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
16
Oct
2023

maybe…MONDAY

Today is Mothers’ Day in Malawi, a public holiday. Mothers Day in Malawi is not just a day for cards and flowers but is a national holiday aligned with World Rural Women’s Day.

Rural women comprise more than 25% of the total world population yet suffer disproportionately from poverty. While extreme poverty has declined globally, the world’s 1 billion people who continue to live in unacceptable conditions of poverty are heavily concentrated in rural areas. Poverty rates in rural areas across most regions are higher than those in urban areas. Women farmers may be as productive and enterprising as their male counterparts but are less able to access land, credit, agricultural inputs, markets and high-value agrifood chains and obtain lower prices for their crops.

Malawi’s economy is heavily based in agriculture, with a largely rural population so the disparity faced by rural women is keenly felt in this sub-Saharan African nation. This makes the joining of World Rural Women’s Day and Mother’s Day in Malawi an important and appropriate way of highlighting the issues that rural women face while still taking time to celebrate and honor the role of mothers in society.

Cartoon by Jon Adams.

Today is the birthday, in 1947, of American musician and songwriter Bob Weir, best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. The group released more than 140 albums during their career, the majority of them recorded live in concert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48eW3VL-95g

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
06
Oct
2023

F…R…I…D…A…Y!!!!!!!!

Today is Education Day, a public holiday in Kiribati. It is a day set aside to show respect and appreciation for teachers and their contribution to society. It is celebrated on World Teachers’ Day, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) initiative.

Kiribati is an island country in the central Pacific. Its total land area is about 313 square miles spread over about 1.3 million square miles of ocean. The name is pronounced Kiribass, as -ti in the Gilbertese language represents an s sound. The name “Kiribati” was adopted in 1979 at independence. It is the Gilbertese rendition of Gilberts, the plural of the English name of the nation’s main archipelago, the Gilbert Islands.

The Gilbert Islands gained independence from the UK as the Republic of Kiribati on 12 July 1979. Then, in September, the United States relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands, in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati and they became a part of Kiribati.

Kiribati is among the countries most endangered by climate change and associated sea level rise. It is an existential threat to the country and its people. Most of the atolls rise no more than 26 feet above sea level and the rising ocean levels are already reducing the arable land due to salt water encroachment. Two islets have already disappeared under water and the bulk of the country may be uninhabitable by 2050. High tides periodically inundate areas of the country.

Today is the birthday, in 1948, of Jamaican singer Millie Small, (Millie), who scored the 1964 US & UK No.2 single ‘My Boy Lollipop’. It remains one of the biggest-selling ska songs of all time, with more than seven million sales. She died on 5 May 2020 aged 72 after suffering a stroke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiuPND4W6KM

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies
05
Oct
2023

It must be…….THURSDAY!!!!!!

Today is Republic Day in Portugal. In Portugal it is known as “Implantation of the Republic”. It commemorates the establishment of a republican form of government in 1910 when the monarchy, the House of Braganca, that had been in power since the 11th century was overthrown in a bloodless revolution.

The First Republic lasted for just 16 turbulent years, ending with the 28 May coup d’état of 1926. This put in place a military dictatorship known as the National Dictatorship. This was followed by the fascist Estado Novo (New State) regime of António de Oliveira Salazar, which proved to be the longest serving authoritarian regime in Western Europe.

Christmas is coming…

SIGNZZZZZZ…

Today is the birthday, in 1942, of American Richard Street, who with The Temptations had the 1971 US No.1 & UK No.8 single ‘Just My Imagination’ and the re-issued ‘My Girl’ which was a UK No.2 hit in 1992. Street died on 27th February 2013 after a short illness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepLY8J4E6c

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Posted by Tom in Humor, Music, sixties and seventies