Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.

Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonology, in which the combination ti is pronounced /s/.

Captain James Cook was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer who led three important voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans between 1768 and 1779. He completed the first recorded circumnavigation of the main islands of New Zealand, and was the first European to visit the east coast of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands.

December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; seven days remain until the end of the year.