World

Oct

2023

THIRRRRSSDAI

Today is National Heroes Day, a public holiday in Grenada commemorating the killings of former prime minister Maurice Bishop and several members of his cabinet in 1983.

Maurice Bishop took power in 1979 following the ousting of Prime Minister Eric Gairy and held office until his death in 1983. After a palace coup organized by his deputy, Bernard Coard, he was held under house arrest at his residence. Thousands of his supporters marched to his house and freed him from arrest. He then led them to Fort Rupert, military headquarters, where he was taken prisoner and shot to death.

His execution was used by the United States as an excuse for the invasion of Grenada in an operation called ‘Urgent Fury’. A heavily-armed force of more than 7600 soldiers supported by a fleet led by an aircraft carrier and air force fighter-bombers was able to subdue the 1300 lightly-armed Granadian soldiers after a few days.

Maps used by the American military were tourist maps of Grenada overwritten by hand with coordinates. Navy ships providing naval gunfire and Marine, Air Force, and Navy fighter-bomber support aircraft providing close air support mistakenly killed American ground forces due to differences in charts and location coordinates, data, and methods of calling for fire support. A squadron of Rangers were left behind during an evacuation of a school campus and there were many other mishaps. The invasion was condemned by the UN General Assembly as a violation of international law.

SIGNZ

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Peter Tosh, guitar, vocals, The Wailers, left in 1974, (1978 UK No.43 single ‘You Gotta Walk, Don’t Look Back’). Tosh was murdered by burglars at his home on 11th September 1987. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf8GjhXvOjU

Jun

2023

WENZ-DAI

Today is Sette Giugno, a public holiday in Malta. Meaning ‘Seventh of June’ in Italian, this public holiday in Malta commemorates four rioters who were killed by British troops on June 7th 1919. Following the end of World War I, tensions had been rising due to the inability of the colonial government to ensure basic supplies to the island.

In early June 1919, a change in the governor of the island was treated with scepticism by some and on June 7th, a crowd started removing British flags from buildings that had been flying at half-mast across the island due to the recent death of the President of the Court.

The mob grew in size and turned their attention to the homes of the merchants who had been doing well from the recent supply issues. It was at one of these houses that a standoff between the mob and the army ended in tragedy with the soldiers firing and killing three protestors and injuring fifty others. The uprising continued for a few days during which time, a fourth civilian died from injuries received while resisting arrest.

The uprising was short-lasting, but the bloody events of June 7th 1919 led to the National Assembly drafting the new Constitution. Two years later, Malta was given responsibility for self-government and home affairs and the first Maltese Parliament was set up.

SIGNZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I was saddened to read yesterday of the death of Astrud Gilberto, whose soft and sexy vocal performance on “The Girl From Ipanema,” the first song she ever recorded, helped make the sway of Brazilian bossa nova a hit sound in the United States in the 1960s, died on Monday. She was 83. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uEy-n4IsU

May

2023

THUUUUUURRRSDAY

We miss a lot of holidays and one of them, on May 5, is Arrival Day – a public holiday in Guyana. Also known as Indian Arrival Day, this day commemorates the arrival of the first indentured laborers from India on May 5th 1838.

On August 1st 1834, slavery was abolished in almost all parts of the British Empire. This caused an issue with the labor intensive sugar plantations having relied on the slaves to provide the necessary workforce. To replace the slaves, Britain started a process of using indentured labor. Effectively indentured workers would work as slaves, but only for the term of their contract, after which they would be freed and in many cases, given some land. On May 5th 1838, 396 workers arrived in British Guiana (Guyana) from Calcutta, India in order to work in sugar plantations. By the time the indentured system ended in 1920, British Guiana had received 238,909 workers from India. Today their descendants comprise 44% of Guyana’s population of over 750,000. Similar public holidays take place in Trinidad & Tobago and Mauritius. In Grenada, a holiday is observed on May 1st, the same date as International Workers’ Day.

Frontiers in Interior Design

Here is the Eurovision 2023 entry from the UK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ21grjN6wU

May

2023

WENNSDAI

Today is Constitution Day in the Federated States of Micronesia, a public holiday. he Federated States of Micronesia comprise around 607 islands, that lie northwest of New Guinea and east of the Philippines. Micronesia consists of four states Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Chuuk. Each state is centered on one or more main high islands. Following World War II, Micronesia was administered by the USA under United Nations auspices. The four Trust Territory districts ratified a new constitution in May 10, 1979 to become the Federated States of Micronesia. This event marked the emergence of modern Micronesia from trusteeship to independence from the USA.

Spelling failure…

What Viking babies eat…

SIGNZZZ

Here are more great songs from Eurovision 2023! Poland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjsl-JCHDWE

and Armenia! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co8ZJIejXBA

May

2023

TUESDAY is not Monday

Today is Liberation Day in Guernsey and Jersey. It commemorates the liberation of the Channel Islands on 9 May 1945, which marked the end of the islands’ occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. On 9 May 1945, HMS Bulldog arrived in St Peter Port, Guernsey, and the German forces surrendered unconditionally aboard the vessel at dawn. British forces landed in St Peter Port shortly afterwards, greeted by crowds of joyous but malnourished islanders singing, amongst other patriotic songs, “Sarnia-Cherie”.

The same day, HMS Beagle arrived in Jersey to accept the surrender of the occupying forces there. Two naval officers, Surgeon Lieutenant Ronald McDonald and Sub Lieutenant R Milne, were met by the Harbor Master, who escorted them to his office where they together hoisted the Union Flag, before also raising it on the flagstaff of the Pomme d’Or Hotel.

Sark was liberated on 10 May 1945, and the German troops in Alderney surrendered on 16 May 1945.