August 24

Events

• 1779: Saint Kosmas Aitolos is hanged by Ottoman authorities near Berat, Albania.
• 1926: Pavlos Kountouriotis is restored to the Presidency of Greece following the ouster of Theodoros Pangalos.
• 2007: 53 people died as huge forest fires, fanned by gale-force winds, raged out of control in the Peloponnese and other parts of the country. The worst fire was in the area of Zacharo, in the western Peloponnese, where 10 deaths were reported.

Sports

• 1973: Maroula Lambrou breaks the Greek women's record in the long jump with a jump of 6.26m.

Deaths

• 1042: Michael V, Byzantine emperor.
• 1779: Saint Kosmas Aitolos, travelling preacher and saint of the Greek Orthodox Church.
• 2009: Yiannis Mertziotis, athlete (1500m, 5000m, 3000m steeplechase)