Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 24
This is a list of selected August 24 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
August 24: Independence Day in Ukraine (1991)
- 79 – The volcano Mount Vesuvius (artist's depiction pictured) erupted, burying the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae in Italy.
- 1814 – War of 1812: British forces invaded Washington, D.C., setting fire to various U.S. government buildings, including what is now the White House.
- 1821 – The Treaty of Córdoba was signed in Córdoba, Veracruz, ratifying the Plan of Iguala and concluding Mexico's War of Independence from Spain.
- 1857 – The New York City branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Co., collapsed following widespread embezzlement, leading to a severe recession that caused about 5,000 businesses to fail.
- 1942 – World War II: The United States aircraft carrier Saratoga sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons near Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands, helping to lead to an Allied powers victory.
- 2006 – The International Astronomical Union redefined the term "planet", reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet.