ALMANAC for April-May 2000
(Page 2 of 4)
13 Thomas Jefferson's birthday, 1743; Jefferson Memorial
dedicated, 1943.
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14 Mars, Jupiter and Saturn now fit within a circle of sky
just 5° wide (about half the width of your fist held at
arm's length) - a spectacular sight, but look as soon as
darkness falls, low in the west.
15 Mars closest to Saturn, 2.3° apart (about width of
your thumb at arm's length); U.S. personal income tax forms
due today (perhaps a scarier day than Halloween?); 76" of
snow fell in 24 hours at Silver Lake, Colorado, this day in
1921; Leonardo daVinci born, 1452.
16 Palm Sunday.
17 Patriots' Day in Maine and Massachusetts; Bay of Pigs
unsuccessful invasion, 1961.
18 FULL MOON, 1:41 P.M. EDT; sun enters constellation
Aries; Paul Reveres ride, 1775; San Francisco earthquake
and fire, 1906.
19 Sun enters astrological sign Taurus.
20 First day of Passover; this day in 1901, 35.5" of snow
fell in Warren, Ohio.
21 Good Friday; peak of Lyrid meteor shower should occur
late tonight, but moon will greatly hamper visibility of
meteors; Queen Elizabeth II born, 1926.
22 Earth Day - 30th anniversary of the event (see
"@MotherEarthDay," page 15).
23 Easter (for comments on its date, see The Date of Easter
); Shakespeare born (traditional date) in 1564; he died
this day in 1616.
24 Library of Congress established, 1800.
25 10th anniversary of Hubble Space Telescope's deployment
into orbit.
26 John James Audubon born, 1785.
28 National Arbor Day; crest of Mississippi River at St.
Louis reached 43.3' this day in 1973.
29 In 1905, 2" of rain fell in 15 minutes at Taylor, Texas.
30 Orthodox Easter; May Eve; Walpurgis Night - festival in
which fires are lit to ward off witches and demons (though
now a rite of spring in which fireworks are the attraction)
held in parts of Germany and Scandinavia.
MAY
1 May Day; ancient Celtic holiday Beltane; Law Day and
Loyalty Day in United States; Lei Day in Hawaii.
