Today in History FacebookTwitterEmail Today in History Today is Saturday, July 24, the 205th day of 2021. There are 160 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts — two of whom had been the first men to set foot on the moon — splashed down safely in the Pacific. On this date: On July 24, 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate by Scottish nobles in favor of her infant son James, who became King of Scotland at the age of one. In 1847, Mormon leader Brigham Young and his followers arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah.