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Sunday, October 4, 2026, brings the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s featured observance of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, along with a collection of historical milestones, notable birthdays and deaths, seasonal advice, and daily features. Other observances fall on or begin that date in particular cultural and geographic contexts; October 4 is not a universal holiday.
Observances on October 4
Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi
The Old Farmer’s Almanac marks October 4 as the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. Its biographical sketch describes Francis (1182–1226) as the founder of the Franciscan Order, who renounced his father’s wealth and devoted himself to prayer and service to the poor. The Almanac says he was canonized in 1228.
Other observances, with their scope
- Simchat Torah: The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs lists it on October 4 in its 2026 cultural and religious dates calendar, describing it as celebrating completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. This is the Australian government calendar’s listing, not a claim that the observance is universal.
- World Space Week: The United Nations in Indonesia lists it from October 4 through 10 and references UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/54/68.
- Country-specific dates: Timeanddate lists Armenia’s Day of National Minorities, Father’s Day in Luxembourg, Harvest Festival in Germany, and Lesotho Independence Day among October 4, 2026 observances.
For an India-wide holiday reference, India Post’s 2026 national schedule lists Gandhi’s Birthday on October 2, not October 4. Its state and circle selections are separate, so the national list does not establish every local schedule.
What happened on October 4?
The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s historical timeline spans science, sport, entertainment, and politics. Among its entries are:
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- 1777: The Battle of Germantown.
- 1895: The first U.S. Open golf championship, held at Newport Country Club. Timeanddate also recounts the tournament.
- 1931: The debut of the Dick Tracy comic strip.
- 1957: The television debut of Leave It to Beaver and the launch of Sputnik 1.
- 1959: The launch of Luna 3.
- 1991: The signing of the Antarctic environmental protocol.
- 2004: SpaceShipOne’s Ansari X Prize flight.
- 2011: The Nobel Prize in Physics announcement concerning the accelerating expansion of the universe.
The Almanac also notes a Tom Brady milestone in 2018. These are the Almanac’s selected timeline entries, rather than a complete list of events on the date.
Notable people born or died on this date
The Almanac lists these October 4 birthdays: Eliza Johnson (1810), Jean-François Millet (1814), Rutherford B. Hayes (1822), Buster Keaton (1895), Charlton Heston (1924), Jackie Collins (1937), Anne Rice (1941), Susan Sarandon (1946), and Liev Schreiber (1967).
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Its deaths list includes Janis Joplin (1970), Glenn Gould (1982), Graham Chapman (1989), and Loretta Lynn (2022). These examples follow the Almanac’s listings and are not an exhaustive biographical audit.
The Almanac’s garden and home features
Fall garden question
The Almanac asks whether fall work can help control insects that may eat vegetables the following season. Its answer recommends late-fall tilling to expose overwintering insects to harsh winter conditions, naming corn borers, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, earworms, and vine borers. This is the Almanac’s advice; it should not be read as an independently verified gardening recommendation.
Drain and flooring tips
The Almanac’s daily advice says that occasionally washing salt or coffee grounds down a drain will help rid it of grease. Treat this as an Almanac tip, not verified plumbing guidance. Its home hint says diagonal subflooring makes a house more rigid and allows finish flooring to run in either direction; that claim is likewise attributed to the Almanac.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Word and puzzle of the day
The Almanac’s word of the day is precession, which it defines as the slow change in the position of stars and equinoxes resulting from variations in the orientation of Earth’s axis.
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Its puzzle clue is “(Blank) is (Blank) day.” The answer is “Tomorrow is another.”
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