December 24 - Working

Working

This Day In History

563

The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.

1777

Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.

1818

The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.

1914

World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.

1955

NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.

1968

Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.

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".

Famous Birthdays

1166

John, King of England (d. 1216)

1745

Benjamin Rush, doctor and Founding Father of the United States (d. 1813)

1809

Kit Carson, American frontiersman (d. 1868)

1818

James Prescott Joule, British physicist (d. 1889)

1880

Johnny Gruelle, American cartoonist, children's book writer and creator of Raggedy Ann (d. 1939)

1893

Harry Warren, American composer and lyricist (Chattanooga Choo Choo – I Only Have Eyes for You) (d. 1981)

1905

Howard Hughes, American film producer and inventor (d. 1976)

1910

Fritz Leiber, American fantasy, horror, and science fiction writer (d. 1992)
Max Miedinger, typeface designer, famous for creating Helvetica in 1957 (d. 1980)

1922

Ava Gardner, American actress (d. 1990)

1927

Mary Higgins Clark, American author

1964

Mark Valley, American actor

1966

Diedrich Bader, American actor