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Today is Agricultural Reform Day, a public holiday in the nation of São Tomé and Príncipe observed on September 30th each year.

This holiday marks the anniversary of the nationalization of the swiddens (slash-and-burn agricultural land) on this day in 1975.

At the time of independence from Portugal in 1975, Portuguese-owned plantations occupied 90% of the cultivated area. To make the most of the fertile but mountainous land, swiddens were used. Swidden agriculture is a form of shifting agriculture in which the forest is cleared and burned prior to the rains. The resulting clearing, or swidden, is planted with a number of crops.

During a rally, on September 30th 1975, the nationalization of the swiddens was announced. This was a significant milestone in the development of agriculture in the fledgling country. The holiday is an occasion to remember this and to also promote the development of agriculture in the country.

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Today is the birthday, in 1947, of Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld), English guitarist, singer, songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the glam rock band T. Rex. Bolan was one of the pioneers of the glam rock movement of the 1970s. He had the 1971 UK No.1 single ‘Hot Love’, plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles, and the 1972 US No.10 single Bang A Gong, (Get It On). Bolan was killed in a car accident on 16th September 1977 aged 29 a fortnight before his 30th birthday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZkTh_T75QY

Today is Julien Alfred Day in Saint Lucia, a public holiday in honor of Julien Alfred, who became the first athlete from the island to win an Olympic gold medal.

Alfred made history by claiming gold in the 100 meters with a lifetime best and national record of 10.72 seconds and also secured a silver medal in the 200 meters at the Paris Olympic Games. No St Lucian athlete had ever won an Olympic medal before her extraordinary achievement.

Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre made the announcement during a pre-cabinet press briefing on Monday September 9th, unveiling the grand celebrations planned for Alfred’s return to the island. Alfred, who has become a national hero, will return to Saint Lucia on September 24th for the first time since her Olympic triumph.

Events have been organised to mark the occasion, including a motorcade, school rallies, and a mural unveiling, culminating in a national holiday on September 27th.

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SIGNZZZZZ

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On this day in 1986, The Beatles track Twist and Shout re-entered the US singles chart over twenty-five years after it first appeared after the song was featured in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RicaUqd9Hg

Today is Revolution Day in Mozambique. This holiday marks the start of the armed struggle against Portuguese rule on this day in 1964.

Europeans first visited Mozambique during the voyages of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco Da Gama at the end of the 15th century. By the middle of the next century, Portugal had established a strong presence in the region effectively controlling the area.

In the 1950s other nations on the African continent were moving towards independence as the grip of the European colonial powers loosened. Mozambique, an overseas territory of Portugal, under the leadership of the dictator António Salazar, was showing no signs of following suit.

In 1962 several anti-colonial groups combined to form the Front for the Mozambique Liberation (FRELIMO). On September 25th 1964, FRELIMO began an armed guerrilla campaign when they launched the first attack against Portuguese targets. This brought Mozambique into the Portuguese Colonial War which would rage until 1974 when a change of government in Portugal ended their interest in the African colonies.

The freedom from Portuguese rule looms large over the public holidays in Mozambique. Including Revolution Day, four of the country’s eight holidays commemorate events in the struggle for independence.

DOGS!

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On this day in 1968, Welsh singer Mary Hopkin was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Those Were The Days’. Hopkins had signed to The Beatles Apple label after appearing on UK TV talent show Opportunity Knocks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnxTT7XXMPA

Today is Constitution Day, a public holiday in Cambodia. This day commemorates the proclamation of the constitution on this day in 1993.

When the name of one of your public holidays includes the word ‘genocide’ (‘Victory over Genocide Day), that is a sure sign that the country has suffered from a traumatic history. In Cambodia, the country was brought to its knees by the infamous Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot in the 1970s. The despot’s rule was followed by the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, which lasted until 1991 and the signing of the Paris Peace Agreements in October of that year.

An outcome of the agreements was that there would be a new constitution to help transition Cambodia into a modern, democratic country with a constitutional monarchy. Prince Sihanouk signed the constitution into law on September 24th 1993, formally establishing the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Prince was elected King of Cambodia and sworn in on the same day.

Independence Monument in Phnom Penh

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Nature is wonderful…

Legally Speaking

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BADA BING!

Don’t punish your child by taking their games away. Log onto their games and get them banned.

People call me skeptical, but I’m not sure I believe them.

Why do adult males who can’t run a mile say they are ready for a civil war? Looking at you, Meal Team 6. And you too, Gravy Seals.

Pro tip for millennials, as Gen X starts to pass away, resist the urge to watch unlabeled VHS tapes.

The same crowd that has carried a grudge against Jane Fonda for fifty years thinks we should “get past” Jan 6.

WARNING. Snow happens in the Fall because some people decorate prematurely for Christmas. You know who you are. Stop it.

One minute you are young & free, and the next you have a favorite pharmacy.

He started believing things that weren’t true. At first, I thought it was Alzheimers. Then I realized he was watching Fox News.

I hate when people can’t let go of the past. Debt collectors are the WORST!

Dating is a great way to realize that dying alone isn’t the worst that could happen.

It’s candy corn season for all you crayon eating psychopaths.

When people ask if we were better off 4 years ago, I remind them that 4 years ago we were using freezer trucks as morgues.

I told my daughter to check her attitude and she looked at me and said, “For complaints about attitude please contact the manufacturer”.

Texting is a brilliant way to miscommunicate how you feel and misinterpret what other people mean.

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On this day in 1979, The Eagles released their sixth album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxQXKO194XM

Today is Independence Day in Bulgaria. This holiday is known locally as ‘Ден на независимостта’ and it marks Bulgaria’s independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Bulgaria had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1396. In the late nineteenth century, a growing tide of nationalism had been spreading across Europe, which had been threatening the break up of the western parts of the Ottoman Empire.

In April 1876, uprisings in other parts of the Ottoman Empire spread to Bulgaria. The suppression of the revolts by the Ottomans was horrific and when the atrocities were made public to the West and Russia, international condemnation was widespread. In 1877, Russia formally declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The conflict eventually resulted in the creation of a Bulgarian principality within the Ottoman Empire, albeit with reduced land.

Following a war with Serbia, the principality extended its area in the region and on September 22nd 1908, in the Veliko Tarnovo, a manifesto, Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria declared Bulgaria’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria reappeared on the map of Europe after five centuries of Ottoman rule.

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Uh oh…

the eyes??

Today is the birthday, in 1949, of US singer, songwriter, Bruce Springsteen, ‘The Boss’, who had the 1985 US No.2 & UK No.4 single ‘Dancing In The Dark’, 1994 UK No.2 single ‘Streets of Philadelphia’. His most successful studio albums, Born in the U.S.A. and Born To Run showcase a talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life; he has sold more than 65 million albums in the United States and more than 120 million worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-Ds-FXGGQg