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Irish Calendar

Irish calendar

The Irish calendar does not observe the typical astronomical seasons (beginning, in the Northern Hemisphere, on the equinoxes and solstices), or the meteorological seasons (beginning on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1), but rather centers the seasons around the solstices and equinoxes (so that, for instance, midsummer falls on the summer solstice), beginning the seasons at the approximate halfway points between solstice and equinox, following the seasons of the ancient Celts (see below) which are pre-Christian in origin. This Celtic origin is particularly evident in the Irish naming of many of the months: some names, like May (Bealtaine), August (Lughnasadh/Lúnasa) and November (Samhain, sometimes also in the form of Mí na Samhna) were the names of pagan Celtic festivals. In addition, the names for September and October (Meán Fómhair and Deireadh Fómhair respectively) translate directly as "middle of autumn" and "end of autumn". Christianity has also left its mark on the Irish months: December is Mí na Nollag, or just Nollaig, the latter word also meaning Christmastide.

Seasons

Winter - An Gheimhreadh

January - Eanáir


- January 1 - New Year's Day, one of the public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.
  - 1871 - disestablishment of Church of Ireland takes effect
  - 1926 - 2RN (original radio station of present RTÉ) set up
  - 1973 - Ireland becomes a member of the EU.
  - 1975 - Ireland assumes first Presidency of the Council of the European Union (see July 1)
  - 1984 - Galway City begins year long celebration of 500th anniversary (quincentennial) of mayoral status with Festival Eucharist in St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church
  - 1990 - Ireland assumes fourth Presidency of Council of the European Union
  - 2002 - Euro replaces punt as Irish currency
  - 2004 - Ireland assumes sixth Presidency of the Council of the European Union
- January 2 - St. Munchin, Patron of the Diocese of Limerick
- January 3 - 1946: execution of William Joyce, Lord Haw-Haw
- January 5 - Twelfth Night
  - 1839 - The Night of the Big Wind
  - 1976 - death of John A. Costello former Taoiseach
- January 6 - Little Christmas (Nollaig Bheag) and/or Women's Christmas (Nollaig na mBan)
  - and/or Twelfth Day (the traditional end of the Christmas season), and for Irish Roman Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation
- January 7 - 1922: Anglo-Irish Treaty ratified by Dáil Éireann
- January 8 - 1979: Whiddy Island disaster in Bantry Bay
- January 13 - 1941: death of James Joyce
- January 14 - 1965: Sean Lemass, Taoiseach, visits Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill
- January 16 - 1922: Michael Collins accepts surrender of Dublin Castle from the Viceroy, Lord Fitzalan
- January 17 - 1860: birth of Douglas Hyde
- January 20 -1968: death of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
- January 21 - 1919: Meeting of the First Dáil in the Mansion House, Dublin
  - Irish War of Independence begins with ambush in Co. Tipperary
- January 22 - 1971: Ireland signs Treaty of Accession to EEC in Brussels
- January 27 - 1967: Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association founded
- January 28 - 1939: death of William Butler Yeats
- January 30 - 1808 work begins on Nelson's Pillar, Dublin.
  - 1972 - Bloody Sunday in Derry
- January 31 - St. Aidan, Patron of the Diocese of Ferns

Spring - An tEarrach

(February, March and April)

February - Feabhra


- February 1 - Imbolc, Feast of St Brigid (Secondary Patron of Ireland) and Lá Feabhra, the first day of Spring
- February 2 - Candlemas
  - 1882: birth of James Joyce
- February 3 - feast of Saint Blaise
- February 6 - Feast of St. Mel, patron of the Diocese of Ardagh
  - 1971 - first British soldier killed in Belfast
- February 13 - 1893: Gladstone introduces second Home Rule bill
- February 14 - St. Valentine's Day (relics of St. Valentine held inWhitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin.
  - 1468 - 8th earl of Desmond beheaded in Drogheda
  - 1981 - Stardust Ballroom fire in Artane, Dublin kills 48.
- February 15 - 1971: Decimal Day- Ireland abandons £sd.
- February 18 - 1948: John A. Costello becomes Taoiseach
  - 1982 - first of two General Elections in Republic this year (see 24 Nov.)
- February 19 - 1366: Statutes of Kilkenny promulgated
- February 24 - 1582: Bull of Pope Gregory XIII, for reform of calendar, issued at Rome

March - Márta


- March 1 - 1981: Bobby Sands begins hunger strike in HM Prison Maze
- March 3 - Charter of Trinity College, Dublin granted.
- March 5 - Feast of St. Kieran, patron of the Diocese of Ossory
- March 6 - 1152: Synod of Kells convenes.
- March 7 - 1848: first unveiling of the Irish tricolour (in Waterford).
- March 8 - 1966: Nelson's Pillar destroyed in explosion
- March 9 - 1932: Eamon de Valera elected President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
- March 10 - 1894: Ireland wins Rugby Triple Crown for first time
- March 13 - 1979: Ireland joins new European Monetary System (EMS)
- March 17 - Saint Patrick's Day (public holiday), and for Irish Roman Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation
  - 1799 and 1940 - Palm Sunday and St.Patrick's Day fall on same date - "the palm and the shamrock worn together".
- March 18 - 1899: Ireland wins Rugby Triple Crown for 2nd time
- March 21 - 1978 death of Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh former President of Ireland
- March 23 - 1971: Brian Faulkner elected PM of Northern Ireland
- March 24 - Feast of St. Macartan, patron of the Diocese of Clogher
  - 1909: death of John Millington Synge
  - 1972: Brian Faulkner resigns as PM of Northern Ireland
  - William Whitelaw appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- March 25 - One of the four Irish Quarter days
- March 29
  - 1859: first issue of The Irish Times
  - 2004: Smoking ban in all work places introduced in Ireland
- March 30 - 1979: Ireland announces ending of one-for-one parity with sterling. The last days of March and the first three days of April are known as The Old Cows Days/The Days of the Brindled Cow or, in the Irish language, Laethanta na mBó Riabhaigh.

April - Aibreán


- April 1 - April Fool's Day - Lá na nAmadáin
  - 1943 - creation of the Office of Chief Herald of Ireland to replace Ulster King of Arms approved by Government of Ireland
- April - 1914: Cumann na mBan founded
- April 4 - 1774: death of Oliver Goldsmith
- April 8 - Gladstone introduces first Home Rule bill.
- April 10 - 1966: Commemoration of 50th anniversary of Easter Rising begins
  - 1998, Good Friday Agreement, signed in Belfast.
- April 11 - 1951: Dr Noel Browne, resigns as Minister for Health over "mother-and-child" controversy
- April 13 - 1742: world premiere of Handels Messiah in Dublin
  - 1829 - Catholic Emancipation achieved
  - 1906: birth of Samuel Beckett, Good Friday
- April 16 - 1871: birth of John Millington Synge
- April 17 - 1783: British Renunciation Act recognises Irish legislative independence
- April 18 - Feast of St Laserian, patron of Leighlin Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
  - 1949 - The Republic of Ireland Act comes into force.
- April 19 - 1875: Charles Stewart Parnell elected MP for Meath
- April 20 - 1912: death of Bram Stoker
  - 1954 - Michael Manning becomes the last person to be executed in Ireland
  - 1981 - Bobby Sands elected Sinn Féin MP, while on hunger strike
- April 21 - 1916: Roger Casement lands at Banna Strand
- April 23 - 1014: Battle of Clontarf and death of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland on Good Friday
- April 24 - 1916: Start of the Easter Rising.
- April 28 - 1958: Aer Lingus service to North America inaugurated
- April 29 - 1916: Easter Rising ends with surrender
- April 30 - 1994: First performance of Riverdance at Eurovision Song Contest

Summer - An Samhradh

(May, June and July)

May - Bealtaine

The first Monday in May is a public holiday.
- May 1 - Beltane and Lá Bealtaine, the first day of Summer
  - 1316 - Edward Bruce crowned King of Ireland near Dundalk
  - 2004 - Ireland, holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, hosts a Day of Welcomes for the ten accession states.
- May 2 - 1872: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, becomes the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland
  - 1984 - Report of the New Ireland Forum published
  - 1969 - James Chichester-Clark becomes Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
- May 3 - Feast of St Conleth, patron of Kildare Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin
  - 1785: first meeting of the Royal Irish Academy
  - 1933 - Oath of Allegiance (Ireland) to King abolished in Irish Free State
- May 5 - 1949: Ireland one of ten founder members of Council of Europe with HQ is Strasbourg
  - 1981 - death of Bobby Sands MP while on hunger strike
- May 6 - 1074: death of Dúnán, first bishop of Dublin
  - 1970: Charles J. Haughey and Neil Blaney dismissed from Government of Ireland
- May 7 - 1915: Lusitania sunk off Old Head of Kinsale
  - 1931 - An Óige (Irish Youth Hostel Association) founded
- May 11 - 1967: Ireland applies to join EEC
  - 1971 - death of Sean Lemass, former Taoiseach
- May 13 - 653 (Pentecost Sunday): Monastery founded on Iona by Saint Columcille
- May 14 - Feast of Saint Mochuda (Carthage), patron of Lismore Diocese of Waterford and Lismore
  - 1660 - Following restoration of monarchy in England, Charles II proclaimed King of Ireland in Dublin.
- May 15 - 1847: death of Daniel O'Connell at Genoa
- May 16 - Feast of Saint Brendan, patron of the Diocese of Clonfert
  - 1926 - Fianna Fáil party founded
- May 19 - 1870: Home Rule movement founded by Isaac Butt in Dublin.
- May 21 - 1799: Bill of Union (later the Act of Union) introduced in Irish House of Commons
- May 24 - 1487: Lambert Simnel crowned "Edward VI of England" in Dublin.
- May 25 - 1914: Third Home Rule bill passed by British Parliament
- May 26 - 1972: Special Criminal Court established in RoI
- May 30 - 1941: Enactment of Second Amendment of the Constitution Act.
  - 1983 - first meeting in Dublin Castle of the New Ireland Forum
- May 31 - 1941: Luftwaffe bombs Dublin

June - Meitheamh

The first Monday in June is a public holiday.
- June 3 - Feast of St. Kevin (Abbot of Glendalough) and patron of the Archdiocese of Dublin,
- June 4 - 1798: death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald
- June 5 - 1798: Battle of New Ross
- June 6 - Feast of St. Jarlath patron of the Archdiocese of Tuam
- June 7 - 1921: first meeting of House of Commons of Northern Ireland
  - 1979 - Ireland participates in the first direct elections to the European Parliament
- June 8 - First Home Rule bill defeated
- June 9 - Feast of Saint Columcille (Secondary Patron of Ireland)
  - 1549 - Book of Common Prayer ordered to be used in Ireland
- June 10 - 1642: first regularly constituted presbytery meets in Carrickfergus.
- June 13 - 1713: Jonathan Swift installed as Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
  - 1865: birth of William Butler Yeats
- June 14 - 1939: Offences Against the State Act passed
- June 16 - Bloomsday
- June 16 - 1922: Elections held for Third Dáil
- June 18 - 1541: Henry VIII declared King of Ireland by Irish Parliament.
- June 20 - 1763: birth of Wolfe Tone
  - 1990 - IR£1 punt coin replaces one-punt note
- June 21 - 1798: 15,000 British troops disperse rebel army at Battle of Vinegar Hill and Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, during 1798 Rebellion
- June 22 - 1866: creation of first Irish Cardinal, Archbishop Paul Cullen of Dublin.
- June 23 - St. John's Eve / Bonfire Night
- June 24 - One of the four Irish Quarter days
  - 1828 - Daniel O'Connell elected MP in Clare by-election
- June 25 - 1731: Royal Dublin Society founded.
  - 1891 - Charles Stewart Parnell marries Kitty O'Shea
  - 1938 - Douglas Hyde inaugurated as President of Ireland
  - 1945 - Seán T. O'Kelly inaugurated as President of Ireland
  - 1952 - Seán T. O'Kelly inaugurated for second term as President of Ireland.
  - 1959 - Eamon de Valera inaugurated as President of Ireland.
  - 1966 - Eamon de Valera inaugurated for second term as President of Ireland.
  - 1970 - Roman Catholic bishops announce end of ban on RC attendance at Trinity College, Dublin
  - 1973 - Erskine Childers inaugurated as President of Ireland.
- June 26 - 1963: John F. Kennedy begins state visit to Ireland
- June 29 - 1315: Edward Bruce inaugurated as High King of Ireland

July - Iúil


- July 1 - 1937: Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann), enacted by plebiscite.
  - 1979 - Ireland assumes second Presidency of the Council of the European Union
  - 1984 - Ireland assumes third Presidency of the Council of the European Union
  - 1996 - Ireland assumes fifth Presidency of the Council of the European Union (see Jan. 1)
- July 6 - 1907: theft of Irish Crown Jewels from Dublin Castle discovered
  - 1962: - first transmission of The Late Late Show on RTÉ
- July 8 - 689: Martyrdom of St Kilian at Würzburg
- July 10 - 1927: assassination of Kevin O'Higgins Minister for Justice
- July 11 - Feast of St Oliver Plunkett
  - 1921: Truce signed in the Irish War of Independence
  - National Day of Commemoration held on the nearest Sunday to July 11.
- July 12 - a public holiday in Northern Ireland
  - 1690: Battle of the Boyne
  - 1691: Battle of Aughrim
  - 1949: death of Douglas Hyde
- July 15 - 1948: An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, set up
- July 18 - 1872 introduction of the secret ballot
  - 1951 - Abbey Theatre destroyed by fire
- July 21 - 1976: assassination of Christopher Ewart-Biggs British ambassador to Ireland
- July 23 - 1693: death of Patrick Sarsfield, at Battle of Landen
  - 1803 - start of rebellion led by Robert Emmet
- July 24 - Feast of Saint Declan
  - 1943 - Edward Mac Lysaght appointed first Chief Herald of Ireland (see April 1)
- July 26 - 1856: birth of George Bernard Shaw
  - 1869 - Act disestablishing the Church of Ireland passed
- July 31 - 1917: death of Francis Ledwidge
- Garland Sunday (last Sunday of month)

Autumn - An Fómhar

(August, September and October)

August - Lúnasa

The first Monday in August is a public holiday.
- August 1 - Lughnasadh/Lá Lúnasa, the first day of Autumn
  - 1908 - Irish Universities Act setting up the National University of Ireland passed
  - 1915 Padraig Pearse delivers oration at grave of O'Donovan Rossa
- August 2 - 1799: pre-union Irish Parliament meets for last time
  - 1907 - Ne temere decree on mixed marriages issued by Vatican
- August 5 - 1847: funeral in Dublin of Daniel O'Connell
- August 8 - 1923: Act to establish Garda Síochána passed
- August 9 - Feast of St. Felim and St. Nathy
- August 10 - 1636: compilation of the Annals of the Four Masters completed.
- August 11 - 1927: Fianna Fáil TDs take seats in Dáil Éireann
- August 12 - 1922: death of Arthur Griffith
- August 14 - 1903: Wyndham Land Act passed
- August 15 - Feast of The Assumption of Mary
  - for Irish Roman Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation
  - 1649: Oliver Cromwell arrives in Dublin.
- August 16 - 1921: First meeting of Second Dáil
- August 19 - 1504: Battle of Knockdoe
  - 1887: birth of Francis Ledwidge
- August 21 - 1970: Social Democratic and Labour Party-SDLP founded
- August 26 - 1921: Eamon de Valera elected President of the Irish Republic
- August 22 - 1922: death of Michael Collins
- August 23 - 1170: Richard de Clare, Strongbow, lands near Waterford.
- August 25 - 1170: Strongbow marries Aoife, daughter of Diarmuid MacMorrough the King of Leinster.
- August 27 - 1979: Lord Mountbatten killed in IRA assassination in County Sligo
- August 29 - 1890: National Museum of Ireland and National Gallery of Ireland opened.
  - 1975: death of Eamon de Valera.
- August 30 - Feast of St. Fiacre (Fiachra)

September - Meán Fómhair


- September 1 - 1737: first issue of Belfast News Letter.
- September 2 - 1939: Enactment of First Amendment of the Constitution Act.
  - Ireland declares neutrality in World War II
- September 4 - 1607: the Flight of the Earls.
- September 5 - 1931: first issue of The Irish Press newspaper
- September 7 - 1948: John A. Costello announces his intention of declaring Ireland a republic in Ottawa
- September 9 - Feast of St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise
  - 1893 - Second Home Rule bill defeated in House of Lords
  - 1922: First meeting of Third Dáil
  - 1981: National Concert Hall in Dublin officially opened
- September 10 - 1923: Irish Free State joins League of Nations
- September 11 - Drogheda captured by Cromwell
- September 14 - Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (the following Wednesday, Friday and Saturday were observed as Quarter tense)
- September 16 - 1961: Hurricane Debbie hits Ireland.
- September 18 - 1914: Third Home Rule bill receives Royal Assent but its implementation is suspended.
- September 20 - 1803: death of Robert Emmet
- September 25 - Feast of St. Finbarr
- September 26 - Eamon de Valera makes inaugural speech as Chairman of the League of Nations
- September 28 - 1484: creation of the Wardenship of Galway
  - 1912: Solemn League and Covenant signed throughout Ulster
- September 29 - One of the four Irish Quarter days
  - 1979: Pope John Paul II begins historic three-day visit to Ireland

October - Deireadh Fómhair

The last Monday in October is a public holiday.
- October 3 - 1691: Treaty of Limerick signed.
- October 5 - 1582: as a consequence of the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, Oct.5, - Oct.14, not included in calendar for 1582
  - 1871: Fenian invasion of Canada.
- October 6 - 1175: Treaty of Windsor signed
  - 1891 - death of Charles Stewart Parnell in Brighton.
- October 11 - Feast of St. Canice
  - 1922: Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations begin at Downing Street, London
- October 14 - 1882: birth of Eamon de Valera
  - 1318 - death of Edward Bruce at Battle of Faughart
- October 16 - Feast of St. Gall
  - 1854: birth of Oscar Wilde
  - 1890: birth of Michael Collins
- October 19 - 1745: death of Jonathan Swift
- October 22 - 1976: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh resigns as President of Ireland.
- October 25 - 1920: Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, dies on 74th day of hunger strike
- October 29 - Feast of St. Colman of Kilmacduagh
- October 31 - Halloween/Samhain Eve/Oíche Shamhna

Winter - An Gheimhreadh

(November, December and January see above)

November - Samhain / Mí na Samhna


- November 1 - Samhain, All Saints Day and Lá Samhna (November Day), the first day of Winter
  - for Irish Roman Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation
  - 1884 - Gaelic Athletic Association founded at Thurles
- November 2 - 1950: death of George Bernard Shaw
- November 3 - 1796 first court sittings at the Four Courts, Dublin
- November 6 - Feast of All the Saints of Ireland
- November 7 - 1791: The Custom House, Dublin, opened
- November 8 - 1847: birth of Bram Stoker
- November 10 - 1728: birth of Oliver Goldsmith
  - 1966 - Jack Lynch elected Taoiseach
- November 11 - 1933: Abolition of appeal from courts of the Irish Free State to the Privy Council.
  - 1997 - Mary McAleese inaugurated as President of Ireland
- November 16 - 1965: death of W.T. Cosgrave, first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
- November 17 - 1974: death in office of Erskine Childers, President of Ireland.
- November 19 - 1798: death of Wolfe Tone
  - 1913 - Irish Citizen Army founded
- November 21 - 1921: Bloody Sunday in Dublin
- November 24 - 1982: second General Election in Republic this year (see Feb. 18)
- November 25 - 1913: Irish Volunteers founded
  - 1966 - death of Seán T. O'Kelly, former President of Ireland
- November 30 - 1667: birth of Jonathan Swift
  - 1900: death of Oscar Wilde

December - Nollaig / Mí na Nollag


- December 1 - 1494: Poynings Law enacted
- December 3 - 1976: Patrick Hillery inaugurated as President of Ireland.
  - 1983 - Patrick Hillery inaugurated for second term as President of Ireland.
  - 1990 - Mary Robinson inaugurated as President of Ireland.
- December 6 - Feast of Saint Nicholas, chief patron of the City of Galway
  - 1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty signed
  - 1922: (i.e. exactly one year later) Irish Free State comes into existence
- Equinox (disambiguation). In astronomy, an equinox is defined as the moment when the sun reaches one of two intersections between the ecliptic and the celestial equator. The word "equinox" comes from the Latin for "equal night". The equinoxes in March and September are the two occasions each year when the day and the night are of equal duration. For measuring the length of a day, sunrise is the moment when the sun is half-above the horizon and sunset is the moment when the sun is half-under the horizon. Using this definition, the length of the day (and the night) is precisely 12 hours at an equinox. More commonly the day is defined as the period that sunlight may reach the ground in absence of local obstacles. Because the Sun is not a point but appears as a disc, and because sunlight is refracted downwards by the atmosphere, the day by that definition is a few minutes longer than the night (almost 14 minutes at the equator, and more towards the poles), making the practical equality of day and night happen a few days before the vernal equinox and a few days after the autumnal equinox.
Equinox Dates/Times
(Universal Time)
Year Spring starts
(March) 		Autumn starts
(September)
2000 20th Mar 07:35 22nd Sep 17:27
2001 20th Mar 13:31 22nd Sep 23:04
2002 20th Mar 19:16 23rd Sep 04:55
2003 21st Mar 01:00 23rd Sep 10:47
2004 20th Mar 06:49 22nd Sep 16:30
2005 20th Mar 12:33 22nd Sep 22:23
2006 20th Mar 18:26 23rd Sep 04:03
2007 21st Mar 00:07 23rd Sep 09:51
2008 20th Mar 05:48 22nd Sep 15:44
2009 20th Mar 11:44 22nd Sep 21:18
2010 20th Mar 17:32 23rd Sep 03:09
2011 20th Mar 23:21 23rd Sep 09:04
2012 20th Mar 05:14 22nd Sep 14:49
2013 20th Mar 11:02 22nd Sep 20:44
2014 20th Mar 16:57 23rd Sep 02:29
2015 20th Mar 22:45 23rd Sep 08:20
In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is known as the vernal (spring) equinox and the September equinox is the autumnal (autumn) equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, these names are transposed. The March equinox typically falls on either March 20 or 21 and the September equinox on September 22 or 23 – the dates vary because the tropical year is not a whole number of days. Because the Earth's orbit is elliptical, the dates on which the equinoxes fall do not divide the year into equal halves. The equinoxes can also be interpreted as virtual points in the sky. Although, during full daylight, stars other than the sun are overwhelmed by sunlight, making it hard to see where the sun is compared to other celestial bodies, the sun does have a position (as seen from the Earth) relative to the other stars. As the Earth moves around the sun, the apparent position of the sun relative to the other stars moves in a full circle over the period of a year. This circle is called the ecliptic, and is also the plane of the Earth's orbit projected against the whole sky. The other bright planets like Venus, Mars and Saturn, also appear to move along the ecliptic, because their orbits are in a similar plane to Earth's. Another virtual circle in the sky is the celestial equator, or the projection of the plane of the Earth's equator against the whole sky. Because the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted relative to the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun, the celestial equator is inclined to the ecliptic. Twice a year, the sun, making its progress around the ecliptic, crosses the plane of the Earth's equator. These two points are the equinoxes. The time at which the sun passes through each equinox point can be calculated precisely—so the equinox is actually a particular moment, rather than a whole day.

Apparent behaviour of the sun

On the equinoxes, everywhere over the globe, the sun rises true east (parallel to lines of latitude), sets at true west, and the length of the day equals the length of the night.

March equinox

At the North pole the sun passes from a 6-month-long night to a 6-month-long day. At the Arctic circle the sun reaches an altitude of 23° in the South. At the Tropic of Cancer the sun reaches an altitude of 67° in the South. At the equator the sun rises in a vertical line from the East on the horizon to the zenith, and then sets in a vertical line from the zenith to the West on the horizon. At the Tropic of Capricorn the sun reaches an altitude of 67° in the North. At the Antarctic circle the sun reaches an altitude of 23° in the North. At the South pole the sun passes from a 6-month-long day to a 6-month-long night.

September equinox

At the North pole the sun passes from a 6-month-long day to a 6-month-long night. At the Arctic circle the sun reaches an altitude of 23° in the South. At the Tropic of Cancer the sun reaches an altitude of 67° in the South. At the equator the sun rises in a vertical line from the East on the horizon to the zenith, and then sets in a vertical line from the zenith to the West on the horizon. At the Tropic of Capricorn the sun reaches an altitude of 67° in the North. At the Antarctic circle the sun reaches an altitude of 23° in the North. At the South pole the sun passes from a 6-month-long night to a 6-month-long day.

Equinoctial point

The equinoctial point occurs twice a year (around March 21st and September 23rd), when the sun passes through the equinox. At this point (equinoctial point) the length of the day and night are the same. Hipparchus used the equinoctial point to divide the day into 24 equinoctial hours. Before this the day (dawn to dusk) was broken up in 12 'hours' whose length varied according to the season (longer in the summer, shorter in winter).

See also


- solstice
- precession

External links


- [http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/equinoxes.html Details about the Length of Day and Night at the Equinoxes]
- [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/2/3/4/12342/12342-h/12342-h.htm#E Equinoctial Points] - The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
- [http://www.spwebgames.com/daylight Java applet showing parts of the Earth in night and day]
- [http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/EarthSeasons.html Table of times for Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion in 1992-2020] Category:Spherical astronomy ja:分点

Solstice

Solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the earth's equator. The name is derived from Latin solstitium (from sol: "sun" and sistere: "stand still"). During the year, the position of the sun seen from earth moves North and South. When it changes direction it stands still momentarily. So solstices are those moments of the year when the sun reaches its southernmost or northernmost position, at the Tropic of Capricorn or Tropic of Cancer. The solstice is related to the axial tilt of the planet. A common misconception is that the solstice occurs at the solar apsides (aphelion and perihelion) of the planetary orbit. Since the orbital eccentricity of the earth (and most other solar system planets) is close to zero, the orbit is nearly circular. Therefore, the amount of sunlight received for the earth as a whole is nearly the same throughout the year. Seasons are, incidentally, caused by the tilt of the earth, which causes one hemisphere to receive more solar energy each day, at the expense of solar energy received by the other hemisphere. The solstices mark the points of greatest imbalance in energy received by the different hemispheres. The dates of the winter solstice and summer solstice are reversed for the northern and southern hemispheres. The dates of the solstices in the most widely used Gregorian calendar shift in a regular pattern (see Gregorian_calendar#Calendar_seasonal_error). Solstice festivals were common (and held primacy) in most cultures of the ancient world.

Behaviour of the sun

On the solstices the length of the day and the altitude of the sun at noon are the maximum or the minimum of all the other days of the year.

June solstice

At the North pole the sun circles the sky at a constant altitude of 23°. At the Polar Arctic Circle the middle of the sun just grazes the horizon due North without setting. It reaches its maximum altitude of 47° in the South. This is the only day of the year that the sun stays above the horizon for 24 hours. At the Tropic of Cancer the sun rises about 26° North of East. It reaches its maximum altitude at the zenith. It sets about 26° North of West. The sun stays above the horizon for 13.4 hours. At the equator the sun rises about 23° North of East. It reaches its maximum altitude of 67° in the North. It sets about 23° North of West. The sun stays above the horizon for 12 hours. At the Tropic of Capricorn the sun rises about 26° North of East. It reaches its maximum altitude of 43° in the North. It sets about 26° North of West. The sun stays above the horizon for 10.6 hours. At the Polar Antarctic Circle the middle of the sun just grazes the horizon due North without rising. This is the only day of the year that the sun does not rise above the horizon. At the South pole the sun never rises, always staying 23° below the horizon.

December solstice

At the North pole the sun never rises, always staying 23° below the horizon. At the Polar Arctic Circle the middle of the sun just grazes the horizon due South without rising. This is the only day of the year that the sun does not rise above the horizon. At the Tropic of Cancer the sun rises about 26° South of East. It reaches its maximum altitude of 43° in the South. It sets about 26° South of West. The sun stays above the horizon for 10.6 hours. At the equator the sun rises about 23° South of East. It reaches its maximum altitude of 67° in the South. It sets about 23° South of West. The sun stays above the horizon for 12 hours. At the Tropic of Capricorn the sun rises about 26° South of East. It reaches its maximum altitude at the zenith. It sets about 26° South of West. The sun stays above the horizon for 13.4 hours. At the Polar Antarctic Circle the middle of the sun just grazes the horizon due South without setting. It reaches its maximum altitude of 47° in the North. This is the only day of the year that the sun stays above the horizon for 24 hours. At the South pole the sun circles the sky at a constant altitude of 23°.

See also


- Equinox
- Midnight sun

External links


- [http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/seasondate.htm Solstice Dates and Times] Category:Solar System Category:Calendars simple:Solstice

March 1

March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). There are 305 days remaining.

Events


- 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, enters in Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus.
- 1562 - Over 1,000 Huguenots are massacred by Catholics in Wassy, France marking the start of the French Wars of Religion.
- 1565 - The city of Rio de Janeiro is founded.
- 1628 - Writs are issued in February by Charles I of England that every county in England (not just seaport towns) pay ship tax by this date.
- 1633 - Samuel de Champlain reclaims his role as commander of New France on behalf of Cardinal Richelieu.
- 1642 - Georgeana, Massachusetts (now known as York, Maine) becomes the first incorporated city in America.
- 1692 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts.
- 1700 - Sweden introduces its own Swedish calendar, in an attempt to reform into the Gregorian calendar, then reverts to the Julian calendar on this date in 1712, and then introduces the Gregorian Calendar on this date in 1753.
- 1781 - The Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation.
- 1790 - The first United States census is authorized.
- 1803 - Ohio is admitted as the 17th U.S. state.
- 1805 - Justice Samuel Chase is acquitted at the end of his impeachment trial by the U.S. Senate.
- 1811 - Leaders of the Mameluke dynasty are killed by Egyptian ruler Muhammad Ali.
- 1815 - Napoleon returns to France from his banishment on Elba.
- 1836 - A Convention of delegates from 57 Texas communities convenes in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas, to deliberate independence from Mexico.
- 1840 - Adolphe Thiers becomes prime minister of France.
- 1845 - President John Tyler signs a bill authorizing the United States to annex the Republic of Texas.
- 1852 - Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
- 1854 - German pyschologist Friedrich Eduard Beneke disappears; two years later his remains are found in the canal near Charlottenburg.
- 1867 - Nebraska becomes the 37th U.S. state; Lancaster, Nebraska is renamed Lincoln and becomes the state capital.
- 1872 - Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park.
- 1873 - E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York, start production of the first practical typewriter.
- 1873 - Henry Comstock discovers the Comstock Lode in Virgina City, Nevada.
- 1886 - Anglo-Chinese School,Singapore was founded by Bishop William Oldham.
- 1896 - Battle of Adowa, an Ethiopian army defeats an outnumbered Italian force, ending the First Italo-Abyssinian War.
- 1896 - Henri Becquerel discovers radioactivity.
- 1912 - Albert Berry makes the first parachute jump from a moving airplane.
- 1914 - The Republic of China joins the Universal Postal Union.
- 1917 - U.S. government releases the plaintext of the Zimmermann Telegram to the public.
- 1918 - German submarine Unterseeboot 19 (U-19) sinks HMS Calgarian off Rathlin Island.
- 1919 - March 1st Movement begins in Korea.
- 1932 - The son of Charles Lindbergh, Charles Augustus Lindbergh III, is kidnapped.
- 1936 - Hoover Dam is completed.
- 1941 - World War II: Bulgaria signs the Tripartite Pact thus joining the Axis powers.
- 1941 - W47NV (now known as WSM-FM) begins operations in Nashville, Tennessee becoming the first FM radio station in the U.S..
- 1946 - The Bank of England is nationalised.
- 1947 - The International Monetary Fund begins financial operations.
- 1949 - Indonesia seizes Yogyakarta from the Dutch.
- 1950 - Cold War: Klaus Fuchs is convicted of spying for the Soviet Union by giving them top secret atomic bomb data.
- 1953 - Joseph Stalin collapses, having suffered a stroke. He dies four days later.
- 1954 - Nuclear testing: The Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb, is detonated on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the worst radioactive contamination ever caused by the United States.
- 1954 - Puerto Rican nationalists attack the United States Capitol building, injuring five Representatives. (See U.S. Capitol shooting incident (1954).)
- 1955 - Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas hosts its first college basketball game.
- 1956 - The International Air Transport Association finalizes a draft of the Radiotelephony spelling alphabet for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
- 1958 - Samuel Alphonsus Stritch, is appointed Pro-Perfect of the Propagation of Faith and thus becomes the first American member of the Roman Curia.
- 1961 - President of the United States John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
- 1961 - Uganda becomes self-governing as its first elections held.
- 1962 - American Airlines Flight 1 crashes on take off in New York.
- 1966 - Venera 3 Soviet space probe crashes on Venus becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface.
- 1966 - The Ba'ath Party takes power in Syria.
- 1969 - During a performance at Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium, Jim Morrison of the Doors is arrested for exposing himself during the show.
- 1969 - John Kerry officially leaves active duty in Vietnam.
- 1971 - A bomb explodes in a men's room in the White House: the Weather Underground claims responsibility.
- 1971 - Pakistani President Yahya Khan indefinitely postponed the pending national assembly session, precipitating massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan.
- 1972 - The Thai province of Yasothon is created after being split off from the Ubon Ratchathani province.
- 1974 - Watergate scandal: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
- 1975 - Colour television transmissions begin in Australia.
- 1978 - Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery.
- 1980 - Voyager 1 probe confirms that Janus (moon of Saturn) exists.
- 1983 - Swatch introduces their first timepieces.
- 1989 - The United States becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
- 1990 - Steve Jackson Games is raided by the United States Secret Service, prompting the later formation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
- 1994 - Seattle grunge band Nirvana play their last show in Munich, Germany.
- 1995 - Polish Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak resigns from parliament and is replaced by ex-communist Józef Oleksy.
- 2000 - The Constitution of Finland is rewritten.
- 2000 - Hans Blix assumes the position of Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC.
- 2002 - U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins in eastern Afghanistan.
- 2002 - The Envisat environmental satellite successfully reaches an orbit 800 kilometers (500 miles) above the Earth on its 11th launch, carrying the heaviest payload to date at 8500 kilograms (9.5 tons).
- 2002 - The Peseta is discontinued as official currency of Spain and is replaced with the euro (€).
- 2003 - Management of the United States Customs Service and the United States Secret Service move to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
- 2004 - Terry Nichols is convicted of state murder charges and being an accomplice to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
- 2004 - The TV game show The Price is Right airs its 6,000 episode.
- 2004 - Punycode adopted by the national registrars of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- 2004 - Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum becomes President of Iraq.

Births


- 1445 - Sandro Botticelli, Italian painter (d. 1510)
- 1456 - King Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary (d. 1516)
- 1474 - Angela Merici, Italian nun (d. 1540)
- 1547 - Rudolph Goclenius, German philosopher (d. 1628)
- 1597 - Jean-Charles de la Faille, Belgian mathematician (d. 1652)
- 1610 - John Pell, English mathematician (d. 1685)
- 1657 - Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian (d. 1740)
- 1683 - Caroline of Ansbach, queen of George II of Great Britain (d. 1737)
- 1760 - François Nicolas Leonard Buzot, French revolutionary (suicide) (d. 1794)
- 1769 - François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers, French general (d. 1796)
- 1807 - Wilford Woodruff, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1898)
- 1810 - Frédéric Chopin, Polish-French composer and pianist (d. 1849)
- 1812 - Augustus Pugin, English-born architect (d. 1852)
- 1821 - Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German Old Catholic bishop (d. 1896)
- 1837 - William Dean Howells, American writer, historian, editor, and politician (d. 1920)
- 1852 - Théophile Delcassé, French statesman (d. 1923)
- 1858 - Georg Simmel, German sociologist and philosopher (d. 1918)
- 1865 - Abe Iso, Japanese politician (d. 1949)
- 1871 - Ben Harney, American composer and ragtime pianist (d. 1938)
- 1876 - Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian International Olympic Committee president (d. 1942)
- 1880 - Giles Lytton Strachey British writer (d. 1932)
- 1886 - Oskar Kokoschka, Austrian painter, graphic artist, and poet (d. 1980)
- 1888 - Ewart Astill, English cricketer (d. 1948)
- 1889 - Watsuji Tetsuro, Japanese ethicist and philosopher (d. 1960)
- 1892 - Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Japanese writer (d. 1927)
- 1893 - Mercedes de Acosta, American poet, playwright, costume designer, and socialite (d. 1968)
- 1896 - Dimitri Mitropoulos, Greek conductor, pianist, and composer (d. 1960)
- 1901 - Pietro Spiggia, Italian poet
- 1904 - Glenn Miller, American bandleader (d. 1944)
- 1910 - Archer John Porter Martin, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
- 1910 - David Niven, English actor (d. 1983)
- 1914 - Ralph Ellison, American writer (d. 1994)
- 1917 - Robert Lowell, American poet (d. 1977)
- 1918 - Roger Delgado, British actor (d. 1973)
- 1918 - João Goulart, President of Brazil (d. 1976)
- 1920 - Howard Nemerov, American poet (d. 1991)
- 1921 - Terence Cardinal Cooke, American Catholic archbishop (d. 1983)
- 1921 - Richard Wilbur, American poet
- 1922 - William Gaines, American publisher (d. 1992)
- 1922 - Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1995)
- 1923 - Kuczka Péter, Hungarian writer, poet, and editor (d. 1999)
- 1924 - Deke Slayton, astronaut (d. 1993)
- 1926 - Robert Clary, French actor
- 1926 - Alvin "Pete" Rozelle, commissioner of American football (d. 1996)
- 1927 - Harry Belafonte, American musician and actor
- 1928 - Dr. Seymour Papert, South African mathematician and artificial intelligence researcher
- 1928 - Jacques Rivette, French film director
- 1929 - Georgi Markov, Bulgarian dissident, (d. 1978)
- 1935 - Robert Conrad, American actor
- 1936 - Mikhail Kuzmin, Russian writer (b. 1871)
- 1937 - Jed Allan, American actor
- 1942 - Richard Bowman Myers, U.S. general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- 1943 - Gil Amelio, American businessman and venture capitalist
- 1944 - John Breaux, U,S. Senator from Louisiana
- 1944 - Mike D'Abo, British singer (Mannfred Mann)
- 1944 - Roger Daltrey, English musician (The Who)
- 1945 - Dirk Benedict, American film and television actor
- 1946 - Lana Wood, American actress
- 1947 - Alan Thicke, Canadian actor and songwriter
- 1948 - Burning Spear, Jamaican singer and musician
- 1952 - Steven Barnes, American writer
- 1953 - Richard Bruton, Irish politician and economist
- 1954 - Catherine Bach, American actress
- 1954 - Ron Howard, American actor, director, and producer
- 1956 - Timothy Daly, American actor
- 1958 - Bertrand Piccard, Swiss balloonist and psychiatrist
- 1963 - Dan Michaels, musician and record producer
- 1963 - Thomas Anders, German singer (Modern talking)
- 1965 - Stewart Elliott, Canadian jockey
- 1967 - Aron Winter, Dutch soccer player
- 1969 - Javier Bardem, Spanish actor
- 1969 - Dafydd Ieuan, Welsh drummer (Super Furry Animals)
- 1970 - Jason Brock, American writer
- 1971 - Tyler Hamilton, American cyclist
- 1973 - Chris Webber, American basketball player
- 1973 - Ryan Peake, Canadian guitarist (Nickelback)
- 1974 - Mark-Paul Gosselaar, American actor
- 1977 - Rens Blom, Dutch athlete
- 1980 - Djimi Traore, Malian footballer
- 1981 - Adam LaVorgna, American actor

Deaths


- 1131 - King Stephen II of Hungary (b. 1101)
- 1233 - Count Thomas I of Savoy (b. 1178)
- 1244 - Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, son of Llywelyn the Great (b. 1200)
- 1383 - Amadeus VI of Savoy (b. 1334)
- 1510 - Francisco de Almeida, Portuguese soldier and explorer
- 1536 - Bernardo Accolti, Italian poet (b. 1465)
- 1546 - George Wishart, Scottish religious reformer (martyred) (b 1513)
- 1620 - Thomas Campion, English poet and composer (b. 1567)
- 1633 - George Herbert, English poet and orator (b. 1593)
- 1643 - Girolamo Frescobaldi, Italian composer (b. 1583)
- 1661 - Richard Zouch, English jurist (b. 1590)
- 1697 - Francesco Redi, Italian physician (b. 1626)
- 1706 - Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming, German field marshal and Governor of Berlin (b. 1632)
- 1734 - Roger North, English biographer (b. 1653)
- 1757 - Edward Moore, English writer (b. 1712)
- 1768 - Hermann Samuel Reimarus, German philosopher and writer (b. 1694)
- 1773 - Luigi Vanvitelli, Italian architect (b. 1700)
- 1777 - Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Austrian composer (b. 1715)
- 1792 - Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1747)
- 1841 - Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno, French marshal (b. 1764)
- 1862 - Peter Barlow, English mathematician (b. 1776)
- 1875 - Tristan Corbière, French poet (b. 1845)
- 1879 - Joachim Heer, Swiss politician (b. 1825)
- 1884 - Isaac Todhunter, English mathematician (b. 1820)
- 1898 - George Bruce Malleson, English officer in India, author (b. 1825)
- 1911 - Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Dutch chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
- 1912 - George Grossmith, English actor and comic writer (b. 1847)
- 1914 - Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto (b. 1845)
- 1920 - John H. Bankhead, U.S. Senator (b. 1842)
- 1920 - Joseph Trumpeldor, Russian Zionist (b. 1880)
- 1922 - Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, Spanish footballer (b. 1892)
- 1932 - Frank Teschemacher, American jazz clarinettist
- 1938 - Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italian writer, war hero, and politician (b. 1863)
- 1940 - Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Estonian author (b. 1878)
- 1943 - Alexandre Yersin, Swiss physician (b. 1863)
- 1952 - Mariano Azuela, Mexican novelist (b. 1873)
- 1966 - Fritz Houtermans, German physicist (b. 1903)
- 1970 - Lucille Hegamin, American singer and entertainer (b. 1894)
- 1974 - Bobby Timmons, American jazz pianist (b. 1935)
- 1979 - Mustafa Barzani, Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
- 1984 - Jackie Coogan, American actor (b. 1914)
- 1988 - Joe Besser, American comedian and actor (b. 1907)
- 1991 - Edwin H. Land, American inventor (b. 1909)
- 1995 - Vladislav Listyev, Russian television journalist (b. 1956)
- 2000 - Dennis Danell, American guitarist (Social Distortion) (b.