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On This Day in History — July 24
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Highlights of July 24
- 2019 — Boris Johnson became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after winning the Conservative Party leadership election. Read more
- 2014 — Air Algérie Flight 5017 disappeared from radar shortly after take-off from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; its wreckage was found the following day in Mali with no survivors. Read more
- 1998 — A gunman entered the United States Capitol and opened fire, killing two police officers. Read more
- 1987 — Iran–Iraq War: In opposition to the American plan to protect Kuwaiti tankers, Iran laid mines and damaged the SS Bridgeton, resulting in a propaganda victory for Iran. Read more
- 1980 — The Australian swimming team, nicknamed the Quietly Confident Quartet, won the men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics, the only time that the United States, which boycotted the games, has not won the event at the Olympics. Read more
- 1974 — The Metapolitefsi period began with Konstantinos Karamanlis (pictured) taking office as Prime Minister of Greece after the collapse of the military junta. Read more
- 1967 — During a speech in Montreal, French president Charles de Gaulle (pictured) declared "Long live free Quebec!", a statement that was interpreted as support for Quebec independence from Canada. Read more
- 1959 — Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. vice president Richard Nixon held an impromptu debate (pictured) at the opening of the American National Exhibition at Sokolniki Park in Moscow. Read more
- 1948 — Australia set a world record for the highest successful run-chase in Test cricket history during the Fourth Test of the Ashes series against England. Read more
- 1923 — The Treaty of Lausanne was signed to settle part of the partition of the Ottoman Empire, establishing the boundaries of Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. Read more
- 1920 — Franco-Syrian War: At the Battle of Maysalun, forces of the Arab Kingdom of Syria were defeated by a French army moving to occupy the territory allocated to them by the San Remo conference. Read more
- 1910 — Ottoman forces captured the city of Shkodër, ending the Albanian revolt of 1910 (depicted). Read more
- 1847 — Brigham Young led the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley of Utah, at the time a part of Mexico. Read more
- 1567 — Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son, who became James VI. Read more
- 1411 — Scottish clansmen led by Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles, and Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, fought the Battle of Harlaw near Inverurie, Scotland. Read more
Events
- 2025 — Angara Airlines Flight 2311 crashes on approach to Tynda Airport, killing all 48 people on board. Read more
- 2024 — A Saurya Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 crashes during takeoff from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, killing 18. Read more
- 2019 — Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after defeating Jeremy Hunt in a leadership contest, succeeding Theresa May. Read more
- 2014 — Air Algérie Flight 5017 loses contact with air traffic controllers 50 minutes after takeoff. It was travelling between Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Algiers. The wreckage is later found in Mali. All 116 people on board are killed. Read more
- 2013 — Santiago de Compostela derailment: A high-speed train derails in Spain rounding a curve with an 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit at 190 km/h (120 mph), killing 78 passengers. Read more
- 2012 — Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the city of Girkê Legê. Read more
- 2009 — Aria Air Flight 1525 crashes at Mashhad International Airport, killing 16. Read more
- 2001 — The Bandaranaike Airport attack is carried out by 14 Tamil Tiger commandos, resulting in military and civilian casualties and destroyed aircraft. Read more
- 1999 — Air Fiji flight 121 crashes while en route to Nadi, Fiji, killing all 17 people on board. Read more
- 1998 — Russell Eugene Weston Jr. bursts into the United States Capitol and opens fire, killing two police officers. He is later ruled to be incompetent to stand trial. Read more
- 1987 — US supertanker SS Bridgeton collides with mines laid by IRGC, causing a 43-square-meter dent in the body of the oil tanker. Read more
- 1987 — Hulda Crooks, at 91 years of age, climbs Mt. Fuji. Crooks became the oldest person to climb Japan's highest peak. Read more
- 1983 — The Black July anti-Tamil riots begin in Sri Lanka, killing between 400 and 3,000. Black July is generally regarded as the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Read more
- 1983 — George Brett, playing for the Kansas City Royals against the New York Yankees, has a game-winning home run nullified in the "Pine Tar Incident". Read more
- 1982 — Heavy rain causes a mudslide that destroys a bridge at Nagasaki, Japan, killing 299. Read more
- 1980 — The Quietly Confident Quartet of Australia wins the men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics, the only time the United States has not won the swimming event at Olympic level. Read more
- 1977 — End of a four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War. Read more
- 1974 — Watergate scandal: The United States Supreme Court unanimously rules that President Richard Nixon does not have the authority to withhold subpoenaed White House tapes and they order him to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor. Read more
- 1969 — Apollo program: Apollo 11 splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean. Read more
- 1967 — During an official state visit to Canada, French President Charles de Gaulle declares to a crowd of over 100,000 in Montreal: Vive le Québec libre! ("Long live free Quebec!"); the statement angered the Canadian government and many Anglophone Canadians. Read more
- 1966 — Michael Pelkey makes the first BASE jump from El Capitan along with Brian Schubert. Both came out with broken bones. BASE jumping has now been banned from El Cap. Read more
- 1963 — The ship Bluenose II is launched in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The schooner is a major Canadian symbol. Read more
- 1959 — At the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, U.S. vice president Richard Nixon and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev have a "Kitchen Debate". Read more
- 1950 — Cape Canaveral Air Force Station begins operations with the launch of a Bumper rocket. Read more
- 1943 — World War II: Operation Gomorrah begins: British and Canadian aeroplanes bomb Hamburg by night, and American planes bomb the city by day. By the end of the operation in November, 9,000 tons of explosives will have killed more than 30,000 people and destroyed 280,000 buildings. Read more
- 1935 — The Dust Bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures to 109 °F (43 °C) in Chicago and 104 °F (40 °C) in Milwaukee. Read more
- 1929 — The Kellogg–Briand Pact, renouncing war as an instrument of foreign policy, goes into effect (it is first signed in Paris on August 27, 1928, by most leading world powers). Read more
- 1927 — The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres. Read more
- 1924 — Themistoklis Sofoulis becomes Prime Minister of Greece. Read more
- 1923 — The Treaty of Lausanne, settling the boundaries of modern Turkey, is signed in Switzerland by Greece, Bulgaria and other countries that fought in World War I. Read more
- 1922 — The draft of the British Mandate of Palestine is formally confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations; it came into effect on 26 September 1923. Read more
- 1915 — The passenger ship SS Eastland capsizes while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew are killed in the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes. Read more
- 1911 — Hiram Bingham III re-discovers Machu Picchu, "the Lost City of the Incas". Read more
- 1910 — The Ottoman Empire captures the city of Shkodër, putting down the Albanian Revolt of 1910. Read more
- 1901 — O. Henry is released from prison in Columbus, Ohio, after serving three years for embezzlement from a bank. Read more
- 1866 — Reconstruction: Tennessee becomes the first U.S. state to be readmitted to Congress following the American Civil War. Read more
- 1864 — American Civil War: Battle of Kernstown: Confederate General Jubal Early defeats Union troops led by General George Crook in an effort to keep them out of the Shenandoah Valley. Read more
- 1847 — After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City. Read more
- 1847 — Richard March Hoe, American inventor, patents the rotary-type printing press. Read more
- 1712 — War of the Spanish Succession: The French under Marshal Villars win a decisive victory over Eugene of Savoy at Denain. Read more
- 1701 — Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds the trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, which later becomes the city of Detroit. Read more
- 1567 — Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate and be replaced by her one-year-old son James VI. Read more
- 1534 — French explorer Jacques Cartier plants a cross on the Gaspé Peninsula and takes possession of the territory in the name of Francis I of France. Read more
- 1487 — Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands, strike against a ban on foreign beer. Read more
- 1412 — Behnam Hadloyo becomes Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Mardin. Read more
- 1411 — Battle of Harlaw, one of the bloodiest battles in Scotland, takes place. Read more
- 1304 — Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle: King Edward I of England takes the stronghold using the War Wolf. Read more
- 1148 — Louis VII of France lays siege to Damascus during the Second Crusade. Read more
- 1132 — Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Read more
Born on July 24
- 2001 — Ryan Johnson, American ice hockey player Read more
- 2001 — Drake London, American football player Read more
- 1998 — Bindi Irwin, Australian conservationist, zookeeper, and actress Read more
- 1998 — Sophie Wotschke, Austrian politician Read more
- 1998 — Cailee Spaeny, American actress Read more
- 1996 — Joe Mixon, American football player Read more
- 1995 — Valentine Holmes, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1995 — Kyle Kuzma, American basketball player Read more
- 1995 — Meisei Chikara, Japanese sumo wrestler Read more
- 1994 — Phillip Lindsay, American football player Read more
- 1992 — Mikaël Kingsbury, Canadian skier Read more
- 1991 — Emily Bett Rickards, Canadian actress Read more
- 1991 — Elliot Rodger, English-American mass murderer (died 2014) Read more
- 1991 — Trevor van Riemsdyk, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1989 — Maurkice Pouncey, American football player Read more
- 1988 — Han Seung-yeon, South Korean singer and dancer Read more
- 1988 — Nichkhun, Thai-American singer-songwriter and actor Read more
- 1988 — Ricky Petterd, Australian footballer Read more
- 1987 — Nathan Gerbe, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1987 — Zack Sabre Jr., English wrestler Read more
- 1987 — Mara Wilson, American actress Read more
- 1986 — Natalie Tran, Australian actress and online producer Read more
- 1985 — Patrice Bergeron, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1985 — Aries Merritt, American hurdler Read more
- 1985 — Lukáš Rosol, Czech tennis player Read more
- 1983 — Daniele De Rossi, Italian footballer and manager Read more
- 1983 — Asami Mizukawa, Japanese actress Read more
- 1982 — Mewelde Moore, American football player Read more
- 1982 — Elisabeth Moss, American actress Read more
- 1982 — Anna Paquin, Canadian-New Zealand actress Read more
- 1981 — Doug Bollinger, Australian cricketer Read more
- 1981 — Nayib Bukele, Salvadoran politician, 81st President of El Salvador Read more
- 1981 — Summer Glau, American actress Read more
- 1980 — Joel Stroetzel, American guitarist Read more
- 1979 — Rose Byrne, Australian actress Read more
- 1979 — Jerrod Niemann, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
- 1978 — Andy Irons, American surfer (died 2010) Read more
- 1976 — Rafer Alston, American basketball player Read more
- 1976 — Tiago Monteiro, Portuguese racing driver and manager Read more
- 1976 — Rashida Tlaib, American politician Read more
Died on July 24
- 2025 — Hulk Hogan, American professional wrestler and actor (born 1953) Read more
- 2025 — Cleo Laine, English singer and actress (born 1927) Read more
- 2024 — Shafin Ahmed, Bangladeshi bassist and singer-songwriter (born 1961) Read more
- 2024 — Hamzah Haz, Indonesian journalist and politician, 9th Vice President of Indonesia (born 1940) Read more
- 2024 — Dmytro Kiva, Ukrainian engineer and designer (born 1942) Read more
- 2023 — George Alagiah, BBC News journalist and broadcaster (born 1955) Read more
- 2023 — Trevor Francis, Britain's first "£1 million football player" (born 1954) Read more
- 2022 — David Warner, English actor (born 1941) Read more
- 2021 — Dale Snodgrass, United States Naval Aviator and air show performer (born 1949) Read more
- 2021 — Rodney Alcala, American serial killer (born 1943) Read more
- 2017 — Harshida Raval, Indian Gujarati playback singer Read more
- 2016 — Marni Nixon, American actress and singer (born 1930) Read more
- 2015 — Peg Lynch, American actress and screenwriter (born 1916) Read more
- 2015 — Ingrid Sischy, South African-American journalist and critic (born 1952) Read more
- 2014 — Ik-Hwan Bae, Korean-American violinist and educator (born 1956) Read more
- 2014 — Dale Schlueter, American basketball player (born 1945) Read more
- 2014 — Hans-Hermann Sprado, German journalist and author (born 1956) Read more
- 2013 — Garry Davis, American pilot and activist, created the World Passport (born 1921) Read more
- 2013 — Fred Dretske, American philosopher and academic (born 1932) Read more
- 2013 — Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and sexologist (born 1925) Read more
- 2013 — Pius Langa, South African lawyer and jurist, 19th Chief Justice of South Africa (born 1939) Read more
- 2012 — Chad Everett, American actor and director (born 1937) Read more
- 2012 — Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (born 1938) Read more
- 2012 — Larry Hoppen, American singer and guitarist (born 1951) Read more
- 2012 — Robert Ledley, American physiologist and physicist, invented the CT scanner (born 1926) Read more
- 2012 — Themo Lobos, Chilean author and illustrator (born 1928) Read more
- 2012 — John Atta Mills, Ghanaian lawyer and politician, President of Ghana (born 1944) Read more
- 2012 — Gregorio Peces-Barba, Spanish jurist and politician (born 1938) Read more
- 2011 — Frank Dietrich, German politician (born 1966) Read more
- 2011 — Dan Peek, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1950) Read more
- 2011 — Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist and composer (born 1970) Read more
- 2011 — David Servan-Schreiber, French physician, neuroscientist, and author (born 1961) Read more
- 2011 — Skip Thomas, American football player (born 1950) Read more
- 2010 — Alex Higgins, Northern Irish snooker player (born 1949) Read more
- 2009 — Jack Le Goff, French equestrian (born 1931) Read more
- 2008 — Norman Dello Joio, American pianist and composer (born 1913) Read more
- 2007 — Albert Ellis, American psychologist and author (born 1913) Read more
- 2007 — Nicola Zaccaria, Greek opera singer (born 1923) Read more
- 2005 — Richard Doll, English physiologist and epidemiologist (born 1912) Read more
- 2001 — Georges Dor, Canadian author, playwright, and composer (born 1931) Read more
Holidays & observances
Carnival of Awussu (Tunisia); Children's Day (Vanuatu); Christian feast day:
Charbel (Maronite Church/Catholic Church); Christian feast day:
Blessed Christina the Astonishing; Christian feast day:
Christina of Bolsena; Christian feast day:
Declán of Ardmore; Christian feast day:
Euphrasia of Constantinople; Christian feast day:
John Boste; Christian feast day:
Kinga (or Cunegunda) of Poland; Christian feast day:
Menefrida of Cornwall; Christian feast day:
Blessed Mercè Prat i Prat; Christian feast day:
Sigolena of Albi; Christian feast day:
July 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Pioneer Day (Utah); Police Day (Poland); Simón Bolívar Day (Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia)
Navy Day (Venezuela)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “July 24”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.