December 24, 1144 – The capital of the crusades, County of Edessa, fell to Imad ad-Din Zengi, the atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo. 1294 – Pope Boniface VIII was elected, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned after 5 months. 1777 – Christmas Island (Kiritimati) was discovered by James Cook. 1814 – The Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the War of 1812. 1818 – The 1st performance of Silent Night took place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria. 1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the U.S. Military Academy began. 1865 – Several Confederate veterans formed the Ku Klux Klan. 1906 – Reginald Fessenden transmitted the 1st public audio radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo (O Holy Night), and a speech. 1913 – The Italian Hall disaster (1913 Massacre) in Calumet, MI, resulted in the death of 73 Christmas party goers held by striking mine workers, including 59 children. 1914 – The unofficial Christmas truce began. 1939 – Pope Pius XII made a Christmas Eve appeal for peace. 1941 – Kuching was conquered by Japanese forces. 1943 - General Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Allied Supreme Commander. 1951 – Libya became independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya. 1955 – NORAD Tracked Santa for the 1st time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition. 1964 – Viet Cong operatives bombed the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital. 1968 – Apollo 8 entered into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 06:44:55 +0000
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