Historical events for
Monday, 24 August 2026

Bartolomeu de las Casas, Spanish missionary and defender of the indigenous people of the New World.

Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator, considered a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature.

Fernand Braudel, French historian born in 1902, known for his work in global history and the influence of geography on history.

Graham Sutherland, British painter born in 1903, famous for his landscapes and portraits, including the portrait of Winston Churchill.

Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader, born in 1929, known for his fight for the Palestinian cause and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1994.

Paulo Coelho, Brazilian writer, born in 1947, author of the famous book "The Alchemist".

Jean-Michel Jarre, French composer born in 1948, known for being a pioneer of electronic music.

On August 24, 79, the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius occurred, which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Celebration of the Taking of Arzila by the Portuguese in 1471, during the territorial expansion campaigns in North Africa.

Celebration of the beginning of construction of Avenida da Liberdade, one of Lisbon's main arteries, in 1879.

In 1913, "O Sport Lisboa" was launched, a weekly newspaper that served as a spokesperson for the activities of Sport Lisboa and Benfica.

Celebration of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Portugal, held in 1958, marking the country's entry into the international automobile circuit.

Today we celebrate the inauguration of Horta Airport on the island of Faial, on August 24, 1971. IATA code: HOR.

Celebration of the launch of Windows 95, the operating system that revolutionized personal computing, in 1995.

Celebrating the 2005 launch of Google Talk, an instant messaging service that marked the beginning of modern communications.

Celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day, marking independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991.