“Advent Sunday is a liturgical period preceding Christmas, beginning in Western churches on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and observed by many as a season of prayer, fasting, and penitence. Advent Sunday is also called the First Sunday of Advent by Western Christian Churches. It is the first day of the liturgical year and the start of the season of Advent.”
Daily Calendar for Sunday, December 1, 2024
December comes from the Latin word decem, meaning “ten,” because it was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar. Read more about everything happening in December.
Question of the Day
What’s the best way to prolong the life of my Christmas cactus?
When the buds of a Christmas cactus look as if they’re about to open, make sure you water the plant regularly and keep it cool.
Advice of the Day
Where the sun enters, the doctor does not.
Home Hint of the Day
An old-time way of filling surface scratches in wooden furniture is to rub the scratches with a piece of walnut meat, then polish with a soft rag.
Word of the Day
Pineapple Express
A strong south-westerly wind off the Pacific Ocean. This wind can bring heavy rain and flooding to the Pacific Northwest during winter.
Puzzle of the Day
What men may be said to be made from trees?
Aldermen
Born
- William Henry Holmes (archaeologist) –
- Rex Stout (novelist) –
- David Fitzgerald Doyle (actor) –
- Lee Trevino (golfer) –
- Richard Pryor (comedian & actor) –
- Stephen Benton (American scientist) –
- Bette Midler (singer & actress) –
- Brad Delson (guitarist of Linkin Park) –
- Princess Aiko (first child of Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako) –
Died
- David Ben-Gurion (1st Prime Minister of Israel) –
- James Baldwin (author) –
- Eugene Bob Gregoire (first design chief of Ford, creator of the Lincoln Continental) –
- Capt. Edward L. Beach (author of Run Silent, Run Deep ) –
- Sandra Day O'Connor (first female U.S. Supreme Court justice) –
Events
- New York’s Erie Canal closed due to weather.–
- The Christmas Club savings account began–
- First drive-in gasoline service station opened, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania–
- Lt. Harry Colebourn officially donated Winnie (the bear Christopher Robin Milne named his bear after) to the London Zoo–
- First flight of helium-filled blimp (C-7), between Virginia and D.C.–
- Dupree Gardens opened, Land O’ Lakes, Florida–
- Nationwide gasoline rationing went into effect in the United States–
- Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger–
- First 12 nations signed the Antarctic Treaty–
- The Antarctic Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., guaranteeing peaceful international use of the continent–
- News anchor, Tom Brokaw, signed off after 23 years of bringing news to viewers–
- Astronaut Bob Thirsk returned to Earth after 6 months on the International Space Station–
Weather
- The Erie Canal was closed due to weather–
- The temperature at Kipp, Montana, rose 80 degrees over the course of the day–
- -25.6 degrees F, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta–
