© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Almanac - Thursday 12/24/20

Dr. Anthony Fauci; credit: flickr user NIAID

It's Dr. Anthony Fauci's birthday!

Today is Thursday, the 24th of December of 2020

December 24 is the 359th day of the year

Seven days remain until the end of the year.

86 days until spring begins

The sun rises at 7:23 am

and sunset will be at 4:56 pm.

Today we will have 9 hours and 33 minutes of daylight.

The solar transit will be at 12:10 pm.

The first low tide was at 12:44 am 

The first high tide will be at 7:33 am 

The next low tide at 2:20 pm.

and the final high tide at Aquatic Park at 8:49 pm.

The Moon is 73.5% visible; a Waxing Gibbous

We’ll have a Full Moon in 5 days on Tuesday the 29th of December of 2020 at 7:28 pm

Today is…

Christmas Eve

Last-Minute Shopper's Day

National Egg Nog Day

National Regifting Day

Christmas Eve can also be called…

Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lad arrives to towns in Iceland

Feast of the Seven Fishes for Italian Americans

Juleaften in Denmark

Julaften in Norway

Julafton in Sweden

Nittel Nacht in certain Orthodox Jewish denominations

Nochebuena in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries

The Declaration of Christmas Peace in Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official Christmas City

Wigilia in Poland

Quviasukvik, the Inuit new year in AlaskaCanadaGreenland and Russia

Today is also…

Independence Day in Libya

Day of Military Honour - Siege of Ismail in Russia

On this day in history…

1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.

1818 – The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in OberndorfAustria.

1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.

1871 – The opera Aida premieres in CairoEgypt.

1906 – RadioReginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.

1914 – World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.

1968 – Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures.

1973 – District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.

…and if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday To You!  You share this special day with…

1809 – Kit Carson, American general (d. 1868)

1907 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (d. 1989)

1910 – Fritz Leiber, American author and poet (d. 1992)

1922 – Ava Gardner, American actress (d. 1990)

1924 – Lee Dorsey, American singer-songwriter (d. 1986)

1940 – Anthony Fauci, American physician, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984

1944 – Woody Shaw, American trumpeter (d. 1989)

1946 – Jeff Sessions, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Alabama and 84th Attorney General of the United States

1957 – Hamid Karzai, Afghan politician, 12th President of Afghanistan

1961 – Mary Barra, American businesswoman, current CEO and chairwoman of General Motors

1971 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and actor

1973 – Stephenie Meyer, American author and film producer

1974 – Ryan Seacrest, American radio host and television personality, and producer