Today is Territory Day, a public holiday in the territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands. The day commemorates the islands becoming a French Overseas Territory on this day in 1961.
Wallis and Futuna is a French Island Collectivity located in the South Pacific situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast. Mata Utu is its capital and largest city. The territory’s land area is 142.42 km2 (54.99 sq mi). It had a population of 11,151.
The islands became a French protectorate at the end of the 19th century, before being annexed by France in 1917, becoming a colony, under the authority of New Caledonia.
In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory, effective on July 29th 1961, thus ending their subordination to New Caledonia.
Today is the birthday, in 1953, of American singer-songwriter Patti Scialfa who has worked with The Rolling Stones and on Keith Richards’ Talk Is Cheap album. She toured with Bruce Springsteen Band from the 1984 Born in the USA tour and later married Springsteen on June 8th 1991. She has released two solo albums. Scialfa was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band. Here are Bruce and Patti in this wonderful song that has special meaning for us older couples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYlZcFuAXmI
Today is Independence Day in Liberia. This is the National Day of Liberia and commemorates Liberia’s Independence from the USA and adoption of the constitution on July 26th 1847.
The Republic of Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), who believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the United States.
Between 1822 and 1861, thousands of free blacks were relocated to the settlement at Cape Mesurado on the Pepper Coast of West Africa. In 1824 the colony was named Liberia, and the main settlement was named Monrovia, which remains the present-day capital.
The settlers faced immense hardships in the initial years with atrocious mortality rates due to disease and conflict with the indigenous peoples. Within twenty years, the colony had grown and established economic stability.
On July 26th 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution. The constitution was heavily based on the United States Constitution and established the independent Republic of Liberia. The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia’s independence, the United States only recognized Liberia’s independence in 1862 during the American Civil War.
Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence, and is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic, maintaining independence despite the colonial expansion in Africa in the late nineteenth century.
Today is the birthday, in 1943, of Mick Jagger, singer, songwriter with The Rolling Stones, (1969 UK & US No.1 single ‘Honky Tonk Women’, and over 35 UK & US Top 40 singles and albums). Solo (1985 UK No.1 single with David Bowie ‘Dancing In The Street’). 1985 UK No. 6 solo album ‘She’s The Boss.’ In 2003 he was knighted for his services to popular music and in early 2009 he joined the electric supergroup SuperHeavy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef9QnZVpVd8
Today is Republic Day, a public holiday in Tunisia. It commemorates the anniversary of the vote to abolish the monarchy and found the republic on July 25th 1957.
Tunisia came under French control in 1881 and became a French protectorate in 1883.
The movement for independence had begun in 1920 with the creation of the political party, Destour. In 1934, the fervor for independence was increased with the formation of a new party called Neo Destour, led by Habib Bourguiba.
In March 1956 Bourguiba led Tunisia to independence, as a constitutional monarchy with Muhammad VIII al-Amin as King and Bourguiba as Prime Minister. The constitutional monarchy was seen as a French decision and many thought the king was pro-France, so the National Assembly moved to change the political structure of the country from a constitutional monarchy to a republic.
On July 25th 1957, the monarchy was abolished, the king abdicated and the Republic of Tunisia was proclaimed with Habib Bourguiba as its first president. President Bourguiba went on to rule Tunisia for 31 years, finally being deposed in a medical coup d’état.
Air Loom
Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Bruce Woodley, from Australian folk-influenced pop quartet The Seekers who scored the 1965 UK No.1 single ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’. They were the first Australian group to achieve major chart and sales success in the UK and the US. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZf41UudAbI
Today is Children’s Day, also called Pikinini Day, in Vanuatu, a public holiday. This is a day to promote the welfare and well-being of children and also to celebrate children and what they contribute to society. The theme of the day changes from year to year, though the topic of fighting child abuse remains a perennial theme of the day.
As a public holiday, it’s a day for families to spend extra time together.
Children’s Day takes place a week before Independence Day and the parades, concerts, public speeches, sports events, and other celebratory activities held to mark Children’s Day are seen as marking the start of Vanuatu’s national Independence week.
Ink…
SIGNZ
On this day in 1965, The Byrds were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Bob Dylan song ‘Mr Tambourine Man’. The first Bob Dylan song to reach No.1. The Byrds’ recording of the song was influential in initiating the musical subgenre of folk rock, leading many contemporary bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and intellectual lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnstCrL1_e0
National Remembrance Day is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea (PNG), observed on July 23rd. This day commemorates those Papua New Guineans who have died in military service.
Most of the history of New Guinea has been defined by the remoteness of the island and the difficulty in mastering the difficult terrain. While the island succumbed to colonial control by the Germans, Dutch and British, most islanders remained isolated from contact with foreigners.
That isolation came to a crashing end in 1942, when the Japanese and the second world war arrived in New Guinea. At the start of the war, Japan moved to occupy the northern part of the island with the aforementioned terrain in the south hampering efforts to subjugate PNG.
On July 23rd 1942, a small number of soldiers from the PNG infantry battalion supported Allied forces in attacking a forward party of Japanese troops at Awala in the Kokoda region. This was a historic landmark in the country’s history as it was the first time, PNG soldiers had engaged in battle on native soil. As such the date has become a focal point for this memorial day intended to remember the members of the PNG armed forces who have died on duty in the first world war, the second world war, and subsequent peacekeeping and law and order engagements within PNG and abroad.
The brave defense by PNG natives and troops is seen as a key factor in the defeat of Japan in the region.
Nowadays, the PNG Defense Force is a modest force with about 2,100 troops covering land, air and marine operations. Nonetheless, they have committed themselves in assisting and protecting other Pacific nations.
With what?!
Bada Bing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doctor: I’m just waiting for your x-ray. Her: But I’ve never dated anyone named Ray. Doctor: And we might do a brain scan.
I know a guy named Stew. He’s a soupervisor.
I was sitting on the front porch watching my girlfriend mow the lawn. An old woman comes to the fence and yells, “You should be hung!” I yelled back, “I am, that’s why she’s mowing the lawn”.
My husband pissed me off so I told him to go call his girlfriend. My phone rang. It was him. He asked to talk to personality #4 because #1 was having a bad day.
“He’s not a hero. He thinks he is a hero because his ear was nicked. I like people who didn’t have their ear nicked.” – The Ghost of John McCain
He mocked people’s injuries, infirmities, and handicaps for years, now he’s acting like he just survived 6 months in combat with a Silver Star and 3 Purple Hearts.
Live your life in such a way that the entire world isn’t ready to throw a party when you get shot.
If you try to correct my grammar I will think fewer of you.
That look you give your boyfriend when he accuses you of cheating and you think he’s starting to sound just like your husband.
They should teach history in school again so kids can learn that people who steal top-secret military documents are called spies.
If Christians read the Bible to get closer to God, what do atheists read to further intensify their non-belief? The same, actually.
Facebook should have a limit on times you can update your relationship status, after 3 it should default to ‘unstable’.
Old guy on the computer: “There’s no such thing as a 3 1/2-inch floppy these days.” Wife: “I think you’ll find there is.”
Today is the birthday, in 1971, of Alison Krauss, bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She released her first solo album in 1987 and then was invited to join the band with which she still performs, Alison Krauss and Union Station. Winner of 1996 Rolling Stone’s critic’s choice best country artist. Krauss recorded Raising Sand with Robert Plant in 2007 which was nominated for and won 5 Grammys at the 51st Grammy Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSif77IVQdY
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