Today
Friday December 4 2026
- Day of the year
- 338/ 365
- Week
- 492,026
- Days left
- 2793%
- Moon
- 17%Waning crescent
Today is Friday, December 4, 2026. It is day 338 of 2026, a year of 365 days: 27 remain, and 93% of the year has gone. Under ISO 8601 this date falls in week 49.
What's celebrated on this date
No United Nations international day falls on this date.
Coming up
- December 5International Volunteer Day
- December 9International Anti-Corruption Day
- December 10Human Rights Day
Saints and name days
Saints whose feast falls on this date, most widely known first.
- John of DamascusChristian monk, priest, hymnographer and apologist (675/6-749)
- Clement of AlexandriaChristian theologian (c.150 – c.215)
- Saint Barbaraearly Christian saint and martyr, from Nicomedia (273-306)
- Fourteen Holy Helpersgroup of Christian saints
- Adolph KolpingGerman catholic priest (1813-1865)
Sources : Wikidata (P841) · CC0 1.0
Astronomy
New York
- Sunrise
- 07:04
- Sunset
- 16:29
- Length of day
- 9h 25m−1 min vs yesterday
- Solar noon
- 11:46
Times shown for America/New_York
Season
Autumn
began on September 22, 2026
Next season
Winter — 17 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
Waning crescent
Illumination : 17%
Moon age : 25.4 days
- Next full moon
- December 24, 2026
- Next new moon
- December 9, 2026
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
771
Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom. Wikipedia
1110
An army led by Baldwin I of Jerusalem and Sigurd the Crusader of Norway captures Sidon at the end of the First Crusade. Wikipedia
1259
Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels. Wikipedia
1563
The final session of the Council of Trent is held nearly 18 years after the body held its first session on December 13, 1545. Wikipedia
1676
The Battle of Lund occurs, and is the bloodiest battle in Scandinavian history. Wikipedia
1791
The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published. Wikipedia
Show more (4)
1829
In the face of fierce local opposition, British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that anyone who abets sati in Bengal is guilty of culpable homicide. Wikipedia
1864
American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: Union cavalry forces defeat Confederate cavalry in the Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia, opening the way for General William T. Sherman's army to approach the coast. Wikipedia
1965
Launch of Gemini 7 with crew members Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. The Gemini 7 spacecraft was the passive target for the first crewed space rendezvous performed by the crew of Gemini 6A. Wikipedia
1982
The China adopts its current constitution. Wikipedia
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
Births and deaths
Born on this day December 4
- 1795Thomas Carlyle, Scottish-English historian, philosopher, and academic (died 1881)
- 1875Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian-Swiss poet and author (died 1926)
- 1892Francisco Franco, Spanish general and dictator, Prime Minister of Spain (died 1975)
- 1908Alfred Hershey, American bacteriologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1997)
- 1932Roh Tae-woo, South Korean general and politician, 6th President of South Korea (died 2021)
- 1933Horst Buchholz, German actor (died 2003)
- 1944Dennis Wilson, American singer-songwriter, producer, and drummer (died 1983)
- 1969Jay-Z, American rapper, producer, actor, and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Recordsturns 57 years
Died on this day December 4
- 1131Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (born 1048)aged 83 years
- 1642Cardinal Richelieu, French cardinal and politician, Chief Minister to the French Monarch (born 1585)aged 57 years
- 1679Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher and theorist (born 1588)aged 91 years
- 1696Empress Meishō of Japan (born 1624)aged 72 years
- 1976Tommy Bolin, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1951)aged 25 years
- 1976Benjamin Britten, English pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1913)aged 63 years
- 1993Frank Zappa, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1940)aged 53 years
- 2011Sócrates, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1954)aged 57 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 07:04 and sets at 16:29, giving 9h 25m of daylight — 1 minute less than yesterday. It has been autumn since September 22, 2026; winter opens in 17 days, on December 21, 2026 (December solstice).
The moon is a waning crescent, 17% illuminated. The next full moon falls on December 24, 2026 and the next new moon on December 9, 2026.
The saints' calendar attaches December 4 to John of Damascus, Clement of Alexandria and Saint Barbara.
No United Nations international day falls on December 4. The next one on the calendar is International Volunteer Day, on December 5.
It is not a public holiday in the United States.
On this day in history: Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom (771); An army led by Baldwin I of Jerusalem and Sigurd the Crusader of Norway captures Sidon at the end of the First Crusade (1110). English Wikipedia records 10 events for this date.
Thomas Carlyle was born on December 4, 1795; Omar Khayyám died on December 4, 1131.
21 days remain until Christmas and 28 until New Year's Day.
In astrology — kept separate from the measured astronomy above, deliberately — December 4 falls under the sign of Sagittarius.
Calendar
By the numbers
- 93%
- of the year elapsed
- 21
- until Christmas
- 28
- until New Year
- 452
- 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