1. On December 24, 1914, troops on both sides of World War I declared a Christmas truce. One of the most heartwarming stories from this truce took place in New York City when German and British sailors held a soccer game in the streets of Brooklyn.

2. On December 24, 1924, the New York Times published a story claiming that Robert Moses, the city's foremost urban planner, had been appointed as the head of all public works projects in New York State. Moses went on to oversee the construction of many of New York City's most iconic landmarks, including the Triborough Bridge and Jones Beach State Park.

3. December 24, 1976, marked the opening of the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Manhattan's West Side. The center has since become a crucial location for trade shows, conventions, and other large-scale events.

4. On December 24, 1979, singer-songwriter Kirsten Hersh was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Hersh would eventually become the lead vocalist and guitarist for the alternative rock band Throwing Muses, which formed in Providence, Rhode Island, in the early 1980s.

5. In 1997, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced that the city would be broadcasting live Happy Birthday messages to New Yorkers on the Times Square Jumbotron screens every day of the year. The tradition continues to this day and has become an iconic element of the city's New Year's Eve celebration.