Today is Independence Day for Indonesia. It marks Indonesia’s declaration of independence from the Netherlands in 1945 – immediately after the end of World War II. Indonesia had been a Dutch colony for over 300 years when a group of revolutionaries declared independence on 17 August 1945.
It took Indonesians four years of diplomacy and armed struggle before their independence was formally granted by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.
Indonesia is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands ( more than 2/3 are uninhabited). It is the world’s fourth most populous country. More than half of Indonesia’s population live on Java, making it the world’s most populous island.
Marco Polo was the first European to visit Indonesia in 1292.
According to his autobiography….
Today is the birthday, in 1953, of Kevin Rowland, singer, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, (1982 UK No.1 & 1983 US No.1 single ‘Come On Eileen’). Solo 1986 UK No.13 single ‘Because Of You’). This song and video may be in a category of its own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BODDyZRF6A
Today is Ferragosto – a public holiday in Italy. It is a popular holiday and is celebrated on the Feast of the Assumption which commemorates Mary’s assumption to heaven, where Roman Catholic belief says that at the end of her life on earth Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven.
However, the traditions of Ferragosto go further back in time to Ancient Rome and was a holiday long before August 15th gained its Christian religious significance. Ferragosto comes from the Latin ‘feriae Augusti’ (the festivals of the Emperor Augustus), in honor of Octavian Augustus, the first Roman emperor, who also gave his name to the month of August.
It was first introduced in 18 BC as part of the longer Augustali period of rest that marked the end of the harvest as well as to celebrate Augustus’ victory in key battles of the time. August 15th was also the feast day of the goddess Diana, who had no less than 13 days dedicated to her during this period. As the Roman Empire turned to Christianity, this pagan holiday was adopted and converted into a holiday for the Assumption, the day the Virgin Mary was received in heaven.
Today, Ferragosto is the most important day of summer in Italy. It celebrates the middle of the Italian summer and marks the unofficial start of Italy’s summer holiday season. Italy effectively shuts down until the start of September as schools and businesses close for the summer break and many people take a trip to the countryside, lakes or the coast to escape from the stifling heat of the cities.
Today is the Anniversary of the First Sermon of Lord Buddha (Drukpa Tshe Zhi), a public holiday in Bhutan.
After achieving enlightenment, Buddha gave his first sermon in the Deer Park in Isipatana, India and founded the Buddhist sangha (monkhood) about 2,500 years ago. In the sermon, which is known as ‘Setting the Wheel of Dharma in Motion’, the Buddha first spelt out the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
Today is the Day of the Flemish Community – a sort of public holiday in parts of Belgium. It commemorates the Battle of the Golden Spurs on this date in 1302. In that year,
Flemish citizens of the city Bruges rebelled against the French king, Phillip IV, and attacked the French governors of Flanders. Consequently, the enraged king sent an army consisting of 2,500 knights and squires, along with the support of 15,000 infantry, to punish the Flemish citizens.
In an open field outside the Flemish city of Kortrijk (Courtrai), the army of the king and 9,000 Flemish militia (an army of non-professional civilian soldiers), consisting mainly of infantry, clashed on July 11 in a seemingly one-sided battle. Anybody would think that the massive army of soldiers of the French king would have easily defeated the town militia. But not quite. It was a decisive victory for the Flemish community in which the commander of the French army, Robert II of Artois, was caught and killed on the battlefield. Moreover, the town militia slaughtered at least a thousand French cavaliers and collected thousands of golden spurs from their fallen foes that gave the battle its name.
The Flemish Lion
default baby pic
Uh oh…
Bada Bing!
If you want something done weird, you have to do it yourself!
We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy.
I was born a sinner. My sin is mentioned in the Bible 25 times. I tried to change but couldn’t. Luckily, society has learned to accept left-handed people.
My friends are a bad influence. And I would just like to thank them for that.
Sometimes I just don’t like people. They make me wanna say bad words.
I should be getting older and wiser. Instead, I’m getting older and wider.
Mrs. Lincoln complaining to Abe. Would it kill you to take me to a show once in a while?
I saw a bumper sticker that said, “I’m a veterinarian, I can drive like an animal.” Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
I may not have been my mother’s favorite child, but I was the first one she thought of when the police showed up.
You know you bought the right fireworks when the guy running the stand gives you a high four.
In today’s episode of ‘how strong is your marriage, we take a trip to Home Depot to pick out a shade of white.
You don’t realize how many back roads your town has until you ride with someone that has a suspended driver’s license.
Today is the birthday, in 1951, of Bonnie Pointer, singer with American R&B singing group The Pointer Sisters who had the 1981 US No.2 single, ‘Slow Hand’ and the 1984 UK No.2 single ‘Automatic’. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and had 13 US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985. She died on 8 June 2020 from a cardiac arrest aged 69. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iwBM_YB1sE
Today is Independence Day in The Bahamas. This public holiday marks independence from the United Kingdom in 1973 and is the National Day of The Bahamas.
Though there is some dispute as to the actual location, The Bahamas is the site of Columbus’ first landfall in the New World in 1492. The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718 as a result of the British trying to suppress piracy in the region. Following the American war of independence, many British loyalists moved to The Bahamas, bolstering its British connections.
The British House of Lords voted to give The Bahamas its independence on 22 June 1973.
On July 10th 1973, The Bahamas was officially declared an independent nation when the documents relating to independence were delivered to Prime Minister Lynden Pindling by Prince Charles and The Bahamas became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Today is the birthday, in 1947, of Arlo Guthrie, US singer, songwriter, son of folksinger Woody Guthrie, (1967 album ‘Alice’s Restaurant’, 1972 US No.18 single ‘The City Of New Orleans’). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxoM6trtZE
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