A day on the globeROENES中文
The Earth on 14 November, with the rays of the day’s events
  1. A birthday on the globe

    14 November on the globe: what happened in the world on this day, and who was born

    For 14 November, the English Wikipedia lists 53 events and 229 births. 26 of the events stand at their places as rays of light; five more are dashed circles, where the sentence links only to a country or a sea. The taller the ray, the longer ago it happened. The people born that day come further down, as blue points.

    A birthday, yours or someone else’s:

  2. The Earth on 14 November

    The picture on the globe was assembled by NASA from satellite photographs taken in November 2004: the snow, the ice and the green are those of the month.

    On 14 November the Sun passes straight overhead at noon along the parallel of 18.2° south. In London, the day lasts about 8 hours 55 minutes.

    Beyond 72° south the Sun no longer sets; beyond 72° north it no longer rises.

    The line between day and night is tilted on the globe exactly as on this day of the year. On the dark side you can see the lights of towns.

  3. 14 November

    Britain and Ireland#

    Three events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1940 and 1991.

    The globe stops at one of them; the whole list is further down. All three

  4. Britain & Ireland · Westminster Abbey

    1973

    In the United Kingdom, Princess Anne marries Captain Mark Phillips, in Westminster Abbey.

    On the map: Westminster Abbey.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Romanian.

    Wikipedia: Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips

  5. 14 November

    Europe#

    11 events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1812 and 1991.

    The globe stops at three of them; the whole list is further down. All 11

  6. Europe · Kaisaniemi Park

    1920

    Pesäpallo, the Finnish version of baseball developed by Lauri Pihkala, is played for the first time at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki.

    On the map: Kaisaniemi Park.

    Wikipedia: Kaisaniemi Park

  7. Europe · Madrid

    1975

    With the signing of the Madrid Accords, Spain abandons Western Sahara.

    On the map: Madrid.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Spanish.

    Wikipedia: Madrid Accords

  8. Europe · Warsaw

    1990

    After German reunification, the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland sign a treaty confirming the Oder–Neisse line as the border between Germany and Poland.

    On the map: Warsaw.

    Wikipedia: German reunification

  9. 14 November

    Asia#

    Eight events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1965 and 2012.

    The globe stops at one of them; the whole list is further down. All eight

  10. Asia · 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

    2010

    Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season, becoming the youngest Formula One champion.

    On the map: the coordinates Wikidata gives for the article “2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix”.

    Wikipedia: 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

  11. 14 November

    North America#

    Seven events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1938 and 2019.

    The globe stops at two of them; the whole list is further down. All seven

  12. North America · Vancouver

    1938

    The Lions Gate Bridge, connecting Vancouver to the North Shore region, opens to traffic.

    On the map: Vancouver.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Chinese.

    Wikipedia: North Shore

  13. North America · Washington, D.C.

    2008

    The first G-20 economic summit opens in Washington, D.C.

    On the map: Washington, D.C..

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Chinese.

    Wikipedia: 2008 G20 Washington summit

  14. 14 November

    What the other Wikipedias remember#

    For these years the English list has nothing on this day. The events below come from the same day’s lists on Wikipedia in Spanish and were translated for this page.

  15. From Wikipedia in Spanish · Berlin Conference

    1884

    In Germany, the Berlin Conference opens, which approved the act dividing the African continent among the imperialist European countries.

    On the map: Berlin Conference.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Spanish.

    The article on Wikipedia in Spanish: Conferencia de Berlín

  16. From Wikipedia in Spanish · Algiers

    1998

    In Algiers (Algeria), Yasser Arafat symbolically declares the independent State of Palestine.

    On the map: Algiers.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Spanish.

    The article on Wikipedia in Spanish: Palestina

  17. 14 November

    Born on 14 November#

    The English Wikipedia lists 229 births for this day. The blue points are the birthplaces of 60 of these people: those written about in the most Wikipedia editions, where Wikidata gives a place of birth.

  18. Born on 14 November

    1840

    Claude Monet, French painter (died 1926)

    Place of birth: Paris.

    Wikipedia: Claude Monet

  19. Born on 14 November

    1907

    Astrid Lindgren, Swedish author and screenwriter (died 2002)

    Place of birth: Vimmerby Parish.

    Wikipedia: Astrid Lindgren

  20. Born on 14 November

    1972

    Josh Duhamel, American model and actor

    Place of birth: Minot.

    Wikipedia: Josh Duhamel

  21. Born on 14 November

    1891

    Frederick Banting, Canadian physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1941)

    Place of birth: Alliston.

    Wikipedia: Frederick Banting

  22. Born on 14 November

    1979

    Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian-French model and actress

    Place of birth: Berdiansk.

    Wikipedia: Olga Kurylenko

  23. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1797

    Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist (died 1875)

    Place of birth: Angus.

    Wikipedia: Charles Lyell

  24. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1944

    Karen Armstrong, English author and academic

    Place of birth: Worcestershire.

    Wikipedia: Karen Armstrong

  25. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1959

    Paul McGann, English actor

    Place of birth: Kensington.

    Wikipedia: Paul McGann

  26. The whole globe of the day

    Drag the globe to turn it. Touch a ray or a point to read what happened there.

Everything Wikipedia lists for 14 November

The list is the English Wikipedia’s, in its own wording, as it stood in October 2026. 22 events have no place on the map: the sentence links to no place with coordinates, only to places too wide to mark, or to several countries.

  1. 332 BC

    Alexander the Great is crowned pharaoh of Egypt.

    Africa · Ancient EgyptWikipedia: Alexander the Great
  2. 1680

    German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Gottfried Kirch
  3. 1770

    James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: James Bruce
  4. 1812

    Napoleonic Wars: At the Battle of Smoliani, French Marshals Victor and Oudinot are defeated by the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein.

    Europe · Battle of SmolianiWikipedia: Napoleonic Wars
  5. 1851

    Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville, is published in the USA.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Moby-Dick
  6. 1889

    Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She completes the trip in 72 days.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Nellie Bly
  7. 1910

    Aviator Eugene Burton Ely performs the first takeoff from a ship in Hampton Roads, Virginia, taking off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss pusher.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Aircraft pilot
  8. 1914

    The Joensuu City Hall, designed by Eliel Saarinen, was inaugurated in Joensuu, Finland.

    Europe · Joensuu City HallWikipedia: Joensuu City Hall
  9. 1918

    The Provisional National Assembly of the new republic of Czechoslovakia meets to devise a constitution.

    Europe · CzechoslovakiaWikipedia: Czechoslovakia
  10. 1920

    Pesäpallo, the Finnish version of baseball developed by Lauri Pihkala, is played for the first time at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki.

    Europe · Kaisaniemi ParkWikipedia: Kaisaniemi Park
  11. 1921

    The Communist Party of Spain is founded, and issues the first edition of Mundo obrero.

  12. 1922

    The British Broadcasting Company begins radio service in the United Kingdom.

  13. 1938

    The Lions Gate Bridge, connecting Vancouver to the North Shore region, opens to traffic.

    North America · VancouverWikipedia: North Shore
  14. 1940

    World War II: In England, Coventry is heavily bombed by German Luftwaffe bombers. Coventry Cathedral is almost completely destroyed.

    Britain & Ireland · Coventry CathedralWikipedia: World War II
  15. 1941

    World War II: German troops, aided by local auxiliaries, murder nine thousand residents of the Słonim Ghetto in a single day.

    Europe · Słonim GhettoWikipedia: Słonim Ghetto
  16. 1941

    World War II: The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal sinks due to torpedo damage from the German submarine U-81 sustained on November 13.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Aircraft carrier
  17. 1952

    The New Musical Express publishes the first regular UK Singles Chart.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: NME
  18. 1957

    The "Apalachin meeting" in rural Tioga County in upstate New York is raided by law enforcement; many high-level Mafia figures are arrested while trying to flee.

    North America · Apalachin meetingWikipedia: Apalachin meeting
  19. 1960

    Ruby Bridges becomes the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana.

    North America · LouisianaWikipedia: Ruby Bridges
  20. 1965

    Vietnam War: The Battle of Ia Drang begins. This is the first major engagement between regular American and North Vietnamese forces.

    Asia · Battle of Ia DrangWikipedia: Vietnam War
  21. 1967

    American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Theodore Maiman
  22. 1967

    The Congress of Colombia, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death of Policarpa Salavarrieta, declares this day as "Day of the Colombian Woman".

  23. 1969

    Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 12, the second crewed mission to the surface of the Moon.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Apollo program
  24. 1970

    Southern Airways Flight 932 crashes in the mountains near Huntington, West Virginia, killing 75, including almost all of the Marshall University football team.

    North America · Southern Airways Flight 932Wikipedia: Southern Airways Flight 932
  25. 1970

    Soviet Union enters ICAO, making Russian the fourth official language of organization.

    Asia · Soviet UnionWikipedia: Soviet Union
  26. 1971

    Mariner 9 enters orbit around Mars.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Mariner 9
  27. 1973

    In the United Kingdom, Princess Anne marries Captain Mark Phillips, in Westminster Abbey.

    Britain & Ireland · Westminster AbbeyWikipedia: Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips
  28. 1973

    The Athens Polytechnic uprising, a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967–74, begins.

    Europe · Athens Polytechnic uprisingWikipedia: Greek junta
  29. 1975

    With the signing of the Madrid Accords, Spain abandons Western Sahara.

    Europe · MadridWikipedia: Madrid Accords
  30. 1977

    During a British House of Commons debate, Labour MP Tam Dalyell poses what would become known as the West Lothian question, referring to issues related to devolution in the United Kingdom.

  31. 1978

    France conducts the Aphrodite nuclear test as 25th in the group of 29 1975–78 French nuclear tests.

    Europe · FranceWikipedia: France
  32. 1979

    US President Jimmy Carter issues Executive Order 12170, freezing all Iranian assets in the United States in response to the hostage crisis.

  33. 1982

    Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Poland's outlawed Solidarity movement, is released after eleven months of internment near the Soviet border.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Lech Wałęsa
  34. 1982

    Reverend Caesar "Butch" Conde leads first worship service of the Bread of Life Ministries International in the Philippines.

  35. 1984

    Zamboanga City mayor Cesar Climaco, a prominent critic of the government of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, is assassinated in his home city.

    Asia · Zamboanga CityWikipedia: Zamboanga City
  36. 1990

    After German reunification, the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland sign a treaty confirming the Oder–Neisse line as the border between Germany and Poland.

    Europe · WarsawWikipedia: German reunification
  37. 1990

    Music producer Frank Farian admitted that the German R&B duo Milli Vanilli did not sing the vocals on their album Girl You Know It's True.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Frank Farian
  38. 1990

    While on approach to Zurich Airport, Alitalia Flight 404 crashes into Stadlerberg Mountain near Weiach, killing 46.

    Europe · Alitalia Flight 404Wikipedia: Alitalia Flight 404
  39. 1991

    American and British authorities announce indictments against two Libyan intelligence officials in connection with the downing of the Pan Am Flight 103.

    Britain & Ireland · Pan Am Flight 103Wikipedia: Pan Am Flight 103
  40. 1991

    Cambodian Prince Norodom Sihanouk returns to Phnom Penh after thirteen years in exile.

    Asia · Phnom PenhWikipedia: Norodom Sihanouk
  41. 1991

    Croatian War of Independence: Croatian naval commandos attacked the Yugoslav patrol boat Mukos, starting the Battle of the Dalmatian Channels.

    Europe · Battle of the Dalmatian ChannelsWikipedia: Croatian War of Independence
  42. 1992

    In poor conditions caused by Cyclone Forrest, Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crashes near Nha Trang, killing 30.

    Asia · Vietnam Airlines Flight 474Wikipedia: Vietnam Airlines Flight 474
  43. 1995

    A budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress forces the federal government to temporarily close national parks and museums and to run most government offices with skeleton staffs.

  44. 2001

    A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes a remote part of the Tibetan Plateau. It has the longest known surface rupture recorded on land (~400 km) and is the best documented example of a supershear earthquake.

  45. 2001

    War in Afghanistan: Afghan Northern Alliance fighters take over the capital Kabul.

    Asia · Fall of KabulWikipedia: Fall of Kabul
  46. 2003

    Astronomers discover Sedna, a distant trans-Neptunian dwarf planet.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Sedna
  47. 2008

    Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-126 to continue assembly of the International Space Station.

  48. 2008

    The first G-20 economic summit opens in Washington, D.C.

    North America · Washington, D.C.Wikipedia: 2008 G20 Washington summit
  49. 2010

    Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season, becoming the youngest Formula One champion.

    Asia · 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand PrixWikipedia: 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
  50. 2012

    Israel launches a major military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to an escalation of rocket attacks by Hamas.

    Asia · 2012 Gaza WarWikipedia: Israel
  51. 2016

    A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes Kaikōura, New Zealand, at a depth of 15 km (9 miles), resulting in the deaths of two people.

    Oceania · 2016 Kaikōura earthquakeWikipedia: 2016 Kaikōura earthquake
  52. 2017

    A gunman kills four people and injures 12 others during a shooting spree across Rancho Tehama, California. He had earlier murdered his wife in their home.

    North America · Rancho Tehama shootingsWikipedia: Rancho Tehama shootings
  53. 2019

    A mass shooting occurs at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, resulting in three deaths, including that of the perpetrator, and three injuries.

    North America · Saugus High School shootingWikipedia: Saugus High School shooting

What the other Wikipedias remember

For these years the English list has nothing on this day. The events below come from the same day’s lists on Wikipedia in Spanish and were translated for this page.

  1. 1884

    In Germany, the Berlin Conference opens, which approved the act dividing the African continent among the imperialist European countries.

    Europe · Berlin ConferenceTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in SpanishWikipedia: Conferencia de Berlín
  2. 1998

    In Algiers (Algeria), Yasser Arafat symbolically declares the independent State of Palestine.

    Africa · AlgiersTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in SpanishWikipedia: Palestina

Who was born on 14 November

In order of how many Wikipedia editions have an article about each. The first 60 of 229 are shown.

  1. 1889

    Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of India (died 1964)

    PrayagrajWikipedia: Jawaharlal Nehru
  2. 1948

    Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms

    Buckingham PalaceWikipedia: Charles III
  3. 1840

    Claude Monet, French painter (died 1926)

    ParisWikipedia: Claude Monet
  4. 1907

    Astrid Lindgren, Swedish author and screenwriter (died 2002)

    Vimmerby ParishWikipedia: Astrid Lindgren
  5. 1972

    Josh Duhamel, American model and actor

    MinotWikipedia: Josh Duhamel
  6. 1954

    Condoleezza Rice, American political scientist, academic, and politician, 66th United States Secretary of State

    BirminghamWikipedia: Condoleezza Rice
  7. 1917

    Park Chung Hee, South Korean general and politician, 3rd President of South Korea (died 1979)

    GumiWikipedia: Park Chung Hee
  8. 1922

    Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Egyptian politician and diplomat, 6th Secretary General of the United Nations (died 2016)

    CairoWikipedia: Boutros Boutros-Ghali
  9. 1650

    William III of England, Prince of Orange, King of England, Scotland and Ireland (died 1702)

    BinnenhofWikipedia: William III of England
  10. 1935

    Hussein of Jordan (died 1999)

    AmmanWikipedia: Hussein of Jordan
  11. 1891

    Frederick Banting, Canadian physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1941)

    AllistonWikipedia: Frederick Banting
  12. 1953

    Dominique de Villepin, Moroccan-French lawyer and politician, 167th Prime Minister of France

    RabatWikipedia: Dominique de Villepin
  13. 1765

    Robert Fulton, American engineer, early steamboat pioneer (died 1815)

    Little Britain TownshipWikipedia: Robert Fulton
  14. 1908

    Joseph McCarthy, American captain, lawyer, and politician (died 1957)

    Grand ChuteWikipedia: Joseph McCarthy
  15. 1979

    Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian-French model and actress

    BerdianskWikipedia: Olga Kurylenko
  16. 1993

    Samuel Umtiti, French footballer

    YaoundéWikipedia: Samuel Umtiti
  17. 1719

    Leopold Mozart, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor (died 1787)

    AugsburgWikipedia: Leopold Mozart
  18. 1985

    Thomas Vermaelen, Belgian footballer

    AntwerpWikipedia: Thomas Vermaelen
  19. 1797

    Charles Lyell, Scottish geologist (died 1875)

    AngusWikipedia: Charles Lyell
  20. 1900

    Aaron Copland, American composer, conductor, and educator (died 1990)

    BrooklynWikipedia: Aaron Copland
  21. 1984

    Marija Šerifović, Serbian singer

    KragujevacWikipedia: Marija Šerifović
  22. 1951

    Zhang Yimou, Chinese actor, director, producer, and cinematographer

    Xi'anWikipedia: Zhang Yimou
  23. 1863

    Leo Baekeland, Belgian-American chemist and engineer (died 1944)

    GhentWikipedia: Leo Baekeland
  24. 1922

    Veronica Lake, American actress and singer (died 1973)

    BrooklynWikipedia: Veronica Lake
  25. 1972

    Edyta Górniak, Polish singer

    ZiębiceWikipedia: Edyta Górniak
  26. 1930

    Ed White, American engineer and astronaut (died 1967)

    San AntonioWikipedia: Ed White
  27. 1944

    Karen Armstrong, English author and academic

    WorcestershireWikipedia: Karen Armstrong
  28. 1954

    Yanni, Greek-American pianist, composer, and producer

    KalamataWikipedia: Yanni
  29. 1997

    Noussair Mazraoui, Moroccan footballer

    LeiderdorpWikipedia: Noussair Mazraoui
  30. 1771

    Marie François Xavier Bichat, French anatomist and physiologist (died 1802)

    ThoiretteWikipedia: Xavier Bichat
  31. 1997

    Christopher Nkunku, French footballer

    Lagny-sur-MarneWikipedia: Christopher Nkunku
  32. 1778

    Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Austrian pianist and composer (died 1837)

    BratislavaWikipedia: Johann Nepomuk Hummel
  33. 1975

    Travis Barker, American drummer, songwriter, and producer

    FontanaWikipedia: Travis Barker
  34. 1906

    Louise Brooks, American actress and dancer (died 1985)

    CherryvaleWikipedia: Louise Brooks
  35. 1954

    Bernard Hinault, French cyclist

    YffiniacWikipedia: Bernard Hinault
  36. 1805

    Fanny Hensel, German pianist and composer (died 1847)

    HamburgWikipedia: Fanny Hensel
  37. 1990

    Roman Bürki, Swiss footballer

    MünsingenWikipedia: Roman Bürki
  38. 1964

    Patrick Warburton, American actor and comedian

    PatersonWikipedia: Patrick Warburton
  39. 1998

    Sofia Kenin, American tennis player

    MoscowWikipedia: Sofia Kenin
  40. 1861

    Frederick Jackson Turner, American historian and author (died 1932)

    PortageWikipedia: Frederick Jackson Turner
  41. 1779

    Adam Oehlenschläger, Danish poet and playwright (died 1850)

    CopenhagenWikipedia: Adam Oehlenschläger
  42. 1989

    Vlad Chiricheș, Romanian footballer

    BacăuWikipedia: Vlad Chiricheș
  43. 1812

    Maria Cristina of Savoy (died 1836)

    CagliariWikipedia: Maria Cristina of Savoy
  44. 1904

    Dick Powell, American actor, singer, director, and producer (died 1963)

    Mountain ViewWikipedia: Dick Powell
  45. 1939

    Wendy Carlos, American keyboard player and composer

    PawtucketWikipedia: Wendy Carlos
  46. 1996

    Borna Ćorić, Croatian tennis player

    ZagrebWikipedia: Borna Ćorić
  47. 1997

    Axel Tuanzebe, English-Congolese footballer

    BuniaWikipedia: Axel Tuanzebe
  48. 1933

    Fred Haise, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut

    BiloxiWikipedia: Fred Haise
  49. 1959

    Paul McGann, English actor

    KensingtonWikipedia: Paul McGann
  50. 1981

    Russell Tovey, English actor

    BillericayWikipedia: Russell Tovey
  51. 1907

    William Steig, American author, illustrator, and sculptor (died 2003)

    New York CityWikipedia: William Steig
  52. 1838

    August Šenoa, Croatian author, poet, and critic (died 1881)

    ZagrebWikipedia: August Šenoa
  53. 1921

    Brian Keith, American actor and director (died 1997)

    BayonneWikipedia: Brian Keith
  54. 1982

    Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai

  55. 1989

    Jake Livermore, English footballer

    EnfieldWikipedia: Jake Livermore
  56. 1924

    Leonid Kogan, Ukrainian-Russian violinist and educator (died 1982)

    DniproWikipedia: Leonid Kogan
  57. 1962

    Laura San Giacomo, American actress

    West OrangeWikipedia: Laura San Giacomo
  58. 1947

    P. J. O'Rourke, American political satirist and journalist (died 2022)

    ToledoWikipedia: P. J. O'Rourke
  59. 1601

    John Eudes, French priest and missionary (died 1680)

    RiWikipedia: John Eudes
  60. 1878

    Leopold Staff, Ukrainian-Polish poet and academic (died 1957)

    LvivWikipedia: Leopold Staff

What is celebrated on 14 November

  • Anniversary of the Movement of Readjustment (Guinea-Bissau)
  • Children's Day, celebrated on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru (previously on November 20). (India)
  • Christian feast day: Alberic of Utrecht
  • Christian feast day: All Saints of the Carmelites
  • Christian feast day: All Souls of the Benedictine family
  • Christian feast day: Barlaam of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • Christian feast day: Dubricius (Dyfrig, or Devereux)
  • Christian feast day: Hypatius of Gangra
  • Christian feast day: Joseph Pignatelli SJ
  • Christian feast day: Justinian I (Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran Church)
  • Christian feast day: Laurence O'Toole
  • Christian feast day: Nikola Tavelic
  • Christian feast day: Philip the Apostle (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • Christian feast day: Samuel Seabury (Anglican Communion)

A greeting link for someone

Type a name and, if you like, the year of birth. The link opens with a greeting, and beside each event it says how old the person turned that day, or how many years before their birth it happened.

The name and the year go only into the link you send.

Download the day’s picture

All 366 days

How the globe is made

Where the events come from

Each edition of this page uses the day’s list from Wikipedia in its own language: Romanian, English, Spanish, Chinese. The lists are written by volunteers and differ from one edition to the next; the text of each event is Wikipedia’s, with a link to the article. A row that appears twice in a list is shown once. The lists have not been checked event by event: they are Wikipedia’s, mistakes included.

For events before 1582, and for countries that moved to the Gregorian calendar later (Britain in 1752, Russia in 1918), the same day may be counted Old Style in one list and New Style in another.

The chapter “What the other Wikipedias remember” adds up to five events a day from the lists of the other three editions, only for years in which the English list has nothing on that day. They were translated for this page, passed the same filters as the tour, and are not counted among the events of the English list.

How an event gets onto the map

The place comes from Wikidata. If the sentence links to the article about the event itself (a battle, an opening, an earthquake), dated to the same year, the ray stands on its coordinates or on those of its location. Otherwise it stands on the first place the sentence links to: a town, a building, a mountain, an island. This second step can be wrong: sometimes the sentence only mentions the place. That is why the page says, under each event, which place the ray stands on.

When the sentence links to a single state or province, or to a single sea, lake or desert larger than 5,000 km², the globe shows a dashed circle, not a ray. The circle has the area Wikidata gives, with its radius kept between 1.2° and 16°, or a radius of 4.5° when Wikidata gives no area; it says only that the sentence links to that place. Organisations, ships, spacecraft, museum objects, rivers, mountain ranges, languages and continents are never used as places. When a sentence names several states and no exact place, the event stays in the list only.

What the height means

The height of a ray shows how many years have passed, on a logarithmic scale: 10 years, 100 years and 1,000 years are equal steps apart; anything older than about 2,600 years has the tallest ray. The colour runs from pale yellow for recent years to violet for antiquity.

Where the tour stops

In each region the tour stops at up to three events (five in Britain and Ireland), chosen mainly by three things: whether Wikipedia’s editors put the event in the “On this day” box of their main page (the English, Spanish and Chinese editions), how many Wikipedia editions have an article about it, and how many of the four lists include it. Events whose sentence or article is about a war, an attack, a crime or a disaster are left out of the tour; they stay in the whole list, in Wikipedia’s wording. The filter is a list of words and a list of Wikidata types, so it can miss some.

The tour of births names the people with articles in the most editions and leaves aside those whom the list or Wikidata describes as rulers, politicians, commanders, leaders of movements or criminals; they stay in the list.

The Earth and the Sun

The daytime images are NASA’s Blue Marble Next Generation mosaics, one for each month of 2004; the night side is Black Marble 2016. The tilt of the line between day and night is computed for the day; the hour is chosen so that the place being read is in daylight. The latitude where the Sun stands overhead is the average of the four years of the leap cycle; in a given year it can differ by up to 0.4°.

The day you were born

The number ones come from the weekly lists on Wikipedia: Billboard for the United States (from 1940; the Hot 100 from August 1958), the UK Singles Chart (from November 1952), Los 40 Principales for Spain (from July 1966) and, for Romania, the Romanian Top 100 and Airplay 100 (2001–2021, with missing weeks). The page shows the chart of the week in which the day of birth falls, with its date; Billboard and the UK chart are dated at the end of their week. For Romania before 2001 and for China these sources have no weekly chart.

The films are those that reached cinemas in the United States up to ten days before or three days after that day (some of them in a few cinemas at first), from the English Wikipedia’s yearly lists (from 1968), in order of how many editions have an article about them. The events “in those days” are the ones on the neighbouring days’ lists that carry the year of birth, passed through the same filter as the tour.

The day of birth, year included

The Moon, the star sign and the constellation are worked out by the page itself, for noon Universal Time on the day. The lit part of the Moon is rounded and can differ by a few per cent from that at the hour of birth. The sign follows the usual zodiac of twelve equal parts starting at the March equinox; the constellation is the one the Sun actually stood in front of, by the borders set by the International Astronomical Union, and within a day of a border the page does not name it. When the Sun changes sign while it is that day anywhere on Earth, the page gives the moment of crossing, rounded to ten minutes and accurate to within about a quarter of an hour, and the clock time in a few cities, with the time zone and summer time of that year.

The year in the Chinese calendar is the one your device’s own calendar gives for the date, checked against the Hong Kong Observatory’s tables. “All your birthdays” uses the same sources as the rest of the chapter for the same day in every year since the birth: the temperature, well-known launches that took place on that very day, matches of the teams the edition follows, snow deeper than 10 cm and strong geomagnetic storms. The three things at the top and the four on the picture are chosen in a fixed order (the song, the animal, a full Moon, a well-known launch before an ordinary earthquake); on the picture you can change them.

When the link carries a year of birth, the page adds a few things about that exact day. The weather is the Met Office’s Central England temperature record and the readings from New York’s Central Park; the “usual high” is the average of the daily highs of 1961–1990 for that date, with two days either side. The carbon dioxide figure is the monthly mean at the Mauna Loa observatory, where measurements begin in March 1958.

The earthquake is the one with the largest magnitude in the USGS catalogue for that day, counted in Universal Time. Before the 1960s the catalogue has gaps even above magnitude 5.5, so in the older years many days have no earthquake. The page gives only the magnitude and the place: the country the epicentre falls in or, when the epicentre is at sea within 300 km of a coast, the nearest country; farther out, only the ocean.

The launches are those that reached orbit or left for the Moon and the planets, from Jonathan McDowell’s GCAT catalogue. If nothing left that day, the page shows the nearest launch within three days before or after, and says how many days away it was. The geomagnetic storm appears only when the Kp index reached at least 5 in one of the day’s eight three-hour intervals.

The animal comes from GBIF: an observation made by a person (the animal seen or heard, or its tracks), dated to that exact day, with coordinates and a CC0 or CC BY licence. Only a few hundred well-known species are searched (mammals, birds, turtles, butterflies); of those noted that day, mammals and species with articles in many Wikipedia editions come first; birds noted almost every day, and species used recently, wait their turn. Observations dated 1 January are left out, because records without a day are often filed there. An observation shows that the animal was recorded there, not how many animals there were.

The matches are those between national teams. Only matches of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia are shown, along with those at the big final tournaments. The picture to send is drawn in the page from the day’s globe and the facts above, and stays on your device until you send it.

Sources

More pages about birthdays