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Almanac - Wednesday 1/1/2020

Polar Bear Swim, by flickr user Tom Mullen Photography

It's Polar Bear Swim Day!

Today is Wednesday, the 1st of January of 2020...

It is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar.

There are 365 days remaining until the end of the year, which is a leap year.

78 days until spring begins

62 days until primaries Tuesday March 3, 2020

(2 months and 2 days from today)

307 days until presidential elections on Tuesday November 3, 2020

(10 months and 2 days from today)

The sun rises at 7:25 am 

and the sun sets at 5:03 pm.

We will have 9 hours and 38 minutes of daylight.

The solar transit will be at 12:14 pm.

The first high tide was at 4:28 am 

and the next high tide at 3:14 pm.

The first low tide will be at 10:08 am 

and the final low tide at the Golden Gate rolls in at 9:47 pm.

The Moon is 34.9% visible; a Waxing Crescent

First Quarter Moon, tomorrow, Thursday, the 2nd of January of 2020 at 8:45 pm

Full Moon in 9 days on Friday the 10th of January of 2020 at 11:21 am; also the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Last Quarter Moon in 16 days on Thursday the 17th of January of 2020 at 4:58 am

New Moon in 23 days on a Friday the 24th of January of 2020 at 1:42 pm

Today is…

Apple Gifting Day

Commitment Day

Copyright Law Day

Ellis Island Day

Euro Day

National Bloody Mary Day

National First-Foot Day

National Hangover Day

New Year's Day

New Year's Dishonor List Day

Polar Bear Swim Day

Public Domain Day

Saint Basil's Day

World Day of Peace

Z Day

Second day of Hogmanay (Scotland)

The last day of Kwanzaa; Today’s principle is Imani (Faith)

The eighth day of the Twelve Days of Christmas

Constitution Day in Italy

Dissolution of Czechoslovakia-related observances:

Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic

Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State

Emancipation Day in the United States

Euro Day Flag Day in Lithuania commemorates raising of the Lithuanian flag on Gediminas' Tower in 1919

Founding Day in Taiwan commemorates the establishment of the Provisional Government in Nanjing

Global Family Day

Independence Day in BruneiCameroonHaitiSudan

International Nepali Dhoti and Nepali Topi Day

Jump-up Day in Montserrat

Kalpataru Day in the Ramakrishna Movement

Kamakura Ebisu, January 1–3 in Kamakura, KanagawaJapan

National Tree Planting Day in Tanzania

Japanese New Year

Novy God Day in Russia

Sjoogwachi in Okinawa

Public Domain Day

Triumph of the Revolution in Cuba

On this day in history…

1772 – The first traveler's cheques, which could be used in 90 European cities, were issued by the London Credit Exchange Company.

1773 – The hymn that became known as "Amazing Grace", then titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17" is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England

1788 – First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.

1804 – French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black-majority republic and second independent country in North America after the United States.

1892 – Ellis Island begins processing immigrants into the United States.

1934 – Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay becomes a United States federal prison.

1947 – The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.

1959 – Cuban RevolutionFulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro's forces.

1970 – The defined beginning of Unix time, at 00:00:00.

1971 – Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.

1979 – Normal diplomatic relations are established between the People's Republic of China and the United States.

1983 – The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.

1984 – The original American Telephone & Telegraph Company is divested of its 22 Bell System companies as a result of the settlement of the 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T.

1990 – David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City's first black mayor.

1993 – Dissolution of CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia is divided into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.

1994 – The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

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

1735 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (d. 1818)

1752 – Betsy Ross, American seamstress, credited with designing the Flag of the United States (d. 1836)

1864 – Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer and curator (d. 1946)

1895 – J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement official; 1st Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (d. 1972)

1900 – Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1990)

1911 – Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (d. 1986)[166]

1912 – Kim Philby, British spy (d. 1988)

1919 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (d. 2010)

1919 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (d. 1990)

1923 – Milt Jackson, American jazz vibraphonist and composer (d. 1999)

1934 – Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (d. 1984)

1942 – Country Joe McDonald, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1943 – Don Novello, American comedian (Father Guido Sarducci), screenwriter and producer

1958 – Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian rapper and DJ