A day on the globeROENES中文
The Earth on 29 November, with the rays of the day’s events
  1. A birthday on the globe

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

    For 29 November, the English Wikipedia lists 51 events and 217 births. 29 of the events stand at their places as rays of light; nine 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 29 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 29 November the Sun passes straight overhead at noon along the parallel of 21.5° south. In London, the day lasts about 8 hours 15 minutes.

    Beyond 69° south the Sun no longer sets; beyond 69° 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. 29 November

    Europe#

    Seven events from the day’s list are placed here, between 561 and 1945.

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

  4. Europe · Olomouc

    1850

    The treaty, Punctation of Olmütz, is signed in Olomouc. Prussia capitulates to Austria, which will take over the leadership of the German Confederation.

    On the map: Olomouc.

    Wikipedia: Punctation of Olmütz

  5. 29 November

    North America#

    13 events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1729 and 2009.

    The globe stops at two of them; the whole list is further down. All 13

  6. North America · San Jose, California

    1777

    San Jose, California, is founded as Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe by José Joaquín Moraga. It is the first civilian settlement, or pueblo, in Alta California.

    On the map: San Jose, California.

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

    Wikipedia: San Jose, California

  7. North America · Tellico Dam

    1979

    The controversial Tellico Dam project by the Tennessee Valley Authority is completed despite being ordered to shut down from the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill.

    On the map: Tellico Dam.

    Wikipedia: Supreme Court of the United States

  8. 29 November

    The open ocean and Antarctica#

    Two events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1810 and 1929.

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

  9. Oceans · South Pole

    1929

    U.S. Admiral Richard E. Byrd leads the first expedition to fly over the South Pole.

    On the map: South Pole.

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

    Wikipedia: Richard E. Byrd

  10. 29 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 Chinese and Spanish and were translated for this page.

  11. From Wikipedia in Chinese · Seoul

    1394

    Yi Seong-gye moves the capital from Kaesong to Hanyang and formally names it Hanseong.

    On the map: Seoul.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Chinese.

    The article on Wikipedia in Chinese: 首尔特别市

  12. From Wikipedia in Spanish · Rome

    1560

    In Rome, Pope Pius IV issues the bull convoking the Council of Trent.

    On the map: Rome.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Spanish.

    The article on Wikipedia in Spanish: Concilio de Trento

  13. 29 November

    Born on 29 November#

    The English Wikipedia lists 217 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 29 November

    1898

    C. S. Lewis, British novelist, poet, and critic (died 1963)

    Place of birth: Belfast.

    Wikipedia: C. S. Lewis

  15. Born on 29 November

    1832

    Louisa May Alcott, American novelist and poet (died 1888)

    Place of birth: Germantown.

    Wikipedia: Louisa May Alcott

  16. Born on 29 November

    1973

    Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer and manager

    Place of birth: Cardiff.

    Wikipedia: Ryan Giggs

  17. Born on 29 November

    1949

    Garry Shandling, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (died 2016)

    Place of birth: Chicago.

    Wikipedia: Garry Shandling

  18. Born on 29 November

    1803

    Christian Doppler, Austrian mathematician and physicist (died 1853)

    Place of birth: Salzburg.

    Wikipedia: Christian Doppler

  19. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1627

    John Ray, English biologist and botanist (died 1705)

    Place of birth: Black Notley.

    Wikipedia: John Ray

  20. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1982

    Gemma Chan, English actress

    Place of birth: Guy's Hospital.

    Wikipedia: Gemma Chan

  21. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1849

    John Ambrose Fleming, English physicist and engineer (died 1945)

    Place of birth: Lancaster.

    Wikipedia: John Ambrose Fleming

  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 29 November

The list is the English Wikipedia’s, in its own wording, as it stood in October 2026. 13 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. 528

    Antioch suffers its second major earthquake in two years, killing thousands and destroying its remaining edifice.

    Asia · 528 Antioch earthquakeWikipedia: 528 Antioch earthquake
  2. 561

    Following the death of King Chlothar I at Compiègne, his four sons, Charibert I, Guntram, Sigebert I and Chilperic I, divide the Frankish Kingdom.

    Europe · CompiègneWikipedia: Chlothar I
  3. 618

    The Tang dynasty scores a decisive victory over their rival Xue Rengao at the Battle of Qianshuiyuan.

  4. 903

    The Abbasid army under Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib defeats the Qarmatians at the Battle of Hama.

    Asia · Abbasid CaliphateWikipedia: Battle of Hama
  5. 1114

    A large earthquake damages the areas of the Crusaders in the Middle East. Antioch, Mamistra, Marash and Edessa are hit by the shocks.

    Asia · 1114 Marash earthquakeWikipedia: 1114 Marash earthquake
  6. 1549

    The papal conclave of 1549–50 begins.

  7. 1612

    The Battle of Swally takes place, which loosens the Portuguese Empire's hold on India.

    Asia · Battle of SwallyWikipedia: Battle of Swally
  8. 1729

    Natchez Indians massacre 138 Frenchmen, 35 French women, and 56 children at Fort Rosalie, near the site of modern-day Natchez, Mississippi.

    North America · Fort RosalieWikipedia: Natchez revolt
  9. 1732

    The magnitude 6.6 Irpinia earthquake causes 1,940 deaths in the former Kingdom of Naples, southern Italy.

    Europe · 1732 Irpinia earthquakeWikipedia: 1732 Irpinia earthquake
  10. 1776

    During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia, comes to an end with the arrival of British reinforcements.

    North America · Battle of Fort CumberlandWikipedia: Battle of Fort Cumberland
  11. 1777

    San Jose, California, is founded as Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe by José Joaquín Moraga. It is the first civilian settlement, or pueblo, in Alta California.

    North America · San Jose, CaliforniaWikipedia: San Jose, California
  12. 1781

    The crew of the British slave ship Zong murders 54 Africans by dumping them into the sea to claim insurance, beginning the Zong massacre.

    Latin America · Zong massacreWikipedia: Zong massacre
  13. 1783

    A 5.3 magnitude earthquake strikes New Jersey.

    North America · 1783 New Jersey earthquakeWikipedia: 1783 New Jersey earthquake
  14. 1807

    John VI of Portugal flees Lisbon from advancing Napoleonic forces during the Peninsular War, transferring the Portuguese court to Brazil.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Peninsular War
  15. 1810

    Napoleonic Wars: British troops rendezvoused at Grand Baie to launch an invasion of Isle de France, now known as Mauritius.

    Oceans · Grand BaieWikipedia: Napoleonic Wars
  16. 1830

    An armed rebellion against Russia's rule in Poland begins.

    Europe · Congress PolandWikipedia: November Uprising
  17. 1847

    Missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa, and 15 others are killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians, causing the Cayuse War.

    North America · Whitman massacreWikipedia: Whitman massacre
  18. 1847

    The Sonderbund is defeated by the joint forces of other Swiss cantons under General Guillaume-Henri Dufour.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Sonderbund War
  19. 1850

    The treaty, Punctation of Olmütz, is signed in Olomouc. Prussia capitulates to Austria, which will take over the leadership of the German Confederation.

    Europe · OlomoucWikipedia: Punctation of Olmütz
  20. 1854

    An estimated crowd of more than 10,000 demonstrators swore allegiance to the Eureka Flag as a symbol of defiance in advance of the Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat, Australia.

    Oceania · Eureka RebellionWikipedia: Eureka Rebellion
  21. 1863

    American Civil War: Union forces under General Ambrose Burnside successfully defend Knoxville, Tennessee from an attack by Confederate forces under General James Longstreet in the Battle of Fort Sanders during the Siege of Knoxville.

    North America · Battle of Fort SandersWikipedia: American Civil War
  22. 1864

    American Civil War: The Confederate Army of Tennessee misses an opportunity to crush the Union Army of the Ohio in the Battle of Spring Hill during the Franklin–Nashville campaign.

    North America · Battle of Spring HillWikipedia: Battle of Spring Hill
  23. 1864

    Colorado War: Colorado volunteers led by Colonel John Chivington massacre at least 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho noncombatants at Sand Creek inside Colorado Territory.

    North America · Sand Creek massacreWikipedia: Colorado War
  24. 1872

    The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.

    North America · Battle of Lost RiverWikipedia: Battle of Lost River
  25. 1877

    Thomas Edison demonstrates his phonograph for the first time.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Thomas Edison
  26. 1890

    The Meiji Constitution goes into effect in Japan, and the first Diet convenes.

  27. 1899

    FC Barcelona is founded by Catalan, Spanish and Englishmen. It later develops into one of Spanish and world football's most iconic and strongest teams.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: FC Barcelona
  28. 1920

    The Armenian Revolutionary Committee declares Armenia to be a Soviet Socialist Republic, starting 71 years of Soviet rule in Armenia

    Asia · ArmeniaWikipedia: Revolutionary committee
  29. 1924

    The Bronx County Bird Club was formed and would go on to lead the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count in the eastern US for three years in a row.

  30. 1929

    U.S. Admiral Richard E. Byrd leads the first expedition to fly over the South Pole.

    Oceans · South PoleWikipedia: Richard E. Byrd
  31. 1943

    The second session of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ), held to determine the post-war ordering of the country, concludes in Jajce (present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina).

  32. 1944

    Albania is liberated by the Partisans.

    Europe · AlbaniaWikipedia: Albania
  33. 1945

    The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia is declared.

    Europe · Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaWikipedia: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
  34. 1947

    French forces carry out a massacre at Mỹ Trạch, Vietnam during the First Indochina War.

    Asia · Mỹ Trạch massacreWikipedia: Mỹ Trạch massacre
  35. 1947

    The United Nations General Assembly approve the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.

    Asia · Mandatory PalestineWikipedia: Mandatory Palestine
  36. 1952

    U.S. President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower fulfills a campaign promise by traveling to Korea to find out what can be done to end the conflict.

  37. 1961

    Enos, a chimpanzee, is launched into space. The spacecraft orbits the Earth twice and splashes down off the coast of Puerto Rico.

    Latin America · Puerto RicoWikipedia: Enos
  38. 1963

    "I Want to Hold Your Hand", recorded on October 17, 1963, is released by the Beatles in the United Kingdom.

    Britain & Ireland · United KingdomWikipedia: I Want to Hold Your Hand
  39. 1963

    Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831 crashes shortly after takeoff from Montreal-Dorval International Airport, killing all 118 people on board.

    North America · Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831Wikipedia: Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831
  40. 1963

    U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson establishes the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

    North America · Assassination of John F. KennedyWikipedia: Assassination of John F. Kennedy
  41. 1967

    U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announces his resignation.

  42. 1972

    Atari releases Pong, the first commercially successful video game.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Atari, Inc.
  43. 1979

    The controversial Tellico Dam project by the Tennessee Valley Authority is completed despite being ordered to shut down from the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill.

    North America · Tellico DamWikipedia: Supreme Court of the United States
  44. 1982

    Michael Jackson releases Thriller, the best-selling music album of all time.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Michael Jackson
  45. 1986

    The Surinamese military attacks the village of Moiwana during the Suriname Guerrilla War, killing at least 39 civilians, mostly women and children.

    Latin America · MoiwanaWikipedia: Surinamese Civil War
  46. 1987

    North Korean agents plant a bomb on Korean Air Flight 858, which kills all 115 passengers and crew.

    Asia · Korean Air Flight 858Wikipedia: Korean Air Flight 858
  47. 2007

    The Armed Forces of the Philippines lay siege to the Peninsula Manila after soldiers led by Senator Antonio Trillanes stage a mutiny.

    Asia · The Peninsula ManilaWikipedia: Manila Peninsula siege
  48. 2009

    Maurice Clemmons shoots and kills four police officers inside a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington.

    North America · 2009 Lakewood shootingWikipedia: 2009 Lakewood shooting
  49. 2012

    In resolution 67/19, the United Nations General Assembly voted to accord the status of a non-member observer state to Palestine.

    Asia · PalestineWikipedia: Palestine
  50. 2013

    LAM Mozambique Airlines 470 crashes in the Bwabata National Park in a pilot mass murder-suicide, killing all 33 people on board.

    Africa · LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470Wikipedia: LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470
  51. 2025

    The Government of Jordan officially announces the launch of the Amra City development project during a site visit by the Prime Minister.

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. 1394

    Yi Seong-gye moves the capital from Kaesong to Hanyang and formally names it Hanseong.

    Asia · SeoulTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in ChineseWikipedia: 首尔特别市
  2. 1560

    In Rome, Pope Pius IV issues the bull convoking the Council of Trent.

    Europe · RomeTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in SpanishWikipedia: Concilio de Trento

Who was born on 29 November

In order of how many Wikipedia editions have an article about each. The first 60 of 217 are shown.

  1. 1932

    Jacques Chirac, French soldier and politician, 22nd President of France (died 2019)

    Wikipedia: Jacques Chirac
  2. 1898

    C. S. Lewis, British novelist, poet, and critic (died 1963)

    BelfastWikipedia: C. S. Lewis
  3. 1832

    Louisa May Alcott, American novelist and poet (died 1888)

    GermantownWikipedia: Louisa May Alcott
  4. 1835

    Empress Dowager Cixi of China (died 1908)

    BeijingWikipedia: Empress Dowager Cixi
  5. 1973

    Ryan Giggs, Welsh footballer and manager

    CardiffWikipedia: Ryan Giggs
  6. 1949

    Garry Shandling, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (died 2016)

    ChicagoWikipedia: Garry Shandling
  7. 1803

    Christian Doppler, Austrian mathematician and physicist (died 1853)

    SalzburgWikipedia: Christian Doppler
  8. 1976

    Chadwick Boseman, American actor and playwright (died 2020)

    AndersonWikipedia: Chadwick Boseman
  9. 1958

    John Dramani Mahama, Ghanaian historian and politician, 4th President of Ghana

    GhanaWikipedia: John Mahama
  10. 1797

    Gaetano Donizetti, Italian composer (died 1848)

    BergamoWikipedia: Gaetano Donizetti
  11. 1926

    Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisian lawyer and politician, President of Tunisia (died 2019)

    Sidi Bou SaidWikipedia: Beji Caid Essebsi
  12. 1964

    Don Cheadle, American actor and producer

    Kansas CityWikipedia: Don Cheadle
  13. 1976

    Anna Faris, American actress

    BaltimoreWikipedia: Anna Faris
  14. 1856

    Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, German lawyer and politician, 5th Chancellor of Germany (died 1921)

    HohenfinowWikipedia: Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
  15. 1802

    Wilhelm Hauff, German poet and author (died 1827)

    StuttgartWikipedia: Wilhelm Hauff
  16. 1825

    Jean-Martin Charcot, French neurologist and psychologist (died 1893)

    rue du Faubourg-PoissonnièreWikipedia: Jean-Martin Charcot
  17. 1627

    John Ray, English biologist and botanist (died 1705)

    Black NotleyWikipedia: John Ray
  18. 1874

    Egas Moniz, Portuguese physician and neurologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1955)

    AvancaWikipedia: António Egas Moniz
  19. 1955

    Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somali politician, 8th president of Somalia

    JalalaqsiWikipedia: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
  20. 1979

    The Game, American rapper

    ComptonWikipedia: The Game
  21. 1899

    Emma Morano, Italian supercentenarian, oldest Italian person ever (died 2017)

    CiviascoWikipedia: Emma Morano
  22. 1982

    Gemma Chan, English actress

    Guy's HospitalWikipedia: Gemma Chan
  23. 1762

    Pierre André Latreille, French zoologist (died 1833)

    Brive-la-GaillardeWikipedia: Pierre André Latreille
  24. 1959

    Rahm Emanuel, American businessman and politician, 55th Mayor of Chicago

    ChicagoWikipedia: Rahm Emanuel
  25. 1905

    Marcel Lefebvre, French-Swiss archbishop and theologian (died 1991)

    TourcoingWikipedia: Marcel Lefebvre
  26. 1947

    Petra Kelly, German activist and politician (died 1992)

    GünzburgWikipedia: Petra Kelly
  27. 1957

    Janet Napolitano, American politician, lawyer, and university administrator

    New York CityWikipedia: Janet Napolitano
  28. 1961

    Tom Sizemore, American actor (died 2023)

    DetroitWikipedia: Tom Sizemore
  29. 1849

    John Ambrose Fleming, English physicist and engineer (died 1945)

    LancasterWikipedia: John Ambrose Fleming
  30. 1918

    Madeleine L'Engle, American author and poet (died 2007)

    New York CityWikipedia: Madeleine L'Engle
  31. 1995

    Laura Marano, American actress and singer

    Los AngelesWikipedia: Laura Marano
  32. 1895

    William Tubman, Liberian lawyer and politician, 19th President of Liberia (died 1971)

    HarperWikipedia: William Tubman
  33. 1933

    James Rosenquist, American painter and illustrator (died 2017)

    Grand ForksWikipedia: James Rosenquist
  34. 1982

    Lucas Black, American actor

    DecaturWikipedia: Lucas Black
  35. 1978

    Lauren German, American actress

    Huntington BeachWikipedia: Lauren German
  36. 1933

    John Mayall, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2024)

    MacclesfieldWikipedia: John Mayall
  37. 1781

    Andrés Bello, Venezuelan poet and philosopher (died 1865)

    CaracasWikipedia: Andrés Bello
  38. 1799

    Amos Bronson Alcott, American philosopher and academic (died 1888)

    WolcottWikipedia: Amos Bronson Alcott
  39. 1803

    Gottfried Semper, German architect and academic, designed the Semper Opera House (died 1879)

    HamburgWikipedia: Gottfried Semper
  40. 1952

    Jeff Fahey, American actor and producer

    OleanWikipedia: Jeff Fahey
  41. 1961

    Kim Delaney, American actress

    PhiladelphiaWikipedia: Kim Delaney
  42. 1843

    Gertrude Jekyll, British horticulturist and writer (died 1932)

    LondonWikipedia: Gertrude Jekyll
  43. 1959

    Richard Borcherds, South African-English mathematician and academic

    Cape TownWikipedia: Richard Borcherds
  44. 1966

    John Layfield, American wrestler, football player, and news commentator

    SweetwaterWikipedia: John Layfield
  45. 1969

    Tomas Brolin, Swedish footballer

    HudiksvallWikipedia: Tomas Brolin
  46. 1952

    John D. Barrow, English cosmologist, theoretical physicist, and mathematician (died 2020)

    LondonWikipedia: John D. Barrow
  47. 1338

    Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Belgian-English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (died 1368)

  48. 1946

    Silvio Rodríguez, Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist

    San Antonio de los BañosWikipedia: Silvio Rodríguez
  49. 1962

    Andrew McCarthy, American actor and director

    WestfieldWikipedia: Andrew McCarthy
  50. 1977

    Andy Beshear, American attorney and politician, 63rd Governor of Kentucky

    LouisvilleWikipedia: Andy Beshear
  51. 1876

    Nellie Tayloe Ross, American educator and politician, 14th Governor of Wyoming (died 1977)

    St. JosephWikipedia: Nellie Tayloe Ross
  52. 1949

    Jerry Lawler, American wrestler and sportscaster

    MemphisWikipedia: Jerry Lawler
  53. 1957

    Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Belgian novelist, photographer and filmmaker

    BrusselsWikipedia: Jean-Philippe Toussaint
  54. 1891

    Julius Raab, Austrian engineer and politician, 19th Chancellor of Austria (died 1964)

    St. PöltenWikipedia: Julius Raab
  55. 1895

    Busby Berkeley, American director and choreographer (died 1976)

    Los AngelesWikipedia: Busby Berkeley
  56. 1980

    Janina Gavankar, American actress and singer

    JolietWikipedia: Janina Gavankar
  57. 1990

    Diego Boneta, Mexican actor and singer

    Mexico CityWikipedia: Diego Boneta
  58. 2002

    Yunus Musah, American soccer player

    New York CityWikipedia: Yunus Musah
  59. 1857

    Theodor Escherich, German-Austrian pediatrician and academic (died 1911)

    AnsbachWikipedia: Theodor Escherich
  60. 1915

    Billy Strayhorn, American pianist and composer (died 1967)

    DaytonWikipedia: Billy Strayhorn

What is celebrated on 29 November

  • Christian feast day: Brendan of Birr
  • Christian feast day: Francis Fasani
  • Christian feast day: Illuminata
  • Christian feast day: Radboud of Utrecht
  • Christian feast day: Saturnin
  • Christian feast day: November 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (United Nations)
  • Liberation Day or Dita e Çlirimit (Albania)
  • Republic Day (Yugoslavia)
  • Unity Day (Vanuatu)
  • William Tubman's Birthday (Liberia)

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