FIRST LEAF EV DELIVERED
December 11, 2010 - Petaluma, California
The world's first customer delivery of a Nissan Leaf all-electric vehicle was made at by a dealer at Petaluma, California. It was assembled at Nissan's factory in Oppama, Japan, which started manufacturing the model on 22 Oct 2010. The first customer delivery in Japan took place on 22 Dec 2010, following its official introduction ceremony at the Nissan world headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, on 3 Dec 2010. The Leaf is a five-door hatchback design powered solely by a plug-in rechargeable 24 kW-h lithium ion battery with an official range on a full charge of 73 miles (117 km) according to the US EPA. That agency assigned it a 99 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent, rated the best of any midsize car, and an annual electricity cost of $561. Operating cost was estimated at about 3.5 cents per mile.
AURORA BOREALIS
December 11, 1719 - New England
The first recorded sighting of the Aurora Borealis took place in New England. The report said that a mysterious face seemed to appear in the atmosphere. It caused considerable alarm, as being regarded by many as a precursor of the last judgment. Most aurora borealis displays occur in September and October and again in March and April. The green, red, and frost-white light displays occur most frequently when there is a great deal of sunspot activity. "This evening, about eight o'clock there arose a bright and red light in the E.N.E. like the light which arises from a house on fire ... which soon spread itself through the heavens from east to west, reaching about 43 or 44 degrees in height, and was equally broad."