EXPLANATION. -The white spaces indicate the amount of moonlight each night. Thus, January 4, February 3, etc., the moon rises at or near midnight, when the latter half only of the night has moonlight; January 11, February 10, etc., the time of new moon, when for two or three nights there is no moonlight; January 18, February 17, etc., when the moon sets at or near midnight and the former half of the night has moonlight, and January 26, February 25, etc., the time of full moon, when for two or three nights in succession moonlight lasts all night. The number of asteroids discovered up to present date is 423. A number of these small planets have not been observed since their discovery, and are practically lost. Consequently it is now sometimes a matter of doubt, until the elements have been computed, whether the supposed new planet is really new, or only an old one rediscovered. It is supposed that a Centauri, one of the brightest stars of the Southern Hemisphere, is the nearest of the fixed stars to the earth. The researches on its parallax by Henderson and Maclear gave, for its distance from the earth, in round numbers, twenty billions of miles. At the inconceivably rapid rate at which light is propagated through space, it would require more than four years to reach the earth from this star. Whitaker, The Moon. THE mean distance of the Moon from the Earth is 238,850 miles; its mean sidereal revolution round the Earth is 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 11. 46 seconds; its mean synodical revolution, or the period from new moon to new moon, is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 2.87 seconds; the eccentricity of its orbit is 0.0549, and its diameter is 2,162 miles. The Earth being taken as unity, the density is. 61; mass, 1-81; volume, 1-50, and gravity, 1-6; that is to say, the Earth would weigh as much as I Moons, is 50 times larger, and a pound of matter at the Moon's surface would, if transferred to the Earth, weigh 6 pounds. A TABLE SHOWING THE DATE OF EASTER SUNDAY IN EACH YEAR OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND UNTIL 1930 IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. 1801-April 5. 1823-Mar. 30. 1845-Mar. 23. 1802-April 18. 1803-April 10. 1804-April 1. 1805-April 14, 1806-April 6. 1807-Mar. 29. 1808-April 17. 1809-April 2. 1810-April 22, 1830-April 11. 1831-April 3. 1846-April 12, 1832-April 22, 1811-April 14. 1812-Mar. 29. 1813-April 18. 1814-April 10. 1815-Mar. 26. 1816-April 14, 1817-April 6. 1818-Mar. 22. 1819-April 11, 1820- Abril 2. 1831-April 23, 1833-April 7. 1867-April 21. 1868-April 12, 1869-Mar. 28. 1870-April 17. 1871-April 9. 1872-Mar. 31. 1873-April 13. 1874-April 5. 1875-Mar. 28. 1854-April 16. 1876-April 16. 1855-April 8. 1877-April 1. 1856-Mar. 23. 1878-April 21. 1857-April 12. 1879-April 13. 1858-April 4. 1880-Mar. 28. 1859-April 24, 1881-April 17. 1860-April 8, 1882-April 9. 1861-Mar. 31. 1883-Mar. 25. 1862-April 20. 1884-April 13. 1863-April 5. 1885-April 5. 1864-Mar. 27. 1886--April 25. 1865-April 16, 1887--April 10, 1968-Abl 1. 13888-Apr. JANUARY 1. NEW YEAR'S DAY: In all the States (including the District of Columbia) except Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. JANUARY 8. ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS: In Louisiana. JANUARY 19. LEE'S BIRTHDAY: In Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. FEBRUARY 12. LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY: In Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Washington (State). FEBRUARY 14, 1899. SPRING ELECTION DAY: In Pennsylvania (from 12 o'clock noon). FEBRUARY 14, 1899. MARDI-GRAS: In Alabama and the parish of Orleans, Louisiana. FEBRUARY 22. WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY: In all the States (including the District of Columbia) except Mississippi. MARCH 2. ANNIVERSARY OF TEXAN INDEPENDENCE: In Texas. MARCH 31, 1899. GOOD FRIDAY: In Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee. APRIL 5, 1899. STATE ELECTION DAY: In Rhode Island. APRIL 6. CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: In Louisiana. APRIL 19. PATRIOTS' DAY: In Massachusetts. APRIL 21. ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO : In Texas. APRIL 26. CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: In Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. MAY 10. CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: In North Carolina and South Carolina. MAY 20. ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: In North Carolina. MAY 30. DECORATION DAY: In Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Neváda, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington, and Wyoming. JUNE 3. JEFFERSON DAVIS'S BIRTHDAY: In Florida and Georgia. JULY 4. INDEPENDENCE DAY: In all the States and the District of Columbia. JULY 24. PIONEERS' DAY: In Utah. AUGUST 16. BENNINGTON BATTLE DAY: In Vermont. SEPTEMBER 4, 1899. LABOR DAY: In Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. SEPTEMBER 9. ADMISSION DAY: In Cali fornia. NOVEMBER 1. ALLSAINTS' DAY: In Louisiana. NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION DAY: In Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, in the years when elections are held in these States. In 1899 the date is November 7. NOVEMBER 25. LABOR DAY: In Louisiana. NOVEMBER -1899. THANKSGIVING DAY (either the fourth or last Thursday in November in 1899, as the President may determine): Is observed in all the States, and in the District of Columbia, though in some States it is not a statutory holiday. DECEMBER 25. CHRISTMAS DAY: In all the States, and in the District of Columbia. Sundays and Fast Days are legal holidays in all the States which designate them as such. There are no statutory holidays in Mississippi and Nevada, but by common consent the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are observed as holidays in Mississippi. In Kansas Decoration Day, Labor Day, and Washington's Birthday are the only legal holidays by legislative enactment; other legal holidays are so only by common consent. In New Mexico Decoration Day, Labor Day, and Arbor Day are holidays when so designated by the Governor. ARBOR DAY is a legal holiday in Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, the day being set by the Governor; in Texas, February 22; in Nebraska, April 22; Montana, third Tuesday in April; Utah, April 15: Rhode Island, first Friday in May;_Idaho, on Friday after May 1; Florida, February 7; Georgia, first Friday in December. Every Saturday after 12 o'clock noon is a legal holiday in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the city of New Orleans, and in Newcastle County, Del., except in St. George's Hundred; in Louisiana and Missouri in cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants; in Ohio in cities of 50.000 or more inhabitants; and June 1 to August 31 in Denver, Col. In Connecticut and Maine banks close at 12 noon on Saturdays. There is no national holiday, not even the Fourth of July. Congress has at various times appointed special holidays. In the second session of the Fifty-third Congress it passed an act making Labor Day a public holiday in the District of Columbia, and it has recognized the existence of certain days as holidays, for commercial purposes, but, with the exception named, there is no general statute on the subject. The proclamation of the President designating a day of Thanksgiving only makes it a legal holiday in those States which provide by law for it. Old English Holidays. THESE holidays, with their names, had their origin in medieval England when the State religion was that of the Church of Rome, and they are still observed generally or in some parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. JANUARY 6. TWELFTH DAY, or Twelfth-tide, sometimes called Old Christmas Day, the same as Epiphany. The previous evening is Twelfth Night, with which many social rites have long been connected. FEBRUARY 2. CANDLEMAS: Festival of the Purification of the Virgin. Consecration of the lighted candles to be used in the church during the year. FEBRUARY 14. OLD CANDLEMAS: St. Valentine's Day. MARCH 25. LADY DAY: Annunciation of the Virgin. April 6 is old Lady Day. JUNE 24. MIDSUMMER DAY: Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. July 7 is old Midsummer Day. JULY 15. ST. SWITHIN'S DAY. There was an old superstition that if rain fell on this day it would continue forty days. AUGUST 1. LAMMAS DAY: Originally in England the festival of the wheat harvest. In the Church the festival of St. Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison. Old Lammas Day is August 18. SEPTEMBER 29. MICHAELMAS: Feast of St. Michael, the Archangel. Old Michaelmas is October 11. NOVEMBER 1. ALLHALLOWMAS: All-hallows, or All Saints' Day. The previous evening is All-hallow-e'en, observed by home gatherings and old-time festive rites. NOVEMBER 2. ALL SOULS' DAY: Day of prayer for the souls of the dead. NOVEMBER 11. MARTINMAS: Feast of St. Martin, Old Martinmas is November 23. DECEMBER 28. CHILDERMAS: Holy Innocents Day. Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas, and Christmas are quarter (rent) days in England, and Whitsunday, Martinmas, Candlemas, and Lammas Day in Scotland. Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, are observed by the Church. Mothering Sunday is Mid-Lent Sunday, in which the old rural custom obtains of visiting one's parents and making them presents. A Ready Reference Calendar. For ascertaining any Day of the Week for any given Time within Two Hundred Years from the introduction of the New Style, 1753, to 1952 inclusive, ample: To know on what Saturday 6 SUNDAY day July 4, 1899, will SUNDAY 7 Monday Monday TABLE OF DAYS. 3 1 Wednesday 4 Saturday 6 Monday 7 Tuesday 4 2 Friday 1 Friday 7 1 SUNDAY 1 2 SUNDAY 2 Monday 5 6 1 Saturday 2 Saturday 2 3 SUNDAY 8 Monday 8 Tuesday 4 Monday 4 Tuesday 4 Wednesday 4 5 Monday 5 7 Wednesday 7 Thursday 6 Wednesday 6 Thursday 8 Saturday 9 SUNDAY 9 Monday 10 Monday 10 Tuesday 6 Tuesday 5 Tuesday 5 Wednesday 5 Thursday 7 Saturday 8 SUNDAY 8 9 10 13 16 17 8 Tuesday fall look for 1899 in the Tuesday 8 Wednesday 8 Thursday 9 Wednesd. 9 Thursday 9 Friday 9 Saturday table of Years. The let-Wednesd. 10 Thursday 10 Friday 10 Saturday 10 SUNDAY ter f is attached. Look Thursday 11 Friday 11 Saturday 11 SUNDAY 11 Monday 11 Tuesday 11 Wednesd. 11 Friday 12 Saturday 12 SUNDAY 12 Monday 12 Tuesday 12 Wednesd. 12 Thursday 12 for the same letter in the Saturday 13 SUNDAY 13 Monday 13 Tuesday 13 Wednesd. 13 Thursday 13 Friday table of Months and in a SUNDAY 14 Monday 14 Tuesday 14 Wednesd. 14 Thursday 14 Friday 14 Saturday 14 15 Tuesday parallel line under July is Monday 15 Wednesd. 15 Thursday 15 Friday 15 Saturday 15 SUNDAY 15 Tuesday the figure 6, which di-Wednesd. 17 Thursday 17 Friday 16 Wednesd. 16 Thursday 16 Friday 16 Saturday 16 SUNDAY 16 Monday 17 Saturday 17 SUNDAY 17 Monday 17 Tuesday rects to column 6 in the Thursday 18 Friday 18 Saturday 18 SUNDAY 18 Monday 18 Tuesday 18 Wednesd. 18 table of Days below, in Friday 19 Saturday 19 SUNDAY 19 Monday 19 Tuesday 19 Wednesd. 19 Thursday 19 20 Tuesday Saturday 20 SUNDAY 20 Monday which it will be seen SUNDAY 21 Monday 20 20 Wednesd. 20 Thursday 20 Friday 21 Tuesday 21 Wednesd. 21 Thursday 21 Friday 21 Saturday 21 that July 4 falls on Tues- Monday 22 Tuesday 22 Wednesd. 2: Thursday 22 Friday 22 Saturday 22 SUNDAY 22 day. Tuesday 23 Wednesd. 23 Thursday 23 Friday 23 Saturday 23 SUNDAY 23 Monday Wednesd. 24 Thursday 24 Friday Thursday 25 Friday 24 Saturday 24 SUNDAY 24 Monday 24 Tuesday 25 Saturday 25 SUNDAY 25 Monday 25 Tuesday 25 Wednesd. 25 Friday 26 Saturday 26 SUNDAY 26 Monday 26 Tuesday 26 Wednesd. 26 Thursday 26 Saturday 27 SUNDAY 27 Monday 27 Tuesday 27 Wednesd. 27 Thursday 27 Friday SUNDAY 28 Monday 28 Tuesday 28 Wednesd. 28 Thursday 28 Friday 28 Saturday 28 Monday 29 Tuesday 29 Wednesd. 29 Thursday 29 Friday 29 Saturday 29 SUNDAY 29 Tuesday 30 Wednesd. 30 Thursday 30 Friday 30 Saturday 30 SUNDAY 30 Monday Wednesd. 31 Thursday 31 Friday 81 Saturday 31 SUNDAY 31 Monday 31 Tuesday 81 This improved calendar was made for THEWORLD ALMANAC by Arthur Cunningham, of Columbus, O. 23 24 27 30 DATES OF HISTORICAL EVENTS CUSTOMARILY OR OCCASIONALLY OBSERVED. 1. Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln, July 1. Dominion Day in Canada, July 1-2. General assault on Santiago de Cuba, 1898. Jan. 1863. July Jan. 19. Robert E. Lee born, 1807. July July Feb. 12. Abraham Lincoln born, 1809. July 16. Santiago surrendered, 1898. Feb. 15. Battle-ship Maine blown up, 1898. Feb. July 21. Battle of Bull Run, 1861. 22. George Washington born, 1732. Feb.22-23. Battle of Buena Vista, 1847. March 5. Boston Massacre, 1770. Aug. 16. Battle of Bennington, Vt., 1777. 1. Capitulation of Sedan, 1870. 8. Battle of Eutaw Springs, S. C., 1781. 10. Battle of Lake Erie, Perry's victory, 1813. 11. Battle of Lake Champlain, McDon ough's victory, 1814. 14. City of Mexico taken by the U. S. troops, 1847. 17. Battle of Antietam, 1862. Sep. 19-20. Battle of Chickamauga, 1863. Sep. Oct. Oct. Oct. 1. Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet at Manila, 1898. May 13. The Society of the Cincinnati was organ- 20. Italians occupied Rome, 1870. 7. Battle of King's Mountain, N. C., 1780, 8-11. Great fire of Chicago, 1871. 12. Columbus discovered America, 1492. Oct. Nov. May May 20. Mecklenburg, N. C., Declaration of Independence, 1775. Dec. May 24. Queen Victoria born, 1819. Dec. June 6. General Nathanael Greene born, 1742. June 15. King John granted Magna Charter at Runnymede, 1215. 1773. Dec. June 17. Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775. June 18. Battle of Waterloo, 1815. 22. Mayflower pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, 1620. Dec.25-26. Battle of Trenton, N. J., 1776. June 28. Battle of Fort Moultrie, Charleston, Dec. 29. William Ewart Gladstone born, 1809. S. C., 1776. Dec. 16. Boston Tea Party, Dec. 16. The great fire in New York, 1835. |