December 24

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).

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.
• 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.
• 1851 – Library of Congress burns.
• 1865 – The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
• 1871 – 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.
• 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)
• 1475 – Thomas Murner, German poet and translator (d. 1537)
• 1508 – Pietro Carnesecchi, Italian scholar (d. 1567)
• 1588 – Constance of Austria (d. 1631)
• 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)
• 1867 – Tevfik Fikret, Turkish poet and educator (d. 1915)
• 1867 – Kantarō Suzuki, Japanese admiral and politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
• 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)
• 1886 – Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1962)
• 1887 – Louis Jouvet, French actor and producer (d. 1951)
• 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 and academic (d. 1999)
• 1896 – Jens Oliver Lisberg, Faroese designer of the Flag of the Faroe Islands (d. 1920)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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 – Norman Rossington, English actor (d. 1999)
• 1927 – Mary Higgins Clark, American author
• 1928 – Lev Vlassenko, Georgian-Australian pianist and educator (d. 1996)
• 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 – On Kawara, Japanese-American painter (d. 2014)
• 1934 – John Critchinson, English pianist and composer
• 1934 – Stjepan Mesić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Croatia
• 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 Elliot, 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
• 1945 – Lemmy, English singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015)
• 1945 – Nicholas Meyer, American author, screenwriter, and director
• 1945 – Steve Smith, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1946 – Jeff Sessions, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Alabama
• 1947 – Kevin Sheedy, Australian footballer and coach
• 1947 – Greg Edwards (DJ), US-born DJ
• 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
• 1951 – John D'Acquisto, American baseball player
• 1951 – Nick Kent, English-French journalist and author
• 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
• 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
• 1957 – Diane Tell, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1958 – Lyse Doucet, Canadian journalist
• 1958 – Munetaka Higuchi, Japanese drummer and producer (d. 2008)
• 1958 – Paul Pressey, American basketball player and coach
• 1958 – Gene Sperling, American economist and politician
• 1959 – Chris Blackhurst, English journalist
• 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, CEO and chairwoman of the General Motors Company
• 1961 – Eriko Kitagawa, Japanese director and screenwriter
• 1961 – Jay Wright, American basketball player and coach
• 1962 – Kate Spade, American fashion designer, co-founded Kate Spade New York
• 1962 – Darren Wharton, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
• 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 – Leavander Johnson, American boxer (d. 2005)
• 1969 – Nick Love, English director and screenwriter
• 1969 – Clinton McKinnon, American saxophonist and keyboard player
• 1969 – Sean Cameron Michael, South African actor and singer
• 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 – Chen Yueling, American race walker
• 1969 – Jonathan Zittrain, American scholar and academic
• 1969 – Michael Zucchet, American economist and politician, Mayor of San Diego
• 1970 – Adam Haslett, American author and academic
• 1970 – Amaury Nolasco, Puerto Rican-American actor
• 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 – Eddie Pope, American soccer player
• 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
• 1978 – Yıldıray Baştürk, German-Turkish footballer
• 1978 – Warren Tredrea, Australian footballer and sportscaster
• 1978 – Lisa Bjurwald, Swedish journalist
• 1979 – Chris Hero, American wrestler and trainer
• 1980 – Stephen Appiah, Ghanaian footballer
• 1980 – Tomas Kalnoky, Czech-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1981 – Dima Bilan, Russian singer-songwriter and actor
• 1981 – Shane Tuck, Australian footballer
• 1982 – Masaki Aiba, Japanese singer, dancer, and actor
• 1982 – Robert Coppola Schwartzman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1984 – Burak Özçivit, Turkish model and actor
• 1984 – Wallace Spearmon, American sprinter
• 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
• 1992 – Melissa Suffield, English actress
• 1992 – Michel Babatunde, Nigerian footballer
• 1993 – Mariya Nishiuchi, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
• 1994 – Miguel Castro, Dominican baseball player
• 1995 – Anett Kontaveit, Estonian tennis player
• 1997 – Marina Chan, Singaporean swimmer
• 2000 – Ethan Bortnick, American singer-songwriter and pianist

Deaths

• 427 – Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople
• 1257 – John I, Count of Hainaut (b. 1218)
• 1281 – Henry V of Luxembourg (b. 1216)
• 1453 – John Dunstaple, English composer (b. 1390)
• 1524 – Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer and politician, Governor of Portuguese India (b. 1469)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• 1969 – Seabury Quinn, American soldier and author (b. 1889)
• 1971 – Dora Altmann, German actress (b. 1881)
• 1971 – Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist and zoologist (b. 1924)
• 1972 – Gisela Richter, English-American archaeologist and historian (b. 1882)
• 1972 – Melville Ruick, American actor (b. 1898)
• 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)
• 1980 – Siggie Nordstrom, American actress and singer (b. 1893)
• 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 – Peyo, Belgian cartoonist, created The Smurfs (b. 1928)
• 1992 – Bobby LaKind, American singer-songwriter and conga player (b. 1945)
• 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)
• 2000 – Nick Massi, American singer and bass player (b. 1935)
• 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 (d. 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 – Ray Collins, American singer and harmonica player (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 – William Guest, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, Filipino journalist (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Adriana Olguín, Chilean lawyer and politician, Chilean Minister of Justice (b. 1911)

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

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• Today in Canadian History