What happened on December 24

54 documented historical events happened on December 24, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: The Tang-dynasty poet Du Fu departed for Chengdu, where he lived for the next five years and composed poems about life in his thatched cottage. On the same day, in another year: The United Kingdom and the United States signed a peace treaty in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.

160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on December 24, including Stefan Jaracz, Paul Manship, Michael Curtiz. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.

134 people with a Wikipedia article died on December 24, including Hedwig of Babenberg, Roger III of Sicily, Henry V of Luxembourg. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.

15 observances are celebrated on December 24 around the world: 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), Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances: Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian Americans). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.