On This Day for August 24 - Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Yasser Arafat is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, [click here to view](. August 24 [Arafat, Yasser]( FEATURED BIOGRAPHY 1929 Yasser Arafat [READ MORE]( [Excavations near Mount Vesuvius in Italy.]( FEATURED EVENT 79 ce Eruption of Mount Vesuvius [READ MORE]( Advertisement Advertisement [Earth's To-Do List]( MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY [Jobs, Steve] 2011: Amid health issues, [Steve Jobs]( resigned as CEO of [Apple]( and he died less than two months later. [True-colour image of Pluto, created from telescopic data collected between 1985 and 1990 during a period of mutual eclipses of Pluto and its moon Charon. Pluto's slightly reddish hue indicates that its surface does not comprise pure ices, though the nature of the material responsible for the colour remains to be determined.] 2006: [Pluto]( was demoted from [planet]( to [dwarf planet]( after the [International Astronomical Union]( approved a reclassification of the [solar system](. [The Taking of the City of Washington in America, wood engraving by G. Thompson, 1814. The work depicts the night of August 24, 1814, when British troops marched into Washington, D.C., and set fire to federal buildings, including the Capitol and the Executive Mansion (now known as the White House).] 1814: During the [War of 1812]( British forces captured [Washington, D.C.]( and burned various government buildings, notably the [Capitol]( and the Executive Mansion (now known as the [White House](. [To strengthen themselves against possible communist aggression, 12 countries formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.] 1949: The [North Atlantic Treaty Organization]( (NATO) entered into force, following the signing of its treaty four months earlier. [Mexico] 1821: The Treaty of Córdoba was signed, giving [Mexico]( its independence from [Spain](. [James Napper Tandy, engraving by James Heath, 1815, from an earlier drawing by James Petrie.] 1803: Irish revolutionary [James Napper Tandy]( died in France. [SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY]( ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1945 [Vince McMahon]( American businessman 1957 [Stephen Fry]( British actor, writer, and director 1973 [Dave Chappelle]( American comedian and actor 1947 [Paulo Coelho]( Brazilian author 1955 [Mike Huckabee]( American politician [SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY]( Advertisement FOLLOW: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, [click here](. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2019 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Privacy Policy]( • [Help](