Today
Sunday December 20 2026
- Day of the year
- 354/ 365
- Week
- 512,026
- Days left
- 1197%
- Moon
- 84%Waxing gibbous
Today is Sunday, December 20, 2026. It is day 354 of 2026, a year of 365 days: 11 remain, and 97% of the year has gone. Under ISO 8601 this date falls in week 51.
What's celebrated on this date
International Human Solidarity Day
WorldwideUnited Nations — International Days
Saints and name days
Saints whose feast falls on this date, most widely known first.
- AmbroseRoman theologian and Bishop of Milan (c. 340–397)
- Ignatius of Antiochlate 1st/early 2nd century Christian author and Patriarch of Antioch
- Dominic of Silosabbot and saint
- Anton DurcoviciRomanian Roman Catholic bishop and blessed (1888-1951)
- Philogonius of Antiochpatriarch of Antioch from 318 to 322
Sources : Wikidata (P841) · CC0 1.0
Astronomy
New York
- Sunrise
- 07:16
- Sunset
- 16:31
- Length of day
- 9h 15m
- Solar noon
- 11:54
Times shown for America/New_York
Season
Autumn
began on September 22, 2026
Next season
Winter — 1 days, December 21, 2026 (December solstice)
Public holidays — United States
Not a public holiday in the United States.
Next public holiday : Christmas Day — December 25, 2026
National holidays only. Regions, provinces and Länder add their own.
Moon
Waxing gibbous
Illumination : 84%
Moon age : 11.7 days
- Next full moon
- December 24, 2026
- Next new moon
- January 7, 2027
Astrology
Today's zodiac sign
Sagittarius
until December 22, 2026 — Capricorn
Zodiac dates are an astrological convention, not the Sun's actual position among the constellations. The astronomy above is measured; this is not.
On this day in history
69
Antonius Primus enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor for Nero's former general Vespasian. Wikipedia
1803
The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans. Wikipedia
1860
South Carolina becomes the first state to attempt to secede from the United States with the South Carolina Declaration of Secession. Wikipedia
1917
Cheka, the first Soviet secret police force, is founded. Wikipedia
1924
Adolf Hitler is released from Landsberg Prison. Wikipedia
1955
Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales, United Kingdom. Wikipedia
Show more (4)
1973
Assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco: A car bomb planted by ETA in Madrid kills three people, including the Prime Minister of Spain, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco. Wikipedia
1989
The United States invasion of Panama deposes Manuel Noriega. Wikipedia
1999
Macau is handed over to China by Portugal. Wikipedia
2007
The Portrait of Suzanne Bloch (1904), by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, and O Lavrador de Café by Brazilian modernist painter Cândido Portinari, are stolen from the São Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil. Both will be recovered a few weeks later. Wikipedia
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
Births and deaths
Born on this day December 20
- 1890Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1967)
- 1894Robert Menzies, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1978)
- 1898Irene Dunne, American actress and singer (died 1990)
- 1901Robert J. Van de Graaff, American physicist and academic, invented the Van de Graaff generator (died 1967)
- 1921George Roy Hill, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2002)
- 1942Bob Hayes, American sprinter and football player (died 2002)
- 1945Peter Criss, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producerturns 79 years
- 1948Alan Parsons, English keyboard player and producerturns 78 years
Died on this day December 20
- 910Alfonso III, king of Asturiasaged 58 years
- 1295Margaret of Provence, French queen (born 1221)aged 74 years
- 1355Stefan Dušan, emperor of Serbia (born 1308)aged 47 years
- 1552Katharina von Bora, wife of Martin Luther (born 1499)aged 53 years
- 1590Ambroise Paré, French physician and surgeon (born 1510)aged 80 years
- 1722Kangxi, emperor of the Qing Dynasty (born 1654)aged 68 years
- 1968John Steinbeck, American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902)aged 66 years
- 1973Luis Carrero Blanco, Spanish admiral and politician, 69th President of the Government of Spain (born 1904; assassinated)aged 69 years
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
The day in words
In New York the sun rises at 07:16 and sets at 16:31, giving 9h 15m of daylight — the same as yesterday. It has been autumn since September 22, 2026; winter opens in 1 days, on December 21, 2026 (December solstice).
The moon is waxing gibbous, 84% illuminated. The next full moon falls on December 24, 2026 and the next new moon on January 7, 2027.
The saints' calendar attaches December 20 to Ambrose, Ignatius of Antioch and Dominic of Silos.
December 20 is International Human Solidarity Day, designated by the United Nations or one of its agencies.
It is not a public holiday in the United States.
On this day in history: Antonius Primus enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor for Nero's former general Vespasian (69); The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans (1803). English Wikipedia records 10 events for this date.
Jaroslav Heyrovský was born on December 20, 1890; Alfonso III died on December 20, 910.
5 days remain until Christmas and 12 until New Year's Day.
In astrology — kept separate from the measured astronomy above, deliberately — December 20 falls under the sign of Sagittarius.
Calendar
By the numbers
- 97%
- of the year elapsed
- 5
- until Christmas
- 12
- until New Year
- 436
- until the next 29 February
2026 — Common year (365 days)
Work with dates
Sources
Every block on this page names where its data comes from. Nothing here is generated when the source is silent.
- United Nations — International Days— What's celebrated today
- Wikidata (P841)— Saints and name days · CC0 1.0
- Wikipedia (en)— On this day in history · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26