Today is Sette Giugno, a public holiday in Malta. Meaning ‘Seventh of June’ in Italian, this public holiday in Malta commemorates four rioters who were killed by British troops on June 7th 1919. Following the end of World War I, tensions had been rising due to the inability of the colonial government to ensure basic supplies to the island.
In early June 1919, a change in the governor of the island was treated with scepticism by some and on June 7th, a crowd started removing British flags from buildings that had been flying at half-mast across the island due to the recent death of the President of the Court.
The mob grew in size and turned their attention to the homes of the merchants who had been doing well from the recent supply issues. It was at one of these houses that a standoff between the mob and the army ended in tragedy with the soldiers firing and killing three protestors and injuring fifty others. The uprising continued for a few days during which time, a fourth civilian died from injuries received while resisting arrest.
The uprising was short-lasting, but the bloody events of June 7th 1919 led to the National Assembly drafting the new Constitution. Two years later, Malta was given responsibility for self-government and home affairs and the first Maltese Parliament was set up.
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I was saddened to read yesterday of the death of Astrud Gilberto, whose soft and sexy vocal performance on “The Girl From Ipanema,” the first song she ever recorded, helped make the sway of Brazilian bossa nova a hit sound in the United States in the 1960s, died on Monday. She was 83. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uEy-n4IsU
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