St. Nicholas (whose feast day is December 6) was likely a fourth-century bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey. Known for his generosity, he is said to have given a purse filled with gold as a dowry to each of three destitute young ladies so that they could be married. St. Nicholas’s life eventually merged with folklore, and the legend of Santa Claus was born. Learn more about St. Nicholas Day here.
Daily Calendar for Friday, December 6, 2024
Question of the Day
Why is El Nino named for the Christ child?
The Spanish name El Nino (literally, “the son”) was coined by the fishermen of Ecuador and Peru to denote the warming of the coastal surface waters that often occurs in that area around Christmastime. Although this was a fairly regular seasonal event, the name later took on the larger meaning of any general warming trend and recently has come to mean the unseasonably warm weather patterns that occur two or three times a decade.
Advice of the Day
The wise understand half a word.
Home Hint of the Day
When sanding wood by hand, always sand with the grain of the wood, especially when using coarse sandpaper. Otherwise you’ll scratch or mar the surface.
Word of the Day
Sleet
Sleet falls in the winter when the air temperature is below freezing near the ground and above freezing up in the clouds. Rain forms in the warm air and falls into the cold air, freezing into little pieces of ice on the way down.
Puzzle of the Day
Why is a blacksmith the most dissatisfied of mechanics?
Because he is always striking for pay.
Died
- Jefferson Davis (served as the first and only President of the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War) –
- Roy Orbison (musician) –
- Don Ameche (actor) –
- Phillip Berrigan (priest who fought Vietnam War and nuclear weapons) –
Born
- Ira Gershwin (lyricist) –
- Agnes Moorehead (actress) –
- Steven Wright (comedian & actor) –
- Nick Park (filmmaker & animator) –
- Janine Turner (actress) –
- Sabrina Ionescu (basketball player) –
Events
- First international football game –
- Monongah, West Virginia, coal mine disaster killed 362 men. One of the worst in U.S. history –
- Ship explosion devastated Halifax, Nova Scotia –
- The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed, giving Ireland dominion status and establishing Irish Free State –
- President Truman dedicated Everglades National Park in Florida –
- The Burl Ives narrated holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer made its television debut –
- Kitty Hambleton reached 512.71 mph land speed –
- Gunman kills 14 women at University of Montreal –
Weather
- Five inches of snow, Savannah, Georgia –
- A windstorm on this day toppled the national Christmas tree on the grounds of the White House –
- Strong storms spread 60 mph winds throughout northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio –
