On This Day Screensaver
The On This Day screensaver is a live almanac of the notable events, births and deaths that happened on today's date through history, scrolling by from the key-less Wikimedia feed. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
How the On This Day screensaver works
The saver reads Wikimedia's “on this day” feed for the current calendar date, with no key.
It gathers the historical events — and optionally the births and deaths — recorded for that day across the centuries.
The entries are sorted by year and scroll past in a warm, parchment-toned almanac.
Each day the list changes to that date's history, and the feed is refreshed periodically.
A worked example
On a single date you'll drift past entries like 1969 — … and 1215 — …, centuries of history that share today's calendar day, scrolling by one year at a time like pages of an almanac.
Settings & tips
- Show chooses events, births, deaths, or everything.
- Scroll speed sets how fast the almanac moves.
- Accent recolours the highlights.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the content tied to today's date?
- Yes. It pulls the events recorded for the current calendar date, so the almanac matches today wherever you are.
- Where does it come from?
- From Wikimedia's “on this day” feed, the same historical entries that power Wikipedia's on-this-day features.
- Does it need a key?
- No. The Wikimedia feed is free and key-less; the saver only needs an internet connection.
- Can I see births and deaths too?
- Yes. You can switch between events, notable births, notable deaths, or everything combined.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.