On This Day – July 24th: A Date of Discovery, Diplomacy, and Drama

Explore the events of July 24th in history. From Machu Picchu’s discovery to Apollo 11’s splashdown, learn about revolutions, royal births, and major global milestones that shaped the world.

📅 What Day Is July 24th in the Calendar?

Gregorian Calendar: July 24th is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years), leaving 160 days remaining.
Zodiac Sign: People born on July 24th fall under Leo, associated with leadership, energy, and confidence.
Seasonal Context:
- In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s deep summer—often linked with harvests, festivals, and travel.
- In the Southern Hemisphere, it falls in the midst of winter.

🎉 Holidays and Observances on July 24th

🇵🇪 Peru: Independence Day Week Begins

Although Peru’s official Independence Day is celebrated on July 28th, celebrations often begin as early as July 24th, with parades, fireworks, and public gatherings.

🇺🇸 Pioneer Day (Utah, USA)

Pioneer Day marks the arrival of Mormon pioneers into Utah’s Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
It’s a major public holiday in Utah, with reenactments, bonfires, parades, and rodeos.
Also commemorated by Latter-day Saint (LDS) communities worldwide.

📜 Major Historical Events on July 24th

🏛️ 1911 – Discovery of Machu Picchu

American historian Hiram Bingham rediscovered the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu high in Peru’s Andes.
Though local Indigenous communities had long known of its existence, Bingham’s “official” discovery introduced it to the world.
Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

🌊 1969 – Apollo 11 Splashdown

After making history as the first humans to walk on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins safely returned to Earth.
Their Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969, concluding a mission watched by over 600 million people globally.

⚖️ 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots Abdicates

Facing scandal and political pressure, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son, James VI of Scotland (later James I of England).
This marked a critical turning point in British and Scottish history, leading to eventual union under one crown.

⚔️ 1701 – French Colonists Found Detroit

French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac established Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, now modern-day Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit would become a strategic fur-trading hub and, later, the center of the American automotive industry.

📰 1927 – Menachem Begin Born

Future Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin, was born on this day in Poland.
A leader of the Irgun paramilitary group and later a Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his role in the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty, Begin remains a pivotal figure in Middle Eastern history.

🎂 Famous Birthdays on July 24th

🎤 Jennifer Lopez (1969)

American singer, dancer, actress, and entrepreneur. Known as J.Lo, she’s one of the most influential Latina entertainers in the world.

👑 Simón Bolívar (1783)

Revered as El Libertador, Bolívar played a central role in Latin America’s independence from Spanish colonial rule.
Helped liberate modern-day Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama.

⚖️ Alexandre Dumas fils (1824)

French author and playwright, son of Alexandre Dumas père. Famous for writing La Dame aux Camélias, which inspired Verdi’s opera La Traviata.

🎞️ Amelia Earhart (1897) – Declared Birthdate

Though there’s some uncertainty about her birth date, July 24 is widely accepted.
Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and became a lasting symbol of courage, adventure, and women’s empowerment.

💡 Did You Know? (Fun Facts for July 24th)

The Moon Rock Exchange: In 1969, after their return, Apollo 11 astronauts presented moon rock samples to world leaders as a symbol of peace and exploration.
Simón Bolívar is a National Hero in Multiple Countries: July 24 is not just Bolívar’s birthday—it’s Bolivia’s namesake day and a holiday in Venezuela.
Machu Picchu’s Discovery Sparked Tourism: After its rediscovery in 1911, the site saw a surge in global tourism that continues today, contributing significantly to Peru’s economy.

🔁 Summary: Why July 24th Matters

July 24th marks a crossroads of exploration, leadership, and legacy. From Inca empires to lunar missions, from revolutionary leaders to entertainment icons, this day connects past and present across cultures and continents.

Whether you’re a history lover, astrology fan, or just curious about the stories that shape our world—July 24th has something to teach us all.

📢 Get Involved!

Did something on July 24th surprise you?
👍 Like, 💬 comment with your favorite historical moment, and 🔁 share this post to spread the knowledge.

📅 Be sure to bookmark Earth Site’s “On This Day” section and join us daily to explore what made each date unforgettable.

: 1922

In 1922 the League of Nations passed the Draft for the British Mandate of Palestine which would take effect on the 24^th of September 1923.

In the 6^th century the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, began conquering the Kingdom of Judah (now part of what was Palestine and now Israel). The Jewish people left the Judah and the Land of Israel and began living in as immigrants in foreign lands also known as “Jewish diaspora” in Yiddish. The Jewish immigrants were often persecuted by various countries throughout their history.

Palestine had been conquered in 643 AD by the Islamic Empire but the majority of the population remained Christian for centuries, throughout the crusades, until Saladin’s conquest of the land in 1187.

In the 19^th Century a great number of Jews and some people of other faiths began to support the idea of the Jewish people returning home to the Holy Land, an act known as Aliyah, and the creation of a Jewish homeland once more. This movement was known as Zionism and by 1882 a large scale immigration of Jews to Palestine began.

In 1840 Palestine became under the administration of Ottoman Empire and by 1917 the First World War had reached most of Palestine and the Holy City of Jerusalem. The Arabs in Palestine had already planned to start an uprising against the Ottoman Empire and the British gave assurances that they would support an uprising and guarantee the Independence of the Arabs if they were successful. British and other Commonwealth forces managed to secure Jerusalem by the end of 1917 and by the 25^th of September 1918 they had freed Palestine from the Ottoman forces. However the United Kingdom did not keep its promise to the Palestinians. On the Second of November the Foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, also promised to support a home for the Jewish people in Palestine in a letter known as the Balfour Declaration. At the end of World War I administration of the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Allied powers and Britain received a Mandate from the league of Nations to Govern Palestine.

The Arabic people were understandably furious and the United Kingdom had to deal with many several riots. More over many Zionist-Jewish-Palestinians were unhappy as they wanted a Jewish homeland of their own in Palestine. One such group was Irgun, a Zionist Paramilitary group that had been known to have carried out terrorist acts. It was believed that Amichai Paglin, head of Operations for Irgun, had been involved with several terrorist attacks on the King David Hotel, which was the base of operations for the British administration in Palestine. On the 29^th of June 1946 the British forces conducted “Operation Agatha” which involved raiding the premises of “the Jewish Agency” and Irgun to gather evidence of their involvement in terror attacks. Thousands of arrests were made and documents confiscated. The documents were taken to the British Administration headquarters at the King David Hotel. On the 22^nd of July 1946 the Irgun planted an explosive device in the basement of the hotel. A Bomb threat was called in but 91 people were killed and another 46 were injured.

After World War II the United Kingdom made requests for an end to their Mandate of Palestine and the newly formed United Nations gave an order for its completion on the 14^th of May 1948. The United Nation created a partition plan for Palestine which would divide the country into an Israeli State (around 56% of the land) and the Arab State with the Holy City of Jerusalem as an international regime. This plan was agreed by the Jewish Palestinians but rejected by the Arabic Palestinians. After the UN General Assembly voted in agreement of the plans on the 30^th of November 1947 the Arab State members of the United Nations requested that the resolution go before the International Court of Justice to determine its legitimacy but their request was denied. On the day of the vote civil war broke out in Palestine.

The British Mandate of Palestine ended on the 14^th of May 1948 and on the same day the Jewish community declared their independence as a separate state of Israel. The Arab-Israeli war of 1948 began the following day as the neighbouring Arab States began to engage the Israeli military in open combat. Both Jewish and Arab Palestinians had been building forces for several years in anticipation for war and by the start Israeli forces outnumbered the Arabic Palestinians with 35,000 to 12,000 troops. After 10 months of fighting, with intermittent cease fires, the Arab-Israeli War ended on the 10^th of March 1949. The State of Israel claimed all the allocated land as proposed to them by the UN Resolution and in addition the also claimed over 60% of the land that had been allocated to the Arab State of Palestine. 700,000 Arabic Palestinians were expelled from their homes and forced to flee.

Fighting between the State of Israel and Arabic Palestinians remains with no signs of resolution.