On this day...

[Leszek]

14th of October

Teachers Day in Poland!
1773 ñ The first recorded ministry of education, the Commission of National Education, was formed in Poland.

Well, you suprised me a bit. I had some free time and I'm already a student on university (first year ) so I didn't remember that this is today. Well... All the best to the teachers on this forum, then

BTW:
On that day:
in 1864 - Polish writer Stefan Zeromski was born
in 1234 - Saint Jadwiga (Hedwig) has died.
in 1582 - that day disappeared in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Poland, because of reform of calendar
in 1978 - the conclave which have chosen Karol Wojtyla to be the Pope John Paul II, has started

[brammelaar]

Well... All the best to the teachers on this forum, then

Thank you

[brammelaar]

15th of October:

(Kat, you can do the research, I'll give you a few (not all, mind) nods in some directions, OK?)

1889 - Opening of the Amsterdam Central Station (trainstation). The architect was: Petrus Josephus Hubertus (Pierre) Cuypers.

1946 - Hermann Gˆring (Luftwaffe) poisons himself the night before his planned execution.

1917 - In Vincennes, just outside Parijs, Mata Hari is executioned by a firesquad for spying for Germany.

Something in 1815 with Napoleon Bonaparte being banned at/to St. Helena in the Atlantic ocean.

1962 - start Cubacrisis.

1990 - Gorbatsjov gets the Nobel Prize for Peace.

2002 - Prince Claus (the Netherlands) is eerr, his body is put in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

1582 - Pope Gregorium XIII thinks it is necessary to live by the Gregorian calendar, and time jumps from 4 to 15th October in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Other countries follow later.

2003 - China launches the Shenzhou 5 with Yang Liwei (the first taikonaut), making China the third coutnry in history to get a man into space with their own thingies.

Born:
1926 - Michel Foucault (French philosopher)
1951 - A.F.Th. van der Heijden (Dutch author)
1980 - Tom Boonen (Belgian cyclist, sprinter)

Died:
2004 - Maurits Morzer Bruyns (91), co-starter of the World Wildlife Fund

[Kat_lov]

Good job Bram...

My theme will be women today:

15th October

Margaretha Geertruida (Grietje) Zelle, whose stage name was Mata Hari was executed today in 1917 aged 41.

The orgional "Femme Fatale", Mari was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan living and working in France. She was put on trial, accused of spying for Germany and executed by a French firing squad. However there is still speculation that she was never a double agent and in fact used as a scapegoat by Georges Ladoux, the head of French counter-espionage. The official case-documents are sealed until 2017 until which time we may never understand the reason for her death.

For interest, there is in fact a Boston based non-profit organization, MataHari: Eye of the Day, that organizes and supports community members impacted by human trafficking, domestic and sexual violence, labor exploitation, and other human rights abuses. MataHari seeks to build a just and equitable society that refuses to tolerate violence and oppression.




Now for my personal favourite...

In 1951, TV's first long-running sitcom, I Love Lucy debuts. Starring Lucille Ball and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz, the popularity of the show set the standard. Set mainly in New York, the husband and wife comedy duo ran or 181 episodes, ranking No 2 in the TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows (as at 06/10/2007)

Lucille Ball died on 18 April 1989, aged 77, following (her then divorced) on-screen partner Desi in 1986, aged 69.

[Kat_lov]

Food glorious food....


16th October

Today is World Food Day, and this year's theme is "The Right to Food."

Founded in 1945, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations raise awareness of the issues behind poverty and hunger.
It's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy. Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts ñ to make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active lives.

World Food Day activities are organized in more than 150 countries. Most countries have established National Committees to promote, plan and execute activities at national level.




"Let them eat cake" or "quíils mangent de la brioche" in her native tongue is a phrase traditionally coined by Marie Antoinette who died this day in 1793. In fact there is a case disproving her ever speaking these words...

Married to Louis XVI of France at age 15, and was the mother of "lost Dauphin" Louis XVII, Marie Antoinette was reknowned for her extravegant living, although some say that the rumours were fuelled by jealousy and ambition by the nobles. Following the storming of the Palace of Versailles, at the height of the French Revolution, Marie was executed by guillotine for treason.


"Courage! I have shown it for years; think you I shall lose it
at the moment when my sufferings are to end?"

[brammelaar]

16th October. (almost let you down, Kat )

1793 - Beheading of Marie-Antoinette, queen of France.

1854 - Oscar Wilde, the Iris writer was bron

1927 - G¸nter Grass, the German writer was born

1946 - Ten German war-criminals (WW II) are shot in Neurenberg (under whom Arthur Seyss-Inquart, whoever that may be).

1978 - Pope Johannes Paulus II becomes the new head of the Roman-Catholic Church.

[brammelaar]

17th October

1662 - Charles II of England sells Duinkerke for 40.000 pounds to France.

1912 - Turkey declares war on Bulgaria and Serbia.

1918 - Official founding of Yougoslavia.

1923 - The Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen is founded.

1933 - The German physicist Albert Einstein flees to te USA, running form the German nazi-regime.

[Samm]

1914
An earthquake centred on Greece kills more than 3,000.

1860
The world's first professional golf tournament is held at Prestwick in Scotland, and won by Willie Park.

1962
Emerging 'pop' group 'The Beatles' make their first appearance on British TV.

[Kat_lov]

17th October


On this day in 2000, a railway accident at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK brought the demise of Railtrack. Although the accident had a low death toll in comparison to other railway incidents in British history, it exposed the major stewardship shortcomings and the failings of the regulatory oversight and ultimately triggered its partial renationalisation.

Travelling at over 115mph a Great North Eastern Railway InterCity 225 train bound for Leeds derailed, killing 4 and injuring 70. Those that were killed were all in the restaurant coach which struck an overhead catenary stanchion following the derailment.

The names of the dead were:

Robert James Alcorn, 37, of Auckland, New Zealand
Steve Arthur, 46, from Pease Pottage, West Sussex
Leslie Gray, 43, of Tuxford, Nottingham
Peter Monkhouse, 50, of Headingley, Leeds







Puyi of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the last Emperor of China between 1908 and 1924, the twelfth emperor of the Qing Dynasty to rule over China.

He died in Beijing of complications arising from kidney cancer and heart disease in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution, a power struggle within the Communist Party of China. The revolution led to wide-scale social, political, and economic chaos, which grew to include large sections of Chinese society and eventually brought the entire country to the brink of civil war.

Hi biopic, The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, is a film I would highly recommend watching if you haven't already.

[Kat_lov]

Now for something completely different...

18th October

Herman Melville's Moby Dick was first published today, entitled The Whale.
Inpired by the sinking of the Nantucket whaling ship Essex in 1820, the killing of the albino sperm whale Mocha Dick in the waters off the Chilean island of Mocha in the 1830's, and also his own whaling expereinces on Acushnet.
Follow the tale of Ishmael, who undertakes a journey on the whaling ship Pequod, under the command of Captain Ahab to act his revenge on the infamous Moby Dick.

The first line of Chapter Oneó"Call me Ishmael."óis one of the most famous in literature and the novel is one of the greatest in the English language. It is a great novel to read, and re-read...




1962 Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded on this day to Dr James Watson, Dr Maurice Wilkins and Dr Francis Crick 'for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material'. In plain English, the model of DNA.

Following the X-ray diffraction images taken by Rosalind Franklin they published their prize winning model, with some still doubting whether they should have the credit at all, after all it was Rosalind Franklin's data it was based upon. She however had died before the prize was awarded.

I actually did a project on this at school, and I'm in the Franklin camp...

[i are scientist]

1962 Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded on this day to Dr James Watson, Dr Maurice Wilkins and Dr Francis Crick [i]'for

On this day in 2007, James Watson finds himself in a whole heap of trouble:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international ... 99,00.html

He's been spouting mysogynist nonsense for years, but as soon as he says something racist that's it, apparently.

[Kat_lov]

1962 Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded on this day to Dr James Watson, Dr Maurice Wilkins and Dr Francis Crick [i]'for

On this day in 2007, James Watson finds himself in a whole heap of trouble:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international ... 99,00.html

He's been spouting mysogynist nonsense for years, but as soon as he says something racist that's it, apparently.

Which concretes my "I'm with Franklin" t-shirt

[brammelaar]

but as soon as he says something racist that's it, apparently.

I really don't see what's wrong with racism...


*runs*

[brammelaar]

18th October

1869 - The USA become boss in Alaska

1922 - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is founded.

[Kat_lov]

It's short and sweet today as I'm a busy bee, so apologies...


19th October

Celebrated today is Chong Yang, the Double Ninth Festival. In the Chinese calender, the ninth day of the ninth month (19th Oct in 2007), a day in which the Chinese protect and drive away danger through a number of traditional methods. These can include drinking chrysanthemum wine, wear the zhuyu plant (a form of dogwood) or make rice cakes containing chrysanthemum or zhuyu symbols.

The Double Ninth Festival is also the "Old Men Festival". Old people are especially meant to improve their health by taking part in the activities on the day of the festival, which often includes climbing mountains.