The shortest day of the year and the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere (USA) is 21 December, the “Winter Solstice”. The word solstice comes from the Latin words for “sun” and “to stand still.” The sun seems to stand still on the day of the winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, as summer advances to winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day.

At the winter solstice, the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The next day, the path will advance northward. However, a few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still.


Merry Christmas from Kinetic Die Casting Company

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On the morning of December 7, 1941, the air assault on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States’ entry into World War II. The attack began at about 7:30 a.m. Hawaiian Time. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four sunk. All but the USS Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded.

“Long may she wave”

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