The year 2011 will be remembered by most of the world for its political and geological upheaval. Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi were killed, the Arab Spring saw protests in Libya, […]
Why Was 2011 the Shortest Year for Samoa?
Do You Know Which Day is Leap Day?
Every four years we get to experience the phenomenon known as Leap Year. One additional day is added to the calendar to account for the fact that it takes about 365.25 days […]
Kodak’s 13-Month Calendar
George Eastman (1854-1932) was a man of great accomplishments who was ahead of his time. The visionary founder of the photography company Eastman-Kodak did so much in the fields of photography and […]
Koreans Age Differently Than the Rest of the World
Your age is one thing that is cross-cultural, or so you would think. If you are 25 years old in the United States, you are 25 years old in South Africa. This […]
The Year of Two Thanksgivings
Thanksgiving is intended to be a day for gratitude. It is a time to take a break from the frenetic pace of life and reflect on the blessings we have received from […]
Was George Washington Born on Two Different Dates?
The stories about George Washington are so multitudinous that it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. Did he have wooden teeth? Did he throw a silver dollar across the Potomac? Did […]
You May Need to Adjust Your Clock … By 300 Years
Were you one of those history students who had difficulty grasping the details of the Middle Ages? Perhaps that’s because the Middle Ages didn’t actually take place. In 1986 Heribert Illig published […]
North Korea: A Second-Century Kind of Country
Anyone who has seen satellite photos of North Korea at night and noted the absence of electric lights might conclude it is a country that is operating behind the times, but would […]
“счастливого Рождества” or “Merry Christmas” — What Day To Say It?
If you live in Russia or Ukraine, you probably celebrate Christmas on January 7, due to the different calendar kept by the Orthodox Church.
What Date is Easter? It’s Complicated….
Independence Day in the United States is July 4, year after year. In the West Christmas is always on December 25. New Year’s Day is January 1. So why is Easter never […]
You Have to Share Your Birthday — But Not Necessarily Your Cake
Put 23 people in a room and there is a statistical probability of 50% that two of them have the same birthday. Increase the number of people to 70, and the odds […]
No New Year’s Party in Orbit
Prior to 2007, Space Shuttles were not allowed to remain in orbit on New Year’s Day, due to concerns about whether the software would properly handle the rollover of dates. source
Commonplace Fun Facts 