sixties and seventies

01
Nov
2023

It’s already WEDNESDAY

Today is Anniversary of the Revolution Day in Algeria. It is celebrated on November 1st and commemorates the start of the war of independence against France.

From the start of the sixteenth century, Algeria had been under the partial rule of the Ottoman Empire. In 1830, the country was invaded by France. The conquest of Algeria was a long and bloody affair, and unusually for French foreign territories, Algeria’s status was that it was treated as being part of France rather than as a colony.

Emigration from Europe to Algeria was encouraged by the French, with tribal lands confiscated by the French government or French settlers and Europeans even becoming the majority of the population in some cities like Algiers.

On November 1st1954, the Christian festival of All Saints’ Day, 70 individual coordinated attacks were made on police and military targets across Algeria by the National Liberation Front (FLN). These attacks signaled the start of the Algerian War. The events of November 1st 1954 became known as the ‘Red (bloody) All Saints’ Day’ (French: Toussaint Rouge).

While France won the conflict and regained control of the country, the brutality of the suppression of the revolution further alienated the Algerians and resulted in a loss of support for France’s control of Algeria, both in France and abroad. This change in attitude directly led to independence from Algeria on July 5th 1962.

Unfortunate juxtaposition…

SIGNZZZZZ

Today is the birthday, in 1954, of Chris Morris, guitar, from Paper Lace who scored the 1974 UK No.1 single ‘Billy Don’t Be A Hero’, and the 1974 US No.1 single ‘The Night Chicago Died’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c82thy_x1M8

Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
30
Oct
2023

MUN…DAI or something like that

Today is the October Bank Holiday in Ireland – always observed on the last Monday of October. After Ireland joined the EEC in 1973, the number of Irish public holidays was lower than that mandated for workers by the EEC. As a result. this day became a bank holiday in 1977 and although no particular reason was given for choosing the date, the date was probably chosen as it would fall at the same time as the half-term school break, which traditionally covered All Saints’ Day on 1st November.

It is interesting to note that there were four Gaelic seasonal festivals, marking key times of the year for agricultural communities. Of these, Beltane (the beginning of summer on 1st May) and Samhain (the beginning of winter on 1st November) were the most important and both these now have public holidays very near to their dates with both the modern public holidays being the two most recently adopted.

Halloween takes its roots from the Samhain Eve, when it was believed that the link between the worlds of living and dead was at its strongest. Some scholars believe that Samhain may have been the Celtic new year. With the Chritianisation of Ireland, the traditional date of Samhain, 1 November, was the same as All Saints’ Day. The traditions of Samhain Eve were allowed to continue, but ‘rebranded’ as All Hallow’s Eve or Halloweve for short. Some consider the later establishment of All Souls’ Day (Day of the Dead) as an attempt to replace the Pagan Halloween with a more Christian focused holiday.

Today is the birthday, in 1939, of American singer-songwriter Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane, Starship. Slick provided vocals on a number of iconic songs, including ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘White Rabbit’, ‘We Built This City’ and ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_raXzIRgsA

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
27
Oct
2023

finally FRIDAY

Today is Independence Day in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This holiday is the National Day of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and commemorates the independence of the islands from the United Kingdom on this day in 1979.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a southern Caribbean nation consisting of 32 islands, of which nine are inhabited. Britain won the European rights to the islands under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, with a plantation economy based on sugar and slave trading emerging in the 19th century.

St Vincent and the Grenadines was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. After its dissolution in 1962, and the movement of the larger Caribbean countries to gain independence, the transition towards independence began. St. Vincent was granted “associate statehood” status by Britain on October 27th 1969. While this gave St. Vincent complete control over its own internal affairs, it fell short of complete independence.

It was exactly ten years later on October 27th 1979, when St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence following a referendum. It became a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elisabeth II as the head and Milton Cato became the first prime minister.

The fortunes of the islands have depended partly on the activity of La Soufrière, an active volcano on St. Vincent. It has violently erupted in 1708, 1812, 1902, 1979, and 2021. Thousands were evacuated to neighboring countries in 2021, many with the help of major cruise lines.

Small town…

Today is the birthday, in 1949, of American musician and record producer Garry Tallent who is the bass player with the Bruce Springsteen E Street Band. He started playing with Springsteen in 1971 and as of 2013, and not counting Springsteen himself, Tallent was the only original member of the E Street Band remaining in the band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
23
Oct
2023

Oh no! It’s MONDAY already!!

Today is 1956 Revolution Memorial Day, a public holiday in Hungary. It commemorates the attempt by Hungarians to end Soviet Occupation and overthrow the Stalinist government imposed by the Soviet occupiers.

The revolution was briefly successful but ended when Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest and forced the reinstatement of the Moscow-controlled government. Thousands were killed and more than 200,000 fled Hungary.

The event remains a tragic part of Hungarian history, symbolized by Hungarian flags with holes cut in them, just as Hungarians in 1956 cut out the hammer and sickle imposed by the Soviets on the Hungarian flag at the time.

Today is the birthday, in 1943, of Barbara Ann Hawkins from American pop music girl group The Dixie Cups, best known for a string of hits including their 1964 million-selling record ‘Chapel of Love’, ‘People Say’, and ‘Iko Iko’. It’s also the birthday, in 1945, of Rosa Lee Hawkins, also a member of the Dixie Cups. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iURSBf5X0nM

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
18
Oct
2023

WENNZZZDAI

Today is Alaska Day. Alaska day commemorates the anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory of Alaska from Russia to the United States, which took place on October 18th 1867.

After suffering defeat in the Crimean War, Russia was on its knees economically and saw selling its expensive-to-maintain territory in North America as a way of raising some much-needed funds.

On March 30th 1867, the Russian Empire concluded a treaty with U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, wherein the United States purchased Alaska for $7.2 million dollars (about $129 million in today’s money.) That worked out to roughly 10 cents per square mile back then, ( just under $2 per square mile today.)

On October 18th 1867, the Russian Empire lowered its flag in Alaska and the United States raised its, marking the formal transfer.

Today is the birthday, in 1952, of American rock drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Keith Knudson from with The Doobie Brothers who scored the 1979 US No.1 single ‘What A Fool Believes’ and the 1993 UK No.7 single ‘Long Train Runnin.’ He founded the band Southern Pacific with fellow Doobie Brother John McFee. He died of pneumonia on 8 Feb 2005 aged 56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4oZCtfmh44

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies