Just had a quick look at 'man cat' on Uixes I've got 'at hand'. Just a 'cut and past' of the relevant parts.

SCO UNIX 3.2V4.2

 Limitations

    Note that ``cal 84'' refers to the year 84, not 1984.

    The calendar produced is the Gregorian calendar from September 14 1752
    onward. Dates up to and including September 2 1752 use the Julian calen-
    dar.  (England and her colonies switched from the Julian to the Gregorian
    calendar in September 1752, at which time eleven days were excised from
    the year.  To see the result of this switch, try cal 9 1752.)


Digital UNIX 4.0g

DESCRIPTION

  The cal command writes to standard output a Gregorian calendar for the
  specified year or month.

  For historical reasons, the cal command's Gregorian calendar is discontinu-
  ous. The display for September 1752 (cal 9 1752) jumps from Wednesday the
  2nd to Thursday the 14th.

--
The more I learn the better I understand I know nothing.