So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

October 24th


- United Nations Day, the anniversary of the 1945 Charter of the United Nations (International)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of (Zambia) from United Kingdom in 1964.
- Maladay (Discordianism)
- World Development Information Day (International)

October 24th


- 2008 - "Bloody Friday" saw many of the world's stock exchanges experience the worst declines in their history, with drops of around 10% in most indices.
- 2006 - Justice Rutherford of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down the "motive clause", an important part of the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act.
- 2005 - Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in Florida resulting in 35 direct 26 indirect fatalities and causing $20.6B USD in damage.
- 2003 - Concorde makes its last commercial flight.
- 2002 - Police arrest spree killers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, ending the Beltway sniper attacks in the area around Washington, DC.
- 1998 - Launch of Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission
- 1990 - Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti reveals to the Italian parliament the existence of Gladio, the Italian "stay-behind" clandestine paramilitary NATO army.
- 1986 - Nezar Hindawi is sentenced to 45 years in prison, the longest sentence handed down by a British court, for the attempted bombing on an El Al flight at Heathrow. After the verdict, the United Kingdom breaks diplomatic relations with Syria, claiming that Hindawi is helped by Syrian officials.
- 1980 - Government of Poland legalizes Solidarity trade union
- 1977 - Veterans Day is observed on the fourth Monday in October for the seventh and last time. (The holiday is once again observed on November 11 beginning the following year.)
- 1973 - Yom Kippur War ends
- 1964 - Northern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes the Republic of Zambia (Southern Rhodesia remained a colony)
- 1960 - Nedelin catastrophe: An R-16 ballistic missile explodes on the launch pad at the Soviet Union's Baikonur Cosmodrome space facility, killing over 100. Among the dead is Field Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin, whose death is reported to have occurred in a plane crash
- 1957 - The USAF starts the X-20 Dyna-Soar program.
- 1954 - Dwight D. Eisenhower pledges United States support to South Vietnam
- 1947 - Walt Disney testifies to the House Un-American Activities Committee, naming Disney employees he believes to be communists.
- 1946 - A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket takes the first photograph of earth from outer space.
- 1945 - Founding of the United Nations
- 1944 - World War II: The Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku, and the battleship Musashi are sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- 1931 - The George Washington Bridge opens to public traffic.
- 1930 - A bloodless coup d'état in Brazil ousts Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa, the last President of the First Republic. Getúlio Dornelles Vargas is then installed as "provisional president."
- 1929 - "Black Thursday" stock market crash on the New York Stock Exchange.
- 1926 - Harry Houdini's last performance, which is at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.
- 1917 - Battle of Caporetto; Italy suffers a catastrophic defeat by the forces of Austria-Hungary and Germany on the Austro-Italian front of World War I (lasts until 19 November - also called Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo).
- 1912 - First Balkan War: The Battle of Kumanovo concludes with the Serbian victory.
- 1911 - Orville Wright remains in the air 9 minutes and 45 seconds in a Wright Glider at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
- 1901 - Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
- 1892 - Goodison Park, the world's first association football specific stadium is opened.
- 1861 - The First Transcontinental Telegraph line across the United States is completed, spelling the end for the 18-month-old Pony Express.
- 1857 - Sheffield F.C., the world's first football club, is founded in Sheffield, England.
- 1812 - Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Maloyaroslavets takes place near Moscow.
- 1795 - Partitions of Poland: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is completely divided among Austria, Prussia, and Russia
- 1648 - The Peace of Westphalia is signed, marking the end of the Thirty Years' War.
- 1590 - John White, The governor of the second Roanoke Colony, returns to England after an unsuccessful search for the "lost" colonists.
- 1360 - The Treaty of Brétigny is ratified at Calais, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War.
- 1260 - The spectacular Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France; the cathedral is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- 1260 - Saif ad-Din Qutuz, Mamluk sultan of Egypt, is assassinated by Baibars, who seizes power for himself.
- 1147 - After a siege of 4 months crusader knights led by Afonso Henriques, reconquered Lisbon.
- 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus, the commander of the Danube armies, loyal to Vespasian, defeat the forces of Emperor Vitellius.

October 24th


- 1994 - Krystal Jung, American-born Korean singer
- 1989 - Shenae Grimes, Canadian actress
- 1989 - Eliza Taylor-Cotter, Australian actress
- 1987 - Charlie White, American ice dancer
- 1987 - Anthony Vanden Borre, Belgian footballer
- 1987 - Lincoln Lewis, Australian actor
- 1986 - Aubrey Graham, Canadian actor and rapper
- 1986 - John Ruddy, English footballer
- 1985 - Wayne Rooney, English footballer
- 1984 - Kaela Kimura, Japanese model and singer
- 1984 - Felicia Chin, Singaporean actress
- 1983 - Adrienne Bailon, American actress and singer
- 1983 - VV Brown, English singer
- 1983 - Hernán Garin, Argentine footballer
- 1983 - Brian Vickers, American race car driver
- 1982 - Mohamed Fairuz Fauzy, Malaysian racing driver
- 1982 - Macay McBride, American baseball player
- 1981 - Sebastián Bueno, Argentine footballer
- 1981 - Jemima Rooper, British actress
- 1981 - Tila Tequila, American model
- 1980 - Monica, American singer and actress
- 1980 - Matthew Amoah, Ghanaian footballer
- 1980 - Zac Posen, American fashion designer
- 1980 - Casey Wilson, American comic actress (Saturday Night Live)
- 1979 - Ben Gillies, Australian musician (Silverchair)
- 1978 - Carlos Edwards, Trinidadian footballer
- 1978 - Justin Lee Brannan, American musician
- 1978 - James Hopes, Australian one-day cricketer
- 1977 - Iván Kaviedes, Ecuadoran footballer
- 1976 - Matteo Mazzantini, Italian rugby player
- 1976 - Joakim Nätterqvist, Swedish actor
- 1976 - Petar Stoychev, Bulgarian swimmer
- 1975 - Juan Pablo Ángel, Colombian footballer
- 1974 - Wilton Guerrero, Dominican baseball player
- 1974 - Corey Dillon, American football player
- 1974 - Jamal Mayers, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1973 - Levi Leipheimer, American cyclist
- 1973 - Madlib, American musician and rapper
- 1973 - Jackie McNamara, Scottish footballer
- 1973 - Jeff Wilson, New Zealand rugby player and cricketer
- 1972 - Kim Ji-soo, South Korean actress
- 1972 - Scott Peterson, American murderer
- 1972 - Pat Williams, American football player
- 1971 - Dervla Kirwan, Irish actress
- 1971 - Caprice Bourret, American model and actress
- 1970 - Rob Leslie-Carter, British engineer and project manager
- 1969 - Adela Noriega, Mexican actress
- 1968 - Robert Wilonsky, American journalist
- 1967 - Jacqueline McKenzie, Australian actress
- 1967 - Ian Bishop, West Indian cricketer
- 1966 - Roman Abramovich, Russian oil magnate
- 1965 - Kyriakos Velopoulos, Greek politician
- 1963 - John Hendrie, Scottish footballer
- 1962 - Dave Blaney, American race car driver
- 1962 - Jay Novacek, American football player
- 1961 - Mary Bono, American politician
- 1961 - Bruce L. Castor, Jr. American politician
- 1961 - Dave Meltzer, American wrestling journalist
- 1960 - Joachim "Jo" Winkelhock, German race car driver
- 1960 - Dennis Anderson, American monster truck driver (Grave Digger)
- 1960 - Ian Baker-Finch, Australian golfer
- 1960 - B.D. Wong, American actor
- 1960 - Jaime Garzón, Colombian journalist and comedian (d. 1999)
- 1959 - Anthony Waller, Lebanese film director
- 1957 - Ron Gardenhire, German-born American baseball manager
- 1957 - John Kassir, American actor and comedian
- 1956 - Dale Maharidge, American author
- 1956 - Jeff Merkley, American politician
- 1955 - Katherine Knight, Australian murderess
- 1954 - Brad Sherman, American politician
- 1954 - Malcolm Turnbull, Australian politician
- 1954 - Thomas J. Mulcair, Quebec politician
- 1954 - Mike Rounds, American politician, current governor of South Dakota
- 1954 - Jozef Rá, Slovak musician
- 1950 - Steven Greenberg, American composer (Lipps Inc.)
- 1950 - Rawly Eastwick, American baseball player
- 1950 - Miroslav Sládek, Czech politician
- 1949 - Robert Pickton, Canadian serial killer
- 1948 - Paul and Barry Ryan, British composer-singers
- 1948 - Kweisi Mfume, American politician and activist
- 1947 - Kevin Kline, American actor
- 1946 - Jerry Edmonton, Canadian drummer (Steppenwolf) (d. 1993)
- 1945 - Anthony Christian, English artist
- 1945 - Gérald Larose, Quebec labour union executive
- 1945 - Duncan Lunan, Scottish astronomer and writer
- 1945 - Alan Titus, American baritone
- 1944 - Ray Downs American author and musician
- 1944 - Viktor Prokopenko, Ukrainian footballer and coach (d. 2007)
- 1943 - Bill Dundee, American professional wrestler
- 1941 - William H. Dobelle, American biomedical engineer
- 1940 - Martin Campbell, New Zealand film director
- 1939 - F. Murray Abraham, American actor
- 1937 - Santo Farina, American musician and composer (Santo & Johnny)
- 1936 - David Nelson, American actor and director
- 1936 - Bill Wyman, English musician (The Rolling Stones)
- 1935 - Malcolm Bilson, American pianist and music professor
- 1933 - Reggie Kray, British gangster and murderer (d. 2000)
- 1933 - Ronnie Kray, British gangster and murderer (d. 1995)
- 1933 - Norman Rush, American writer
- 1932 - Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
- 1932 - Robert Mundell, Canadian economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1931 - Sofia Gubaidulina, Russian composer
- 1930 - J.P. Richardson, The Big Bopper, American singer (d. 1959)
- 1930 - Johan Galtung, Norwegian peace researcher
- 1930 - Sultan Ahmad Shah, King of Malaysia
- 1929 - George Crumb, American composer
- 1929 - Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian writer (d. 2004)
- 1929 - Hubert Aquin, French-Canadian novelist and activist (d. 1977)
- 1927 - Jean-Claude Pascal, French singer and actor (d. 1992)
- 1927 - Gilbert Bécaud, French composer and actor (d. 2001)
- 1926 - Y. A. Tittle, American football player
- 1926 - Rafael Azcona, Spanish screenwriter (d. 2008)
- 1925 - Luciano Berio, Italian composer (d. 2003)
- 1925 - Bob Azzam, Egyptian singer (d. 2004)
- 1923 - Sir Robin Day OBE, British political broadcaster and commentator (d. 2000)
- 1923 - Denise Levertov, English-born poet (d. 1997)
- 1920 - Marcel-Paul Schützenberger, French mathematician (d. 1996)
- 1919 - Frank Piasecki, American aeronautical engineer (d. 2008)
- 1915 - Bob Kane, American cartoonist (d. 1998)
- 1915 - Roger Milliken, American millionaire
- 1915 - Marghanita Laski, British journalist and novelist (d. 1988)
- 1913 - Tito Gobbi, Italian baritone (d. 1984)
- 1911 - Sonny Terry, American blues musician (d. 1986)
- 1911 - Paul Grégoire, French Canadian archbishop of Montreal (d. 1993)
- 1909 - Bill Carr, American athlete (d. 1966)
- 1906 - Alexander Gelfond, Russian mathematician (d. 1968)
- 1905 - Fran Zwitter, Slovenian historian (d. 1988)
- 1904 - Moss Hart, American dramatist (d. 1961)
- 1903 - Melvin Purvis, American FBI agent (d. 1960)
- 1901 - Gilda Gray, Polish-born American actress and dancer (d. 1959)
- 1896 - Jack Warner, English actor (d. 1981)
- 1894 - Bibhutibhushan Mukhopadhyay, Bengali author (d. 1987)
- 1891 - Rafael Molina-Trujillo, President of the Dominican Republic (d. 1961)
- 1887 - Octave Lapize, French cyclist (d. 1917)
- 1887 - Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, Queen of Spain (d. 1969)
- 1885 - Rachel Katznelson-Shazar, Zionist political figure and widow of Zalman Shazar (d. 1975)
- 1882 - Dame Sybil Thorndike, British actress (d. 1976)
- 1875 - Konstantin Yuon, Russian painter (d. 1958)
- 1872 - Peter O'Connor, Irish athlete (d. 1957)
- 1868 - Alexandra David-Néel, French explorer and writer (d. 1969)
- 1857 - Ned Williamson, American baseball player (d. 1894)
- 1855 - James S. Sherman, Vice President of the United States (d. 1912)
- 1854 - Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom, Dutch chemist (d. 1907)
- 1838 - Annie Edson Taylor, American Adventuress (d. 1921)
- 1830 - Marianne North, English naturalist and flower painter (d. 1890)
- 1811 - Ferdinand Hiller, German composer (d. 1885)
- 1804 - Wilhelm Eduard Weber, German physicist (d. 1891)
- 1788 - Sarah Josepha Hale, American poet (d. 1879)
- 1763 - Dorothea von Schlegel, German novelist (d. 1839)
- 1710 - Alban Butler, English Catholic priest and writer (d. 1773)
- 1675 - Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham, English soldier and politician (d. 1749)
- 1632 - Anton van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch microbiologist (d. 1723)
- 1561 - Anthony Babington, Leader of the Babington Plot (d. 1586)
- 1378 - David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland (d. 1402)
- 51 - Titus Flavius Domitianus, Roman Emperor (d. 96)