TodayOn this dayDecember 24
On this day
Good news on December 24.
Positive things that happened on December 24, with 2 verified milestones. Each milestone links to the source it was checked against.
Verified milestones
Scientific firsts, civil-rights wins, conservation, medicine, kindness, and other good news. Checked against the linked source.
1822
The Library of Congress says Clement Moore is thought to have composed A Visit from St. Nicholas on December 24, 1822, after buying food for baskets his family gave to people in need. Families still read the poem, better known as The Night Before Christmas, on Christmas Eve.
For a read-aloud. A poet is thought to have written The Night Before Christmas while sharing food with people in need.
1968
On December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 flew behind the Moon with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. That day the crew photographed Earth rising over the lunar horizon and showed Earth on a live broadcast.
For a read-aloud. Apollo 8 flew behind the Moon and sent home a picture of Earth rising.
For the classroom
Two questions a teacher can use as a warm-up. This page is for an adult to read with a class.
- What poem or story does your family read on a special night?
- What would you say if you could show the whole Earth to someone far away?
From the archive
Stories published on December 24 will show up here. The archive is still young.
No archive story for this date yet.
When a story is published on December 24, it will be listed here with the milestones above.