From Day to Day

In one single convenient volume, From Day to Day provides an extensive list of birthdays of famous people from Julius Caesar to the notables of today, and noteworthy events from the earliest recorded times to the present. Arranged in some 17,000 entries (2,000 more than the first edition) presented chronologically for each day from January 1 through the 365 days of the year to December 31, these accounts are divided into twelve chapters, one devoted to each month. Each chapter begins with a brief discussion of that month's history, how it got its name, its length, and other pertinent facts. There is also a useful and interesting introductory chapter on the development of the calendar, the division of time into years, months, and days, and how the names of these divisions evolved. Johnson traces the origins of our modern calendar back to the ancient Babylonians, through the numerous changes made by the Romans, and explains the purpose and logic of the modern Gregorian calendar. A comprehensive index is included, providing a quick cross-reference for individual birthdays and events.