At A Glance

24 December 1984 at a glance

Day of the week
24 December 1984 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Do They Know It's Christmas?” by Band Aid.
Top Film of 1984
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1984 was Ghostbusters.
Star sign
The star sign for 24 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1984 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 December 1984 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 24 December

  • 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
  • 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
  • 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
  • 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
  • 1979 The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre.

Famous people born on 24 December

  • Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
  • Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
  • Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
  • Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1984 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1984 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
  • 3 January – The FTSE 100 Index starts.
  • 12 March – Miners' strike begins and pits the National Union of Mineworkers against Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government intent on free market reform of the nationalised industries, which includes plans for the closure of most of Britain's remaining coal pits.

Life in 1984

Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

63p

Loaf of Bread

44p

Average House

£28,153

Weekly Wage

£165.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1980s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →