What Happened on July 24
Important Events
- 1534 Jacques Cartier lands in Canada, claims it for France
- 1567 Mary Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate; her 1-year-old son becomes King James VI of Scots
- 1832 Benjamin Bonneville leads the first wagon train across the Rocky Mountains by Wyoming's South Pass
- 1911 American explorer Hiram Bingham discovers Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas
- 1943 Operation Gomorrah: RAF begins bombing Hamburg (till 3rd August), creating a firestorm and killing 42,600 people
- 1982 Single "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor from "Rocky III" soundtrack starts 6-week run at No. 1 on US charts (Grammy for Best Rock Performance)
- 2019 Global warming is the fastest in 2,000 years and scientific consensus that humans are the cause is at 99%, according to three major reports published in journals "Nature" and "Nature Geoscience"
Jul 24 in Film & TV
- 1952 "High Noon", American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Gary Cooper and Thomas Mitchell, is released
Jul 24 in Sport
- 2005 92nd Tour de France: no winner; Lance Armstrong retires after winning a record seventh consecutive victory but disqualified in 2012 for doping
Did You Know?
Harrisburg Pennsylvanian newspaper publishes results of 1st public opinion poll, with a clear lead for Andrew Jackson
On July 24, 1824
Famous Birthdays
Simón Bolívar
(1783 - 1830)- Alexandre Dumas
(1802 - 1870) - Bill the Butcher
(1821 - 1855) - Amelia Earhart
(1897 - 1939) - Barry Bonds
56 Years Old - Jennifer Lopez
51 Years Old
Simón Bolívar
Alexandre Dumas
Bill the Butcher
Amelia Earhart
Barry Bonds
Jennifer LopezWould You Believe?
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria when he was a child, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, becoming the first monarch in history to regain political power through democratic election to a different office.
On July 24, 2001
Famous Weddings
- 1554 Queen Maria of England marries Philip, king of Naples/Jerusalem
- 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Howard Hanson (49) weds Margaret Elizabeth Nelson at the Chautauqua Institution in New York
- 1972 Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (24) weds Sarah Hugill
Martin Van Buren
Matthew Webb
James Chadwick
Peter SellersArticles, Photos and Quiz
Light and Air For All – With No Charge!
One of Britain's most hated taxes, which had been in force for more than 250 years, was finally abolished on this day.
July 24, 1851Kitchen Debate
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (left) and US Vice President Richard Nixon (right) debate each other in Moscow
July 24, 1959Weekly Quiz for July 22-28
Test your knowledge of historical events and famous people in our multi-choice, weekly history quiz for July 22-28. Then challenge your friends!
July in History
Spoonerism – Or Just A Lack Of Pies?
A Spoonerism is a phrase that comes out all wrong, and the man responsible for them, William Spooner, was born on this day. Did he just get bad Press?
July 22, 1844Ulysses S. Grant’s Race Against Time
One newspaper called Ulysses S. Grant America’s ‘most corrupt’ President. Historians now doubt that and admire his courage in telling his remarkable story.
July 23, 1885The Story of Writer O. Henry’s Short Life
William Porter was sent to prison for embezzlement in 1897. The sentence gave him time to write and the celebrated short stories of “O.Henry” were born.
July 25, 1897Oh! Calcutta! - The Bare Facts
Born when free love and anything goes were the mantra of youth, the show "Oh! Calcutta!" opened in London on this day. Police considered a prosecution for obscenity.
July 26, 1970
