saturday ) 2015 ( Thursday ) 2014 ( Wednesday ) 2013 ( Tuesday ) 2012 ( Monday ) 2011 ( Saturday ) 2010 ( Friday ) 2009 ( Thursday ) 2008 ( Wednesday ) December 24 is the 358th day of the year ( 359th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar. There are seven days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday ( 58 in 400 years each ) than on Tuesday or Wednesday ( 57 ), and slightly less likely to occur on a Friday or Sunday ( 56 ). Contents 1 Events 2 Births 3 Deaths 4 Holidays and observances 5 External links Events 502 -- Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate. 640 -- Pope John IV is elected. 759 -- Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di. 820 -- Emperor Leo V is assassinated in the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople and is succeeded by Michael II. 1144 -- The capital of the crusader County of Edessa falls to Imad ad - Din Zengi, the atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo. 1294 -- Pope Boniface VIII is elected, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned. 1500 -- A joint Venetian -- Spanish fleet captures the Castle of St. George on the island of Cephalonia. 1777 -- Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook. 1800 -- The Plot of the rue Saint - Nicaise fails to kill Napoleon Bonaparte. 1814 -- Representatives of Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812. 1818 -- The first performance of `` Silent Night '' takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria. 1826 -- The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning. 1846 -- British acquired Labuan from the Sultanate of Brunei for Great Britain. 1851 -- The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., burns. 1865 -- Jonathan Shank and Barry Ownby form The Ku Klux Klan. 1871 -- The Opera Aida opens in Cairo, Egypt. 1906 -- Radio : Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast ; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech. 1911 -- Lackawanna Cut - Off railway line opens in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 1913 -- The Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan results in the deaths of 73 Christmas party participants ( including 59 children ) when someone falsely yells `` fire ''. 1914 -- World War I : The `` Christmas truce '' begins. 1924 -- Albania becomes a republic. 1929 -- Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen. 1939 -- World War II : Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace. 1941 -- World War II : Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces. 1941 -- World War II : Benghazi is conquered by British forces. 1942 -- World War II : French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers, Algeria. 1943 -- World War II : U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is named Supreme Allied Commander for the Invasion of Normandy. 1945 -- Five of nine children become missing after their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is burned down. 1951 -- Libya becomes independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya. 1952 -- First flight of Britain 's Handley Page Victor strategic bomber. 1953 -- Tangiwai disaster : In New Zealand 's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge is damaged by a lahar and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people. 1964 -- Vietnam War : Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital. 1966 -- A Canadair CL - 44 chartered by the United States military crashes into a small village in South Vietnam, killing 129. 1968 -- Apollo program : The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures. 1969 -- The oil company Phillips Petroleum made the first oil discovery in the Norwegian sector of North Sea. 1969 -- Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital. 1973 -- District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government. 1974 -- Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia. 1980 -- Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom, an incident called `` Britain 's Roswell ''. 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. 1997 -- The Sid El - Antri massacre in Algeria kills between 50 and 100 people. 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 ). 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. 2005 -- Chad -- Sudan relations : Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead. 2008 -- Lord 's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks on Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400. Births 3 BC -- Galba, Roman emperor ( d. 69 ) 1166 -- John, King of England ( d. 1216 ) 1389 -- John V, Duke of Brittany ( d. 1442 ) 1474 -- Bartolomeo degli Organi, Italian musician ( d. 1539 ) 1475 -- Thomas Murner, German poet and translator ( d. 1537 ) 1508 -- Pietro Carnesecchi, Italian scholar ( d. 1567 ) 1520 -- Martha Leijonhufvud, Swedish noble ( d. 1584 ) 1537 -- Willem IV van den Bergh, Stadtholder of Guelders and Zutphen ( d. 1586 ) 1549 -- Kaspar Ulenberg, German theologian ( d. 1617 ) 1588 -- Constance of Austria ( d. 1631 ) 1596 -- Leonaert Bramer, Dutch painter ( d. 1674 ) 1597 -- Honoré II, Prince of Monaco ( d. 1662 ) 1625 -- Johann Rudolph Ahle, German organist, composer, and theorist ( d. 1673 ) 1635 -- Mariana of Austria ( d. 1696 ) 1679 -- Domenico Sarro, Italian composer and educator ( d. 1744 ) 1698 -- William Warburton, English bishop ( d. 1779 ) 1726 -- Johann Hartmann, Danish composer ( d. 1793 ) 1731 -- Julie Bondeli, Swiss salonist and lady of letters ( d. 1778 ) 1754 -- George Crabbe, English priest, surgeon, and poet ( d. 1832 ) 1761 -- Selim III, Ottoman sultan ( d. 1808 ) 1761 -- Jean - Louis Pons, French astronomer ( d. 1831 ) 1798 -- Adam Mickiewicz, Polish poet and playwright ( d. 1855 ) 1809 -- Kit Carson, American general ( d. 1868 ) 1810 -- Wilhelm Marstrand, Danish painter and illustrator ( d. 1873 ) 1812 -- Karl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal, German lawyer and jurist ( d. 1894 ) 1818 -- James Prescott Joule, English physicist and brewer ( d. 1889 ) 1822 -- Matthew Arnold, English poet and critic ( d. 1888 ) 1827 -- Alexander von Oettingen, German theologian and statistician ( d. 1905 ) 1837 -- Empress Elisabeth of Austria ( d. 1898 ) 1843 -- Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet and playwright ( d. 1886 ) 1845 -- George I of Greece ( d. 1913 ) 1865 -- Szymon Askenazy, Polish historian, educator, and diplomat, founded the Askenazy school ( d. 1935 ) 1867 -- Tevfik Fikret, Turkish poet and educator ( d. 1915 ) 1868 -- Emanuel Lasker, German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher ( d. 1941 ) 1869 -- Henriette Roland Holst, Dutch poet, playwright, and politician ( d. 1952 ) 1872 -- Frederick Semple, American golfer and tennis player ( d. 1927 ) 1875 -- Émile Wegelin, French rower ( d. 1962 ) 1877 -- Sigrid Schauman, Finnish painter and critic ( d. 1979 ) 1879 -- Émile Nelligan, Canadian poet ( d. 1941 ) 1879 -- Alexandrine of Mecklenburg - Schwerin ( d. 1952 ) 1880 -- Johnny Gruelle, American author and illustrator ( d. 1939 ) 1881 -- Charles Wakefield Cadman, American composer and critic ( d. 1946 ) 1882 -- Hans Rebane, Estonian journalist and politician, 8th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs ( d. 1961 ) 1883 -- Stefan Jaracz, Polish actor and producer ( d. 1945 ) 1885 -- Paul Manship, American sculptor ( d. 1966 ) 1887 -- Louis Jouvet, French actor and producer ( d. 1951 ) 1888 -- Michael Curtiz, Hungarian - American actor, director, and producer ( d. 1962 ) 1891 -- Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky, Russian illustrator and painter ( d. 1970 ) 1892 -- Ruth Chatterton, American actress ( d. 1961 ) 1893 -- Harry Warren, American pianist and composer ( d. 1981 ) 1894 -- Georges Guynemer, French captain and pilot ( d. 1917 ) 1894 -- Jack Thayer, American businessman ( d. 1945 ) 1895 -- E. Roland Harriman, American financier and philanthropist ( d. 1978 ) 1895 -- Noel Streatfeild, English author ( d. 1986 ) 1895 -- Marguerite Williams, American geologist ( d. 1991 ) 1897 -- Ville Pörhölä, Finnish shot putter and discus thrower ( d. 1964 ) 1897 -- Väinö Sipilä, Finnish runner ( d. 1987 ) 1898 -- Baby Dodds, American drummer ( d. 1959 ) 1900 -- Joey Smallwood, Canadian journalist and politician, 1st Premier of Newfoundland ( d. 1991 ) 1900 -- Hawayo Takata, Japanese - American teacher and master practitioner of Reiki ( d. 1980 ) 1903 -- Joseph Cornell, American sculptor and director ( d. 1972 ) 1903 -- Ernst Krenkel, Polish - Russian geographer and explorer ( d. 1971 ) 1903 -- Ava Helen Pauling, American humanitarian and activist ( d. 1981 ) 1904 -- Joseph M. Juran, Romanian - American engineer and businessman ( d. 2008 ) 1905 -- Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot ( d. 1976 ) 1906 -- Franz Waxman, German - American composer and conductor ( d. 1967 ) 1907 -- I.F. Stone, American journalist and author ( d. 1989 ) 1910 -- Ellen Braumüller, German javelin thrower and triathlete ( d. 1991 ) 1910 -- Fritz Leiber, American author and poet ( d. 1992 ) 1910 -- Max Miedinger, Swiss typeface designer, created Helvetica ( d. 1980 ) 1913 -- Ad Reinhardt, American painter and academic ( d. 1967 ) 1914 -- Ralph Marterie, Italian - American trumpet player and bandleader ( d. 1978 ) 1914 -- Herbert Reinecker, German author and screenwriter ( d. 2007 ) 1919 -- Qateel Shifai, Pakistani poet and songwriter ( d. 2001 ) 1919 -- Pierre Soulages, French artist 1920 -- Franco Lucentini, Italian author and screenwriter ( d. 2002 ) 1920 -- Yevgeniya Rudneva, Ukrainian - Russian lieutenant and navigator ( d. 1944 ) 1921 -- Bill Dudley, American football player ( d. 2010 ) 1922 -- Ava Gardner, American actress ( d. 1990 ) 1923 -- George Patton IV, American general ( d. 2004 ) 1924 -- Lee Dorsey, American singer - songwriter ( d. 1986 ) 1924 -- Abdirizak Haji Hussein, Somalian soldier and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Somalia ( d. 2014 ) 1924 -- Mohammed Rafi, Indian singer ( d. 1980 ) 1924 -- Norman Rossington, English actor ( d. 1999 ) 1927 -- Mary Higgins Clark, American author 1928 -- Lev Vlassenko, Georgian - Australian pianist and educator ( d. 1996 ) 1929 -- Lennart Skoglund, Swedish footballer ( d. 1975 ) 1929 -- Philip Ziegler, English historian and author 1930 -- Robert Joffrey, American dancer and choreographer ( d. 1988 ) 1930 -- John J. Kelley, American runner ( d. 2011 ) 1931 -- Ray Bryant, American pianist and composer ( d. 2011 ) 1931 -- Mauricio Kagel, Argentinian - German composer and scholar ( d. 2008 ) 1932 -- Colin Cowdrey, Indian - English cricketer ( d. 2000 ) 1932 -- On Kawara, Japanese - American painter ( d. 2014 ) 1934 -- John Critchinson, English pianist and composer ( d. 2017 ) 1934 -- Stjepan Mesić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Croatia 1934 -- Alex Hutchinson, Australian jazz musician. 1936 -- Ivan Lawrence, English lawyer and politician 1937 -- Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian footballer and manager ( d. 2012 ) 1937 -- John Taylor, Baron Kilclooney, Northern Irish politician, Irish Minister of Home Affairs 1938 -- Bobby Henrich, American baseball player 1938 -- Valentim Loureiro, Portuguese soldier and politician 1940 -- Janet Carroll, American actress and singer ( d. 2012 ) 1941 -- Mike Hazlewood, English singer - songwriter ( d. 2001 ) 1942 -- Indra Bania, Indian actor, director, and playwright ( d. 2015 ) 1942 -- Jonathan Borofsky, American sculptor and painter 1942 -- Đoàn Viết Hoạt, Vietnamese journalist, educator, and activist 1943 -- Tarja Halonen, Finnish lawyer and politician, 11th President of Finland 1943 -- Suzy Menkes, English journalist and critic 1944 -- Barry Elliott, English actor and screenwriter 1944 -- Mike Curb, American businessman and politician, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California 1944 -- Oswald Gracias, Indian cardinal 1944 -- Daniel Johnson, Jr., Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Premier of Quebec 1944 -- Erhard Keller, German speed skater 1944 -- Bob Shaw, Australian golfer 1944 -- Woody Shaw, American trumpeter ( d. 1989 ) 1945 -- Lemmy, English hard rock singer - songwriter and bass player ( d. 2015 ) 1945 -- Steve Smith, Canadian - American actor and comedian 1946 -- Jan Akkerman, Dutch rock guitarist and songwriter 1946 -- Jeff Sessions, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Alabama and 84th Attorney General of the United States 1947 -- Kevin Sheedy, Australian footballer and coach 1948 -- Stan Bowles, English footballer and sportscaster 1948 -- Frank Oliver, New Zealand rugby player and coach 1949 -- Warwick Brown, Australian race car driver 1949 -- Randy Neugebauer, American accountant and politician 1950 -- Dana Gioia, American poet and critic 1950 -- Hiroshi Ikushima, Japanese businessman and academic 1950 -- Libby Larsen, American composer 1951 -- John D'Acquisto, American baseball player 1951 -- Nick Kent, English - French journalist and author 1952 -- Michael Ray, American jazz musician 1953 -- Timothy Carhart, American actor 1954 -- Yves Debay, Congolese - French commander and journalist ( d. 2013 ) 1954 -- José María Figueres, Costa Rican businessman and politician, President of Costa Rica 1954 -- Helen Jones, English lawyer and politician 1954 -- Dale Brown Emeagwali, American microbiologist and cancer researcher 1955 -- Scott Fischer, American mountaineer and guide ( d. 1996 ) 1955 -- Clarence Gilyard, American actor and educator 1957 -- Hamid Karzai, Afghan politician, 12th President of Afghanistan 1958 -- Munetaka Higuchi, Japanese drummer and producer ( d. 2008 ) 1958 -- Paul Pressey, American basketball player and coach 1958 -- Gene Sperling, American economist 1958 -- Diane Tell, Canadian singer - songwriter and guitarist 1959 -- Chris Blackhurst, English journalist 1959 -- Lee Daniels, American director and producer 1960 -- Glenn McQueen, Canadian - American animator ( d. 2002 ) 1960 -- Carol Vorderman, English television host 1961 -- Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani businessman and politician, 4th President of Azerbaijan 1961 -- Mary Barra, American businesswoman, current CEO and chairwoman of General Motors 1961 -- Eriko Kitagawa, Japanese director and screenwriter 1961 -- Darren Wharton, English singer - songwriter and keyboard player 1961 -- Wade Williams, American actor 1961 -- Jay Wright, American basketball player and coach 1962 -- Kate Spade, American fashion designer, co-founded Kate Spade New York 1963 -- Caroline Aherne, English actress, producer, and screenwriter ( d. 2016 ) 1963 -- Jay Bilas, American basketball player and sportscaster 1963 -- Timo Jutila, Finnish ice hockey player and sportscaster 1963 -- Mary Ramsey, American singer - songwriter and violinist 1963 -- Neil Turbin, American singer - songwriter 1964 -- Mark Valley, American actor 1965 -- Millard Powers, American bass player, songwriter, and producer 1966 -- Diedrich Bader, American actor 1967 -- Mikhail Shchennikov, Russian race walker 1967 -- Pernilla Wahlgren, Swedish singer and actress 1968 -- Doyle Bramhall II, American singer - songwriter and guitarist 1968 -- Marleen Renders, Belgian runner 1969 -- Brad Anderson, American wrestler 1969 -- Milan Blagojevic, Australian footballer and manager 1969 -- Pernille Fischer Christensen, Danish director and screenwriter 1969 -- Taro Goto, Japanese soccer player 1969 -- Leavander Johnson, American boxer ( d. 2005 ) 1969 -- Ryuji Kato, Japanese soccer player 1969 -- Nick Love, English director and screenwriter 1969 -- Clinton McKinnon, American saxophonist and keyboard player 1969 -- Ed Miliband, English academic and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office 1969 -- Mark Millar, Scottish author 1969 -- Luis Musrri, Chilean footballer and manager 1969 -- Oleg Skripochka, Russian astronaut and engineer 1969 -- Gintaras Staučė, Lithuanian footballer and manager 1969 -- Michael Zucchet, American economist and politician 1970 -- Adam Haslett, American author and academic 1970 -- Amaury Nolasco, Puerto Rican - American actor 1971 -- Geoff Allott, New Zealand cricketer 1971 -- Sascha Fischer, German rugby player 1971 -- Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican - American singer - songwriter and actor 1972 -- Álvaro Mesén, Costa Rican footballer 1972 -- Klaus Schnellenkamp, Chilean businessman and author 1973 -- Liu Dong, Chinese - Spanish runner 1973 -- Paul Foot, English comedian 1973 -- Stephenie Meyer, American author and film producer 1973 -- Ali Salem Tamek, Moroccan activist 1974 -- Thure Lindhardt, Danish actor 1974 -- Paal Nilssen - Love, Norwegian drummer and composer 1974 -- Marcelo Salas, Chilean footballer 1974 -- Ryan Seacrest, American radio host and television personality, and producer 1974 -- J.D. Walsh, American actor, director, and producer 1976 -- Linda Ferga, French hurdler 1977 -- Michael Raymond - James, American actor 1978 -- Yıldıray Baştürk, German - Turkish footballer 1978 -- Warren Tredrea, Australian footballer and sportscaster 1979 -- Chris Hero, American wrestler and trainer 1980 -- Maarja Liis - Ilus, Estonian pop musician 1980 -- Stephen Appiah, Ghanaian footballer 1980 -- Tomas Kalnoky, Czech - American singer - songwriter and guitarist 1981 -- Dima Bilan, Russian singer - songwriter and actor 1984 -- Isaac De Gois, Australian rugby league player 1985 -- Alexey Dmitriev, German ice hockey player 1985 -- David Ragan, American race car driver 1986 -- Tim Elliott, American mixed martial artist 1986 -- Kyrylo Fesenko, Ukrainian basketball player 1987 -- Jane Summersett, American ice dancer 1988 -- Stefanos Athanasiadis, Greek footballer 1988 -- Emre Özkan, Turkish footballer 1988 -- Simon Zenke, Nigerian footballer 1990 -- Brigetta Barrett, American high jumper 1990 -- Marcus Jordan, American basketball player 1990 -- Ryo Miyake, Japanese fencer 1991 -- Lara Michel, Swiss tennis player 1991 -- Wasim Tareen, Pakistani footballer 1991 -- Louis Tomlinson, English singer - songwriter 1994 -- Fa'amanu Brown, New Zealand rugby league player 1994 -- Miguel Castro, Dominican baseball player 1994 -- Matt Frawley, Australian rugby league player Deaths 427 -- Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople 820 -- Leo V the Armenian, Byzantine emperor ( b. 775 ) 903 -- Hedwiga, duchess of Saxony 950 -- Shi Hongzhao, Chinese general 950 -- Wang Zhang, Chinese official 950 -- Yang Bin, Chinese chancellor 1193 -- Roger III of Sicily ( b. 1175 ) 1257 -- John I, Count of Hainaut ( b. 1218 ) 1263 -- Hōjō Tokiyori, regent of Japan ( b. 1227 ) 1281 -- Henry V of Luxembourg ( b. 1216 ) 1449 -- Walter Bower, Scottish chronicler ( b. 1385 ) 1453 -- John Dunstaple, English composer ( b. 1390 ) 1456 -- Đurađ Branković, Despot of Serbia ( b. 1377 ) 1473 -- John Cantius, Polish scholar and theologian ( b. 1390 ) 1524 -- Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer and politician, Governor of Portuguese India ( b. 1469 ) 1541 -- Andreas Karlstadt, Christian theologian and reformer ( born 1486 ) 1635 -- Hester Jonas, German nurse ( b. 1570 ) 1660 -- Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange ( b. 1631 ) 1707 -- Noël Coypel, French painter and educator ( b. 1628 ) 1813 -- Empress Go - Sakuramachi of Japan ( b. 1740 ) 1844 -- Friedrich Bernhard Westphal, Danish - German painter ( b. 1803 ) 1863 -- William Makepeace Thackeray, English author and poet ( b. 1811 ) 1865 -- Charles Lock Eastlake, English painter and historian ( b. 1793 ) 1868 -- Adolphe d'Archiac, French paleontologist and geologist ( b. 1802 ) 1872 -- William John Macquorn Rankine, Scottish physicist and engineer ( b. 1820 ) 1873 -- Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist ( b. 1795 ) 1889 -- Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch pastor and poet ( b. 1819 ) 1893 -- B.T. Finniss, Australian politician, 1st Premier of South Australia ( b. 1807 ) 1898 -- Charbel Makhluf, Lebanese priest and saint ( b. 1828 ) 1914 -- John Muir, Scottish - American geologist, botanist, and author, founded Sierra Club ( b. 1838 ) 1920 -- Stephen Mosher Wood, American lieutenant and politician ( b. 1832 ) 1926 -- Wesley Coe, American shot putter, hammer thrower, and discus thrower ( b. 1879 ) 1931 -- Flying Hawk, American warrior, educator and historian ( b. 1854 ) 1935 -- Alban Berg, Austrian composer and educator ( b. 1885 ) 1938 -- Bruno Taut, German architect and urban planner ( b. 1880 ) 1941 -- Siegfried Alkan, German composer ( b. 1858 ) 1942 -- François Darlan, French admiral and politician, 122nd Prime Minister of France ( b. 1881 ) 1947 -- Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor ( b. 1875 ) 1957 -- Norma Talmadge, American actress and producer ( b. 1893 ) 1961 -- Robert Hillyer, American poet and academic ( b. 1895 ) 1962 -- Wilhelm Ackermann, German mathematician ( b. 1896 ) 1962 -- Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German illustrator ( b. 1890 ) 1964 -- Claudia Jones, Trinidad - British journalist and activist ( b. 1915 ) 1965 -- John Black, English businessman ( b. 1895 ) 1965 -- William M. Branham, American minister and theologian ( b. 1906 ) 1967 -- Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin - Robbins ( b. 1913 ) 1969 -- Stanisław Błeszyński, Polish - German entomologist and lepidopterist ( b. 1927 ) 1969 -- Cortelia Clark, American singer - songwriter and guitarist ( b. 1907 ) 1969 -- Olivia FitzRoy, English soldier and author ( b. 1921 ) 1969 -- Alfred B. Skar, Norwegian journalist and politician ( b. 1896 ) 1971 -- Maria Koepcke, German - Peruvian ornithologist and zoologist ( b. 1924 ) 1972 -- Gisela Richter, English - American archaeologist and historian ( b. 1882 ) 1973 -- Fritz Gause, German historian and author ( b. 1893 ) 1975 -- Bernard Herrmann, American composer and conductor ( b. 1911 ) 1977 -- Samael Aun Weor, Colombian author and educator ( b. 1917 ) 1980 -- Karl Dönitz, German admiral and politician, President of Germany ( b. 1891 ) 1982 -- Louis Aragon, French author and poet ( b. 1897 ) 1984 -- Peter Lawford, English - American actor ( b. 1923 ) 1985 -- Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, American lawyer ( b. 1904 ) 1985 -- Camille Tourville, Canadian - American wrestler and manager ( b. 1927 ) 1986 -- Gardner Fox, American author ( b. 1911 ) 1987 -- Joop den Uyl, Dutch journalist, economist, and politician, 45th Prime Minister of the Netherlands ( b. 1919 ) 1987 -- M.G. Ramachandran, Sri Lankan - Indian actor, producer, and politician, 5th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu ( b. 1917 ) 1988 -- Jainendra Kumar, Indian author ( b. 1905 ) 1990 -- Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian playwright and songwriter ( b. 1922 ) 1991 -- Virginia Sorensen, American author ( b. 1912 ) 1992 -- Bobby LaKind, American singer - songwriter and conga player ( b. 1945 ) 1992 -- James Mathews, Australian rugby league player ( b. 1968 ) 1992 -- Peyo, Belgian cartoonist, created The Smurfs ( b. 1928 ) 1993 -- Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author ( b. 1898 ) 1994 -- John Boswell, American historian, author, and academic ( b. 1947 ) 1994 -- Rossano Brazzi, Italian actor ( b. 1916 ) 1997 -- James Komack, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter ( b. 1930 ) 1997 -- Toshiro Mifune, Chinese - Japanese actor and producer ( b. 1920 ) 1997 -- Pierre Péladeau, Canadian businessman, founded Quebecor ( b. 1925 ) 1998 -- Syl Apps, Canadian ice hockey player and pole vaulter ( b. 1915 ) 1999 -- Bill Bowerman, American runner, coach, and businessman, co-founded Nike, Inc. ( b. 1911 ) 1999 -- Maurice Couve de Murville, French soldier and politician, 152nd Prime Minister of France ( b. 1907 ) 1999 -- João Figueiredo, Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil ( b. 1918 ) 2000 -- John Cooper, English businessman, co-founded the Cooper Car Company ( b. 1923 ) 2002 -- Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author and poet ( b. 1920 ) 2002 -- Jake Thackray, English singer - songwriter and guitarist ( b. 1938 ) 2004 -- Johnny Oates, American baseball player, coach, and manager ( b. 1946 ) 2006 -- Braguinha, Brazilian singer - songwriter and producer ( b. 1907 ) 2006 -- Kenneth Sivertsen, Norwegian guitarist and composer ( b. 1961 ) 2006 -- Frank Stanton, American businessman ( b. 1908 ) 2007 -- Nicholas Pumfrey, English lawyer and judge ( b. 1951 ) 2007 -- George Warrington, American businessman ( b. 1952 ) 2008 -- Ralph Harris, British journalist ( b. 1921 ) 2008 -- Harold Pinter, English playwright, screenwriter, director, Nobel Prize laureate ( b. 1930 ) 2009 -- Marcus Bakker, Dutch journalist and politician ( b. 1923 ) 2009 -- Rafael Caldera, Venezuelan lawyer and politician, 65th President of Venezuela ( b. 1916 ) 2009 -- George Michael, American sportscaster ( b. 1939 ) 2009 -- Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic ( b. 1933 ) 2010 -- Elisabeth Beresford, French - English journalist and author ( b. 1926 ) 2010 -- Frans de Munck, Dutch footballer and manager ( b. 1922 ) 2010 -- Orestes Quércia, Brazilian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of São Paulo State ( b. 1938 ) 2010 -- Eino Tamberg, Estonian composer and educator ( b. 1930 ) 2011 -- Johannes Heesters, Dutch - German entertainer ( b. 1903 ) 2012 -- Richard Rodney Bennett, English - American composer and academic ( b. 1936 ) 2012 -- Charles Durning, American soldier and actor ( b. 1923 ) 2012 -- Jack Klugman, American actor ( b. 1922 ) 2012 -- Dennis O'Driscoll, Irish poet and critic ( b. 1954 ) 2013 -- Frédéric Back, German - Canadian director, animator, and screenwriter ( b. 1924 ) 2013 -- Ian Barbour, Chinese - American author and scholar ( b. 1923 ) 2013 -- John M. Goldman, English haematologist and oncologist ( b. 1938 ) 2013 -- Allan McKeown, English - American screenwriter and producer ( b. 1946 ) 2014 -- Buddy DeFranco, American clarinet player ( b. 1923 ) 2014 -- Edward Greenspan, Canadian lawyer and author ( b. 1944 ) 2014 -- Herbert Harris, American lawyer and politician ( b. 1926 ) 2014 -- Krzysztof Krauze, Polish director and screenwriter ( b. 1953 ) 2015 -- Turid Birkeland, Norwegian businesswoman and politician, Norwegian Minister of Culture ( b. 1962 ) 2015 -- Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, Filipino journalist ( b. 1941 ) 2015 -- Adriana Olguín, Chilean lawyer and politician, Chilean Minister of Justice ( b. 1911 ) 2016 -- Rick Parfitt, British musician ( b. 1948 ) 2016 -- Liz Smith, English actress ( b. 1921 ) 2016 -- Richard Adams, English author ( b. 1920 ) 2017 -- Heather Menzies, Canadian - American model and actress ( b. 1949 ) Holidays and observances Christian feast day : Adela and Irmina Paola Elisabetta Cerioli 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 ) Feast of the Seven Fishes ( Italy ) Juleaften ( Denmark ) / Julaften ( Norway ) / Julafton ( Sweden ) Nittel Nacht ( certain Orthodox Jewish denominations ) Nochebuena ( Spain and Spanish - speaking countries ) The Declaration of Christmas Peace ( Old Great Square of Turku, Finland 's official Christmas City ) Independence Day ( Libya ) Mōdraniht ( Anglo - Saxon paganism ) Day of Military Honour - Siege of Ismail ( Russia ) External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to December 24. BBC : On This Day The New York Times : On This Day Today in Canadian History Months and days of the year Today : March 1, 2018 January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 April 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 July 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 August 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 October 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Related : January 0 February 30 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=December_24&oldid=828226272 '' Categories : Days of the year December Hidden categories : Wikipedia pending changes protected pages Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Afrikaans Alemannisch አማርኛ Аҧсшәа Aragonés Arpetan Asturianu Авар Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bahasa Banjar Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ भोजपुरी Bikol Central Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Chavacano de Zamboanga Corsu Cymraeg Dansk Davvisámegiella Deutsch ދިވެހިބަސް Eesti Ελληνικά Emiliàn e rumagnòl Эрзянь Español Esperanto Estremeñu Euskara فارسی Fiji Hindi Føroyskt Français Frysk Furlan Gaeilge Gaelg Gagauz Gàidhlig Galego 贛 語 ગુજરાતી 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî Хальмг 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hornjoserbsce Hrvatski Ido Igbo Ilokano বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Ирон Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Kalaallisut ಕನ್ನಡ Kapampangan Къарачай - малкъар ქართული Kaszëbsczi Қазақша Kiswahili Коми Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Кыргызча ລາວ Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Limburgs Livvinkarjala Lumbaart Magyar मैथिली Македонски Malagasy മലയാളം मराठी მარგალური مصرى Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nāhuatl Nederlands Nedersaksies नेपाली नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Napulitano Нохчийн Norsk Norsk nynorsk Nouormand Occitan Олык марий ଓଡ଼ିଆ Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Pangasinan پنجابی پښتو Plattdüütsch Polski Português Ripoarisch Română Runa Simi Русиньскый Русский Саха тыла संस्कृतम् Scots Seeltersk Sesotho sa Leboa Shqip Sicilianu සිංහල Simple English سنڌي Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Taqbaylit Татарча / tatarça తెలుగు ไทย Тоҷикӣ Türkçe Türkmençe Удмурт Українська اردو Vèneto Tiếng Việt Volapük Võro Walon West - Vlams Winaray ייִדיש Yorùbá 粵語 Zazaki Zeêuws Žemaitėška 中文 166 more Edit links This page was last edited on 1 March 2018, at 08 : 46. 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Question: when has christmas eve been on a sunday
Answer: 2017