St. Lucia (also called Lucy) was a fourth-century Italian martyr. Her name is derived from the Latin lux, meaning “light,” and thus she is associated with festivals of light. Before the Gregorian calendar reform in 1582 (adopted in Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752), her feast day occurred on the shortest day of the year (hence the saying “Lucy light, Lucy light; Shortest day and longest night”). St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated especially in Italy and in Sweden, where the oldest (or sometimes youngest) daughter dons a crown of burning candles and wakes the family with coffee and St. Lucia buns (sweet rolls seasoned with saffron).
Daily Calendar for Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Question of the Day
Is there such a thing as a cold-air funnel?
Yes, it’s an official term for a funnel cloud or relatively small, weak tornado that can develop from a small shower or thunderstorm when the air aloft is unusually cold. This is a rare occurrence, and these funnels are much less violent than the usual tornado.
Advice of the Day
Don’t cross the stream to find water.
Home Hint of the Day
If the bars of your wooden clothes-drying rack leave brown stripes on your clothes, coat the bars with polyurethane.
Word of the Day
Iowa
The state of Iowa may have received its name from a Native American word meaning “beautiful land.”
Puzzle of the Day
What would the captain of a ship do if he had no eggs?
Lay to (two).
Died
- Samuel Johnson (writer) –
- Grandma Moses (artist) –
Born
- Mary Todd Lincoln (U.S. First Lady) –
- Anthony B. Heinsbergen (muralist) –
- Archie Moore (boxer) –
- Dick Van Dyke (actor) –
- Christopher Plummer (Canadian actor) –
- Ted Nugent (musician) –
- Steve Buscemi (actor) –
- Jamie Foxx (actor) –
- Amy Lee (singer) –
Events
- New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman–
- Reverend Eleazar Wheelock founded Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., with a royal charter. His intention was to provide education and instruction of Youth and of the Indian Tribes in this Land … and also of English Youth and any others.–
- The San Diego city council hired moisture accelerator Charles Hatfield to bring rain to the city’s nearly empty reservoirs. He did his job so well that by the end of January, 28 inches of rain had fallen, causing major flooding. The council refused to pay him and he fled town with his secret formula.–
- Woodrow Wilson became the first US President to visit European countries while in office, arriving France to attend the Versailles Conference.–
- The Philadelphia Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony dollar–
- Highest scoring game in NBA history. Detroit Pistons 186 - Denver Nuggets 184, triple OT.–
Weather
- Tampa, Florida, experienced a severe freeze with a temperature of 18 degrees F–