The autumnal equinox is defined as the point at which the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator from north to south. The celestial equator is the circle in the celestial sphere halfway between the celestial poles. It can be thought of as the plane of Earth’s equator projected out onto the sphere. Another definition of fall is nights of below-freezing temperatures combined with days of temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The word equinox means “equal night”; night and day are about the same length of time. The spring equinox is in late March. In addition to the (approximately) equal hours of daylight and darkness, the equinoxes are times when the Sun’s apparent motion undergoes the most rapid change. Around the time of the equinoxes, variations in the position on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets can be noticed from one day to the next by alert observers. See more about the September equinox at www.Almanac.com/fall
Daily Calendar for Saturday, September 23, 2023
Died
- Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (U.S. First Lady) –
- Urbain Le Verrier (astronomer) –
- William Marsh Rice (merchant) –
- Sigmund Freud (psychologist) –
- Chief Dan George (chief, actor) –
- Bob Fosse (director, choreographer) –
- Mary Frann (actress) –
- Robert Wells (songwriter, co-wrote The Christmas Song) –
Born
- Victoria Woodhull (social reformer) –
- William Stewart Halsted (surgeon) –
- John Avery Lomax (folklorist) –
- Walter Lippman (journalist) –
- Elliot Roosevelt (politician) –
- Mickey Rooney (actor) –
- John Coltrane (musician) –
- Ray Charles (musician) –
- Mary Kay Place (actress) –
- Bruce Springsteen (musician) –
- Larry Mize (golf professional) –
- Jason Alexander (actor) –
- Chi McBride (actor) –
Events
- During the American Revolution, Captain John Paul Jones commanded a small squadron including the flagship USS Bonhomme Richard. On this date, in the evening, his squadron attacked the British frigate HMS Serapis and royal sloop Countess of Scarborough, which were guarding a convoy of merchant ships off the coast of England. The Bonhomme Richard engaged with the Serapis, commanded by Captain Richard Pearson, whereupon a 3.5-hour battle ensued. At one point, when asked to surrender, Jones is credited as saying: I have not yet begun to fight! Jones eventually achieved Pearson’s surrender and captured the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough. Both sides suffered heavy losses and the damaged Bonhomme Richard sank shortly after.–
- N.Y. Knickerbocker Base Ball Club organized–
- Planet Neptune was discovered–
- Bryn Mawr College, the first U.S. graduate school for women, opened in Pennsylvania–
- A time capsule was buried on the site of the NY World’s Fair, to be opened in the year 6939 to reveal such artifacts as a bible, mail order catalog, film of FDR, and college football game–
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida–
- Manon Rhéaume first woman player in an NHL game–
- Cabot Creamery and Chef John Folse created the world’s largest macaroni and cheese. The previous record of 440 pounds was blown away by the team’s 2,469 pound macaroni and cheese.–
Weather
- The remains of Hurricane Eloise merged with a stationary front over New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to produce major flooding–
- Snow and sleet fell in Binghamton, New York–
- The temperature in Richmond, Virginia, fell from 84 degrees F to 54 degrees F in 2 hours–