A day on the globeROENES中文
The Earth on 22 April, with the rays of the day’s events
  1. A birthday on the globe

    22 April on the globe: what happened in the world on this day, and who was born

    For 22 April, the English Wikipedia lists 42 events and 163 births. 28 of the events stand at their places as rays of light; two 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 22 April

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

    On 22 April the Sun passes straight overhead at noon along the parallel of 12.3° north. In London, the day lasts about 14 hours 20 minutes.

    Beyond 78° north the Sun no longer sets; beyond 78° south 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. 22 April

    Britain and Ireland#

    Two events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1930 and 1993.

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

  4. Britain & Ireland · London

    1930

    The United Kingdom, Japan and the United States sign the London Naval Treaty regulating submarine warfare and limiting shipbuilding.

    On the map: London.

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

    Wikipedia: London Naval Treaty

  5. 22 April

    Europe#

    Seven events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1529 and 2016.

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

  6. Europe · Zaragoza

    1529

    Treaty of Zaragoza divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal along a line 297.5 leagues (1,250 kilometres (780 mi)) east of the Moluccas.

    On the map: Zaragoza.

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

    Wikipedia: Treaty of Zaragoza

  7. Europe · Athens

    1906

    The 1906 Intercalated Games open in Athens.

    On the map: Athens.

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

    Wikipedia: 1906 Intercalated Games

  8. Europe · Paris Agreement

    2016

    The Paris Agreement is signed, an agreement to help fight global warming.

    On the map: Paris Agreement.

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

    Wikipedia: Paris Agreement

  9. 22 April

    Latin America and the Caribbean#

    Three events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1500 and 1992.

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

  10. Latin America · Veracruz

    1519

    Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés establishes a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico.

    On the map: Veracruz.

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

    Wikipedia: Conquistador

  11. 22 April

    North America#

    Nine events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1836 and 2022.

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

  12. North America · United States Congress

    1864

    The U.S. Congress passes the Coinage Act of 1864 that permitted the inscription In God We Trust be placed on all coins minted as United States currency.

    On the map: United States Congress.

    Wikipedia: United States Congress

  13. North America · Jefferson Street Grounds

    1876

    The first National League baseball game is played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia.

    On the map: Jefferson Street Grounds.

    Wikipedia: National League

  14. North America · Oklahoma City

    1889

    At noon, thousands rush to claim land in the Land Rush of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed with populations of at least 10,000.

    On the map: Oklahoma City.

    Wikipedia: Land Rush of 1889

  15. 22 April

    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 Chinese and Spanish and were translated for this page.

  16. From Wikipedia in Chinese · Orchard Pavilion

    353

    The calligrapher Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin dynasty holds a gathering with Xie An, Sun Chuo and other eminent figures, and afterwards writes the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion about it.

    On the map: Orchard Pavilion.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Chinese.

    The article on Wikipedia in Chinese: 兰亭集会

  17. From Wikipedia in Chinese · Constance

    1418

    The antipope John XXIII convenes the Council of Constance in Constance, and the Western Schism of the Catholic Church ends.

    On the map: Constance.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Chinese.

    The article on Wikipedia in Chinese: 康士坦斯大公会议

  18. From Wikipedia in Spanish · Paris

    1978

    In Paris (France), the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" by Izhar Cohen & The Alpha-Beta wins the 23rd Eurovision Song Contest for Israel.

    On the map: Paris.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Spanish.

    The article on Wikipedia in Spanish: Israel

  19. 22 April

    Born on 22 April#

    The English Wikipedia lists 163 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.

  20. Born on 22 April

    1724

    Immanuel Kant, German anthropologist, philosopher, and academic (died 1804)

    Place of birth: Königsberg.

    Wikipedia: Immanuel Kant

  21. Born on 22 April

    1899

    Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born novelist and critic (died 1977)

    Place of birth: Saint Petersburg.

    Wikipedia: Vladimir Nabokov

  22. Born on 22 April

    1904

    J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (died 1967)

    Place of birth: Manhattan.

    Wikipedia: J. Robert Oppenheimer

  23. Born on 22 April

    1937

    Jack Nicholson, American actor and producer

    Place of birth: Neptune City.

    Wikipedia: Jack Nicholson

  24. Born on 22 April

    1943

    Louise Glück, American poet (died 2023)

    Place of birth: New York City.

    Wikipedia: Louise Glück

  25. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1707

    Henry Fielding, English novelist and playwright (died 1754)

    Place of birth: Sharpham.

    Wikipedia: Henry Fielding

  26. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1929

    Michael Atiyah, English-Lebanese mathematician and academic (died 2019)

    Place of birth: Hampstead.

    Wikipedia: Michael Atiyah

  27. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1926

    James Stirling, Scottish architect, designed the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart and Seeley Historical Library (died 1992)

    Place of birth: Glasgow.

    Wikipedia: James Stirling

  28. 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 22 April

The list is the English Wikipedia’s, in its own wording, as it stood in October 2026. 12 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. 960

    Basil II is crowned co-Emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

    Asia · Byzantine EmpireWikipedia: Basil II
  2. 1073

    Election of Pope Gregory VII following the death of Pope Alexander II.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Pope Gregory VII
  3. 1500

    Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral lands in Brazil (discovery of Brazil).

    Latin America · BrazilWikipedia: Discovery of Brazil
  4. 1519

    Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés establishes a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico.

    Latin America · VeracruzWikipedia: Conquistador
  5. 1529

    Treaty of Zaragoza divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal along a line 297.5 leagues (1,250 kilometres (780 mi)) east of the Moluccas.

    Europe · ZaragozaWikipedia: Treaty of Zaragoza
  6. 1622

    Anglo-Persian forces combined to capture the Portuguese garrison at Hormuz Island in the Persian Gulf.

    Asia · Hormuz IslandWikipedia: Anglo-Persian capture of Hormuz
  7. 1809

    The second day of the Battle of Eckmühl: The Austrian army is defeated by the First French Empire army led by Napoleon and driven over the Danube in Regensburg.

    Europe · MunichWikipedia: Battle of Eckmühl
  8. 1836

    Texas Revolution: A day after the Battle of San Jacinto, forces under Texas General Sam Houston identify Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna among the captives of the battle when some of his fellow soldiers mistakenly give away his identity.

    North America · Battle of San JacintoWikipedia: Battle of San Jacinto
  9. 1864

    The U.S. Congress passes the Coinage Act of 1864 that permitted the inscription In God We Trust be placed on all coins minted as United States currency.

    North America · United States CongressWikipedia: United States Congress
  10. 1876

    The first National League baseball game is played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia.

    North America · Jefferson Street GroundsWikipedia: National League
  11. 1885

    The first meeting of the Colonial Defence Committee, a standing committee of the British Colonial Office, was held to discuss the defence of Barbados.

  12. 1889

    At noon, thousands rush to claim land in the Land Rush of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed with populations of at least 10,000.

    North America · Oklahoma CityWikipedia: Land Rush of 1889
  13. 1898

    Spanish–American War: President William McKinley calls for 125,000 volunteers to join the National Guard and fight in Cuba, while Congress more than doubles regular Army forces to 65,000.

    North America · United States CongressWikipedia: Spanish–American War
  14. 1906

    The 1906 Intercalated Games open in Athens.

    Europe · AthensWikipedia: 1906 Intercalated Games
  15. 1915

    World War I: The use of poison gas in World War I escalates when chlorine gas is released as a chemical weapon in the Second Battle of Ypres.

    Europe · Second Battle of YpresWikipedia: World War I
  16. 1918

    The short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was established on territory formerly part of the Russian Empire.

  17. 1930

    The United Kingdom, Japan and the United States sign the London Naval Treaty regulating submarine warfare and limiting shipbuilding.

    Britain & Ireland · LondonWikipedia: London Naval Treaty
  18. 1944

    World War II: In Greenland, the Allied Sledge Patrol attack the German Bassgeiger weather station.

  19. 1944

    World War II: Operation Persecution is initiated: Allied forces land in the Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) area of New Guinea.

    Oceania · AitapeWikipedia: Landing at Aitape
  20. 1944

    World War II: The 1st Air Commando Group using Sikorsky R-4 helicopters stage the first use of helicopters in combat with combat search and rescue operations in the China Burma India Theater.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: World War II
  21. 1945

    World War II: Prisoners at the Jasenovac concentration camp revolt. Five hundred twenty are killed and around eighty escape.

    Europe · Jasenovac concentration campWikipedia: Jasenovac concentration camp
  22. 1945

    World War II: Sachsenhausen concentration camp is liberated by soldiers of the Red Army and Polish First Army.

    Europe · Sachsenhausen concentration campWikipedia: Sachsenhausen concentration camp
  23. 1948

    Arab–Israeli War: The port city of Haifa is captured by Jewish forces.

    Asia · HaifaWikipedia: 1948 Arab–Israeli War
  24. 1951

    Korean War: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army begin assaulting positions defended by the Royal Australian Regiment and the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry at the Battle of Kapyong.

    Asia · Battle of KapyongWikipedia: Korean War
  25. 1954

    Red Scare: Witnesses begin testifying and live television coverage of the Army–McCarthy hearings begins.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: McCarthyism
  26. 1966

    American Flyers Airline Flight 280/D crashes on approach to Ardmore Municipal Airport in Ardmore, Oklahoma, killing 83.

    North America · American Flyers Airline Flight 280/DWikipedia: American Flyers Airline Flight 280/D
  27. 1969

    British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston wins the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race and completes the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world.

  28. 1969

    The formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) is announced at a mass rally in Calcutta.

  29. 1970

    Chicano residents in San Diego, California occupy a site under the Coronado Bridge, leading to the creation of Chicano Park.

    North America · San DiegoWikipedia: San Diego–Coronado Bridge
  30. 1970

    The first Earth Day is celebrated.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Earth Day
  31. 1974

    Pan Am Flight 812 crashes on approach to Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, killing all 107 people on board.

    Asia · Pan Am Flight 812Wikipedia: Pan Am Flight 812
  32. 1977

    Optical fiber is first used to carry live telephone traffic.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Optical fiber
  33. 1992

    A series of gas explosions rip through the streets in Guadalajara, Mexico, killing 206.

    Latin America · 1992 Guadalajara explosionsWikipedia: 1992 Guadalajara explosions
  34. 1993

    Eighteen-year-old Stephen Lawrence is murdered in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Well Hall, Eltham.

    Britain & Ireland · Murder of Stephen LawrenceWikipedia: Murder of Stephen Lawrence
  35. 2000

    In a pre-dawn raid, U.S. federal agents seized six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami and returned him to his Cuban father.

    North America · MiamiWikipedia: Elián González
  36. 2004

    Flammable cargo exploded at a railway station in Ryongchon, North Korea, killing at least 54 people and injuring more than a thousand others.

    Asia · Ryongchon CountyWikipedia: Ryongchon disaster
  37. 2005

    Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologizes for Japan's war record.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Junichiro Koizumi
  38. 2013

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested two men who were plotting to commit terrorist attacks against Via Rail operations.

  39. 2016

    The Paris Agreement is signed, an agreement to help fight global warming.

    Europe · Paris AgreementWikipedia: Paris Agreement
  40. 2020

    Four police officers are killed after being struck by a truck on the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne while speaking to a speeding driver, marking the largest loss of police lives in Victoria Police history.

    Oceania · 2020 Eastern Freeway truck crashWikipedia: 2020 Eastern Freeway truck crash
  41. 2022

    American climate activist Wynn Bruce set himself on fire outside the United States Supreme Court Building in an apparent protest against the climate crisis.

    North America · Washington, D.C.Wikipedia: Self-immolation of Wynn Bruce
  42. 2025

    At least 26 people are killed in a terrorist attack on a group of tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attack.

    Asia · 2025 Pahalgam attackWikipedia: 2025 Pahalgam attack

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 Chinese and Spanish and were translated for this page.

  1. 353

    The calligrapher Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin dynasty holds a gathering with Xie An, Sun Chuo and other eminent figures, and afterwards writes the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion about it.

    Asia · Orchard PavilionTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in ChineseWikipedia: 兰亭集会
  2. 1418

    The antipope John XXIII convenes the Council of Constance in Constance, and the Western Schism of the Catholic Church ends.

    Europe · ConstanceTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in ChineseWikipedia: 康士坦斯大公会议
  3. 1978

    In Paris (France), the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" by Izhar Cohen & The Alpha-Beta wins the 23rd Eurovision Song Contest for Israel.

    Europe · ParisTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in SpanishWikipedia: Israel

Who was born on 22 April

In order of how many Wikipedia editions have an article about each. The first 60 of 163 are shown.

  1. 1870

    Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary and founder of Soviet Russia (died 1924)

    UlyanovskWikipedia: Vladimir Lenin
  2. 1724

    Immanuel Kant, German anthropologist, philosopher, and academic (died 1804)

    KönigsbergWikipedia: Immanuel Kant
  3. 1899

    Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born novelist and critic (died 1977)

    Saint PetersburgWikipedia: Vladimir Nabokov
  4. 1904

    J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (died 1967)

    ManhattanWikipedia: J. Robert Oppenheimer
  5. 1937

    Jack Nicholson, American actor and producer

    Neptune CityWikipedia: Jack Nicholson
  6. 1957

    Donald Tusk, Polish journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Poland

    GdańskWikipedia: Donald Tusk
  7. 1909

    Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2012)

    TurinWikipedia: Rita Levi-Montalcini
  8. 1451

    Isabella I of Castile (died 1504)

    Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de GraciaWikipedia: Isabella I of Castile
  9. 1943

    Louise Glück, American poet (died 2023)

    New York CityWikipedia: Louise Glück
  10. 1982

    Kaká, Brazilian footballer

    GamaWikipedia: Kaká
  11. 1766

    Germaine de Staël, French author and political philosopher (died 1817)

    ParisWikipedia: Germaine de Staël
  12. 1986

    Amber Heard, American actress

    AustinWikipedia: Amber Heard
  13. 1707

    Henry Fielding, English novelist and playwright (died 1754)

    SharphamWikipedia: Henry Fielding
  14. 1610

    Pope Alexander VIII (died 1691)

    VeniceWikipedia: Pope Alexander VIII
  15. 1987

    David Luiz, Brazilian footballer

    DiademaWikipedia: David Luiz
  16. 1876

    Róbert Bárány, Austrian-Swedish otologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1936)

    ViennaWikipedia: Robert Bárány
  17. 1854

    Henri La Fontaine, Belgian lawyer and author, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1943)

    BrusselsWikipedia: Henri La Fontaine
  18. 1916

    Yehudi Menuhin, American-Swiss violinist and conductor (died 1999)

    New York CityWikipedia: Yehudi Menuhin
  19. 1928

    Estelle Harris, American actress and comedian (died 2022)

    New York CityWikipedia: Estelle Harris
  20. 1929

    Michael Atiyah, English-Lebanese mathematician and academic (died 2019)

    HampsteadWikipedia: Michael Atiyah
  21. 1919

    Donald J. Cram, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2001)

    ChesterWikipedia: Donald J. Cram
  22. 1884

    Otto Rank, Austrian-American psychologist and academic (died 1939)

    ViennaWikipedia: Otto Rank
  23. 1942

    Giorgio Agamben, Italian philosopher and academic

    RomeWikipedia: Giorgio Agamben
  24. 1922

    Charles Mingus, American bassist, composer, and bandleader (died 1979)

    NogalesWikipedia: Charles Mingus
  25. 1966

    Jeffrey Dean Morgan, American actor

    SeattleWikipedia: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
  26. 1974

    Shavo Odadjian, Armenian-American bassist

    YerevanWikipedia: Shavo Odadjian
  27. 1518

    Antoine of Navarre (died 1562)

    La FèreWikipedia: Antoine of Navarre
  28. 1936

    Glen Campbell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died 2017)

    BillstownWikipedia: Glen Campbell
  29. 1946

    John Waters, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

    BaltimoreWikipedia: John Waters
  30. 1658

    Giuseppe Torelli, Italian violinist and composer (died 1709)

    VeronaWikipedia: Giuseppe Torelli
  31. 1979

    Zoltán Gera, Hungarian international footballer and manager

    PécsWikipedia: Zoltán Gera
  32. 1960

    Mart Laar, Estonian historian and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Estonia

    ViljandiWikipedia: Mart Laar
  33. 1852

    William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (died 1912)

    Biebrich PalaceWikipedia: William IV of Luxembourg
  34. 1914

    Michael Wittmann, German SS officer (died 1944)

    VogelthalWikipedia: Michael Wittmann
  35. 1923

    Bettie Page, American model and actress (died 2008)

    NashvilleWikipedia: Bettie Page
  36. 1887

    Harald Bohr, Danish mathematician and footballer (died 1951)

    CopenhagenWikipedia: Harald Bohr
  37. 1909

    Indro Montanelli, Italian journalist and historian (died 2001)

    FucecchioWikipedia: Indro Montanelli
  38. 1926

    James Stirling, Scottish architect, designed the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart and Seeley Historical Library (died 1992)

    GlasgowWikipedia: James Stirling
  39. 1944

    Steve Fossett, American businessman, pilot, and sailor (died 2007)

    JacksonWikipedia: Steve Fossett
  40. 1906

    Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (died 1947)

  41. 1946

    Paul Davies, English physicist and author

    LondonWikipedia: Paul Davies
  42. 1592

    Wilhelm Schickard, German astronomer and mathematician (died 1635)

    HerrenbergWikipedia: Wilhelm Schickard
  43. 1858

    Ethel Smyth, English composer (died 1944)

    SidcupWikipedia: Ethel Smyth
  44. 1912

    Kathleen Ferrier, English operatic singer (died 1953)

    Higher WaltonWikipedia: Kathleen Ferrier
  45. 1923

    Aaron Spelling, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2006)

    DallasWikipedia: Aaron Spelling
  46. 1971

    Eric Mabius, American actor

    HarrisburgWikipedia: Eric Mabius
  47. 1950

    Peter Frampton, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

    BromleyWikipedia: Peter Frampton
  48. 1970

    Regine Velasquez, Filipino singer and actress

    BalagtasWikipedia: Regine Velasquez
  49. 1938

    Issey Miyake, Japanese fashion designer (died 2022)

    HiroshimaWikipedia: Issey Miyake
  50. 1952

    Marilyn Chambers, American actress (died 2009)

    ProvidenceWikipedia: Marilyn Chambers
  51. 1891

    Harold Jeffreys, English mathematician, geophysicist, and astronomer (died 1989)

    FatfieldWikipedia: Harold Jeffreys
  52. 1874

    Wu Peifu, Chinese warlord, politician, and marshal of the Beiyang Army (died 1939)

    Penglai DistrictWikipedia: Wu Peifu
  53. 1950

    Lee Tamahori, New Zealand film director (died 2025)

    WellingtonWikipedia: Lee Tamahori
  54. 1872

    Princess Margaret of Prussia (died 1954)

  55. 1873

    Ellen Glasgow, American author (died 1945)

    RichmondWikipedia: Ellen Glasgow
  56. 1917

    Sidney Nolan, Australian painter (died 1992)

    CarltonWikipedia: Sidney Nolan
  57. 1959

    Ryan Stiles, American-Canadian actor and comedian

    SeattleWikipedia: Ryan Stiles
  58. 1912

    Kaneto Shindo, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2012)

    HiroshimaWikipedia: Kaneto Shindo
  59. 1939

    Jason Miller, American actor and playwright (died 2001)

    QueensWikipedia: Jason Miller
  60. 1967

    Sherri Shepherd, American actress, comedian, and television personality

    ChicagoWikipedia: Sherri Shepherd

What is celebrated on 22 April

  • Christian feast day: Acepsimas of Hnaita and companions (Catholic Church)
  • Christian feast day: Arwald
  • Christian feast day: Epipodius and Alexander
  • Christian feast day: Hudson Stuck (Episcopal Church)
  • Christian feast day: John Muir (Episcopal Church)
  • Christian feast day: Opportuna of Montreuil
  • Christian feast day: Pope Caius
  • Christian feast day: Pope Soter
  • Christian feast day: St Senorina
  • Christian feast day: Theodore of Sykeon
  • Christian feast day: April 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Discovery Day (Brazil)
  • Earth Day (International observance) and its related observance: International Mother Earth Day
  • Holocaust Remembrance Day (Serbia)

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