The "Birth Of The Almanac" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Tuesday, March 6 and the day is slowing drawing to a close.  Big news of the day is the approaching storm that is expected to bring up to 10 inches of snow to the area.  Allegedly!  So, just where do they get their information from to determine how much snow we will get?  We in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have had one of the lowest snow totals in recent history this winter that I can remember.  I haven't had a need to use my snowblower at all this winter and hope to put it to bed for the year without any use at all.  Will that happen?  By the time you read this you may know the answer.  For me, one of the tools that I use to determine my need for my snowblower is the Old Farmer's Almanac.  It is one of many almanacs that is printed every year, but the Farmer's Almanac is the grand-daddy of all almanacs, since it is the oldest continuously published periodical.  

Cover of Old Farmer's Almanac.

It's first editor was Robert B. Thomas who printed his first edition of the Farmer's Almanac in 1792 during George Washington's 1st term as president.  His almanac became an instant success, since his predictions were actually very accurate.  His first year of publication he sold approximately 3,000 copies while the second year his production was tripled.  Cost for the almanac was six pence ($.09).  Almanacs that were printed both then and now supposedly records and predicts astronomical events, tides, weather and other phenomena with respect to time.  Seems Mr Thomas used a complex series of natural cycles to devise his own secret weather forecasting formula.  His results were amazing accurate.  80% accurate to be exact.  How many weathermen can make that claim today?  Seems not only was his weather forecasting more accurate, but his advice and feature stories more entertaining.  Mr. Thomas produced his last edition of the Farmer's Almanac in 1846 and his predictions were much the same as they were 50 years before.  During those years he established his publication as one of America's leading periodicals.  It outsold and outlasted most other periodicals during his reign as top dog in predicting.  His publication was terminated due to his death in 1846 as he was proofreading his 1947 edition of The Farmer's Almanac.  Actually, Robert B. Thomas' almanac wasn't the first in North America, that record going to William Pierce who published his almanac in 1639 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  There have been almanacs published since that time with most of them including the word "Farmer's" in the title.  One early almanac that didn't stick to that format was Poor Robin's Almanack which was published by Poor Richard, Knight of the Burnt Island.  It was declared a comic almanac.  In 1664 a note in his almanac said: This month we may expect to hear of the Death of some Man, Woman, or Child either in Kent or Christendom.  Wow, I could predict that well.  In 1728 a fellow by the name of James Franklin began to publish the Rhode-Island Almanack.  

1942 photo of FBI agents capturing the German spy.

Five years later his brother began to publish Poor Richard's Almanack.  Have you guessed by now that James' brother was Benjamin Franklin.  Mr. Thomas' Farmer's Almanac changed names in 1836 and is now known as The Old Farmer's Almanac.  This years' edition of the Old Farmer's Almanac features astronomical events; trends, gardening, anniversaries, recipes, home remedies, pets husbandry, folklore, amusement, contests, fishing and more.  And, as you might have guessed, you can go online and get access to their online weather.  One final note to my story today is: In 1942, a German spy was apprehended by the FBI after landing on Long Island by U-boat.  In his coat pocket was a copy of The Old Farmer's Almanac.  The U.S. Government speculated that the Germans were using the Almanac for weather forecasts, which meant that the book was indirectly supplying information to the enemy.  Compare that to today's news stories!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.