Allman Brothers

Today, Monaco celebrates its national day (it fell on Sunday but is celebrated today). Also known as ‘H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince’s Day’ or ‘La Fête du Prince’ in French, this holiday is the National Day of Monaco and marks the official ascension of Prince Albert II to the throne on this day in 2005.

The tradition of a Monégasque National Day began during the reign of Prince Charles III in the second half of the nineteenth century. The date for National Day could change depending on the reigning Prince, and the day of the saint they were named after was the usual custom. The Journal de Monaco coined the term “National Day” in 1923.

On November 19th 1949 Prince Rainier III acceded to the throne, and Rainier of Arezzo was recognized as the Patron Saint of the Principality by Prince Rainier III.

During his 56-year reign, Prince Rainier III profoundly shaped Monaco, particularly from the point of view of urban development: he initiated numerous building programmes and extended the territory by a fifth by extension on the sea, which earned him the nickname of “the builder Prince”.

When Prince Albert II succeeded his father in 2005, he decided to honor his father and maintain the National Day on November 19th, St. Rainier of Arezzo’s day. November 19th is a fitting date as it is also the same day of Albert II’s official ascension to the throne in 2005. Prince Albert II is a member of the House of Grimaldi, which has ruled Monaco since 1297.

On this day, the tradition is that Prince Albert II carries out a presentation of medals in the Courtyard of the Palace. Then, in ceremonial costume, he attends a Mass in memory of his mother, Princess Grace, at the cathedral. 

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Today is the birthday, in 1946, of Duane Allman, guitarist, and co-founder and leader of The Allman Brothers Band who released the classic album Eat a Peach in 1972 and had the 1973 US No.12 single ‘Ramblin Man’. Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on 29th October 1971 in Macon, Georgia, when he collided with the rear of a flatbed truck that had turned in front of him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa4DCp6cl2U

 

Today is St. Pierre-Chanel Day, a public holiday in the territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands. This holiday is observed on the Feast Day of Saint Pierre-Chanel who was martyred on this day in 1841.

Peter Chanel was born in France and became a Catholic priest in 1827. From an early age, he had shown an interest in being a missionary and bringing the word of god to new lands. In 1837, he travelled with a band of missionaries to the South Pacific, arriving in Futuna in November of that year. Chanel was seen as a thoughtful and patient missionary, even learning the local language. However, as his efforts resulted in natives being converted to Christianity, including the King of Futuna’s Son, the King saw this as a threat to his authority. The King then sent his son-in-law to deal with the problem, who killed Chanel on April 28th 1841.

Wallis from the air. Image by Anna Vinet

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American gymnast Bart Conner in between Basketballers Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo.

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Cooking together…

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SIGNZ!

and no paddle

Today is the birthday, in 1952 of American musician Chuck Leavell who was a member of the The Allman Brothers Band during the height of their 1970s popularity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUTORC4eoGc

Today, Arafah Day is celebrated in much of the world. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, and the day after is the first day of the major Islamic holiday of Eid al Adha At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafat and the Plain of Arafat. It was from this site that the Islamic prophet Muhammad gave one of his last sermons in the final year of his life.

Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Jaimoe Johanson, drummer and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band.