Earth’s Rotation Day

Most of us probably know the Earth rotates on an almost-vertical axis every 24 hours, which gives us one Earth day. But this basic knowledge wasn’t always so undisputable. In 1851, French physicist Leon Foucault demonstrated how our planet rotates using his now-famous pendulum.

Today, Foucault’s Pendulums are a fixture in science museums around the world. The simple but brilliant contraption uses a suspended lead ball to indicate the rotation of the Earth over the course of a day. The pendulum is surrounded by small pins arranged in a circle, which the pendulum knocks down one by one, eventually completing a full rotation.

Old Rock Day

We celebrate Old Rock Day on January 7 every year to remember the Earth’s incredible history and to pay tribute to the amazing geologists who help us understand it. We’ve been dependent on rocks since we first walked the Earth, and today it’s no different, with rocks forming the foundation of our daily lives. So if you want to revel in remarkable old rocks, or sit back and spend time with a stone, we’ve got some polished ideas for making your Old Rock Day a hard one to forget. 

Epiphany

For those who thought that Christmas was over, Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, marks the final celebratory day of the Christian holiday season! While most people begin taking down their Christmas decorations by New Year’s, there is still a full week before many practicing Christians complete their celebrations of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is commonly associated with the day the Three Wise Men arrived at the manger and has several different names throughout history and cultures.