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July 2

July 2

July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. It is the middle day of a non-leap year, because there are 182 days before and 182 days after. It falls on the same day of the week as New Year's Day (of non-leap years) and New Year's Eve.

Events

- 1298 - The Battle of Göllheim is fought between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.
- 1578 - Martin Frobisher sights Baffin Island.
- 1613 - First English expedition from Massachusetts against Acadia - led by Samuel Argall.
- 1644 - Battle of Marston Moor in the English Civil War.
- 1679 - Europeans first visit Minnesota and see headwaters of Mississippi - led by Daniel Greysolon de Du Luth.
- 1776 - The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with Great Britain, though a formal Declaration of Independence is not adopted until July 4.
- 1777 - Vermont becomes the first American state to abolish slavery.
- 1808 - Simon Fraser reaches Pacific near New Westminster.
- 1819 - The Factory Act is passed in Britain, creating restrictions on child labor.
- 1839 - Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinque take over the slave ship Amistad.
- 1850 - The self-contained gas mask is patented by Benjamin J. Lane.
- 1853 - The Russian Army invades Turkey, beginning the Crimean War.
- 1863 - Second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.
- 1878 - What will become the BMT Brighton Line opens in the City of Brooklyn (which merged with Manhattan and other counties to become the City of Greater New York in 1898)
- 1881 - Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James Garfield, who eventually dies from infection on September 19.
- 1890 - The U.S. Congress passes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
- 1900 - First zeppelin flight on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.
- 1917 - 48 die in rioting in East St. Louis, Illinois, as lower-paid black laborers clash with whites.
- 1937 - Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappear over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator.
- 1947 - An object speculated to be a UFO crashes near Roswell, New Mexico, though the United States Air Force claims it is a weather balloon.
- 1950 - Henri Queuille becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1964 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act into law.
- 1973 - James R. Schlesinger is sworn in as the 12th United States Secretary of Defense.
- 1976 - North and South Vietnam, divided since 1954, reunite to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
- 1978 - The New York Times publishes its last edition composed using hot metal typesetting.
- 1979 - The first U.S. coin to honor a woman, the Susan B. Anthony dollar, is introduced.
- 1982 - Larry Walters uses 45 helium balloons and a lawnchair to propel himself to 16,000 feet.
- 1985 - Andrei Gromyko is appointed the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.
- 1990 - A stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel led to the deaths of 1,426 pilgrims in Mecca during hajj.
- 2000 - Vicente Fox Quesada is elected the first President of México from an opposition party, the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) after more than 70 years of continuous rule from the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).
- 2002 - Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.
- 2003 - International Olympic Committee session in Prague. Vancouver is declared the Host City for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010.
- 2005 - Ten Live 8 concerts are held around the world in an attempt to force G8 countries to address poverty.
- 2005 - Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the Oklahoma House of Representatives proclaimed July 2, 2005 as “Chet Baker Day”.

Births

- 419 - Valentinian III, Roman Emperor (d. 455)
- 1029 - Caliph Al-Mustansir of Cairo (d. 1094)
- 1262 - Arthur II, Duke of Brittany (d. 1312)
- 1489 - Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1556)
- 1647 - Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, English privy councilor (d. 1730)
- 1665 - Samuel Penhallow, English-born American colonist and historian (d. 1726)
- 1714 - Christoph Willibald Gluck, German composer (d. 1787)
- 1724 - Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, German poet (d. 1803)
- 1821 - Sir Charles Tupper, sixth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1915)
- 1856 - Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Indian nationalist leader (d. 1920)
- 1862 - William Henry Bragg, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1942)
- 1865 - Lily Braun, German writer (d. 1916)
- 1877 - Hermann Hesse, German-born writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1962)
- 1884 - Alfons Maria Jakob, German neurologist (d. 1931)
- 1900 - Tyrone Guthrie, English actor (d. 1971)
- 1903 - Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1995)
- 1903 - King Olav V of Norway (d. 1991)
- 1906 - Hans Bethe, German-born nuclear physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005)
- 1908 - Thurgood Marshall, U. S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1993)
- 1914 - Frederick Fennell, American conductor (d. 2004)
- 1916 - Ken Curtis, American actor and singer (d. 1991)
- 1916 - Hans-Ulrich Rudel, German pilot (d. 1982).
- 1918 - Wibo, Dutch cartoonist (d. 2005)
- 1923 - Wisława Szymborska, Polish writer, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1925 - Medgar Evers, American civil rights activist (d. 1963)
- 1925 - Patrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (d. 1961)
- 1927 - Brock Peters, American actor
- 1929 - Imelda Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines
- 1930 - Carlos Menem, President of Argentina
- 1932 - Dave Thomas, American fast food entrepreneur (d. 2002)
- 1937 - Polly Holliday, American actress
- 1937 - Richard Petty, American race car driver
- 1939 - John H. Sununu, U.S. Secretary of State
- 1940 - Kenneth Harry Clarke, British politician
- 1942 - Vicente Fox, President of Mexico
- 1946 - Richard Axel, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1946 - Ron Silver, American actor
- 1947 - Larry David, American television producer
- 1955 - Andrew Divoff, Venezuelan actor
- 1956 - Jerry Hall, American actress and model
- 1957 - Bret "Hitman" Hart, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1958 - Thomas Bickerton, American Methodist bishop
- 1959 - Mike Hallett, English snooker player
- 1964 - Jose Canseco, baseball player
- 1970 - Yancy Butler, American actress
- 1971 - Evelyn Lau, Canadian author
- 1974 - Matthew Reilly, Australian author
- 1975 - Erik Ohlsson, Swedish guitarist (Millencolin)
- 1976 - Tomas Vokoun, Czech hockey player
- 1983 - Michelle Branch, American musician
- 1986 - Lindsay Lohan, American actress

Deaths

- 862 - St. Swithun, Bishop of Winchester
- 1298 - Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg, King of the Romans
- 1504 - Ştefan cel Mare, Prince of Moldova (b. 1434)
- 1582 - Akechi Mitsuhide, Japanese samurai (b. 1528)
- 1591 - Vincenzo Galilei, Italian composer (b. 1520)
- 1621 - Thomas Harriot, English astronomer and mathematician
- 1656 - François-Marie, comte de Broglie, Italian-born French commander (b. 1611)
- 1674 - Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1614)
- 1684 - John Rogers, American President of Harvard University (b. 1630)
- 1743 - Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, English statesman
- 1746 - Thomas Baker, English antiquarian (b. 1656)
- 1778 - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss philosopher (b. 1712)
- 1778 - Bathsheba Ruggles, American murderer
- 1833 - Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Argentine leader (b. 1757)
- 1843 - Samuel Hahnemann, German physician
- 1912 - Tom Richardson, English cricket player (b. 1870)
- 1926 - Émile Coué, French psychologist (b. 1857)
- 1932 - King Manuel II of Portugal (b. 1889)
- 1937 - Amelia Earhart, American aviator (disappeared) (b. 1897)
- 1961 - Ernest Hemingway, American writer, Nobel Prize laureate (suicide) (b. 1899)
- 1964 - Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, American race car driver (b. 1929)
- 1966 - Jan Brzechwa, Polish poet (b. 1900)
- 1972 - Joseph Fielding Smith, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1876)
- 1973 - Betty Grable, American actress (b. 1916)
- 1977 - Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born writer (b. 1899)
- 1989 - Andrei Gromyko, Soviet foreign minister (b. 1909)
- 1991 - Lee Remick, American actress (b. 1935)
- 1994 - Andrés Escobar, Colombian footballer (murdered)
- 1997 - James Stewart, American actor (b. 1908)
- 1999 - Mario Puzo, American author (b. 1920)
- 2004 - Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, Portuguese writer and poet (b. 1919)
- 2004 - John Cullen Murphy, American comic strip artist (b. 1919)
- 2005 - Ernest Lehman, American screenwriter (b. 1915)

Holidays and observances

- Originally, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Feast of the Visitation was celebrated on this day, although it has since been transferred to May 31
- Palio di Provenzano in Siena

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/2 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/7/2 Today in History: July 2] ---- July 1 - July 3 - June 2 - August 2 -- listing of all days ko:7월 2일 ms:2 Julai ja:7月2日 simple:July 2 th:2 กรกฎาคม

July 2

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

- Originally, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Feast of the Visitation was celebrated on this day, although it has since been transferred to May 31
- Palio di Provenzano in Siena

External links

Leap year

A leap year (or intercalary year) is a year containing an extra day or month in order to keep the calendar year in sync with an astronomical or seasonal year. Seasons and astronomical events do not repeat at an exact number of days, so a calendar which had the same number of days in each year would over time drift with respect to the event it was supposed to track. By occasionally inserting (or intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. Leap years (which keep the calendar in sync with the year) should not be confused with leap seconds (which keep clock time in sync with the day).

Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar, the current standard calendar in most of the world, adds a 29th day to February in all years evenly divisible by 4, except for century years (those ending in -00), which receive the extra day only if they are evenly divisible by 400. Thus 1996 was a leap year whereas 1999 was not, and 1600, 2000 and 2400 are leap years but 1700, 1800, 1900 and 2100 are not. The reasoning behind this rule is as follows:
- The Gregorian calendar is designed to keep the vernal equinox on or close to March 21, so that the date of Easter (celebrated on the Sunday after the 14th day of the Moon that falls on or after 21 March) remains correct with respect to the vernal equinox.
- The vernal equinox year is currently about 365.242375 days long.
- The Gregorian leap year rule gives an average year length of 365.2425 days. This difference of a little over 0.0001 days means that in around 8,000 years, the calendar will be about one day behind where it should be. But in 8,000 years' time the length of the vernal equinox year will have changed by an amount we can't accurately predict (see below). So the Gregorian leap year rule does a good enough job. Image:Gregoriancalendarleap.png

Which day is the leap day?

The Gregorian calendar is a modification of the Julian calendar first used by the Romans. The Roman calendar originated as a lunar calendar (though from the 5th century BC it no longer followed the real moon) and named its days after three of the phases of the moon: the new moon (calends, hence "calendar"), the first quarter (nones) and the full moon (ides). Days were counted down (inclusively) to the next named day, so 24 February was ante diem sextum calendas martii ("the sixth day before the calends of March"). Since 45 BC, February in a leap year had two days called "the sixth day before the calends of March". The extra day was originally the second of these, but since the third century it was the first. Hence the term bissextile day for 24 February in a bissextile year. Where this custom is followed, anniversaries after the inserted day are moved in leap years. For example, the former feast day of Saint Matthias, 24 February in ordinary years, would be 25 February in leap years. This historical nicety is, however, in the process of being discarded: The European Union declared that, starting in 2000, 29 February rather than 24 February would be leap day, and the Roman Catholic Church also now uses 29 February as leap day. The only tangible difference is felt in countries that celebrate feast days.

Julian calendar

The Julian calendar adds an extra day to February in years divisible by 4. This rule gives an average year length of 365.25 days. The excess of about 0.0076 days with respect to the vernal equinox year means that the vernal equinox moves a day earlier in the calendar every 130 years or so.

Revised Julian Calendar

The Revised Julian calendar adds an extra day to February in years divisible by 4, except for years divisible by 100 that do not leave a remainder of 200 or 600 when divided by 900. This rule agrees with the rule for the Gregorian calendar until 2799. The first year that dates in the Revised Julian calendar will not agree with the those in the Gregorian calendar will be 2800, because it will be a leap year in the Gregorian calendar but not in the Revised Julian calendar. This rule gives an average year length of 365.242222… days. This is a very good approximation to the mean tropical year, but because the vernal equinox tropical year is slightly longer, the Revised Julian calendar does not do as good a job as the Gregorian calendar of keeping the vernal equinox on or close to 21 March.

Chinese calendar

The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so a leap year has an extra month, often called an embolismic month after the Greek word for it. In the Chinese calendar the leap month is added according to a complicated rule, which ensures that month 11 is always the month that contains the northern winter solstice. The intercalary month takes the same number as the preceding month; for example, if it follows the second month then it is simply called "leap second month".

Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar is also lunisolar with an embolistic month. In the Hebrew calendar the extra month is called Adar Alef (first Adar) and is added before Adar, which then becomes Adar Sheni (second Adar). According to the Metonic cycle, this is done seven times every nineteen years, specifically, in years, 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19. In addition, the Hebrew calendar has postponement rules that postpone the start of the year by one or two days. The year before the postponement gets one or two extra days, and the year whose start is postponed loses one or two days. These postponement rules reduce the number of different combinations of year length and starting day of the week from 28 to 14, and regulate the location of certain religious holidays in relation to the Sabbath.

Hindu Calendar

In the Hindu calendar, which is a lunisolar calendar, the embolismic month is called adhika maas (extra month). It is the month in which the sun is in the same sign of the stellar zodiac on two consecutive dark moons.

Iranian calendar

The Iranian calendar also has a single intercalated day once in every four years, but every 33 years or so the leap years will be five years apart instead of four years apart. The system used is more accurate and more complicated, and is based on the time of the March equinox as observed from Teheran. The 33-year period is not completely regular; every so often the 33-year cycle will be broken by a cycle of 29 or 37 years.

Long term leap year rules

The accumulated difference between the Gregorian calendar and the vernal equinoctial year amounts to 1 day in about 8,000 years. This suggests that the calendar needs to be improved by another refinement to the leap year rule: perhaps by avoiding leap years in years divisible by 8,000. (The most common such proposal is to avoid leap years in years divisible by 4,000 [http://www.google.com/search?q=%22gregorian+calendar%22+error+%22leap+year%22+4000]. This is based on the difference between the Gregorian calendar and the mean tropical year. Others claim, erroneously, that the Gregorian calendar itself already contains a refinement of this kind [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mleapyr.html].) However, there is little point in planning a calendar so far ahead because over a timescale of tens of thousands of years the number of days in a year will change for a number of reasons, most notably: #Precession of the equinoxes moves the position of the vernal equinox with respect to perihelion and so changes the length of the vernal equinoctial year. #Tidal acceleration from the sun and moon slows the rotation of the earth, making the day longer. In particular, the second component of change depends on such things as post-glacial rebound and sea level rise due to climate change. We can't predict these changes accurately enough to be able to make a calendar that will be accurate to a day in tens of thousands of years.

Marriage proposal

There is a tradition, said to go back to Saint Patrick and Saint Bridget in 5th century Ireland, whereby women may only make marriage proposals in leap years.

Saint Patrick and the leap year

:Saint Patrick, having driven the frogs out of the bogs was walking along the shores of Lough Neagh, when he was accosted by Saint Bridget in tears, and was told that a mutiny had broken out in the nunnery over which she presided, the ladies claiming the right of popping the question. :Saint Patrick said he would concede them the right every seventh year, when Saint Bridget threw her arms round his neck, and exclaimed, "Arrah, Pathrick, jewel, I daurn't go back to the girls wid such a proposal. Make it one year in four." Saint Patrick replied, "Bridget, acushla, squeeze me that way again, an' I'll give ye leap-year, the longest of the lot." Saint Bridget, upon this, popped the question to St Patrick himself, who, of course, could not marry: so he patched up the difficulty as best he could with a kiss and a silk gown. (Source: Evans, Ivor H, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Cassell, London, 1988) According to a 1288 law in Scotland, fines were levied if the proposal was refused by the man; compensation ranged from a kiss to a silk gown to soften the blow. Because men felt that put them at too great a risk, the tradition was in some places tightened to restricting female proposals to 29 February.

Birthdays

A person who was born on 29 February may be called a "leapling". In non-leap years they usually celebrate their birthday on 28 February or 1 March. There are many instances in children's literature where a person's claim to be only a quarter of their actual age turns out be based on counting their leap-year birthdays. A similar device is used in the plot of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance. Category:Calendars Category:Units of time als:Schaltjahr ko:윤년 ja:閏年 simple:Leap year th:ปีอธิกสุรทิน

Leap year

Gregorian calendar

Which day is the leap day?

Julian calendar

Revised Julian Calendar

Chinese calendar

Hebrew calendar

Hindu Calendar

Iranian calendar

Long term leap year rules

Marriage proposal

There is a tradition, said to go back to Saint Patrick and Saint Bridget in 5th century Ireland, whereby women may only make marriage proposals in leap years.

Saint Patrick and the leap year

Birthdays

New Year's Day

:This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. For all other New Year celebrations, see New Year. :For information on the movie, "New Year's Day", see New Year's Day (film). New Year's Day is the first day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar. In modern times, it is January 1. In most countries, it is a holiday. It is still celebrated as a holy day on January 14 by those who still follow the Julian calendar such as followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches known as Old Calendarists.

Modern practices

January 1 marks the end of a period of remembrance of the passing year, especially on radio, television, and in newspapers, which usually starts right after Christmas Day. Publications often have year-end articles that review the changes during the past year. Common topics include politics, natural disasters, music and the arts, and the listing of significant individuals who died during the past year. Often there are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year, such as the description of new laws that often take effect on January 1. This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s, has become an occasion for celebration on the night between December 31 and January 1, called New Year's Eve. There are often fireworks at midnight. Depending on the country, individuals may be allowed to burn fireworks, even if it is forbidden the rest of the year. It is also an occasion to make New Year resolutions, which they hope to fulfill in the coming Year; the most popular ones in the western world include to stop tobacco smoking or drinking, or to lose weight or get physically fit. In most countries that follow the Gregorian calendar, including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada (for a very brief list), New Year's Day is a public holiday. For many of those countries, if January 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then the Friday before or the Monday after will be a public holiday. Israel is the only country that uses the Gregorian calendar that does not celebrate the day as a public holiday. The official reason is due to the day's historic origins as a Christian religious holiday, although many other nations with non-Christian majorities have a public January 1 holiday. Nonetheless, many Israelis, especially those who originate from North America or Western Europe, do privately celebrate the holiday.

History

Among the 7th century druidic pagans of Flanders, it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year, a pagan custom deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemings, "[Do not] make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom]." The quote is from the vita of Eligius written by his companion Ouen. In the Middle Ages, most European countries used the Julian calendar, but a variety of dates were used as the first day of the year; see New Year for details. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar led eventually to the adoption of January 1 as New Year's Day in all countries using that calendar.

Specific, high-profile or common celebrations

January 1
- In Pasadena, California, United States, the Tournament of Roses is held on New Year's Day with nearly a million revelers viewing the parade from the streets, with millions more around the world watching on television, followed by the Rose Bowl football game.
- In New York City, the world famous 1,070-pound, 6-foot-diameter Waterford crystal ball located high above Times Square is lowered starting at 11:59:00 PM and reaches the bottom of its tower at the stroke of midnight (12:00:00 AM) on January 1. It is sometimes referred to as "the big apple" like the city itself; the custom derives from the time signal that used to be given at noon in harbors.
- Other Ball Drops occur in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and Sydney Harbour
- Vienna New Year Concert, in Austria
- In The Netherlands and some other European countries, the New Year is greeted with massive private fireworks. The custom may have been imported by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century. However, fireworks have long been part of the European celebration of major events, so this may not be so. This day is also the occasion to make bonfires of discarded Christmas trees in some countries.
- In South Korea, the most popular way of celebrating New Year's Day (1 January) is to travel to Jung dong jin, the place on the peninsula where the sun can first be seen each day.
- Junkanoo parade, in Nassau, Bahamas
- Some US mayors hold New Year levees
- In Scotland, there are many special customs associated with the New Year. For more information, see Hogmanay, the Scots name for the New Year celebration.
- Japanese New Year in Japan
- The Peach Drop in Underground Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
- Polar Bear Clubs: In many cities near bodies of water, they will have a tradition of people plunging into the cold water on New Year's Day. The Coney Island Polar Bears Club in New York is the oldest cold-water swimming club in the United States. They have had groups of people enter the chilly surf since 1903.

Images Associated with New Year's Day

In the United States, cultural images include an old Father Time with a sash proclaiming the Old Year leaving as an infant with a sash proclaiming the New Year enters.

New Year's Babies

People born on New Year's Day are commonly called New Year's Babies.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is a celebration held the day before New Year's Day, on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year. New Year's Eve is a separate observance from the observance of New Year's Day. In 20th-century Western practice, the celebration involves partying until the moment of the transition of the year, generally at local midnight. Drinking champagne is also a major part of the festivities. Within many cultures the use of fireworks and other noise making is a major part of the celebration in cities such as London, Paris, Sydney, and Hong Kong. New Year's Eve is a public non-working holiday in the following countries, among others: Argentina, Brazil, Germany, the Philippines, and Venezuela.

Localized celebrations

Australia

Venezuela With crowds of over 1.2 million people, Sydney has one of the largest annual New Year's Eve celebrations worldwide benefiting from the Harbour City's warm summer weather and spectacular natural amphitheatre. Over 80,000 fireworks are traditionally set off from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and four other firing points covering 6kms along Sydney Harbour. The event can be seen from a 16km radius around Sydney and attracts an average of 300,000 international tourists each year. For all details see [http://www.NewYearsEve.com.au NewYearsEve.com.au].

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong people usually gather in Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront to see the lightworks on the skyscrapers along the harbour and to count down the New Year at spots like Times Square and Ocean Terminal.

United Kingdom

Ocean Terminal 100,000 people gather for an organised hogmanay street party in Edinburgh, with fireworks being set off from the castle and other major hills around the city. In London, a fireworks display is held around the London Eye. The moment of midnight is marked by the sound of Big Ben, broadcast to the whole country by radio and television. The traditional song, Auld Lang Syne is sung in the first moments of the new year, after the final stroke of the bell.

United States

For about four decades Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians would serenade the United States from the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue in New York City. In the United States New Year's Eve is a major social holiday. In the past 100 years the dropping of the 'ball' on top of One Times Square in New York City, broadcast worldwide, is a major component of the celebration. The 1,070-pound, 6-foot-diameter Waterford crystal ball located high above Times Square is lowered starting at 23:59:00 and reaches the bottom of its tower at the stroke of midnight (00:00:00) on January 1. Since 1972, Dick Clark has hosted televised coverage of the event called Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve, shown on the ABC network. It is sometimes referred to as "the big apple" like the city itself; the custom derives from the time signal that used to be given at noon in harbors. In years prior to 1940, New York City dropped an enlarged apple in recognition of its nickname. Now, many cities in America have their own local version of the celebration, even while keeping an eye on New York, and the New York-centric aspect of the holiday is diminishing. Many cities, echoing the New York tradition of dropping a ball, also drop or lower an object (or an enlarged representation of an object), usually one of local significance. (See List of objects dropped on New Year's Eve.) There are also examples of things going up. In Seattle the countdown is done by launching fireworks up the side of the Space Needle until it reaches the top at midnight. New Year's Eve is also a big day in Las Vegas, where Las Vegas Boulevard is shut down as several hundred thousand people party.

Spain

Each city in Spain has its own particular place where people stand waiting for the New Year. The most important place is located at 'La Puerta del Sol', a big square in the capital Madrid. In this place, crowded by thousands of people, a centenary clock is lowered starting at 23:59:48. In nearly all Spanish houses, people watch on TV (narrated by famous Spanish singers, actors, actresses, etc.) this countdown and each person has a small glass, or recipient, with twelve green grapes. A grape is eaten for each second left to the New Year.

Croatia

The new year in Croatia is a traditional gathering in houses, hotels and discotheques, as well as mass parties in public, with fireworks. There is a tradition of playing picigin in Split on New Year's Day, regardless of the weather conditions, even though the sea temperature rarely exceeds 10 degrees Celsius.
- [http://www.generalturist.com/english/accommodation/ New Year's Eve in Dubrovnik, Istria and other Croatia's destinations....]

Watch Night

Many Christians, particularly in the Methodist tradition, gather on New Year's Eve for what are called Watch Night services. During these sometimes three-hour-long services, hymns are sung and prayers offered in a rededication to God, as participants watch for the new year. John Wesley wrote and adapted services for Watch Night celebrations. The most famous of Wesley's Watch Night resources is certainly what is known as the Wesley Covenant Prayer, an adaptation of a pietist prayer (see The United Methodist Book of Worship, 1992, ISBN 0687035724).

First Night

As a family-friendly, non-alcoholic celebration of the coming New Year, many communities have started sponsoring "First Night" celebrations. Typical events might include musical entertainment, arcades, and carnival attractions.

1298

Events

- July 2 - The Battle of Göllheim is fought between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.
- End of the reign of Emperor Fushimi, emperor of Japan
- Emperor Go-Fushimi ascends to the throne of Japan
- 21 July - Battle of Falkirk (1298): England's Edward Longshank defeats William Wallace's Scottish rebels
- While in prison in Genoa, Marco Polo dictates his Travels to a local writer
- A fire causes severe damage to the Palace of Westminster.

Births

- December 12 - Albert II of Austria (died 1358)

Deaths

- July 2 - Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg, King of the Romans
- July 10 - King Ladislaus IV of Hungary (b. 1262)
- July 13 - Jacobus de Voragine, Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa
- September 11 - Philip of Artois, French soldier (born 1269)
- Smilets of Bulgaria (born 1292) Category:1298 ko:1298년

Albert I of Habsburg

Albert I (July 1255 – May 1, 1308) was a German king, duke of Austria, and eldest son of King Rudolph I of Habsburg. The founder of the great house of Habsburg was invested with the duchies of Austria and Styria, together with his brother Rudolph II, in 1282. In 1283 his father entrusted him with their sole government, and he appears to have ruled them with conspicuous success. Rudolph I was unable to secure the succession to the German throne for his son, and on his death in 1291, the princes, fearing Albert's power, chose Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg as king. A rising among his Swabian dependants compelled Albert to recognize the sovereignty of his rival, and to confine himself to the government of the Habsburg territories. He did not abandon his hopes of the throne and, in 1298, was chosen German king by some of the princes, who were dissatisfied with Adolf. The armies of the rival kings met at the Battle of Göllheim near Worms, where Adolf was defeated and slain, and Albert submitted to a fresh election. Having secured the support of several influential princes by extensive promises, he was chosen at Frankfurt on the July 27, 1298, and crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle on August 24. Albert married Elizabeth, daughter of Meinhard II, count of Gorizia and Tyrol, who bore him six sons, including Rudolph III of Austria, Frederick I of Austria, Leopold I of Austria, Otto of Austria and Albert II of Austria, and five daughters. Although a hard, stern man, he had a keen sense of justice when his selfish interests were not involved, and few of the German kings possessed so practical an intelligence. He encouraged the cities, and not content with issuing proclamations against private war, formed alliances with the princes in order to enforce his decrees. The serfs, whose wrongs seldom attracted notice in an age indifferent to the claims of common humanity, found a friend in this severe monarch, and he protected even the despised and persecuted Jews. The stories of his cruelty and oppression in the Swiss cantons first appear in the 16th century, and are now regarded as legendary. Albert sought to play an important part in European affairs. He seemed at first inclined to press a quarrel with France over the Burgundian frontier, but the refusal of Pope Boniface VIII to recognize his election led him to change his policy, and, in 1299, a treaty was made between Albert and Philip IV of France, by which Rudolph, the son of the German king, was to marry Blanche, a daughter of the French king. He afterwards became estranged from Philip, and, in 1303, was recognized as German king and future emperor by Boniface and, in return, admitted the right of the pope alone to bestow the imperial crown, and promised that none of his sons should be elected German king without the papal consent. Albert had failed in his attempt to seize Holland and Zeeland, as vacant fiefs of the Empire, on the death of Count John I in 1299, but in 1306 he secured the crown of Bohemia for his son Rudolph on the death of King Wenceslaus III. He also renewed the claim which had been made by his predecessor, Adolf, on Thuringia, and interfered in a quarrel over the succession to the Hungarian throne. His attack on Thuringia ended in his defeat at Lucka in 1307 and, in the same year, the death of his son Rudolph weakened his position in eastern Europe. His action in abolishing all tolls established on the Rhine since 1250, led to the formation of a league against him by the Rhenish archbishops and the count palatine of the Rhine; but aided by the towns, he soon crushed the rising. He was on the way to suppress a revolt in Swabia when he was murdered on May 1, 1308, at Windisch on the Reuss River, by his nephew John, afterwards called "the Parricide", whom he had deprived of his inheritance.

References

- Category:Rulers of Austria Category:Rulers of Styria Albert I of Germany Albert I of Germany Albert I of Germany ja:アルブレヒト1世 (神聖ローマ皇帝)

1578

Events

- January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. Don John begins to recover control of the French-speaking Southern Netherlands
- August 4 - Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir - The Moroccans defeat the Portuguese. King Sebastian I of Portugal is defeated and killed in North Africa, leaving his elderly uncle, Cardinal Henry, as his heir. This initiates a succession crisis in Portugal.
- October 1 - Alexander Farnese, Prince of Parma, succeeds Don John as Spanish Governor-General of the Netherlands.
- Martin Frobisher held the first celebration of Thanksgiving by Europeans in North American at Newfoundland by the Frobisher Expedition.
- Tibet - Sonam Gyrso receives from prince Atlan Khan the title of "Talaï" and becomes the third Dalai Lama.
- Battle of Wenden - The Russians are defeated by the Swedes, who proceed to take Polotsk.
- The Ottoman Empire conquers Abkhazia.
- Sixth and so far the last outbreak of the sweating sickness in England

Births

- March 2 - George Sandys, English traveller (died 1644)
- April 1 - William Harvey, English physician (died 1657)
- April 14 - King Philip III of Spain (died 1621)
- May 16 - Everard Digby, English conspirator (died 1606)
- July 9 - Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1637)
- August 17 - Francesco Albani, Italian painter (died 1660)
- November 1 - Dmitry Pozharsky, Russian prince (died 1642)
- December 2 - Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer (died 1640)
- Giambattista Andreini, Italian actor and playwright (died 1650)
- Yamada Arinaga, Japanese retainer of Shimazu clan
- Benedetto Castelli, Italian scientist (died 1643)
- Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, English lawyer (died 1640)
- Robert Cushman, Plymouth Colony settler (died 1625)
- Matahei Iwasa, Japanese painter (died 1650)
- Samuel Jordan, American colonial legislator (died 1623)
- Charles de Luynes, first duke of Chaulnes (died 1621)
- Grzegorz IV Radziwill, Polish magnate (died 1613)
- François Ravaillac, killer of Henry IV of France (died 1610)
- Ambrose Rokewood, English Gunpowder Plot conspirator (died 1606)
- Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland (died 1632)
- Horio Tadauji, Japanese daimyo (died 1604) See also :Category: 1578 births.

Deaths

- February 5 - Giambattista Moroni, Italian painter (born 1510)
- March 7 - Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (b. 1515)
- March 29 - Arthur Champernowne, English admiral (b. 1524)
- March 29 - Louis I, Cardinal of Guise, French cardinal (b. 1527)
- April 14 - James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, consort of Mary I of Scotland (born 1535)
- April 19 - Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese samurai and warlord (born 1530)
- August 4 - King Sebastian I of Portugal (born 1554)
- August 4 - Thomas Stucley, English adventurer (born 1525)
- August 11 - Pedro Nunes, Portuguese mathematician (b. 1502)
- October 1 - Don John of Austria, military leader (born 1547)
- Giorgio Giulio Clovio, Italian painter (born 1498)
- Cornelis Cort, Dutch engraver (born 1536)
- Thomas Doughty, English explorer
- Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor (born 1501)
- Amago Katsuhisa, Japanese nobleman (born 1553)
- Ikeda Katsumasa, Japanese military commander (born 1539)
- Juraj Julije Klovic, Dalmatian painter (born 1498)
- Pierre Lescot, French architect (born 1510)
- Giovanni Battista Moroni, Italian painter (born 1520)
- Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I Saadi, King of Morocco See a