Historical clue formulations

• Gets darker, say — 2025-06-04
• Grows darker — 2010-07-14
• Gets dark — 2005-11-19
• Approaches midnight, say — 2004-10-23
• Nears midnight — 2004-07-20
• Gets dark, perhaps — 2001-08-10
• Gets dark — 2000-02-16
• Nears a deadline — 1996-09-14