December 24Christmas Island (Kiritimati)759 The Tang-dynasty poet Du Fu departed for Chengdu, where he lived for the next five years and composed poems about life in his thatched cottage.1777 An expedition led by English explorer James Cook reached Christmas Island (pictured), the largest coral atoll in the world.1814 The United Kingdom and the United States signed a peace treaty in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812.1987 About 20,000 protesters marched in a civil rights demonstration in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States.1999 Jihadists linked to al-Qaeda hijacked Indian Airlines Flight814 to force the release of Islamist figures held in prison in India.Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik (d.738)George Crabbe (b.1754)Adam Exner (b.1928)Turid Birkeland (d.2015)More anniversaries: December 23December 24December 25ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout