On this Day (December 24) – Christmas Island
December 24, 1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook. “As we kept our Christmas here I called it Christmas Island…” – Capt. James Cook, 1777 Captain James Cook documented his discovery of Kiritimati in his journal: “On the 24th about half an hour after day break, land was discovered … …