On This Day for December 24 - Treaty of Ghent, John is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. December 24 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY John READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1814 Treaty of Ghent READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2008: English playwright Harold Pinter, who achieved international renown—and was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature—as one of the most complex and challenging post-World War II dramatists, died at age 78. [ How well do you know famous authors?] 1997: Japanese actor Mifune Toshirō, known internationally for his energetic, flamboyant portrayals of samurai characters, especially in films directed by Kurosawa Akira, died near Tokyo. [Take our actors and acting quiz.] 1979: The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to aid the Afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist Muslim guerrillas during the Afghan War. [ Take our history of war quiz.] 1973: American writer Stephenie Meyer—author of the popular Twilight Saga, a series of vampire-themed novels for teenagers—was born. [ Test your knowledge of famous vampires.] 1951: Idris I, head of the Sanūsiyyah (a Sufi Muslim brotherhood), was proclaimed king of an independent United Kingdom of Libya. [ Take our quiz about African leaders.] 1943: General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II. [Sort fact from fiction in our World War II quiz.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1905 Howard Hughes American manufacturer, aviator, and motion-picture producer 1922 Ava Gardner American actress 1837 Elisabeth empress consort of Austria 1973 Stephenie Meyer American author 1809 Kit Carson American frontiersman 1924 Muhammed Rafi Indian singer SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help