Acts of God, The Old Farmer’s Almanac compiled a list of events that were placed into The Blizzard Hall of Fame. On December 26, 1778, nine German mercenaries froze at their posts in Newport, Rhode Island that later became known as the Hessian Storm.  As it struck southern New England, fifty people died in subzero temperatures that included an 18-inch snowfall. Offshore gales, associated with the storm, beached 28 vessels on Staten Island. The Blizzard Hall of Fame also recognized an event on December 26, 1947, when one of New York’s deepest snowfalls put 27 inches of new snow on the ground in Central Park in 24 hours. Twenty seven people died from the storm and snow removal costs rocketed to $8 million. Also. astrophysicist Grant Matthews believes that April 17, 6 B.C., is the best date for the appearance of the Christmas star. The wise men were Zoroastrian astrologers who would have calculated the planetary alignment in Aries as a sign that a powerful leader was born. It could have also meant that the leader was destined to die at an appointed time and their gift of myrrh was used for the preservation of a body. Matthews notes that one born under the sign of Saturn denoted a powerful leader within the alignment of the sun, Jupiter, the moon and Saturn.  Even though the heavenly sign at the birth of Jesus Christ was the unusual alignment it is impossible to ascertain what caused the light.