The winter solstice is one of the two times each year that the Sun is at its farthest point from the equator and appears to stand still. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol, or βSun,β and stitium, or βstoppage.β
The Halcyon Days also occur around this time. According to ancient legend, a grieving wife named Halcyon threw herself into the sea upon discovering the drowned body of her beloved husband, Ceyx. The gods took pity on the pair, transforming them into kingfishers, or halcyons, with the power to still the stormy seas for 14 days near the time of the winter solstice while they hatched their young.β
Mackenzie Bowell became Canada’s 5th Prime Ministerβ
The first crossword puzzle was printed in a NY newspaperβ
Pianist Vladimir Horowitz wed Wanda Toscaniniβ
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Hollywood, California. It was the first animated feature-length film with sound and colorβ
Weather
A four-day snowstorm began in Portland, Oregonβ
A storm in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana brought 26 inches of snow to Hillsboro, Texasβ