Sunrise: 7:26
Sunset: 5:06
99% of the waning moon is visible
Tides at the Golden Gate
- High: 12:57am/11:25am
- Low: 5:41am/6:17pm
Special celebrations...
Three Kings Day or some version of Epiphany is celebrated in…
Denmark, throughout Central & South America and many parts of Europe...and Armenian Christmas is celebrated in Armenia as well as in Lebanon. It’s Orthodox Christmas Eve in Serbia
It’s also Pathet Lao Day in Laos, and Army Day in Iraq
Bean Day (Learn your legumes!)
National Shortbread Day
On this day in…
871 - England's King Alfred defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown.
1205 - Philip of Swabia was crowned as King of the Romans.
1453 - Frederick III erected Austria into an Archduchy.
1540 - King Henry VIII of England was married to Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife.
1720 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble published its findings.
1759 - George Washington and Martha Dandridge Custis were married.
1838 - Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated the telegraph for the first time.
1896 - The first American women’s six-day bicycle race was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1900 - In India, it was reported that millions of people were dying from starvation.
1900 - Off of South Africa, the British seized the German steamer Herzog. The boat was released on January 22, 1900.
1912 - New Mexico became the 47th U.S. state.
1930 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip was completed after a run of 792 miles from Indianapolis,IN, to New York City, NY.
1931 - Thomas Edison executed his last patent application.
1941 - Richard Widmark made his debut on radio in "The Home of the Brave."
1941 - Alice Marble made her professional tennis debut when she defeated Ruth Hardwick of Great Britain at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1942 - The first commercial around-the-world airline flight took place. Pan American Airlines was the company that made history with the feat.
1942 - The National Collegiate Football Rules Committee abolished the Y formation.
1945 - The Battle of the Bulge ended with 130,000 German and 77,000 Allied casualties.
1950 - Britain recognized the Communist government of China.
1952 - "Peanuts" debuted in Sunday papers across the United States.
1963 - "Wild Kingdom" premiered on NBC.
1967 - U.S. and South Vietnamese forces launched a major offensive, known as Operation "Deckhouse V", in the Mekong River delta.
1974 - CBS radio debuted "Radio Mystery Theatre."
1975 - ABC-TV debuted "A.M. America."
1982 - William G. Bonin was convicted in Los Angeles, CA, of being the "freeway killer" who had murdered 14 young men and boys.
1987 - After a 29-year lapse, the Ford Thunderbird was presented with the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. It was the first occurrence of a repeat winner of the award.
1994 - Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the right leg by an assailant at Cobo Arena in Detroit, MI. Four men were later sentenced to prison for the attack, including Tonya Harding's ex-husband.
1998 - The spacecraft Lunar Prospect was launched into orbit around the moon. The craft was crashed into the moon, in an effort to find water under the lunar surface, on July 31, 1999.
1999 - The 106th U.S. Congress opened. The first item on the agenda was the impeachment proceedings of U.S. President Bill Clinton. The trial was set to begin January 7, 1999.
Birthday celebrants today include (or included)...
King Richard II (England) 1367
Joan of Arc 1412
Jacques-Ètienne Montgolfier 1745
Jedediah Smith 1799
Gustave Doré 1833
Carl Sandburg 1878
Tom (Thomas Erwin) Mix 1880
Joey Adams 1911
Danny Thomas 1912
Loretta Young 1913
Eugene Maleska 1916
Sun Myung Moon 1920
Earl Scruggs 1924
John Z. DeLorean 1925
Pat Flaherty 1926
Wilbert Harrison 1929
Vic Tayback 1930
Dickie Moore 1931
E.L. Doctorow 1931
Bobby Lord 1934
Silvia Syms 1934
Nino Tempo 1935
Doris Troy 1937
Bonnie Franklin 1944
Syd Barrett 1946
Jett Williams 1953
Malcolm Young 1953
Rowan Atkinson 1955
Van McCoy 1956
Nancy Lopez Knight 1957
Kathy Sledge (Sister Sledge) 1959
John Singleton 1968
Danny Pintauro 1976