418 Death of Zosimus, Greek pope 537 Saint Sofia, church in Constantinople, initiated. 537 The Hagia Sophia is completed. 975 Balderik bishop of Utrecht (918-75), dies. 1065 Ferdinand I the Great, king of Castile, dies. 1076 Death of Prince Svyatoslav II of Kiev (b. 1027) 1381 Death of Edmund de Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician 1390 Birth of Anne...

1418 Death of Katherine of Lancaster, wife of Henry III of Castile 1535 Birth of Pope Leo XI (d. 1605) 1567 Death of Shane O’Neill, Irish chieftain 1581 Death of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, regent of Scotland 1615 First RTcollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France. 1693 Death of John Wildman, English soldier and politician 1701...

The world isn’t going to end today (that won’t possibly happen until 12/21/12). But it is the last time the month, day and year will all be the same number—at least until January 1, 2101. Consecutive date sequences are both magical and mystical for their rare occurrences and the hidden meaning of numbers. Find out what’s so special about the...

The impasse in Congress over the “fiscal cliff” could be the Grinch that steals Christmas if it isn’t resolved soon. A record 247 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the four-day Black Friday weekend, up 9 percent from last year, according to the National Retail Federation. They spent an average $423 this year, up 6 percent from last year,...

“Fiscal cliff” is the popular shorthand term used to describe the conundrum that the U.S. government will face at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 are scheduled to go into effect. Among the laws set to change at midnight on December 31, 2012, are the end of last year’s temporary payroll tax cuts (resulting in a 2% tax...

In days gone by, Black Friday – the name given to the day after Thanksgiving – was the start of the holiday shopping season and was the day of the year that saw the greatest dollar volume of retail sales.  The term “black” comes from the accounting world and recognizes that sales were not “in the red” but were “in the black.” Over the years, to...