One of the classic memory feats, which I even teach in Train Your Brain and Entertain, is the ability to give the day of the week for any date.

The classic method requires plenty of practice with memory and mathematics. To get an idea of just what's required, you can take a look at this explanation of the Calendar feat. As long as you put in the practice, there's nothing wrong with this feat, and you're always ready to do it at a moment's notice (or at least, anywhere you have a perpetual calendar handy for verification).

One of the best treatises on performing this feat is Sam Schwartz's notes, simply entitled Day For Any Date. Not only is the basic system explained, but also the reasoning behind the method, ingenious short cuts and a seemingly endless variety of performance angles for both close-up and stage. It was originally published in 1997, and is available from Karl Fulves (Box 433, Teaneck, NJ 07666, USA).

However, there have been alternative methods to make the work easier. One of the most widely known is Jack Dean's You Were There. In this version, any date over a span of 250 years is given, and you can immediately use the included calendar to show the month, apparently using only your memory.

My own brand new entry in the pseudo-memory version is the 2006 Day for any Date Wall Calendar. In this version, you can someone to give you any day in 2006, such as their birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion, and you can give the day of the week very quickly. The memory work and mathematics have been minimized by the design of the calendar itself. It can be used with the calendar open, with the spectator looking at the date. It can even be used closed, in a presentation where one person gives a date, and your memory is pitted against a spectator with the calendar in a race to find the correct day of the week. If you decide to purchase this calendar, contact me with the name and city you used when ordering the calendar, and I'll send you the method as soon as the calendar ships out!