Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 24
August 24: Independence Day in Ukraine (1991).
- 79 – The volcano Mount Vesuvius (pictured) east of Naples, Italy erupted, burying the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae; and at least 1,500 people with volcanic ash.
- 1572 – The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, a wave of Catholic mob violence against the Huguenots, began, lasting for several months and resulting in an estimated tens of thousands deaths across France.
- 1942 – World War II: The United States aircraft carrier Saratoga sunk 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.
More events on this day... Recent days: August 23 – August 22 – August 21