History of St. Francis of Assisi [T]he man we know as St. Francis was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1181 or 1182, and died on October 3, 1226. His feast day is October 4. In October 2025, the Italian Parliament restored October 4th as a national feast, previously dropped in 1977, to take effect this year, the 800th anniversary of his death…

HISTORY OF OCTOBER: THE PUMPKIN SPICE SAGA [O]ctober, the tenth month of the year in both the older Julian and the current Gregorian calendar, was the eighth month (Latin octo) in the ancient Roman calendar, but with the addition of January and February, it got bumped to Number 10. This month is significant because, according to the modern Gregorian calendar, it is the first full month of Autumn, and of…

HISTORY OF COFFEE: INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY [Y]esterday, September 29, was National Coffee Day in the US and 16 other countries. But tomorrow, October 1, is International Coffee Day, also known as National Coffee Day in 12 countries. Whether percolated, filtered, steeped in a French press, poured over, or made with high-pressure steam in an espresso maker – at 10 to 15 times the quantity of coffee-to-water as gravity-brewing – 90% of humans ingest this caffeinated beverage regularly, making it the most widely used psychoactive drug and capturing the imagination of people the world over.

HISTORY OF MICHAELMAS [S]eptember 29 is Michaelmas, meaning “Michael’s Mass” or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. It’s known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels, in the Roman Catholic Church, or as the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels in the Anglican Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church, instead, celebrates the Feast of the Archangels…

Is AI Conscious? [E]arlier this year, Dario Amodei, CEO of the AI company Anthropic, said that he was open to the idea that his Claude AI model could be conscious. "We don't know if the models are conscious. We are not even sure that we know what it would mean for a model to be conscious or whether a model can be conscious...

Science of the Harvest Moon [T]his year, the Harvest Moon rises on September 26, 2026, with peak illumination at 12:49 PM EDT. It will be visible near the planet Saturn in the evening sky. While last October’s Harvest Moon was a "Supermoon," this year's is not. We did have a Supermoon in January, and we'll see one in both November and December.

HISTORY OF SUKKOT: FESTIVAL OF BOOTHS Tonight, at sunset on September 25, begins the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Festival of Booths or the Festival of Tabernacles. We've talked about the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; Sukkot, which follows five days later, differs in that it is one of the…

AI: Noise and Confusion Podcast [R]ecent news has been filled with stories about the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the potential existential threat it poses to humanity, voiced by smart people in the AI industry and echoed across the press and government. Last Thursday (Sept. 17), the New York Times front page ran "OpenAI Discloses 6 New Incidents of 'Concerning' AI Behavior."

History of the Fall: how does it relate to the Autumnal Equinox?

HISTORY OF YOM KIPPUR [T]he Jewish High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah and continue until Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement," or more correctly Yom ha-Kippurim (Leviticus 16), dates back to Jewish antiquity, nearly 4,000 years to the time of Moses. This most solemn occasion of the Jewish Festival cycle was the season for annual cleansing from sin, but over time its significance deepened, so that it acquired personal meaning and filled an individual need.

History of September 21: Earth, Wind & Fire When the band Earth, Wind & Fire released the feel-good song "September" in 1978, it broke into the Top 10 and has been one of their biggest commercial successes. However, the single was initially released on November 18, 1978, and was one of three new songs included on the compilation  album "

HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY Podcast International Talk Like a Pirate Day began not in the Golden Age of Pirates in days of yore but in 2002. It is celebrated each year on September 19; although it originated in the United States, it is now observed internationally across the Seven Seas. The Tale of Talk Like a Pirate Day…

HISTORY OF OKTOBERFEST Podcast [W]hy does the famous German beer festival start in September if it’s called Oktoberfest? Officially, the beer festival begins on the third Saturday in September and lasts for sixteen to eighteen days, running through early October. This year, Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4. What is the backstory of Oktoberfest?

HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast [O]n September 17, 1787, the US Constitution was created. Though it would take until: June 21, 1788, to be ratified, and until March 4, 1789, to be effective. In a very real sense, it was the founding document of the United States of America's system of government.

HISTORY OF ROSH HASHANAH [R]osh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish new year, which starts tomorrow according to the Jewish calendar; tomorrow begins at sundown tonight. “Rosh” is Hebrew for “head,” and Rosh Hashanah refers to the head of the year on the 1st day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar. It marks the beginning of the civil year.

HISTORY OF PATRIOT DAY: 9/11 Twenty-five Years Ago Podcast [O]n 9/11, September 11, 2001, twenty-five years ago, more Americans were killed on American soil in one day than in any attack since Pearl Harbor in 1941. A series of terrorist airplane hijacking attacks occurred in New York City, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon… and the world changed. As the events of December 7, 1941, led to war, so too did the events of September 11, 2001.

HISTORY OF THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE On September 4, AD 476, Odoacer captured the city of Ravenna and deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus, marking the Fall of the Roman Empire. What do we mean by the Fall of the Roman Empire? First, what do we mean by the Roman Empire? This part of the statement needs clarification first.

HISTORY OF LABOR DAY [L]abor Day is the day we celebrate the process our mothers went through to deliver us at birth. Sorry, wrong holiday; Labor Day in the U.S. is the day we celebrate the achievements of the American labor movement. Because Labor Day is always observed on the first Monday in September, the date varies depending on which day of the week the month begins.

HISTORY OF STAR TREK Podcast [S]tar Trek premiered on NBC TV on September 8, 1966... 60 years ago. It is my favorite television show; I was glued to the TV for the first episode and every one after that. It had a significant influence on my choice of a career in technology. The show presented an optimistic vision of the future, where the challenges of poverty and hunger had already been addressed.

HISTORY OF I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH [T]oday, 63 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. It continues to echo down the halls of history more than six decades later. On August 28, 1963, he delivered his speech at the March on Washington, at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Over a quarter of a million supporters gathered at the Mall in Washington, D.C., where King delivered his public speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking over the Reflecting Pool.

HISTORY OF ST. AUGUSTINE [T]he Feast of Saint Augustine is celebrated on August 28, the date of his death in 430 A.D. Augustine is considered the most influential bishop in history; he is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and several cities and dioceses worldwide. Most of what we know about him is from his writings: Confessions (397 A.D.) is an autobiography written in the form of a prayer to God about his spiritual struggles.

HISTORY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT: WOMEN'S RIGHT TO VOTE [O]ver a hundred years ago, on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted. This prohibited the federal and state governments from denying citizens of the United States the right to vote on the basis of sex. Effectively, this meant that the right to vote could no longer be denied to women.

HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH On August 19, 1848, the New York Herald reported news of the California Gold Rush along the American East Coast. It was not new news to those further West, as the gold rush had started in January and was publicized in San Francisco in March. However, the New York Herald was then the most popular and profitable newspaper in the US.

HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK August 15 marks the anniversary of the "3 Days of Peace & Music" held in 1969 at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the village of Woodstock. This outdoor music event, despite thunderstorms, gave voice to the counterculture youth generation of its time. A documentary film followed it in 1970, and a top-selling soundtrack album was released.

HISTORY OF INFINITY DAY: AUGUST 8 Infinity Day, also known as Universal & International Infinity Day, is a commemoration held on the 8th day of the 8th month of each year to celebrate and promote Philosophy and Philosophizing for the ordinary person.

HISTORY OF AUGUST [W]hat's in a name? The name of this month was not always August; previously, the Romans referred to it as Sextilis. Because the calendar then started in March, this was the sixth month. This was back in the days of Romulus in 753 B.C., when there were originally ten months (… Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE ODYSSEY (NO PLOT SPOILERS) [I] walked out of the theater after seeing The Odyssey with these thoughts and feelings: "Spectacular, awesome, massive, intense, harrowing, violent, merciful, evocative, fearful, seductive, humbling, restrained, overwhelming, noble, epic... an immersive experience, not just a movie." I found the film noble, uplifting, and immensely satisfying. For those who haven’t read the story that was written 2,800 years ago, I won’t spoil the ending.

Science of the Buck Moon [T]onight's full moon is called the Buck Moon. This full moon is so called for the antlers that grow annually from the forehead of a buck (male deer), around this time of year. Alternate names include Hay Moon, Wyrt Moon, and Thunder Moon. I've written previously about the Sturgeon Supermoon, Strawberry Moon, Blue Moon…

HISTORY OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE [O]ne hundred ninety-three years ago today, on July 26, 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act passed its third reading in the House of Commons, ensuring the end of slavery in the British Empire. William Wilberforce had championed the cause for nearly half a century. This article, published on the anniversary of the Act's passage, also looks ahead to Wilberforce's birthday on August 24.

History of Christmas in July [M]erry Christmas in July, or Christmas in Summer, is celebrated primarily on July 25! It is not to be confused with LEON Day, celebrated on June 25, which falls exactly six months before Christmas Day. Christmas in July also has a practical dimension in the Southern Hemisphere, where it has the benefit of occurring during winter, when it’s called…

HISTORY OF ST. JAMES DAY: AND EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO [J]uly 25 is the Feast Day of St. James, and Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and some Protestants accordingly celebrate St. James Day. For Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, it's on April 30. Each summer, pilgrims walk the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James…

HISTORY OF THE 1ST MOON LANDING: APOLLO 11 [F]ifty-seven years ago today, at 4:17 Eastern Time, July 20, 1969, the American lunar module touched down on the Moon, and about seven hours later, at 10:56:15 pm EDT, the first human stepped out of the Apollo 11 lunar module onto the Moon. With the immortal words of the 38-year-old…

HISTORY OF BASTILLE DAY [E]ach year on July 14, Bastille Day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille in Paris in 1789, an important date in the French Revolution. Also known as French National Day, it features feasting, fireworks, public dancing, and an address by the French President. However, the center of this celebration is the largest and oldest European military parade along the Avenue of the…

HISTORY OF FRENCH FRIES: NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY [J]uly 13th is National French Fry Day. While no one knows who began this celebration, placing it on July 13 is significant in that the important French holiday is the next day, July 14, Bastille Day. Did they originate in France, why are they called that, who else enjoys them, and what is their history?

HISTORY OF JOHN CALVIN 🎙️Podcast version [O]n July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, Jehan Cauvin, known to us as John Calvin, was born. Of all the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, none was more significant in forming biblical theology or ecclesiastic thought than this one man. Calvin's teaching and tradition penetrated more of the world than any other Protestant tradition.

Is America a Christian Country? [I]n response to a recent article I published, one of my readers asked me this question: “Is America a Christian country?”  My students have asked me this question often over the years. It usually takes me several lessons to lay the historical foundation to address the question. The answer is complex, and in today's partisan-charged political climate, it may seem provocative, but it deserves a better answer than a simple "yes and no."

HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT: A DEMOCRACY OR A REPUBLIC? Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial [O]ur quarter-millennium experiment with non-monarchical self-government, now 250 years old, remains singular in history. See my previous article on the American uniqueness compared to other nations throughout history. Congress had authorized George Washington to command the Continental Army in June 1775.

HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE DAY Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [I]ndependence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, celebrates the adoption by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, of the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed the severance of the American colonies' allegiance to Great Britain. It is the most significant secular holiday in the United States, observed in all the states, territories, and dependencies.

HISTORY OF THE 4th OF JULY: THOMAS JEFFERSON Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [P]erhaps no one person is more associated with the 4th of July in American history than Thomas Jefferson, probably because it was his hand that penned the immortal Declaration of Independence. As my friend Clay Jenkinson, who has been portraying Jefferson for over 40 years, says in his book…

HISTORY OF THE 4TH OF JULY: JOHN ADAMS Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [B]efore John Adams became the first Vice President of the United States under George Washington, the second President of the United States, the first resident of the White House, and the writer of the Massachusetts State Constitution, he was one of the creators of the…

HISTORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [W]e know this polymath as a writer, publisher, printer, merchant, scientist, moral philosopher, international diplomat, and inventor. He invented the glass harmonica in music, but he also invented the Franklin stove and started the first lending library and fire brigade in Philadelphia. He did experiments with electricity and developed the lightning rod.

HISTORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON: FIRST SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial [A]lexander Hamilton has gained popularity in recent years, mainly due to the 2015 Broadway musical "Hamilton" by Lin-Manuel Miranda. What is the real story behind this remarkable revolutionary? What kind of leader was he? How was his background similar to and different from that of the other Founding Fathers?

HISTORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON: FATHER OF THE NATION Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial [G]eorge Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, into a moderately prosperous planter family. Washington's Birthday is an official federal holiday, though it is "observed" on Presidents Day, along with Abraham Lincoln's, and other presidents', as I've written about…

HISTORY OF JOHN WITHERSPOON: THE ORDAINED FOUNDING FATHER Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [J]ohn Witherspoon, born on February 4, 1723, was an 18th-century Scottish preacher who emigrated to America in 1768. He was the sole clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. As president of Princeton College, he significantly influenced several Founding Fathers, including framers of the Declaration and Constitution who studied under him, most notably…

American Revolution - Reason and Religion Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [T]wo waves propelled the 13 colonies into the prospect of independence from England and a call to write a Declaration of Independence: the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason... and Religion, the predominantly Protestant Christian faith driven by the revival of the…

HISTORY OF AMERICA: 250 YEARS Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [T]he United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday this year... or at least the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It should be noted that the Declaration was essentially a "bill of divorcement" from Great Britain, not a document explaining how "these United States of America" should be governed.

INTERVIEW ON THAT SHAKESPEARE LIFE: MIDSUMMER AND ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY Cassidy Cash interviewed me for her popular podcast, That Shakespeare Life, to discuss the history and traditions of Midsummer and St. John the Baptist Day, and what it would have been like to celebrate these two simultaneous holidays in Elizabethan England. We covered the following topics:

HISTORY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY Podcast version [T]he Feast of St. John the Baptist, or the Nativity of St John the Forerunner, sometimes called St. John the Baptist Day, is celebrated on June 24 in many places worldwide, though not much in the United States, as we'll see below. The celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist…

SCIENCE OF THE SUMMER SOLSTICE [S]olstice comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning "Sun, standing still." The Summer Solstice occurs on June 20 at 10:22 PM EDT. But for our European friends and those farther east, it's on June 21 at 08:25 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, or Zulu Time, roughly Greenwich Mean Time). Greenwich, England, is the prime meridian — the…

HISTORY OF FATHER'S DAY [NOTE: I wrote a longer and more serious version of this article for CBS.com several years ago. It has been published on their network of sites for major cities nationwide. You can find that article here.]   Podcast version   [T]he celebration of Father’s Day goes back to the beginning, actually to the Garden of Eden, when Abel gave his father Adam a razor while his brother Cain gave his father a snake-skin tie.