December is here and it is time to Do Some Science! In addition to the Geminids meteor shower, December is also home to the Winter or December Solstice (first day of winter), the Nobel Prize Ceremony, and Computer Science Education Week. Take a look at all the science December has to offer!
December 1-7: National Handwashing Awareness Week
December 3: On this day in 1621, Galileo perfected his invention of the telescope
December 3: Scientist, Ralph Gardner, was born on this day in 1922. A pioneering chemist, his research led to the development of hard plastics.
December 6: Physicist, Harold Horace Hopkins, was born on this day in 1918. He is credited with the invention of the endoscope.
December 8: Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day
December 8: Eli Whitney was born on this day in 1765. He is credited with the invention of the cotton gin.
December 9-15: Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) and Hour of Code
December 9: Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was born on this day in 1906. She was a pioneer in the field of computer science and one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer.
December 10: Nobel Prize Ceremony (Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden)
December 11: International Mountain Day
December 11: Annie Jump Cannon was born on this day in 1863. An American astronomer and physicist, she is credited with classifying more than half a million stars and her method of classification is still regarded as the standard.
December 11: David Brewster was born on this day in 1781. He is credited with inventing the kaleidoscope.
December 12: Full Cold Moon (also know as Full Long Nights’ Moon and the Moon Before Yule)
December 13-14: Geminids Meteor Shower
December 14: Monkey Day
December 15: French engineer and architect, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, was born on this day in 1832. He is best known for the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
December 15: Physician and biologist, William A. Hinton, was born on this day in 1883. He is the developer of the Hinton Test which is used to detect syphilis. He compiled his research into a medical textbook; the first authored by an African-American.
December 16: English science fiction author and inventor, Arthur C. Clarke, was born on this day in 1917. He is the author of 2001: Space Odyssey.
December 17: Wright Brothers’ First Flight Anniversary
December 19: On this day in 1871, Mark Twain received his first of three patents for suspenders.
December 21: Winter (December) Solstice
December 23: On this day in 1879, Thomas Edison patented a magneto-electric machine.
December 26: Annular Solar Eclipse
December 27: On this day in 1966, the words from the theme song for “Star Trek” were copyright registered.
December 30: National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
