Name	Category	Origin	Purpose	Storage Duration
act	Required	.facebook.com	Used to distinguish between two Facebook sessions for the same user, created at different times.	Session
c_user	Required	.facebook.com	The Facebook user ID of the currently logged-in user.	90 days
fblo_	Required	nerdspot.events	Used to log in users via Facebook.	6 months
fbm_	Required	nerdspot.events	Used to log in users via Facebook.	3 months
user-is-logged-in	Required	nerdspot.events	Saves that the user is/was logged in.	31536000 seconds
LF9x	Required	nerdspot.events	Unique ID that identifies the user's session.	14000 seconds
datr	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to identify the web browser used to connect to Facebook regardless of the user logged in.	2 years
_fbp	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used by Facebook to display a range of advertising products, such as real-time bids from third party advertisers.	3 months
fr	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to show and measure ads and improve the relevance of ads (including measurement of conversions). Determines the relevance of ads based on site behavior and/or current search queries.	3 months
sb	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to show and measure ads and improve the relevance of ads (including measurement of conversions). Determines the relevance of ads based on site behavior and/or current search queries.	2 years
spin	Marketing	.facebook.com	Set by Facebook at login - exact usage unknown.	25 hours
	Marketing	nerdspot.events	Used to collect consent for tracking the user ID in Matomo. No cookie is set.
	Marketing	nerdspot.events	Used to collect consent for tracking the user email in Matomo. No cookie is set.
wd	Statistics	.facebook.com	This cookie stores the dimensions of the browser window and is used by Facebook to optimize the display of the page.	7 days
_GRECAPTCHA	Statistics	https://www.google.com	Cookie set by Google reCAPTCHA to protect the site from spam by bots.	180 days
mtm_consent	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to remember that consent was given by the user.	Unlimited
_pk_cvar.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
_pk_hsr.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
_pk_id.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to store details about the user (e.g. a unique visitor ID)	13 months
matomo_ignore	Statistics	stats.pcsg-server.de	Flags the user as ignored from tracking.	Unlimited
_pk_ref.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to store the attribution information (e.g. the referrer initially used to visit the website).	6 months
_pk_ses.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
MATOMO_SESSID	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Created when opt-out feature is used. Helps prevent CSRF security issues.	Temporary
_pk_testcookie.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to check whether the visitor’s browser supports cookies.	1 second
xs	Preferences	.facebook.com	This cookie contains several pieces of information about the user’s session.	3 months

Enter the archive

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

NerdSpot follows the stories, milestones and wonderfully weird dates hiding inside games, science fiction, internet culture and everything in between.

Pixel-art illustration for “Spider-Man’s first appearance”

Superheroes Marvel

Spider-Man’s First Appearance: The Date Even Marvel Can’t Agree On

8/10/26

Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 in August 1962—but Marvel’s own pages disagree on the exact day. Here’s why the 11-page origin still works.

Pixel-art illustration for “International Cat Day”

Internet History Awareness & Fun Days Cats

International Cat Day 2026: Why the Internet Still Belongs to Cats

8/8/26

From LOLcats to pixel heroes: discover why International Cat Day on August 8 still belongs to the internet’s most remixable icons.

Pixel-art illustration for “Cookie Monster Day”

Film & TV Awareness & Fun Days Sesame Street

Cookie Monster Day: Why the Blue Icon Still Works

11/2/23

Cookie Monster Day is an unofficial November 2 celebration of Sesame Street’s cookie-loving icon. The date’s origin is fuzzy; the character’s appeal is not.

Pixel-art illustration for “33 years of Monkey Island”

Retro Gaming Adventure Games Gaming

33 Years of Monkey Island: Why the Adventure Became a Classic

10/15/23

Thirty-three years after The Secret of Monkey Island debuted, its wit, puzzle design and unlikely pirate Guybrush Threepwood still felt remarkably fresh.

Pixel-art illustration for “Nerdy Christmas gifts”

Awareness & Fun Days Nerd Culture

Nerdy Christmas Gifts: Ideas That Actually Feel Personal

11/30/22

The best nerdy Christmas gifts reflect a real obsession. Here is how to find thoughtful ideas beyond interchangeable franchise merchandise.

Pixel-art illustration for “Scrabble Day”

Party & Tabletop Games Awareness & Fun Days

Scrabble Day: The Hidden Math Behind Every Tile

4/13/22

Scrabble Day on April 13 honors inventor Alfred Mosher Butts—and the clever frequency analysis that turned letters into strategy.

Awareness & Fun Days Nerd Culture

Six Months Until Christmas

6/25/21

Can you believe it? In exactly six months it will be Christmas again. Then the madness starts all over again: decorating, Secret Santa and countless family parties. And all that with temperatures hovering around freezing. Well, we don't feel like Christmas yet.

Books & Literature Awareness & Fun Days

Sherlock Holmes Day

5/23/21

Sherlock Holmes Day falls on May 22, the birthday of creator Arthur Conan Doyle—not Holmes himself. Discover what the date celebrates and why the detective endures.

Biology Awareness & Fun Days Nature & Wildlife

World Bee Day

5/20/21

Nowadays, people are far less skeptical about bees than they were a few years ago. Many have realized how important these animals - which, by the way, actually only sting when they are attacked - are for the environment.

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Your daily side quest

Every day has lore.

Explore the Nerd Calendar and discover the anniversaries, releases and gloriously odd celebrations hiding in plain sight.

Explore today’s nerdy events

Every day has lore.

Nerdy talk between posts.