Almanac
An almanac is a regularly published book or booklet that gathers useful facts for a particular audience. It usually includes weather forecasts, farming dates, tide times, and calendar-based data, along with tables about the Sun, Moon, stars, eclipses, and other natural events.
Almanacs can be made for farmers, sailors, astronomers, or general readers.
The origin of the word is unclear. The concept appears in the 13th century, and Roger Bacon used it for a set of astronomical tables. There are several theories about where the name came from, but none are certain.
Early almanacs were calendars that mixed farming, weather, and astronomical data. Precursors include ancient Babylonian and Greek calendars (parapegma) and the later work of Ptolemy. Islamic astronomical tables (Zij) also influenced the tradition. Modern almanacs moved toward giving direct positions of celestial bodies, requiring less calculation.
The first modern-style almanac is often dated to 1088 in Toledo, written by al-Zarqali (Arzachel), which provided daily positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets for several years. It was later translated into Latin as the Tables of Toledo and the Alfonsine tables.
Printing helped almanacs spread. In England and the American colonies, yearly almanacs became very popular from the 16th to 18th centuries. Famous titles include Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin.
Today, almanacs cover many topics and audiences. General almanacs include Time Almanac with Information Please, World Almanac and Book of Facts, Farmers’ Almanac, and The Old Farmer’s Almanac. There are also specialist almanacs, such as the GPS Almanac for satellites, The New Farmer’s Almanac for farmers, and educational titles like National Geographic Kids Almanac.
In short, an almanac is a convenient, regularly updated source of practical information—about the sky, the Earth, and everyday life.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:32 (CET).