Humor

23
Apr
2024

TOOOOOOOSDAY!

Today is National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı), a national holiday in Turkey, always celebrated on April 23rd. Known as “23 Nisan”, the day commemorates the first opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey at Ankara in 1920.

On April 23rd 1920, during the War of Independence, the Grand National Assembly, the nation’s unicameral parliament, met in Ankara to begin to lay the foundations of the new Turkish republic after the end of the Ottoman Empire.

To mark the event, April 23rd was proclaimed a national holiday in 1921, making this the first public holiday in the new republic.

Since 1927 it has also become Children’s Day, when the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, dedicated April 23rd to the children of Turkey to recognise that children are the future of the nation. With this, Turkey became the first country in the world to celebrate an official Children’s Day, as a gift to the children in Turkey and around the world.

Shakespeare Day – born April 23 1564 – died April 23, 1616

Today is the birthday, in 1936, of American singer-songwriter Roy Orbison “the Big O” who had a 1964 UK & US No.1 single with ‘Pretty Woman’ plus over 20 US & 30 UK Top 40 singles including ‘Only the Lonely’ (1960), ‘Running Scared’ (1961) and ‘Crying’. With the Traveling Wilburys he had a 1988 UK hit single ‘Handle With Care’. Orbison died of a heart attack on 6 December 1988. This video was recorded in 1987 as the finale of the Black & White Night Concert. Backed by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Tom Waits, kd lang, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, T Bone Burnett, Steven Soles, and Jennifer Warnes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLq0_7k1jk

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
22
Apr
2024

Finally…it’s MONDAY

Today is Saint George’s Day – a public holiday in parts of Canada. Saint George was a Roman soldier and a member of the Praetorian Guard for the Emperor Diocletian. He was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He is the patron saint of England, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Malta, Ethiopia, as well as Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, and Moscow in Russia.

A traditional custom on St. George’s day is fly or adorn the St. George’s Cross flag in some way: pubs in particular can be seen on 23 April festooned with garlands of St. George’s crosses. St. George is also the patron saint of the scout movement.

This painting of Saint George and the Dragon by Renaissance painter Raphael can be seen in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

It’s EARTH DAY!

Today is the birthday, in 1937, of Jack Nitzsche, producer, songwriter. Produced The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and The Walker Brothers. Co-wrote, ‘Up Where We Belong’ with Buffy Sainte-Marie. Died of a heart attack on 25th August 2000. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjrOcrisGyI

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music
19
Apr
2024

it’s FRIDAY, fortunately

Today is Independence Declaration Day in Venezuela. Known in Spanish as ‘Declaración de la independencia’, this holiday commemorates the declaration of a local junta in Caracas on April 19, 1810.

In 1806, there had been a failed attempt to start a revolution in Venezuela by Francsico de Miranda. Despite the failure, the attempt had sowed the seed of insurrection and a few years later, events in Europe would gave the independence movement further impetuous.

In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and put his brother Joseph on the throne. Many of the Spanish colonies in Latin America remained loyal to the deposed King Ferdinand. On 17 April 1810, news that Ferdinand had been finally defeated by Napoleon reached Caracas, where the people decided independence was better than French rule.

On 19 April 1810 (Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday) Vicente Emparan, the Captain General of Venezuela, was dismissed, giving way to the formation of the Supreme Junta of Caracas, one of the first to form an autonomous government in Latin America.

Francsico de Miranda returned from exile, and pushed further for independence. A few months later, on 5 July 1811, the Declaration of Independence was finally signed, creating the First Republic of Venezuela. The Spanish resisted, however and full independence was not achieved until 1821 under Bolivar.

SIGNZ

Today is the birthday, in 1942, of English musician Alan Price, keyboards with The Animals who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘House Of The Rising Sun’). As a solo artsit he scored the 1967 UK No.4 single ‘Simon Smith and his Amazing Dancing Bear’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-43lLKaqBQ

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
18
Apr
2024

Thirsty THURSDAY!

Today is Independence Day in Zimbabwe. This holiday marks independence from the United Kingdom on this day in 1980 and is the National Day of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe was first influenced by Europeans with the arrival of The British South Africa Company in the 1890s. The company had been founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1889 to colonize the region. The area became known as Southern Rhodesia (in honor of Cecil Rhodes) in 1895 and was governed by the British South Africa Company until 1922 when the European settlers voted to become a British Colony.

In 1953, Britain created the Central African Federation, made up of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi).

Following the breakup of the Federation in 1964, when Zambia and Malawi gained independence, Ian Smith became Prime Minister of the country (now called Rhodesia). Smith began a campaign for independence from Britain, with the government being run by the white minority. Independence was declared in 1965, but was not recognized internationally and led to sanctions against the country. This also led to an extensive campaign of guerilla warfare within Rhodesia.

Under this pressure, the white minority finally consented to multiracial elections in 1980. Robert Mugabe and his Zanu party won the independence elections, with Mugabe becoming Prime Minister and Zimbabwe’s independence being formally recognised on April 18th 1980.

translation…

Failed Geography…

Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Mike Vickers, British musician who came to prominence as guitarist, flautist and saxophonist with Manfred Mann, who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooeRA8ZhcoQ

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
17
Apr
2024

WEDNESDAY keeps coming around

Today is Evacuation Day, a public holiday in Syria. his is Syria’s National Day and commemorates the evacuation of the last French soldier from Syria on this day in 1946.

Syria had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the start of the 16th century. During the first world war, the Ottoman Empire entered the conflict on the side of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Defeat for the Ottomans meant that their territories in the middle east came under control of France and Great Britain.

The now-infamous, but at the time, secret pact of 1916, the Sykes-Picot Agreement split the region between the two European powers, with what is now Syria coming under French control. After the second world war, Syrian nationalists forced the French out of the country and on April 17th 1946, the last French soldiers left Syria.

unfortunate juxtaposition…

DOGS…

Today is the birthday, in 1974, of businesswoman, fashion designer, model and singer, Victoria Beckham, (Posh Spice), The Spice Girls who scored the 1996 UK No.1 & 1997 US No.1 single ‘Wannabe’, plus eight other UK No.1 singles). She had the solo 2000 UK No. 2 single ‘Out Of Your Mind’ and married footballer David Beckham at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland in June 1999. Beckham has become an internationally recognized style icon and fashion designer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ

Posted by Tom in eighties music, Humor, Music