April 24

1066  Halley's Comet blazed across the sky on April 24, 1066 and the week that followed. It was a very bright comet, and it was visible to the naked eye in the daytime sky. Many people in Europe saw the comet, and it was interpreted as a sign of bad luck or impending disaster. The comet was later taken to be an omen of the Norman Conquest.

The comet's appearance in 1066 was recorded on the Bayeux Tapestry

1558 At the age of 16, Mary Queen of Scots married Francis, the sickly 14-year-old French Dauphin. The ceremony took place at Notre Dame in Paris on April 24, 1558. Francis ascended the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, Henry II 14 and-a-half months later. The health of the king deteriorated and Francis II died on December 5, 1560 at the hôtel Groslot in Orléans, Loiret leaving Mary a widow three days before her 18th birthday..

1704 The first regular newspaper in North America, The Boston News-Letter, was first published in Boston on April 24, 1704. It was heavily subsidized by the British government, with a limited circulation. During its early years, the News-Letter was filled primarily with news from London journals describing English politics and the details of European wars.

The Boston News-Letter, first issue

1731 The author Daniel Defoe had a gift for observing human nature. He wrote 250 books and over 500 written works including history, biography, sociology, travel, manuals of conduct for parents and lovers, economics and political pamphlets.  He was most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe.
Daniel Defoe died on April 24, 1731, probably while in hiding from his creditors. He was interred in Bunhill Fields, London, where a monument was erected to his memory in 1870.

1762 On April 24, 1792 Dietrich, Mayor of Strasbourg, remarked that the French soldiers had no spirited marching song. That night, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a young captain of engineers, picked up his violin and composed the words and music of a stirring song. De Lisle sung his tune for the first time during a patriotic banquet at Dietrich's home. We now know it as the famous France national anthem "La Marseillaise."

1815 The novelist Anthony Trollope was born at 6 Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London on April 24, 1815. Anthony was a large, dirty boy with a large voice. He was unpopular and had no friends as he was thought to be uncouth and clumsy. Anthony was despised at school by both pupils and teachers taking repeated floggings. Because of his miserable school experiences, he took to daydreaming. Walking a mile walk to and from school young Trollope would be lost in his elaborate inner worlds.

1874 The American outlaw Jesse James had an almost obsessive love for his mother, which extended to him marrying his first cousin, who was also named Zerelda (see picture below) on April 24, 1874.
Pastor's daughter Zerelda and Jesse had two surviving children: Jesse Edward "Tim" James (August 31, 1875 - March 26, 1951). Mary Susan James (June 17, 1879 - October 11, 1935). They also had twins Gould and Montgomery James who both died in infancy.

Tintype of Zerelda Mimms, wife of Jesse James

1895 Captain Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. On April 24, 1895, he set sail from Boston, Massachusetts in his 36′ 9″ (11.2 m) gaff rigged sloop oyster boat named Spray. His journey took over three years as Slocum took up the harder challenge of sailing east to west, against the prevailing wind.

1897 The first Rugby League Challenge Cup competition was held during the 1896-97 season and was organized by the Northern Union (later known as the Rugby Football League). A total of 56 clubs entered the competition, with Batley and St. Helens reaching the final, which was held on April 24, 1897, at Headingley in Leeds. Batley emerged as the champions, defeating St. Helens 10-3 in front of a crowd of 13,492 spectators.

The first ever Challenge Cup Final, 1897: 

1913 When the Woolworth Building opened on April 24, 1913 in New York, it became the tallest building in the world, with a height of 792 feet (241 meters) and 55 stories. It held this title until the completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930. However, it is worth noting that the Eiffel Tower, which was completed in 1889, was still the tallest structure in the world at the time of the Woolworth Building's completion, as it stood at a height of 1,063 feet (324 meters).

1915 Between 1915–16 up to 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or deported by the Turks. These events are traditionally commemorated yearly on April 24th, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The date commemorates the deportation of Armenian intellectuals on April  24, 1915 from Constantinople (current Istanbul, Turkey). It is a public holiday in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. 

1942 Barbra Streisand was born Barbara Joan Streisand to Jewish parents on April 24, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. She changed her name to Barbra when she was 18-years-old as she wanted to be unique, but didn't want to change her name completely. At Erasmus Hall High School she sang in the school choir alongside Neil Diamond. The pair teamed up again in 1978 for the smash hit "You Don't Bring Me Flowers."

1953 Winston Churchill was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on April 24, 1953 in recognition of his leadership during World War II and his contribution to British politics. She also invested him with the insignia of the Order of the Garter, the oldest British Order of Chivalry. The Order of the Garter is the oldest British Order of Chivalry, founded by King Edward III in 1348. It is considered one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon an individual by the British monarch.

1965 Civil war broke out in the Dominican Republic on April 24, 1965 when Colonel Francisco Caamaño, overthrew the triumvirate that was in power. The war was ended by U.S. military occupation and was followed by the authoritarian rule of Joaquín Balaguer, 1966–1978.

1967 Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was the first human to die during a spaceflight when the Soyuz 1 space capsule crashed after re-entry on April 24, 1967. The module's drogue and main braking parachute failed to deploy correctly and as a result, the capsule crashed into the ground, killing Komarov instantly. 

1973 The Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was born at Nirmal Nursing Home in Dadar, Bombay on April 24, 1973. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a well-known Marathi novelist and his mother, Rajni, worked in the insurance industry. Ramesh named Tendulkar after his favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman.

1974 The artist Stephen Wiltshire was born April 24, 1974. An autistic savant, Wiltshire draws detailed landscapes from memory. A 250-foot (76 m) long panoramic memory drawing of New York is on display at JFK Airport. He was appointed an MBE in 2006 and in the same year, he opened a permanent gallery on the Royal Opera Arcade in London.

2004 American Chad Fell holds the record for "Largest Hands-free Bubblegum Bubble" at 20.0 inches (50.8 cm) achieved on April 24, 2004. He blew the bubble at the Double Springs High School, Winston County, Alabama, USA. Fell used three pieces of Dubble Bubble gum to achieve the feat. 

2005 The first dog to be cloned was born in South Korea on April 24, 2005, and was named Snuppy.
The cloned Afghan Hound was named as Time Magazine's most amazing invention of 2005. The team that produced Snuppy went on to create the world's first cloned sniffer dogs in 2007. The six dogs, all named Toppy, started work for South Korea's customs service in 2009.

2005 Good Vibrations was a 2005 Broadway musical that paid tribute to the iconic American rock band, The Beach Boys and featured a score that included many of the Beach Boys' most popular hits. Despite high expectations, Good Vibrations received mixed reviews from critics and struggled to find an audience. After just 28 previews and 94 regular performances, the show closed on April 24, 2005. 

2013 On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza building in the Savar Upazila of Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,129 people and injuring around 2,500. The eight-story commercial premises housed a garment factory which exported clothing to US and European companies. It was the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history.