On This Day in History for December 24
Events in History
- 563 The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.
- 640 John IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope
- 1046 Pope Clement II, [Suitger] elected
- 1294 Cardinal Benedetto Gaetani chosen as Pope Boniface VIII
- 1476 400 Burgundian soldiers freeze to death during siege of Nancy
- 1515 Thomas Wolsey appointed Lord Chancellor of England
- 1565 Compromise of the Nobles in Habsburg Netherlands closes against inquisition
- 1568 Uprising of Moriscos in Granada
- More Events in History
King John
Kit Carson
Matthew Arnold
Anthony Fauci
Jeff Sessions
Hamid KarzaiWeddings in History
- 1161 Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos marries Princess Maria of Antioch in the Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, with chariot races to celebrate in the Hippodrome
- 1914 Agatha Miller (later best selling detective author) marries aviator Archibald Christie
- 1917 Famous pilot James Doolittle (21) weds high school sweetheart Josephine E. Daniels
More Weddings in History
Vasco da Gama
Edwin Stanton
John Muir
François Darlan
Karl Dönitz
Raemer SchreiberDecember in History
Enter King John – England's Worst-Ever Monarch
Most historians have difficulty finding a good word to say about King John who was born on this day and by general agreement ranks as England’s worst monarch.
December 24, 1167
The Day They Banned Christmas
Gearing up for a day of Christmas festivities, would-be US revellers in Boston faced bad news on this day. All such celebrations had been declared illegal.
December 24, 1659
Treaty of Ghent
The signing of the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve
December 24, 1814
The Day Murdoch Spoilt the Queen's Christmas
Queen Elizabeth II made the first live Christmas Day broadcast of her reign on December 25, 1952. Forty years later a pre-recorded message would be leaked.
December 25, 1952