Today King Tupou I Day is observed, a public holiday in Tonga. The holiday marks the start of the reign of King Tupou I in December, 1845 and the beginning of modern Tonga as a unified Christian Kingdom under the Tu’i Kanokupolu dynasty.
King George (Siaosi) Taufa’ahau Tupou I was Tonga’s first Christian King and he is seen as a key figure in the foundation of Modern Tonga. Tupou was born around 1797. December 4th is said to be his birthday, but that is not definitive. Tupou adopted the name Siaosi, the Tongan version of George, after King George III of the United Kingdom, when he was baptized in 1831.
He was declared King in 1845 following a consolidation of the various tribes that ruled over the area of Tonga. Tupou’s legacy is his help in spreading Christianity across the Pacific and his leadership in avoiding foreign domination from European nations. Despite a close relationship with Britain, Tonga never relinquished its sovereignty unlike many other countries in the region.
Tupou passed away at the age of 96 in 1893 after catching a cold.
Taufa’ahau Tupou I, King of Tonga (86), standing on a mat outside his palace in Neiafu. Image by Burton Brothers , via National Library of New Zealand
Oddly specific…
Welcome Christmas Season!
Today is the birthday, in 1981, of Britney Spears, US singer, (1999 US & UK No.1 single ”Baby One More Time’, 1999 album ‘Baby One More Time’, spent 82 weeks on the UK chart. Biggest selling teenage act in the world with album sales over 40m). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4
Today is Unity Day, a public holiday in Vanuatu. This aim of the holiday is to unite all peoples of Vanuatu into one single nation.
Vanuatu is an island nation of 83 small volcanic islands in the South Pacific Ocean, with a population of about 270,000. Despite these relatively small numbers, the people speak an impressive 113 indigenous languages – it is the country with the highest density of languages per capita in the world. And although the majority of the population have the same ethnic background, the tribes that developed on the different islands also have their own unique customs and traditions as well as languages.
Since the start of the 20th century, the islands had been jointly administered by France and the United Kingdom and known as the New Hebrides. In the 1970s the movement for independence gained momentum with the establishment of the first political party, the New Hebrides National Party (renamed as the Vanua’aku Party in 1974). The Vanua’aku Party proclaimed the creation of a provisional government in 1977.
The awakening of this political spirit and the ensuing strife led to Unity Day being established as a public holiday. Its aim is to engender a spirit of national unity among Vanuatu’s very diverse population and remind the country’s diverse population of its shared struggles and interests.
To celebrate this day, representatives from all of Vanuatu’s tribal groups come to the capital city of Port Vila. High chiefs from the different islands attend the festivities, which include performances by native dancers in their traditional dress and a parade. The holiday’s festivities typically include picnics, music concerts and sporting events.
Today is the birthday, in 1943, of Tim Davis American drummer, singer and songwriter, who co-founded the Steve Miller Band who had the 1974 US No.1 & 1990 UK No.1 single ‘The Joker’, the 1976 hit ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ and the 1982 US No.1 hit ‘Abracadabra’. He died on 20 September 1988 age 44. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV3AziKTBUo
Today is a public holiday in Indonesia for the country-wide regional elections. Most democracies hold their elections on a Saturday or Sunday to promote participation so that people don’t have to juggle work hours with polling hours. Other countries, which have elections during a weekday, make it a public holiday. In the United States polls have consistently shown that some 65% of Americans want election day to be a public holiday, but Congress has refused so far.
Today is Republic Day, a public holiday in Mongolia. Also known as Proclamation Day, the day commemorates the proclamation of the Mongolian People’s Republic and the adoption of the first Constitution of Mongolia on this day in 1924.
From 1691, Outer Mongolia had been a territory of the Chinese Qing dynasty. A move for independence had been stoked at the start of the 20th century after the Qing dynasty implemented cultural assimilation policies in Outer Mongolia to strengthen the Chinese identity of the territory.
When the Qing dynasty collapsed in 1911, Mongolia declared independence. The newly formed Republic of China considered Outer Mongolia to be part of its territory; and emboldened by the collapse of the Russian Empire, Chinese troops were sent to occupy Mongolia. The Chinese were ousted in February 1921, when the Mongols received support from Russian soldiers fighting against the Bolsheviks.
This forced the hands of the Soviet Russians who supported the Mongolian People’s Party and on July 11th 1921, Mongolia again declared independence, starting a close relationship with the Soviet Union that would last until 1990. On November 26th 1924, the Mongolian People’s Republic was proclaimed and Mongolia became the world’s second communist country.
Traditional Mongolian Gers
BING BADA…
The mind-body problem…Mind: Get up! Body: NO!
They’re called “deviled eggs” because the voices whisper & make you eat 25 of them!
If you said joy and happiness won’t pay for your groceries, let me know how hatred and misery works out for you.
It’s hard to separate church from state when you can’t separate fact from fiction.
Idiocracy was meant to be a comedy. It became a documentary.
Thinking of starting a taxi service for seniors and calling it Oldsmobile.
Patient: Doc, why was I pausing after every word I said? Doc: You were in a comma.
If you wear a sweater and you sweat, are you the sweater?
Is a fibula just a little lie?
The police caught me exercising at a rest stop.
HABITAT: When you get a picture of a nun inked on your arm.
You call it OCD. I call it put the shit back where you found it!
Forest rangers shoot grizzlies with sedative darts before approaching. There’s safety in numb bears.
I always double-check to make sure the garage door is closed at night. I don’t want someone stealing the stuff I’ve been trying to get rid of for years.
Dr. Oz had to pay $5.25 million to settle a class action suit for promoting phony weight loss cures. He is a con man. No wonder Trump likes him.
I have a ‘dry clean only’ sweater that’s about to learn some unpleasant facts about living with me.
“How to remove leaves from your lawn,” By Ray King.
“Don’t forget the marshmallows this time!”
Bad Day…
Today is the birthday, in 1945, of John McVie, bassist with the rock band Fleetwood Mac who had the 1968 UK No.1 hit ‘Albatross’ and the hits ‘Man of the World’ and ‘Oh Well. In 1977 they scored the US No.1 single ‘Dreams’ taken from their worldwide No.1 album Rumours which spent 31 weeks on the US chart. He was also a member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4
Today is Statehood Day, a public holiday in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This day is generally accepted as the National Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, though technically it is a regional holiday in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is one of the two confederal entities.
This holiday commemorates the anniversary of the day in 1943 when Bosnia and Herzegovina was re-established by the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia.
Comments