November 24: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On November 24, 1859, Charles Darwin quietly published a book that would forever change how humanity understands its place in the natural world.
About November 24
November 24 is a day that has repeatedly reshaped how we see the world and ourselves. In 1859, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species hit shelves, introducing the theory of evolution by natural selection and fundamentally upending centuries of biological thought. Exactly 115 years later, in 1974, paleoanthropologists Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discovered the 40%-complete skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis—nicknamed "Lucy"—in Ethiopia, providing a breathtaking fossil link in human ancestry that Darwin himself could only have imagined.
But the date isn't only about scientific revelation. In 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines flight, extorted $200,000 in cash, and parachuted into a Washington state thunderstorm, never to be seen again. The audacious skyjacking remains one of aviation's most baffling cold cases. In a more hopeful vein, November 24, 1989, saw Miloš Jakeš and the entire Czechoslovak Politburo resign after a week of peaceful mass protests known as the Velvet Revolution, effectively ending Communist rule in the country.
From the launch of the FBI Crime Lab in 1932 to the safe splashdown of Apollo 12 ending humanity's second crewed Moon landing in 1969, this date has witnessed remarkable firsts across widely different fields of human endeavor.
Holidays & Observances on November 24
- Christian feast days: Albert of Louvain
- Christian feast days: Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Pierre Dumoulin-Borie, and other Vietnamese Martyrs
- Christian feast days: Chrysogonus
- Christian feast days: Colmán of Cloyne
- Christian feast days: Eanflæd
- Christian feast days: Firmina
- Christian feast days: Flavian of Ricina
- Christian feast days: Flora and Maria
Fun & National Days on November 24
- Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day — Show off that bizarre party trick or hidden skill you've been quietly perfecting all year.
- D.B. Cooper Day — Tip your hat to history's most mysterious skyjacker—just maybe don't try parachuting with ransom cash yourself.
- National Sardines Day — Pop open a tin of these tiny, nutrient-packed fish and enjoy them on crackers for a savory snack.
- Brownielocks Day
- National Carménère Day
- National Illustration Day (UK)
- National Use Even If Seal Is Broken Day
On This Day in History
- 380 — Emperor Theodosius I made his formal ceremonial entry into Constantinople, cementing the city's status as the heart of the Eastern Roman Empire.
- 1221 — Genghis Khan defeated the renegade Khwarazmian prince Jalal al-Din at the Battle of the Indus, effectively completing the Mongol conquest of Central Asia.
- 1642 — Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight Van Diemen's Land, the island later renamed Tasmania in his honor.
- 1832 — South Carolina passed the Ordinance of Nullification, declaring federal tariffs void in the state and sparking a dramatic constitutional crisis.
- 1859 — Charles Darwin's groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species was published, introducing the theory of evolution through natural selection to the public.
- 1877 — Anna Sewell's influential animal welfare novel Black Beauty was published, shaping public compassion for the treatment of horses and animals alike.
- 1932 — The FBI Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, widely known as the FBI Crime Lab, officially opened its doors in Washington, D.C.
- 1969 — The Apollo 12 command module splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, successfully concluding the second crewed mission to land on the Moon.
- 1971 — A hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper parachuted from a commercial airliner over Washington state with $200,000 in ransom, vanishing without a trace.
- 1974 — Scientists Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discovered a 40%-complete Australopithecus afarensis skeleton nicknamed Lucy in Ethiopia's Awash Valley.
- 1989 — Following a week of Velvet Revolution protests, Czechoslovakia's entire Communist Politburo resigned, effectively ending one-party rule in the nation.
- 2016 — Colombia's government and the FARC rebel group signed a revised peace accord, bringing an end to a devastating conflict that lasted over fifty years.
Famous Birthdays on November 24
- 1632 — Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher whose rationalist ideas on ethics and God laid crucial groundwork for the Enlightenment in the 17th century.
- 1784 — Zachary Taylor, American military hero of the Mexican-American War who served as the 12th President of the United States before dying in office.
- 1826 — Carlo Collodi, Italian author who gave the world The Adventures of Pinocchio, creating one of literature's most enduring and beloved characters.
- 1849 — Frances Hodgson Burnett, British-American novelist best known for beloved children's classics including The Secret Garden and A Little Princess.
- 1864 — Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French painter and illustrator who vividly captured the vibrant, bohemian nightlife of late 19th-century Parisian cabarets.
- 1868 — Scott Joplin, African-American composer and pianist celebrated as the King of Ragtime, a genre that deeply influenced American popular music.
- 1888 — Dale Carnegie, American author and educator whose landmark self-improvement book How to Win Friends and Influence People remains globally popular.
- 1938 — Oscar Robertson, Legendary American basketball player who became the first in NBA history to average a triple-double across an entire season.
- 1942 — Billy Connolly, Scottish comedian and actor whose witty, unscripted stand-up routines made him a beloved cultural icon across the United Kingdom.
- 1978 — Katherine Heigl, American actress known for her starring role on the hit medical drama Grey's Anatomy and numerous popular romantic comedy films.