Almanac - Friday February 2, 2024

Today is Friday, 2nd of February of 2024,
The sun will rise in San Francisco at 7:12:59 am
and sunset will be at 5:35:10 pm.
We will have 10 hours and 22 minutes of daylight
The solar transit will be at 12:24:04 pm.
Water temperature in San Francisco Bay today is 54.3°F.
The first high tide will be at 3:21 am at 5.46 feet
The first low tide will be at 10:36 am at 1.41 feet
The next high tide at 4:55 pm at 3.46 feet
and the final low tide at Ocean Beach will be tonight at 9:17 pm at 2.75 feet
The Moon is currently 54% visible
It's a Waning Gibbous
We'll have the Last Quarter Moon this afternoon at 3:18 pm
We'll have the New Moon a week from now Friday the 9th of February of 2024 at 2:59 pm
Lunar New Year is Saturday the 10th
It's the year of the Dragon!
Today is...
Groundhog Day
2nd FActor Day
Bubble Gum Day
California Kiwifruit Day
Candlemas
Crêpe Day, or Le Jour des Crêpes in France
Give Kids a Smile Day
Groundhog Job Shadow Day
Heavenly Hash Day
Hedgehog Day
Lung Leavin' Day
Marmot Day
National Change your Windshield Wipers Day
National Wear Red Day
Self Renewal Day
Sled Dog Day
Tater Tot Day
World Ukulele Day
World Wetlands Day
Today is also....
Anniversary of Treaty of Tartu in Estonia
Constitution Day in The Philippines
Day of Youth in Azerbaijan
Victory of the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia
On this day in Black History...
February 2, 1862 - District of Columbia abolishes slavery
Feb. 2, 1897: Alfred L. Cralle Invents the Ice Cream Scoop
Born: February 2, 1914, the sculptor William Ellisworth Artis is born in Washington, N.C. Educated at Syracuse University and a student of Augusta Savage. His works will be exhibited at Atlanta University, the Whitney Museum, the Two Centuries of Black American Art exhibit and collected by Fisk University, Hampton University, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and private collectors.
February 2, 1915 - Biologist Ernest E. Just receives the Spingarn medal for his pioneering in cell division and fertilization.
Dancer Anne Raven Wilkinson was born in New York City on February 2, 1935
She became the first African American woman to receive a contract to dance full time with a major ballet company, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo of New York City, New York. That was in 1955
Feb. 2, 1948 - President Truman sent Congress a special message urging adoption of a civil rights program, including a fair employment practices commission and anti-lynching and anti-poll tax measures.
On February 2, 1955, New York Representative Adam Clayton Powell, then one of only three African Americans in the U.S. Congress, rose to argue that his colleagues should support two pending civil rights bills then before the House of Representatives.
Feb 2, 1962 - Seven whites and four Blacks arrested after all-night sit-in at Englewood, N.J., city hall. Four Black mothers arrested after sit-in at Chicago elementary school. Mothers later received suspended $50 fines. Protests, picketing and demonstrations continued for several weeks against de facto segregation, double shifts and mobile classrooms.
The co-author of the song 'Lift Every Voice', James Weldon Johnson is honored by having a US Postage stamp issued February 2, 1988 with his image on it. James Weldon Johnson was a noted writer, lawyer, educator, and civil rights activist.
Feb 2, 1989 - In Tampa, Florida, a rebellion followed the suspicious death of Edgar Allen Price, a police suspect who died during an arrest. Police contended that Price "hit his head on the ground several times.
On this day in 1990, South African President F.W. de Klerk lifted the 30-year ban on the African National Congress, resulting in the release from prison of Nelson Mandela and marking the beginning of the end of apartheid.
Also on this day in history…
1653 – New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) is incorporated.
1709 – Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring Daniel Defoe's adventure book Robinson Crusoe.
1876 – The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed.
1887 – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed.
1900 – Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Chicago and St. Louis, agree to form baseball's American League.
1901 – Funeral of Queen Victoria.
1913 – Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City.
1920 – The Tartu Peace Treaty is signed between Estonia and Russia.
1922 – Ulysses by James Joyce is published.
1925 – Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race.
1935 – Leonarde Keeler administers polygraph tests to two murder suspects, the first time polygraph evidence was admitted in U.S. courts.
1942 – The Osvald Group is responsible for the first, active event of anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, to protest the inauguration of Vidkun Quisling.
1980 – Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation.
1987 – After the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Philippines enacts a new constitution.
1989 – Soviet–Afghan War: The last Soviet armoured column leaves Kabul.
1990 – Apartheid: F. W. de Klerk announces the unbanning of the African National Congress and promises to release Nelson Mandela.
2000 – First digital cinema projection in Europe (Paris) realized by Philippe Binant with the DLP CINEMA technology developed by Texas Instruments.
2004 – Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the No. 1 ranked men's singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks.
2005 – The Government of Canada introduces the Civil Marriage Act. This legislation would become law on July 20, 2005, legalizing same-sex marriage.
Also, if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday to you! You share this special day with...
450 – Justin I, Byzantine emperor (d. 527)
1425 (or 1426) – Eleanor of Navarre, Queen regnant of Navarre (d. 1479)
1443 – Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony (d. 1486)
1467 – Columba of Rieti, Italian Dominican sister (d. 1501)
1494 – Bona Sforza, queen of Sigismund I of Poland (d. 1557)
1585 – Judith Quiney, William Shakespeare's youngest daughter (d. 1662)
1585 – Hamnet Shakespeare, William Shakespeare's only son (baptised;[21] d. 1596)
1861 – Solomon R. Guggenheim, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (d. 1949)
1875 – Fritz Kreisler, Austrian-American violinist and composer (d. 1962)
1882 – James Joyce, Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 1941)
1883 – Julia Nava de Ruisánchez, Mexican activist and writer (d. 1964)
1897 – Gertrude Blanch, Russian-American mathematician (d. 1996)
1901 – Jascha Heifetz, Lithuanian-American violinist and educator (d. 1987)
1905 – Ayn Rand, Russian-born American novelist and philosopher (d. 1982)
1915 – Abba Eban, South African-Israeli politician and diplomat, 1st Israel Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2002)
1917 – Mary Ellis, British World War II ferry pilot (d. 2018)
1922 – Stoyanka Mutafova, Bulgarian actress (d. 2019)
1922 – James L. Usry, American politician, first African-American mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey (d. 2002)
1923 – James Dickey, American poet and novelist (d. 1997)
1923 – Bonita Granville, American actress and producer (d. 1988)
1923 – Liz Smith, American journalist and author (d. 2017)
1924 – Sonny Stitt, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1982)
1925 – Elaine Stritch, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
1926 – Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, French academic and politician, 20th President of France (d. 2020)
1927 – Stan Getz, American saxophonist (d. 1991)
1929 – Sheila Matthews Allen, American actress and producer (d. 2013)
1929 – Věra Chytilová, Czech actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
1931 – Judith Viorst, American journalist and author
1933 – M'el Dowd, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
1937 – Tom Smothers, American comedian, actor, and activist (d. 2023)
1942 – Graham Nash, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1944 – Ursula Oppens, American pianist and educator
1947 – Farrah Fawcett, American actress and producer (d. 2009)
1948 – Ina Garten, American chef and author
1949 – Brent Spiner, American actor and singer
1950 – Libby Purves, British journalist and author
1950 – Bárbara Rey, Spanish singer and actress
1950 – Barbara Sukowa, German actress
1952 – Park Geun-hye, South Korean politician, 11th President of South Korea
1952 – Carol Ann Susi, American actress (d. 2014)
1954 – Christie Brinkley, American actress, model, and businesswoman
1955 – Kim Zimmer, American actress
1961 – Lauren Lane, American actress and academic
1962 – Kate Raison, Australian actress
1963 – Eva Cassidy, American singer and guitarist (d. 1996)
1970 – Jennifer Westfeldt, American actress and singer
1971 – Michelle Gayle, English singer-songwriter and actress
1971 – Arly Jover, Spanish actress
1971 – Hwang Seok-jeong, South Korean actress
1973 – Marissa Jaret Winokur, American actress and singer
1976 – Ana Roces, Filipino actress
1977 – Shakira, Colombian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
1978 – Lee Ji-ah, South Korean actress
1979 – Christine Lampard, Irish television host
1979 – Shamita Shetty, Indian actress
1980 – Zhang Jingchu, Chinese actress
1981 – Michelle Bass, English model and singer
1983 – Carolina Klüft, Swedish heptathlete and jumper
1984 – Mao Miyaji, Japanese actress
1986 – Gemma Arterton, English actress and singer
1987 – Athena Imperial, Filipino journalist, Miss Earth-Water 2011
1987 – Mimi Page, American singer-songwriter and composer
1987 – Jill Scott, English footballer
1988 – JuJu Chan, Hong Kong-American actress, martial artist, singer, and writer
1988 – Zosia Mamet, American actress
1988 – Brad Peacock, American baseball player
1994 – Caterina Bosetti, Italian volleyball player
1997 – Ellie Bamber, English actress
1998 – Shiho Katō, Japanese singer and model