December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars. It is one of seven months with the length of 31 days. December is the first month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, December is the seasonal equivalent to June in the Northern hemisphere, which is the first month of summer. December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
December symbols: Its birth flower is the narcissus. The birthstones of December are the turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite. The zodiac signs for the month of December are Sagittarius (until December 21) and Capricorn (December 22 onwards).
Historical Events for December, 1640
Day of Week 1st » End of the Iberian Union: Portugal acclaims as King João IV of Portugal, ending 60 years of personal union of the Crown of Portugal known as crowns of Portugal and Crown of Spain or Spain and the end of the rule of the Philippine Dynasty.
Famous Birthdays on December in 1640
6th » Claude Fleury, French historian and author (d. 1723)
13th » Robert Plot, English chemist and academic (d. 1696)
14th » Aphra Behn, English playwright and author (d. 1689)
Famous Deaths for December 1640
1st » Miguel de Vasconcelos, Portuguese politician, List of Prime Ministers of Portugal known as Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1590)
30th » John Francis Regis, French priest and saint (b. 1597)