Birthday December 24, 1745 Benjamin Rush, American physician, patriot, humanitarian
Birthday December 24, 1745 Benjamin Rush is born
Birthday December 24, 1809 Kit Carson born in Kentucky
Birthday December 24, 1809 Kit Carson, Western scout
Birthday December 24, 1818 James Prescott Joule, physicist, discovered conservation of energy
Birthday December 24, 1822 Matthew Arnold, English poet (Dover Beach)
Birthday December 24, 1868 Emanuel Lasker, of Germany, world chess champion (1894-21)
Birthday December 24, 1881 Juan Ramon Jimenez, Spanish poet (Distant Gardens) (Nobel 1956)
Birthday December 24, 1905 Howard Hughes, reclusive billionaire
Birthday December 24, 1907 I.F. Stone, American journalist, told it like it was
Birthday December 24, 1921 Bill Dudley, NFL halfback (Pittsburgh, Detroit, Washington)
Birthday December 24, 1922 Ava Gardner, Actress (On the Beach, Night of the Iguana)
Birthday December 24, 1930 Robert Joffrey, Choreographer
Birthday December 24, 1959 Madonna, rock singer, Actress (Desperately Seeking Susan)
Birthday December 24, 1973 Stephenie Meyer, best-selling author of vampire novels, is born
History December 24, 1524 Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama dies in Cochin India
History December 24, 1582 Vasco daGama Day
History December 24, 1801 Richard Trevithick introduces his Puffing Devil
History December 24, 1814 Treaty of Ghent signed ending War of 1812 (This news did not arrive until after Battle of New Orleans)
History December 24, 1814 War of 1812 ends
History December 24, 1818 Silent Night composed by Franz Gruber sung next day
History December 24, 1851 Fire devastates Library of Congress in Wash destroys 35 000 volumes
History December 24, 1851 Fire ravages Library of Congress
History December 24, 1851 Fire destroys Jefferson library
History December 24, 1864 Bombardment of Fort Fisher begins
History December 24, 1865 KKK founded
History December 24, 1865 Several Confederate veterans form the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski Tn
History December 24, 1871 Giuseppe Verdi's `Aida' premiere in Cairo at Suez canal opening
History December 24, 1906 1st radio program broadcast in Brant Rock Mass
History December 24, 1906 Reginald A. Fessenden became 1st to broadcast music over radio
History December 24, 1910 Luisa Tetrazzini sings to 250 000 people at Lotta's Fountain
History December 24, 1918 American soldier John Douglas writes home from post-armistice France
History December 24, 1920 Enrico Caruso gave his last public performance
History December 24, 1923 Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree
History December 24, 1936 1st radioactive isotope medicine administered Berkeley Ca
History December 24, 1942 French Admiral Jean Darlan is assassinated
History December 24, 1943 FDR appoints Gen Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces
History December 24, 1951 Libya gains independence from Italy
History December 24, 1952 McCarren-Walter Act goes into effect
History December 24, 1953 Volcanic eruption sweeps away train
History December 24, 1964 Viet Cong bomb Brinks Hotel
History December 24, 1966 Luna 13 lands on moon
History December 24, 1968 Apollo 8 astronauts read Old Testament Book of Genesis passages
History December 24, 1969 Curt Flood challenges MLB reserve clause
History December 24, 1970 Walt Disney's "The Aristocats" is released
History December 24, 1972 Bob Hope gives his last show in Vietnam
History December 24, 1980 Americans remembered Iran hostages by shining lights for 417 seconds
History December 24, 1988 Every Rose Has Its Thorn puts Poison atop the charts
History December 24, 1994 Islamic terrorists hijack a French plane
History December 24, 1997 Woody Allen marries Soon-Yi Previn
December 24, 1745 Benjamin Rush, American physician, patriot, humanitarian
December 24, 1745 Benjamin Rush is born
December 24, 1809 Kit Carson born in Kentucky
December 24, 1809 Kit Carson, Western scout
December 24, 1818 James Prescott Joule, physicist, discovered conservation of energy
December 24, 1822 Matthew Arnold, English poet (Dover Beach)
December 24, 1868 Emanuel Lasker, of Germany, world chess champion (1894-21)
December 24, 1881 Juan Ramon Jimenez, Spanish poet (Distant Gardens) (Nobel 1956)
December 24, 1905 Howard Hughes, reclusive billionaire
December 24, 1907 I.F. Stone, American journalist, told it like it was
December 24, 1921 Bill Dudley, NFL halfback (Pittsburgh, Detroit, Washington)
December 24, 1922 Ava Gardner, Actress (On the Beach, Night of the Iguana)
December 24, 1930 Robert Joffrey, Choreographer
December 24, 1959 Madonna, rock singer, Actress (Desperately Seeking Susan)
December 24, 1973 Stephenie Meyer, best-selling author of vampire novels, is born
December 24, 1524 Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama dies in Cochin India
December 24, 1582 Vasco daGama Day
December 24, 1801 Richard Trevithick introduces his Puffing Devil
December 24, 1814 Treaty of Ghent signed ending War of 1812 (This news did not arrive until after Battle of New Orleans)
December 24, 1814 War of 1812 ends
December 24, 1818 Silent Night composed by Franz Gruber sung next day
December 24, 1851 Fire devastates Library of Congress in Wash destroys 35 000 volumes
December 24, 1851 Fire ravages Library of Congress
December 24, 1851 Fire destroys Jefferson library
December 24, 1864 Bombardment of Fort Fisher begins
December 24, 1865 KKK founded
December 24, 1865 Several Confederate veterans form the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski Tn
December 24, 1871 Giuseppe Verdi's `Aida' premiere in Cairo at Suez canal opening
December 24, 1906 1st radio program broadcast in Brant Rock Mass
December 24, 1906 Reginald A. Fessenden became 1st to broadcast music over radio
December 24, 1910 Luisa Tetrazzini sings to 250 000 people at Lotta's Fountain
December 24, 1918 American soldier John Douglas writes home from post-armistice France
December 24, 1920 Enrico Caruso gave his last public performance
December 24, 1923 Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree
December 24, 1936 1st radioactive isotope medicine administered Berkeley Ca
December 24, 1942 French Admiral Jean Darlan is assassinated
December 24, 1943 FDR appoints Gen Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces
December 24, 1951 Libya gains independence from Italy
December 24, 1952 McCarren-Walter Act goes into effect
December 24, 1953 Volcanic eruption sweeps away train
December 24, 1964 Viet Cong bomb Brinks Hotel
December 24, 1966 Luna 13 lands on moon
December 24, 1968 Apollo 8 astronauts read Old Testament Book of Genesis passages
December 24, 1969 Curt Flood challenges MLB reserve clause
December 24, 1970 Walt Disney's "The Aristocats" is released
December 24, 1972 Bob Hope gives his last show in Vietnam
December 24, 1980 Americans remembered Iran hostages by shining lights for 417 seconds
December 24, 1988 Every Rose Has Its Thorn puts Poison atop the charts
December 24, 1994 Islamic terrorists hijack a French plane
December 24, 1997 Woody Allen marries Soon-Yi Previn