Yosemite National Park (/joʊˈsɛmɪti/ yoh-SEM-ih-tee) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an area of 759,620 acres (1,187 sq mi; 3,074 km) and sits in four counties – centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera County. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals.
The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granite rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in the formation of deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago glaciers formed at higher elevations which eventually melted and moved downslope, cutting and sculpting the U-shaped valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.
European American settlers first entered Yosemite Valley itself in 1851. There are earlier instances of other travelers entering the Valley but James D. Savage is accredited with discovering the area that is now known as Yosemite National Park. Despite Savage and other white men claiming their discovery of Yosemite, the region and Valley itself has been inhabited for nearly 4,000 years, although humans may have first visited the area as long as 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Yosemite was critical to the development of the national park idea. Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln signing the Yosemite Grant of 1864 which declared Yosemite as federally preserved land. It was not until 1890 when John Muir led a successful movement which had Congress establish Yosemite Valley and its surrounding areas as a National Park. This helped pave the way for the National Park System. Yosemite now draws about four million visitors each year, and most visitors spend the majority of their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. The park set a visitation record in 2016, surpassing five million visitors for the first time in its history. The park began requiring reservations to access the park during peak periods starting in 2020 as a response to the rise in visitors.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Rosh Hashanah Begins
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on this day. Literally “Head of the Year” in Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah is the beginning (first two days) of the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holidays or “Days of Awe,” ending 10 days later with Yom Kippur. This two-day festival marks the anniversary of human’s creation—and the special relationship between humans and God, the creator.
Question of the Day
How are marshmallows made, and where did they come from?
Marshmallows apparently came from France, where cooks made a confection called pate de Guimauve from the juice of a plant called the marshmallow. The sticky juice of the plant was mixed with eggs and sugar, then beaten to a foam. The marshmallows we buy today no longer make use of the marshmallow plant. Instead, they are made of beaten egg whites, gelatin, and sugar syrup.
Advice of the Day
It is bad luck to sweep trash out the door at night.
Home Hint of the Day
Tapered brushes in small sizes are best for painting a window sash. The exact size is a matter of personal preference, but a 1-1/2-inch or 2-inch brush is comfortable for most people.
Word of the Day
Cornscateous Air
First used by the old almanac makers, this term signifies warm, damp air. Though it signals ideal climatic conditions for growing corn, it also poses a danger to those affected by asthma, pneumonia, and other respiratory problems.
Puzzle of the Day
A somber color I am found, And as to dirt I little show it; But if you fairly turn me round, Behold I am a poet. (What word fits the first clue, but when read backwards, fits the second?)
Drab – Bard
Born
- Francesco Borromini (architect) – 1599
- Ole Roemer (astronomer) – 1644
- Thomas Hunt Morgan (geneticist) – 1866
- William Faulkner (author) – 1897
- Robert Brackman (artist) – 1898
- Marl Rothko (artist) – 1903
- Shel Silverstein (author, humorist) – 1930
- Barbara Walters (newscaster) – 1931
- Juliet Prowse (actress) – 1936
- Michael Douglas (actor) – 1944
- Cheryl Tiegs (model) – 1947
- Mark Hamill (actor) – 1951
- Christopher Reeve (actor) – 1952
- Heather Locklear (actress) – 1961
- Will Smith (actor) – 1968
- Catherine Zeta Jones (actress) – 1969
- Matthew Hasselbeck (football player) – 1975
Died
- Felix-Gabriel Marchand (Quebec premier) – 1900
- Mary Astor (actress) – 1987
- George Plimpton (writer) – 2003
- Don Adams (actor) – 2005
- Andy Williams (singer) – 2012
Events
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed Isthmus of Panama and sighted the Pacific Ocean– 1513
- Publick Occurrences became the first newspaper in the United States”“– 1690
- Zachary Taylor’s troops captured the Mexican city of Monterrey– 1846
- Congress established Yosemite National Park in California– 1890
- TAT-1 first transatlantic telephone cable to link North America and U.K.– 1956
- Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the first woman to hold the office– 1981
- An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit northern Peru– 2005
- A 20-foot wide, 3,699-pound pumpkin pie was baked and presented at the New Bremen, Ohio, annual Pumpkinfest. It was certified as the world’s largest pumpkin pie.– 2010
- A 3.4-magnitude earthquake shook New Hampshire about 10 miles north of the capital city of Concord– 2010
Weather
- Cut Bank, Montana, recorded 4 degrees below zero F.– 1934
- Early snow flurries, Fort Wayne, Indiana– 1942
COURTESY www.almanac.com
