What Happened on Dec 24

Benedetto Caetani (Boniface VIII) elected Pope

Pope Boniface VIII (c. 1235 – October 11, 1303), born Benedetto Caetani, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface... Read more

The Treaty of Ghent

The Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814, in Ghent, currently in Belgium, was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the... Read more

"The Night Before Christmas" Is Written

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney... Read more

Fifty-nine Children killed in Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan

A once-thriving mining town in Michigan's remote Upper Peninsula is still haunted by the tragic events that inspired Woody Guthrie's song "1913... Read more

Third Battle of Changsha

With 120,000 soldiers organized in four divisions, the Japanese attempted a third attack on the Chinese city of Changsha. 300,000 men defended the... Read more

"Come Back, Little Sheba" Is Released

Come Back, Little Sheba is a 1952 drama film made by Paramount Pictures which tells the story of a loveless marriage that is rocked when a young... Read more

Tangiwai Rail Disaster

At 10.21 p.m. on Christmas Eve 1953 the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, 10 kilometres west... Read more

New York International Airport (Idlewild Airport) Renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport

JFK Airport was originally known as Idlewild Airport (IATA: IDL, ICAO: KIDL, FAA LID: IDL) after the Idlewild Golf Course that it displaced. The... Read more

LANSA Flight 508 is hit by Lightning in Midair

On Christmas Eve 1971, a Peruvian airliner was struck by lightning in an area of heavy turbulence at 21,000 feet and crashed into a the Amazon.... Read more

The Soviet War in Afghanistan

The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine year war. The war was started due to political beliefs. It was also the Soviets trying to put down the... Read more

"The Road Warrior" Is Released

Mad Max 2, the second film in the Mad Max (franchise), (also known as The Road Warrior in the U.S., and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior) is a 1981... Read more

Social Distortion begins recording first album

The band entered The Casbah in Fullerton, California on December 24, 1982 to begin recording their first album, for numerous hours to cut down... Read more

MST3K Ep. 521 - "Santa Claus"

In this Mexican movie, the devil Pitch schemes to foil Santa Claus at every turn. Read more

FDA Approves GD Searle's Arthortec

Arthrotec is a tablet containing a combination of diclofenac and misoprostol. Diclofenac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that... Read more

FDA Approves Cephalon's Provigil

So I mentioned this to my neurologist who gave me some samples of a medication to try. Those samples were for Provigil, a prescription medication... Read more

Muse Signs a Deal with Maverick Records

Despite the success of their second EP, British record companies were reluctant to sign Muse. It was after a trip to New York's CMJ Festival that... Read more

New England Patriots defeat Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-21

A few years ago, linebacker Tedy Bruschi came up with a saying for games like the one the Patriots played yesterday. He called them hat-and-T-shirt... Read more

Health Care Reform Bill Passes Senate

Senate passage of the health-care bill gives all sides a last opportunity to change the far-reaching overhaul, and it looks to be a messy... Read more

Misprint Leads to $128.6 Million Lottery Jackpot

Rob Anderson, 39, said the winning ticket was a misprint that he decided to keep while buying stocking stuffers at a Georgetown, Ky., gas station.... Read more

Rapunzel is released

Rapunzel is an upcoming American CGI film created and presented by Walt Disney Animation Studios and starring Kristin Chenoweth and Dan Fogler. It... Read more