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December 24, 1941

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from December 24, 1941

Darlan Said to Take Over; Nazi Move in Spain Rumored; Some Reports Declare Germans Are Merely Sending Arms Into Africa, but Others Tell of Movements by Troops

By Craig Thompson

German move into Spain reptd by London and Berne sources; move linked with Hitler promise to strengthen African supply lines; Germans say U S and Brit have designs on Spain and Turkey and are responsible for rumors on German plans; Brit believe German Embassy warning to Germans in Istanbul is meant as bluff to get favors from Turkey

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Dutch Submarine Sinks 4 Ships; Fliers Bomb Japanese at Davao; DUTCH SUBMARINE SINKS FOUR SHIPS

By the Associated Press

Netherland India submarine sinks 3 Jap transports and tanker off Borneo

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CITY SHERIFF PLAN UPHELD ON APPEAL; Highest State Court Includes Single Register in 5-2 Opinion Validating Referendum CITY SHERIFF PLAN UPHELD ON APPEAL

By Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES

N Y S Appeals Ct upholds referendum which abolished county offices; LaGuardia hails decision; Council Pres Morris offers bill for city-wide Sheriff and Register; State Civil Service Comm refuses to put 410 employes of County Sheriffs and Registers in competitive class

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CHURCHILL TALKS; With President at Side, He Says Knockout Is Way to Win War CERTAIN OF VICTORY Our Entry and Turning of the Tide in Russia Basis of Faith CHURCHILL CALLS FOR KNOCKOUT WAR

By Frank L. Kluckhohnspecial To the New York Times

Churchill conf with Brit Dominion reprs in Wash; with Roosevelt discusses Allied mil and gen policies, press conf; replies to queries on supply problems; opposes any plan for Allied gen staff

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Foe Lands on Wake Island; Garrison Continues Battle; JAPANESE FORCE IS LANDED ON WAKE

By Charles Hurdspecial To the New York Times

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- The Japanese forces that have been battering a small Navy garrison on Wake Island since Dec. 7 effected a landing there on "the morning of the twenty-third," the Navy Department reported today, but it appeared that the garrison still was fighting back at its attackers tonight.

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Notable Births

1941Mike Hazlewood, English singer-songwriter (died 2001)^[†]

Mike Hazlewood was a British singer-songwriter and composer. He variously worked with Albert Hammond, T-Bone Burnett, Van Dyke Parks and Harry Nilsson.

1941Nel Beltrán Santamaría, Colombian Roman Catholic prelate (died 2025)^[†]

Nel Hedye Beltrán Santamaría was a Colombian prelate and Bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Sincelejo.

Notable Deaths

1941Siegfried Alkan, German composer (born 1858)^[†]

Siegfried Alkan was a German composer.

Historical Events

1941World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.^[†]

Kuching, officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwestern tip of Sarawak on the island of Borneo and covers an area of 431 km2 (166 sq mi) with a population of about 162,843 in the Kuching North administrative region and 351,815 in the Kuching South administrative region—a total of 514,658 people.

1941World War II: Benghazi is conquered by the British Eighth Army.^[†]

Benghazi is the second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean, Benghazi is also a major seaport.