Today is Wednesday, Dec. 24, the 359th day of 2008. There are seven days left in the year. This is Christmas Eve.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Dec. 24, 1968, the Apollo 8 astronauts, orbiting the moon, read passages from the Old Testament Book of Genesis during a Christmas Eve telecast that featured live images of Earth.

On this date:

• In 1524, Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama — who had discovered a sea route around Africa to India — died in Cochin, India.

• In 1908, citing morality concerns, New York Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. temporarily closed the city’s movie theaters. (The action gave rise to creation of a motion picture censorship board.)

Ten years ago: Ignoring NATO warnings, Serb tanks and troops struck an ethnic Albanian stronghold in Kosovo. Most of California’s citrus crop was considered ruined after three straight nights of freezing cold.

Today’s Birthdays: Rock singer-musician Lemmy (Motorhead) is 63. Actor Grand L. Bush is 53. Actor Clarence Gilyard is 53. Actress Stephanie Hodge is 52. The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, is 51. Rock musician Ian Burden (The Human League) is 51. Designer Kate Spade is 46. Rock singer Mary Ramsey (10,000 Maniacs) is 45. Actor Mark Valley is 44. Actor Diedrich Bader is 42. Actor Amaury Nolasco is 38. Singer Ricky Martin is 37. “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest is 34.

Thought for Today: “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” — The Rev. Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993).