Page 7: Historical Events In December - 25
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
1957 Frederick Law Olmsted, US architect (Central Park), dies at 87. 

1959 A synagogue in Cologne Germany desecrated with swastikas. 

1961 Rheinhold Rudenberg, inventor of electron microscope, dies. 

1963 Walt Disney's "The Sword In The Stone" is released. 

1963 Tristan Tzara, writer, dies at 67 

1964 Cheerio Meredith, actress (One Happy Family), dies at 74. 

1967 Paul McCartney and Jane Asher get engaged 

1968 Frank Borman's Christmas reading while orbiting Moon 

1971 Worst hotel fire in history results in the deaths of 163 at Taeyokale Hotel in Seoul 

1971 Byron Arnold, composer, dies at 70. 

1973 Tommy Chambers (Scotland) finishes 51 yr cycle tour (799405 miles). 

1974 Cyclone Tracy virtually destroys Darwin Australia 

1975 Gaston Gallimard, French publisher (Library Gallimard), dies at 94. 

1976 Arthur Mitchell, cricketer (batted in 6 Tests for Eng 1933-36), dies 

1977 Israeli PM Menachem Begin meets in Egypt with Egyptian President Sadat 

1977 Charlie Chaplin, actor (Modern Times), dies in Switzerland at 88. 

1979 Joan Blondell, actress (Real McCoys), dies at 70. 

1980 Fred Emney, actor (Adventures of a Private Eye), dies at 80. 

1983 Live telecast of Christmas Parade. 

1983 Joan Miro, Spanish surrealist, dies at his home in Majorca at 90 

1985 George Rhodes, orch leader (Sammy Davis Jr Show), dies at 66 

1989 Barrel Regtien, student leader, dies. 

1990 "Godfather III" premiers 

1990 Marguerite N Wittenberg, entertainer, dies of cancer at 77 

1991 Curt Bois, actor (Great Waltz, Boat is Full), dies at 90 

1992 Richard H Ichord, US leader of House Un-American Activities Committee, dies at 66. 

1993 SS South of Ireland, a passenger steamer, built for the Great Western Railway, and completed in 1867, she was lost at Warbarrow near Lulworth on December 25th, inward bound to Weymouth. 

1994 Pierre Dreyfus, French director of Renault (1955-75), dies at 87. 

1995 Dean Martin, singer/actor (Return to Me), dies at 78. 

2000 A bank machine in a supermarket in the town of Antibes France paid double the withdrawal amount while only recording the correct amount (Merry Christmas) 

2000 A Christmas day fire killed 309 people at a dance hall in the central Chinese city of Luoyang 

2007 An escaped tiger at the San Francisco Zoo results in the deaths of one person and injures two others 

2007 An overcrowded suspension bridge collapsed near Nepalgunj, Nepal. At least 15 people are dead, with 100 to 200 missing. 

2007 Queen Elizabeth II broadcasts her 50th televised Royal Christmas Message to the Commonwealth. 

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