A day on the globeROENES中文
The Earth on 25 September, with the rays of the day’s events
  1. A birthday on the globe

    25 September on the globe: what happened in the world on this day, and who was born

    For 25 September, the English Wikipedia lists 52 events and 280 births. 25 of the events stand at their places as rays of light; three 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 25 September

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

    On 25 September the Sun passes straight overhead at noon along the parallel of 0.8° south. In London, the day lasts about 12 hours.

    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. 25 September

    Britain and Ireland#

    Three events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1066 and 1983.

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

  4. Britain & Ireland · York

    1237

    England and Scotland sign the Treaty of York, establishing the location of their common border.

    On the map: York.

    Wikipedia: Treaty of York

  5. 25 September

    Europe#

    Six events from the day’s list are placed here, between 844 and 1926.

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

  6. Europe · Augsburg

    1555

    The Peace of Augsburg is signed by Emperor Charles V and the princes of the Schmalkaldic League.

    On the map: Augsburg.

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

    Wikipedia: Peace of Augsburg

  7. 25 September

    Asia#

    Seven events from the day’s list are placed here, between 762 and 2003.

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

  8. Asia · Babri Masjid

    1990

    The Ram Rath Yatra, a political–religious rally organised to erect a temple to the Hindu deity Rama on the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, began in the Indian state of Gujarat.

    On the map: Babri Masjid.

    Wikipedia: Ram Rath Yatra

  9. 25 September

    North America#

    Seven events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1775 and 1978.

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

  10. North America · Sequoia National Park

    1890

    The United States Congress establishes Sequoia National Park.

    On the map: Sequoia National Park.

    Wikipedia: Sequoia National Park

  11. North America · Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

    1912

    Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is founded in New York City.

    On the map: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

    Wikipedia: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

  12. North America · Chicago Marathon

    1977

    About 4,200 people take part in the first running of the Chicago Marathon.

    On the map: Chicago Marathon.

    Wikipedia: Chicago Marathon

  13. 25 September

    Born on 25 September#

    The English Wikipedia lists 280 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.

  14. Born on 25 September

    1897

    William Faulkner, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1962)

    Place of birth: New Albany.

    Wikipedia: William Faulkner

  15. Born on 25 September

    1968

    Will Smith, American actor, producer, and rapper

    Place of birth: Philadelphia.

    Wikipedia: Will Smith

  16. Born on 25 September

    1881

    Lu Xun, Chinese author and critic (died 1936)

    Place of birth: Shaoxing.

    Wikipedia: Lu Xun

  17. Born on 25 September

    1906

    Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian pianist and composer (died 1975)

    Place of birth: Saint Petersburg.

    Wikipedia: Dmitri Shostakovich

  18. Born on 25 September

    1969

    Catherine Zeta-Jones, Welsh actress

    Place of birth: Swansea.

    Wikipedia: Catherine Zeta-Jones

  19. Born in Britain and Ireland

    2003

    Bella Ramsey, English actor

    Place of birth: Nottingham.

    Wikipedia: Bella Ramsey

  20. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1782

    Charles Maturin, Irish author and playwright (died 1824)

    Place of birth: Dublin.

    Wikipedia: Charles Maturin

  21. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1927

    Colin Davis, English conductor and educator (died 2013)

    Place of birth: Weybridge.

    Wikipedia: Colin Davis

  22. 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 25 September

The list is the English Wikipedia’s, in its own wording, as it stood in October 2026. 24 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. 275

    For the last time, the Roman Senate chooses an emperor; Marcus Claudius Tacitus is elected.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Tacitus
  2. 762

    Led by Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, the Hasanid branch of the Alids begins the Alid Revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate.

    Asia · Alid revolt of 762–763Wikipedia: Alid revolt of 762–763
  3. 844

    Viking expansion: A Viking fleet arrived near Seville, then part of the Emirate of Córdoba, and began a raid of the city that was eventually repelled by Muslim defenders.

    Europe · SevilleWikipedia: Seville
  4. 867

    Basil I is crowned Byzantine emperor in the Hagia Sophia after he murdered the previous emperor Michael III in the night before.

    Asia · Hagia SophiaWikipedia: Hagia Sophia
  5. 1066

    In the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Harald Hardrada, the invading King of Norway, is defeated by King Harold II of England.

    Britain & Ireland · Battle of Stamford BridgeWikipedia: Battle of Stamford Bridge
  6. 1237

    England and Scotland sign the Treaty of York, establishing the location of their common border.

    Britain & Ireland · YorkWikipedia: Treaty of York
  7. 1396

    Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I defeats a Christian army at the Battle of Nicopolis.

    Europe · Battle of NicopolisWikipedia: Battle of Nicopolis
  8. 1513

    Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reaches what would become known as the Pacific Ocean.

  9. 1555

    The Peace of Augsburg is signed by Emperor Charles V and the princes of the Schmalkaldic League.

    Europe · AugsburgWikipedia: Peace of Augsburg
  10. 1643

    The House of Commons of England accepts the Solemn League and Covenant, which promises religious reforms in England and Ireland in exchange for support of Scottish troops against king Charles I in the First English Civil War.

  11. 1690

    Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick, the first newspaper to appear in the Americas, is published for the first and only time.

  12. 1768

    Unification of Nepal

  13. 1775

    American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec sets off to join the American invasion.

    North America · Quebec CityWikipedia: Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec
  14. 1775

    American Revolutionary War: Ethan Allen surrenders to British forces after attempting to capture Montreal in the Battle of Longue-Pointe during the invasion of Quebec.

    North America · Battle of Longue-PointeWikipedia: Battle of Longue-Pointe
  15. 1786

    The mine of Huancavelica in the Peruvian Andes collapses, killing more than two hundred people. The event was a major setback for mercury production in the Spanish Empire.

    Latin America · HuancavelicaWikipedia: Huancavelica
  16. 1789

    The United States Congress passes twelve constitutional amendments: the ten known as the Bill of Rights, the (unratified) Congressional Apportionment Amendment, and the Congressional Compensation Amendment.

  17. 1790

    Four Great Anhui Troupes introduce Anhui opera to Beijing in honor of the Qianlong Emperor's eightieth birthday.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Hui opera
  18. 1800

    French Revolutionary Wars: After U.S. ships became involved, French forces abandoned their invasion of the Batavian island of Curaçao.

    Latin America · Invasion of CuraçaoWikipedia: French Revolutionary Wars
  19. 1804

    The Teton Sioux (a subdivision of the Lakota) demand one of the boats from the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a toll for allowing the expedition to move further upriver.

  20. 1868

    The Imperial Russian steam frigate Alexander Nevsky is shipwrecked off Jutland while carrying Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia.

  21. 1890

    The United States Congress establishes Sequoia National Park.

    North America · Sequoia National ParkWikipedia: Sequoia National Park
  22. 1906

    Leonardo Torres Quevedo demonstrates the Telekino in the Bilbao Abra (Spain), guiding an electric boat from the shore with people on board, which was controlled at a distance over 2 km (1.2 mi), in what is considered to be the origin of modern wireless remote-control operation principles.

    Europe · SpainWikipedia: Leonardo Torres Quevedo
  23. 1911

    An explosion of badly degraded propellant charges on board the French battleship Liberté detonates the forward ammunition magazines and destroys the ship.

  24. 1912

    Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is founded in New York City.

    North America · Columbia University Graduate School of JournalismWikipedia: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
  25. 1915

    World War I: The Second Battle of Champagne begins.

    Europe · Second Battle of ChampagneWikipedia: World War I
  26. 1918

    World War I: The end of the Battle of Megiddo, the climax of the British Army's Sinai and Palestine campaign under General Edmund Allenby.

    Asia · Battle of MegiddoWikipedia: Battle of Megiddo
  27. 1926

    The international Convention to Suppress the Slave Trade and Slavery is first signed.

    Europe · GenevaWikipedia: 1926 Slavery Convention
  28. 1937

    Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese Eighth Route Army gains a minor, but morale-boosting victory in the Battle of Pingxingguan.

    Asia · Battle of PingxingguanWikipedia: Second Sino-Japanese War
  29. 1944

    World War II: Surviving elements of the British 1st Airborne Division withdraw from Arnhem via Oosterbeek.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: World War II
  30. 1955

    The Royal Jordanian Air Force is founded.

  31. 1956

    TAT-1, the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system, is inaugurated.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: TAT-1
  32. 1957

    Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, is integrated by the use of United States Army troops.

    North America · Little Rock Central High SchoolWikipedia: Little Rock Central High School
  33. 1959

    S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon, is mortally shot by a Buddhist monk, Talduwe Somarama, and dies the next day.

  34. 1962

    The North Yemen Civil War begins when Abdullah al-Sallal dethrones the newly crowned Imam al-Badr and declares Yemen a republic under his presidency.

  35. 1962

    The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is formally proclaimed. Ferhat Abbas is elected President of the provisional government.

    Africa · AlgeriaWikipedia: Algeria
  36. 1963

    Lord Denning releases the UK government's official report on the Profumo affair.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Profumo affair
  37. 1964

    The Mozambican War of Independence against Portugal begins.

  38. 1969

    The charter establishing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is signed.

  39. 1974

    Dr. Frank Jobe performs first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery (better known as Tommy John surgery) on baseball player Tommy John.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Frank Jobe
  40. 1977

    About 4,200 people take part in the first running of the Chicago Marathon.

    North America · Chicago MarathonWikipedia: Chicago Marathon
  41. 1978

    PSA Flight 182, a Boeing 727, collides in mid-air with a Cessna 172 and crashes in San Diego, killing all 135 aboard Flight 182, both occupants of the Cessna, as well as seven people on the ground.

    North America · Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182Wikipedia: Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182
  42. 1981

    Belize joins the United Nations.

    Latin America · BelizeWikipedia: Belize
  43. 1981

    Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

  44. 1983

    Thirty-eight IRA prisoners, armed with six handguns, hijack a prison meals lorry and smash their way out of the Maze Prison.

    Britain & Ireland · Maze Prison escapeWikipedia: Maze Prison escape
  45. 1985

    Three civilians killed by alleged supporters of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Larnaca yacht killings.

    Asia · LarnacaWikipedia: Larnaca yacht killings
  46. 1987

    Fijian Governor-General Penaia Ganilau is overthrown in a coup d'état led by Lieutenant colonel Sitiveni Rabuka.

  47. 1990

    The Ram Rath Yatra, a political–religious rally organised to erect a temple to the Hindu deity Rama on the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, began in the Indian state of Gujarat.

    Asia · Babri MasjidWikipedia: Ram Rath Yatra
  48. 1992

    NASA launches the Mars Observer. Eleven months later, the probe would fail while preparing for orbital insertion.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: NASA
  49. 1997

    NASA launches Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-86 to the Mir space station.

  50. 1998

    PauknAir Flight 4101, a British Aerospace 146, crashes near Melilla Airport in Melilla, Spain, killing 38 people.

    Africa · PauknAir Flight 4101Wikipedia: PauknAir Flight 4101
  51. 2003

    The 8.3 Mw Hokkaidō earthquake strikes just offshore Hokkaidō, Japan.

    Asia · 2003 Tokachi earthquakeWikipedia: 2003 Tokachi earthquake
  52. 2018

    Bill Cosby is sentenced to three to ten years in prison for aggravated sexual assault.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Bill Cosby

Who was born on 25 September

In order of how many Wikipedia editions have an article about each. The first 60 of 280 are shown.

  1. 1897

    William Faulkner, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1962)

    New AlbanyWikipedia: William Faulkner
  2. 1968

    Will Smith, American actor, producer, and rapper

    PhiladelphiaWikipedia: Will Smith
  3. 1881

    Lu Xun, Chinese author and critic (died 1936)

    ShaoxingWikipedia: Lu Xun
  4. 1906

    Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian pianist and composer (died 1975)

    Saint PetersburgWikipedia: Dmitri Shostakovich
  5. 1969

    Catherine Zeta-Jones, Welsh actress

    SwanseaWikipedia: Catherine Zeta-Jones
  6. 1944

    Michael Douglas, American actor and producer

    New BrunswickWikipedia: Michael Douglas
  7. 1949

    Pedro Almodóvar, Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter

    Calzada de CalatravaWikipedia: Pedro Almodóvar
  8. 1644

    Ole Rømer, Danish astronomer and instrument maker (died 1710)

    AarhusWikipedia: Ole Rømer
  9. 1866

    Thomas Hunt Morgan, American biologist, geneticist, and embryologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1945)

    LexingtonWikipedia: Thomas Hunt Morgan
  10. 1952

    Christopher Reeve, American actor, producer, and activist (died 2004)

    New York CityWikipedia: Christopher Reeve
  11. 1932

    Adolfo Suárez, Spanish lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Spain (died 2014)

    CebrerosWikipedia: Adolfo Suárez
  12. 1951

    Mark Hamill, American actor, singer, and producer

    OaklandWikipedia: Mark Hamill
  13. 1903

    Mark Rothko, Latvian-American painter and educator (died 1970)

    DaugavpilsWikipedia: Mark Rothko
  14. 1683

    Jean-Philippe Rameau, French composer and theorist (died 1764)

    DijonWikipedia: Jean-Philippe Rameau
  15. 1896

    Sandro Pertini, Italian journalist and politician, 7th President of Italy (died 1990)

    San GiovanniWikipedia: Sandro Pertini
  16. 1599

    Francesco Borromini, Swiss-Italian architect, designed the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Sant'Agnese in Agone (died 1667)

    BissoneWikipedia: Francesco Borromini
  17. 1711

    Qianlong Emperor of China (died 1799)

    BeijingWikipedia: Qianlong Emperor
  18. 1955

    Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German footballer and manager

    LippstadtWikipedia: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
  19. 1929

    Barbara Walters, American journalist, producer, and author (died 2022)

  20. 1901

    Robert Bresson, French director and screenwriter (died 1999)

    Wikipedia: Robert Bresson
  21. 1952

    bell hooks, American author and activist (died 2021)

    HopkinsvilleWikipedia: Bell hooks
  22. 1957

    Michael Madsen, American actor and producer (died 2025)

    ChicagoWikipedia: Michael Madsen
  23. 1920

    Sergei Bondarchuk, Ukrainian-Russian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1994)

    BilozerkaWikipedia: Sergei Bondarchuk
  24. 1983

    Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino), American actor, rapper, producer, and screenwriter

    Edwards Air Force BaseWikipedia: Donald Glover
  25. 1992

    Rosalía, Spanish singer-songwriter

    Sant Esteve SesroviresWikipedia: Rosalía
  26. 1694

    Henry Pelham, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1754)

    LaughtonWikipedia: Henry Pelham
  27. 1744

    Frederick William II of Prussia (died 1797)

  28. 1932

    Glenn Gould, Canadian pianist and composer (died 1982)

    TorontoWikipedia: Glenn Gould
  29. 1943

    Robert Gates, American lieutenant, academic, and politician, 22nd United States Secretary of Defense

    WichitaWikipedia: Robert Gates
  30. 1965

    Scottie Pippen, American basketball player and sportscaster

    HamburgWikipedia: Scottie Pippen
  31. 1961

    Heather Locklear, American actress

    WestwoodWikipedia: Heather Locklear
  32. 1980

    T.I., American rapper, songwriter, producer, and actor

    AtlantaWikipedia: T.I.
  33. 1862

    Billy Hughes, English-Australian carpenter and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1952)

    LondonWikipedia: Billy Hughes
  34. 1877

    Plutarco Elías Calles, Mexican general and President (died 1945)

    Heroica GuaymasWikipedia: Plutarco Elías Calles
  35. 2003

    Bella Ramsey, English actor

    NottinghamWikipedia: Bella Ramsey
  36. 1955

    Zucchero Fornaciari, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist

    Reggio EmiliaWikipedia: Zucchero Fornaciari
  37. 1960

    Igor Belanov, Ukrainian footballer and manager

    OdesaWikipedia: Igor Belanov
  38. 1936

    Moussa Traoré, Malian general and politician 2nd President of Mali (died 2020)

    KayesWikipedia: Moussa Traoré
  39. 1976

    Chauncey Billups, American basketball player

    DenverWikipedia: Chauncey Billups
  40. 1963

    Tate Donovan, American actor

    New York CityWikipedia: Tate Donovan
  41. 1930

    Shel Silverstein, American author, poet, illustrator, and songwriter (died 1999)

    ChicagoWikipedia: Shel Silverstein
  42. 1954

    Juande Ramos, Spanish footballer and manager

    Pedro MuñozWikipedia: Juande Ramos
  43. 1982

    Hyun Bin, South Korean actor

    Gangdong DistrictWikipedia: Hyun Bin
  44. 1990

    Mao Asada, Japanese figure skater

    NagoyaWikipedia: Mao Asada
  45. 1987

    Monica Niculescu, Romanian tennis player

    SlatinaWikipedia: Monica Niculescu
  46. 1992

    Massimo Luongo, Australian footballer

    SydneyWikipedia: Massimo Luongo
  47. 1782

    Charles Maturin, Irish author and playwright (died 1824)

    DublinWikipedia: Charles Maturin
  48. 1965

    Rafael Martín Vázquez, Spanish footballer and coach

    MadridWikipedia: Rafael Martín Vázquez
  49. 1977

    Clea DuVall, American actress

    Los AngelesWikipedia: Clea DuVall
  50. 1927

    Colin Davis, English conductor and educator (died 2013)

    WeybridgeWikipedia: Colin Davis
  51. 1966

    Jason Flemyng, English actor

    PutneyWikipedia: Jason Flemyng
  52. 1766

    Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, French general and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of France (died 1822)

  53. 1956

    Jamie Hyneman, American special effects designer and television host, founded M5 Industries

    MarshallWikipedia: Jamie Hyneman
  54. 1989

    Cuco Martina, Curaçaoan footballer

    RotterdamWikipedia: Cuco Martina
  55. 1939

    Feroz Khan, Indian actor, director, and producer (died 2009)

    BengaluruWikipedia: Feroz Khan
  56. 1951

    Bob McAdoo, American basketball player and coach

    GreensboroWikipedia: Bob McAdoo
  57. 1973

    Bridgette Wilson, American actress, singer, model, and beauty queen

    Gold BeachWikipedia: Bridgette Wilson
  58. 1974

    Olivier Dacourt, French footballer

    MontreuilWikipedia: Olivier Dacourt
  59. 1977

    Joel David Moore, American actor

    PortlandWikipedia: Joel David Moore
  60. 1403

    Louis III of Anjou (died 1434)

    AngersWikipedia: Louis III of Anjou

What is celebrated on 25 September

  • Armed Forces Day or Revolution Day (Mozambique)
  • Bangladeshi Immigration Day (United States)
  • Christian feast day: Abadir and Iraja and Companions (Coptic Church)
  • Christian feast day: Aunarius (Aunacharius)
  • Christian feast day: Anathalon (Archdiocese of Milan)
  • Christian feast day: Cadoc
  • Christian feast day: Ceolfrith
  • Christian feast day: Cleopas
  • Christian feast day: Euphrosyne of Alexandria
  • Christian feast day: Finbarr
  • Christian feast day: Fermin of Amiens
  • Christian feast day: Lancelot Andrewes (Church of England)
  • Christian feast day: Sergius of Radonezh (repose)
  • Christian feast day: September 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

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