146 things happened on 24 October, from AD 51 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1851 · 175 years ago
The English astronomer William Lassell discovered Ariel and Umbriel, two moons of the planet Uranus. They were only the third and fourth of its moons to be found. Umbriel is made mostly of ice mixed with rock, and has a very dark surface. Lassell was a mercha…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
John White, governor of the Roanoke Colony in North America, returned to England after failing to find the missing settlers. The colony was an attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to start the first permanent English settlement in North America. It became known as the Lost Colony, because White could not find any of its settlers. White was also an artist and mapmaker.
UK story
King Philip II of Spain sent a second Spanish Armada to strike against England. He wanted revenge for an English attack on the Spanish port of Cádiz earlier that year, and hoped to help rebels in Ireland. But the fleet was battered by storms off Cape Finisterre in Spain. The ships had to turn back to port.
UK story
The English astronomer William Lassell discovered Ariel and Umbriel, two moons of the planet Uranus. They were only the third and fourth of its moons to be found. Umbriel is made mostly of ice mixed with rock, and has a very dark surface. Lassell was a merchant who also improved the design of reflecting telescopes.
UK story
Sheffield Football Club was founded in England. FIFA, which runs world football, considers it the oldest independent club still playing football anywhere in the world. Unlike many famous clubs, it plays at a much lower level, in the ninth tier of English football. It is now based in Dronfield, in Derbyshire.
UK story
During a gale, the Russian cargo ship Dmitry tried to shelter in the harbour at Whitby, England. It escaped the rocks but drifted onto a sandbank and was wrecked the next day. The author Bram Stoker heard about the wreck. It inspired the moment Count Dracula arrives in England in his famous 1897 novel, Dracula.
UK story
Concorde, the supersonic airliner, made its last commercial flight. Supersonic means it could fly faster than the speed of sound. Concorde was built jointly by Britain and France, and first flew from Toulouse in 1969. Work on the design had begun back in 1954.
UK story
The Treaty of Brétigny is ratified, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War.
UK story
Felim O'Neill of Kinard, the leader of the Irish Rebellion, issues his Proclamation of Dungannon, justifying the uprising and declaring continued loyalty to King Charles I of England.
UK story
English football club Manchester United defeated rivals Arsenal 2–0 in the Battle of the Buffet, ending the latter's record-breaking unbeaten run.
Orville Wright stayed in the air for nine minutes and 45 seconds in a glider at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. A glider is an aircraft with no engine. Orville and his brother Wilbur are credited with inventing and flying the world's first successful aeroplane. Their first powered flight took place in North Carolina in 1903, about 6 kilometres south of Kitty Hawk.
The Charter of the United Nations came into force, officially creating the United Nations. This happened once enough countries had approved it, including the five permanent members of the Security Council. The Charter sets out what the UN is for and how it works. Every year, the date is marked as United Nations Day.
Northern Rhodesia, a British protectorate in southern Africa, gained its independence from the United Kingdom. It became the new country of Zambia. A protectorate is a land that is controlled and protected by a more powerful country. Northern Rhodesia had been formed in 1911 by joining two earlier protectorates together.
About 90 percent of women in Iceland went on strike for the day. They were protesting that women were paid less than men and treated unfairly at work. The women did not go to their jobs, and did no housework or childcare all day. In Iceland it became known as the Women's Day Off.
In the Second Battle of Bedriacum, troops loyal to Vespasian defeat those of Emperor Vitellius.
Chartres Cathedral is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France.
The Peace of Westphalia is signed, marking the end of the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War.
The Brabant Revolution, sometimes considered to be the first expression of Belgian nationalism, began with the invasion of the Austrian Netherlands by an émigré army from the Dutch Republic.
Poland is completely consumed by Russia, Prussia and Austria.
War of the First Coalition: The Battle of Schliengen was fought between the French and Austrian armies, who both claimed victory.
Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Maloyaroslavets takes place near Moscow.
Treaty of Gulistan: The Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813 comes to a close with the signing of the Treaty of Gulistan, under which terms Qajar Iran agrees to cede the bulk of its Caucasian territories, which comprise much of modern Dagestan, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, to the Russian Empire.
The first transcontinental telegraph line across the United States is completed.
Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, gave a speech in which he called for the federation of the six Australian colonies.
First Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Jiuliancheng: Under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo, the Imperial Japanese Army covertly crosses the Yalu River into Qing territory and launches an assault on the fortifications at Hushan.
U.S. Government announces plans to buy Danish West Indies for $7 million.
Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
First Balkan War: The Battle of Kirk Kilisse concludes with a Bulgarian victory against the Ottoman Empire.
First Balkan War: The Battle of Kumanovo concludes with the Serbian victory against the Ottoman Empire.
World War I: Italy suffers a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Caporetto on the Austro-Italian front.
World War I: Italian victory in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
Harry Houdini's last performance takes place at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit.
On "Black Thursday", the New York Stock Exchange lost 11 percent of its value at the opening bell on very heavy trading, marking the beginning of the Great Depression.
The Pacification Junta deposed Brazillian president Washington Luís, ending the Brazilian Revolution of 1930.
The George Washington Bridge (pictured), connecting New York City to Fort Lee, New Jersey, and today the world's busiest motor-vehicle bridge, was dedicated.
A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket takes the first photograph of earth from outer space.
Famed animator Walt Disney testifies before the House Un-American Activities Committee, naming Disney employees he believes to be communists.
The cornerstone of the United Nations headquarters was laid in New York City.
Annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China: The People's Liberation Army ceases all military operations in Tibet, ending the Battle of Chamdo.
US President Dwight D. Eisenhower pledges United States support to South Vietnam.
The United States Air Force starts the X-20 Dyna-Soar crewed space program.
Charges in a military court against generals Dương Văn Đức and Lâm Văn Phát of leading a coup attempt against South Vietnamese leader Nguyễn Khánh, were dropped..
The government of Poland legalizes the Solidarity trade union.
Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti reveals to the Italian parliament the existence of Gladio, the Italian NATO force formed in 1956, intended to be activated in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion.
The Toronto Blue Jays become the first Major League Baseball team based outside the United States to win the World Series.
Deep Space 1 is launched to explore the asteroid belt and test new spacecraft technologies.
The inaugural Afro-Asian Games opened in Hyderabad, with 2,040 athletes from 96 nations competing.
Chang'e 1, the first satellite in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, is launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
The China National Space Administration launches an experimental lunar mission, Chang'e 5-T1, which will loop behind the Moon and return to Earth.
The world's longest sea crossing, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, opens for public traffic.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus”?
A: 1851. 1851 — that’s 175 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “A shipwreck at Whitby inspires a scene in Dracula”?
A: 1885. 1885 — that’s 141 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
A: William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus. 1851: William Lassell discovers two new moons of Uranus · 1885: A shipwreck at Whitby inspires a scene in Dracula · 2003: Concorde makes its last passenger flight Find it on the page
“Concorde makes its last passenger flight” happened in 2003. How many years ago was that?
A: 23 years. 2026 − 2003 = 23. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 24 October.
UK story
Marianne North, the English biologist and botanical artist, was born in Hastings. She travelled widely abroad, painting plants and landscapes, and even discovered new plants. She also created a gallery of her work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. A botanical artist is someone who paints or draws plants in careful, accurate detail.
Well-known people who died on 24 October.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 24 October somewhere in the world.
World Polio Day was set up by Rotary International to mark the birthday of Jonas Salk. Salk led the first team to develop a vaccine against polio, a serious disease. Later, another vaccine, taken by mouth, was developed by Albert Sabin. Using these vaccines, a worldwide effort to wipe out polio began in 1988.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “October 24” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.