1. A jumbo jet of a date

In the history of chronology, few dates are as significant as 747 BC. It marks the beginning of what is known as the Nabonassar Era.

Astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, writing in the 2nd century AD, claimed he possessed Babylonian records of astronomical observations stretching back to the time of Nabonassar. The centuries old data enabled Ptolemy to refine his calculation of celestial orbits.

In a modern calendar, the first day of the Nabonassar Era - Thoth 1, Nabonassar 1 - corresponds to February 26, 747 BC.