28th May 2021
28 May ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASCENSION OF BAHA’U’LLAH Baha’i
Commemorates the death of Baha’u’llah at Bahji, near Acre, in 1892. His shrine there has become the place towards which all Baha’is face when praying.
Hamburger Day
Man who invented the hamburger was smart; Man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius.
Matthew McConaughey
Amnesty International Day
Human rights have been a hot topic in local and international politics since the 1960’s. Whether fighting for the right to marry the person of our choice or to end abuses like child labor all over the globe, Amnesty International has been in the trenches trying to make the world a better place. Amnesty International Day works to promote human rights and raise awareness of their abuses and how our choices affect them every day.
Menstrual Hygiene Day
Menstruation is a natural process in which blood which was created by the body to cushion an egg is flushed from the body if the owner of the said egg does not become pregnant. It is a normal action which millions of women across the world experience, and this day seeks to remove any taboo associated with it.
After all, the body’s process which allows for the conception of children should be celebrated, surely?
Brisket Day
The word primal has many meanings, but all of them come back to one meaning “first.” The word speaks of the beginnings of things, from our ancient lineage as human beings, to the animalistic force that lives within each of us. Appropriate to our thinking, then is the meaning of primal when applied to cuts of meat.
The primal cuts are those that are severed from the carcass first before the smaller and less important cuts are removed. The brisket is among these cuts, and while it requires a little know-how to make it properly, when properly made it is nothing less than the choicest of the primal cuts. Brisket Day encourages you to explore this cut and everything it has to offer.
Don’t Fry Day
Although it might sound more like a dieter’s mantra, Don’t Fry Day is actually an initiative of the Council for Skin Cancer Prevention.
With the days of tanning and basking in the sun all day long behind us, the words on everyone’s lips these days is ‘slip, slop, slap and wrap’, encouraging sun worshippers to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen (SPF 30 and above is ideal), slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses. This day is a great opportunity to teach kids about being sun smart in a light-hearted way.
Rather than staying out in the sun all day, why not celebrate by holding an indoor picnic and having a movie marathon? Or if the weather’s nice, grab some friends, a beach umbrella, and have some sun-smart fun in the great outdoors. Just remember to follow the rules, and slip, slop, slap and wrap between the hours of 10 and 4!
A selection of Birthdays
1660 George I, King of England (1714-27), born in Hanover, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1727)
1738 Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and freemason who proposed and became the namesake of the guillotine, born in Saintes, France (d.1814)
1759 William Pitt the Younger, Prime Minister (Tory: 1783-1801, 1804-06), born Hayes, Kent, (d. 1806)
1779 Thomas Moore, Irish poet and musician, born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1852)
1830 Carl Filtsch,Transylvanian composer&pianist child prodigy,born Mühlbach (Sebeș),Romania (d.1845)
1851 Dick Barlow, English cricketer (immortal England all-rounder of 1880s), born in Bolton (d. 1919)
1865 Gerrit Grijns, Dutch researcher and co-discoverer of vitamin B1 (thiamine), born in Leerdam, Netherlands (d. 1944)
1879 Milutin Milanković, Serbian astronomer and geophysicist (linked long-term changes in climate to astronomical factors affecting the amount of solar energy received at Earth’s surface), born in Dalj, Austria-Hungary (d. 1958)
1883 George Dyson, British organist and composer ( The Canterbury Pilgrims), born in Halifax (d. 1964)
1883 Clough Williams-Ellis, British architect known chiefly as the creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales, born in Gayton, Northamptonshire, England (d. 1978)
1908 Ian Fleming, English author (James Bond novels), born in London, England (d. 1964)
1910 Arthur Trappier, American jazz drummer (Blanche Calloway: Fats Waller), born in Georgetown, South Carolina (d. 1975)
1911 Jean-Pierre Levy, French resistance leader during WWII, born in Strasbourg, France (d. 1996)
1911 Dame Thora Hird, British actress, comedian, presenter and writer (Last of the Summer Wine, The Love Match), born in Morecambe, Lancashire (d. 2003)
1916 Gerald McArthur, British Scotland Yard detective who caught the Great Train Robbers (d. 1996)
1919 Frank Middlemass, British actor (Heart Beat, As Time Goes By, Oliver Twist), born in Eaglescliffe, County Durham, England (d. 2006)
1925 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German baritone (Doktor Faust), born in Zehlendorf, Germany (d. 2012)
1930 Julian Slade, English popular composer (Salad Days), born in London (d. 2006)
1931 Carroll Baker, American actress (Andy Warhol's Bad, Babydoll, Harlow), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
1933 John Karlen, American actor (Harvey Lacey-Cagney & Lacey), born in Brooklyn, New York
1940 Betty Shabazz, American educator and civil rights activist who was the widow of Malcolm X, born in Pinehurst, Georgia (d. 1997)
1943 Tony Mansfield [Anthony Bookbinder], British rock drummer (Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas - "Little Children"), born in Salford, Lancashire, England
1944 Gladys Knight, American singer known as the Empress of Soul (The Pips - "Midnight Train to Georgia"), born in Atlanta, Georgia
1944 Rudy Giuliani, American Mayor of New York City (Republican: 1994-2001) at the time of the September 11 attacks, born in NYC, New York
1944 Patricia Quinn, Lady Stephens, Northern-Irish actress, voice artist and singer (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1944 Faith Brown, British actress and impressionist
1949 Sue Holderness, English actress (Marlene-Only Fools & Horses, Sandbaggers), born in London
1968 Kylie Minogue, Australian pop singer-songwriter ("Can't Get You Out of My Head"), and actress, born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
On this day in history
585 BC Solar eclipse, as predicted by Greek philosopher Thales, while Lydians at war with the Medes leads to a truce. One of the cardinal dates from which other dates calculated.
640 Severinus begins his reign as Catholic Pope (elected in 638)
1037 Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II removes "Constitutio the Feudis"
1156 Battle at Brindisi: Norman-Sicillian King William beats Byzantine fleet under John Doukas and Alexios Bryennios
1349 60 Jews murdered in Breslau, Silesia
1358 Daint-Leu at Oise begins French boer uprising
1431 Joan of Arc is accused of relapsing into heresy by donning male clothing again, providing justification for her execution
1521 Pope Leo X signs treaty with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
1588 Spanish Armada under the Duke of Medina-Sidonia departs Lisbon to invade England
1644 Bolton Massacre by Royalist troops under the command of the Earl of Derby (English Civil War)
1731 All Hebrew books in Papal State are confiscated
1741 Spain and Bavaria sign treaty
1754 Battle of Jumonville Glen: forces led by George Washington kill French Canadian officer Joseph Coulon de Jumonville
1830 US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, a key law leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes out of Georgia and surrounding states, setting the stage for the Cherokee The Trail of Tears, painting by Robert Lindneux, 1942
1845 Fire in Quebec, Canada, 1,500 houses destroyed
1849 Princess Marianne of the Netherlands and Albrecht of Prussia separate
1863 1st black regiment (54 Mass) leaves Boston to fight in US Civil War
1866 Dutch government of Zuylen van Nijevelt/Heemskerk forms
1871 Paris communards revolt put down
1889 Édouard and André Michelin incorporate the Michelin tyre company
1892 Sierra Club formed by Environmental Philosopher John Muir and others in San Francisco, for conservation of nature
1900 Total solar eclipse occurs
1900 In China, rioters provoked by Boxers burn the Fengtai Railway Station, where many Belgians work
1900 Paul Kruger, President of the Boer Republic of South Africa, flees its capital, Pretoria, goes to Watervalboven to evade the advancing British
1907 Auto-Cycle Union Tourist Trophy, 1st held
1912 Jackie Matthews takes 2 cricket hat-tricks same day Australia v South Africa
1918 Azerbaijan gains independence and declares itself a Democratic Republic
1918 The Armenian National Council declares Armenia independent from the Russian Empire
1923 US Attorney General says it is legal for women to wear trousers anywhere
1926 Military coup by General Manuel Gomes da Costa in Portugal
1927 Hammond scores his 1,000th cricket run of the season after 22 days
1928 Dodge Brothers Inc and Chrysler Corporation merge
1930 Georges Forbes succeeds Joseph Ward as premier of New Zealand
1934 Jack Hobbs scores his 197th (or 199th) & last 1st class cricket century at 51 years &163 days of age
1934 Near Callander, Ontario, the Dionne quintuplets are born to Olivia and Elzire Dionne, later becoming the first quintuplets to survive infancy
1934 The Glyndebourne festival in Sussex, England, inaugurated
1936 Alan Turing submits "On Computable Numbers" for publication, in which he set out the theoretical basis for modern computers.
1937 Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco opens to vehicular traffic
1937 Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1938 Foundation for Tel Aviv harbor laid
1941 Allied troops begin evacuation of Crete
1942 1,800 Czechs murdered by Nazis during attack on Heydrich
1946 US Patent filed for a hydrogen bomb
1946 Manuel Roxas was inaugurated as the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
1948 Israeli Air Force is officially founded shortly after the start of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Iraq captures Ge'ulim settlement
1949 French Championships Men's Tennis: Frank Parker retains title; beats fellow American Budge Patty 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
1949 French Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Osborne duPont wins her second French singles crown; beats Nelly Adamson Landry of France 7-5, 6-2
1951 Radio programme "Crazy People" (later titled The Goon Show) premieres on the BBC, created by Spike Milligan
1952 The women of Greece are given the right to vote.
1957 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1958 French government of Prime Minister Pierre Pflimlin resigns; 200,000 demonstrate against Charles de Gaulle
1958 European Cup Final, Brussels: Francisco Gento scores the winner in extra time as Real Madrid beats AC Milan, 3-2; 3rd consecutive title for Los Blancos
1959 Johnson & Bart's musical "Lock up your daughters" premieres in London
1959 Monkeys Able & Baker zoom 300 miles (500 km) into space on Jupiter missile, become 1st animals retrieved from a space mission
1960 59th Men's French Tennis Championships: Nicola Pietrangeli beats Luis Ayala (3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3)
1960 59th Women's French Tennis Championships: Darlene Hard beats Yola Ramirez (6-3, 6-4)
1961 Amnesty International founded (Nobel Peace Prize 1977)
1961 Last trip (Paris to Bucharest) on the Orient Express (after 78 years)
1963 Cyclone hits Chittagong, Bangladesh; about 1 million houses destroyed
1963 Estimated 22,000 die in a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal (India)
1964 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 9th String quartet
1964 1st Prime Minister of India cremated in New Delhi
1964 Palestine National Congress forms the PLO in Jerusalem
1964 Unmanned Apollo 2 Saturn test launched into Earth orbit
1965 Fire & explosion at Dhori mine in Dhanbad India kills 400
1966 Dmitri Shostakovich's 11th String quartet premieres in Leningrad
1967 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 2nd Violin concert
1967 Francis Chichester arrives home at Plymouth from Round-the-world trip
1967 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1969 European Cup Final, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid: AC Milan striker Pierino Prati scores 3 in 4-1 win over Ajax; second title for I Rossoneri
1970 Arms Trial Begins: several men are charged in a Dublin court with conspiracy to illegally import arms for use by the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
1971 Paul McCartney releases "Ram", his 2nd solo album
1971 USSR Mars 3 launched, 1st spacecraft to soft land on Mars
1972 White House "plumbers" first break in at the Democratic National Headquarters at Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C.
1972 Four Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers and four civilians killed when a bomb they were preparing exploded prematurely at a house in Belfast
1974 26th Emmy Awards: M*A*S*H, Alan Alda & Mary Tyler Moore win, 1st Daytime Award presentation and "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" wins 5 awards, including Cicely Tyson for Dramatic Performance
1974 Italian fascists bomb demonstrators in Brescia, 6 killed
1975 Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 18 launches
1975 19th European Cup: Bayern Munich beats Leeds United 2-0 at Paris
1975 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is established by the Treaty of Lagos
1976 29th Cannes Film Festival: "Taxi Driver" directed by Martin Scorsese wins the Palme d'Or
1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky kills 168
1978 Second round of the presidential elections in Upper Volta. The election is won by incumbent Sangoulé Lamizana.
1979 European Market accepts Greece as member
1980 24th European Cup: Nottingham Forest beats Hamburg 1-0 at Madrid
1982 Pope John Paul II is 1st reigning pope to visit Great Britain
1984 George Soros founds the Soros Foundation Budapest to help countries free themselves from communism
1985 Discovery moves to Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center for mating of STS 51-G
1986 Democratic Labor Party wins parliamentary election in Barbados
1987 Mathias Rust, 18 year old West German pilot, makes unauthorized landing near Red Square, Moscow in USSR
1987 Monitor, Civil War warship, is discovered by a deep sea robot
1987 Paul Pearman jumps 21 barrels on a skateboard in Augusta
1987 Stacking of Discovery's SRBs completed
1990 Cesar Gaviria Trujillo installed as president of Colombia
1990 Eugenia Charles' Dominican Freedom Party wins election in Dominica
1990 Longest wheelie (David Robilliard with 5h12m33s (Channel Islands)
1991 Ethiopian rebels seize Addis Ababa
1991 "Forever My Lady" debut studio album by Jodeci is released (Billboard Album of the Year, 1992)
1993 200,000 demonstrate against mafia terror
1993 Polish government of Suchocka falls
1995 Earthquake hits Russian town of Khabarovsk, killing 2,000 people
1995 48th Cannes Film Festival: "Underground" directed by Emir Kusturica wins the Palme d'Or
1996 U.S. President Bill Clinton's former business partners in the Whitewater land deal, James McDougal and Susan McDougal, and Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, are convicted of fraud.
1996 Pavlo Lazarenko becomes Prime Minister of Ukraine
1997 Bob Dylan hospitalized in England with histoplasmosis (fungal lung infection)
1997 Linda Finch completes Amelia Earhart attempted around-the-world flight
1997 Tornado in Jarrell, Texas kills at least 28
1997 Wallace Berg, 42, is 4th American to scale Mt Everest for 3rd time
1997 5th UEFA Champions League Final: Borussia Dortmund beats Juventus 3-1 at Munich
1998 Nuclear testing: Pakistan responds to a series of Indian nuclear tests with five of its own, prompting the United States, Japan, and other nations to impose economic sanctions.
1999 In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper" is put back on display
1999 Two Swedish police officers are murdered with their own fire arms by the bank robbers Jackie Arklöv and Tony Olsson after a dramatic car chase
2002 NATO declares Russia a limited partner in the Western alliance.
2003 Peter Hollingworth becomes the first Governor-General of Australia to resign his office as a result of criticism of his conduct
2003 11th UEFA Champions League Final: Milan beats Juventus (0-0, 3-2 on penalties) at Manchester
2004 The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Ayad Allawi, a longtime anti-Saddam Hussein exile, to become Prime Minister of Iraq's interim government
2005 Super Rugby Final, Christchurch: Canterbury Crusaders claim their 5th title with a 35-25 win over the NSW Waratahs; Dan Carter lands 3 conversions & 2 penalties for the winners
2006 59th Cannes Film Festival: "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" directed by Ken Loach wins the Palme d'Or
2006 Senior PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Oak Tree GC: Jay Haas wins his first of 3 Champions Tour major titles with a birdie on the third playoff hole against Brad Bryant
2008 The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the Shah dynasty.
2010 "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" single released by Alicia Keys (Billboard Song of the Year, 2010)
2011 UEFA Champions League Final, London: FC Barcelona beats Manchester United, 3-1; 4th title for Barça
2011 IPL Cricket Final, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai: Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs; Murali Vijay 95 (52), Ravichandran Ashwin 3/16
2014 Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is elected President of Egypt
2016 Harambe, a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, is shot after dragging a 3 year old boy who had slipped into its enclosure (Cincinnati, Ohio)
2016 UEFA Champions League Final, Milan: Real Madrid beats cross-town rivals Atlético Madrid, 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time; record-extending 11th title
2017 70th Cannes Film Festival: Swedish film "The Square" directed Ruben Ostlund wins the Palme d'Or
2017 Floods and landslides in Sri Lanka kill at least 151
2017 Tom Dumoulin wins the 100th Giro d’Italia in Milan, 1st Dutchman to win
2017 Senior PGA Championship Men's Golf, Trump National GC: A week after winning The Tradition, Bernhard Langer of Germany triumphs by 1 stroke from Vijay Singh
2018 Coco-Cola launches its first alcoholic drink - Lemon-Do on island of Kyushu, Japan
2018 One million French smokers quit in one year after anti-smoking measures introduced according to Public Health France
2019 Johnson & Johnson go on trial in Oklahoma accused of deceptively marketing painkillers and downplaying risks of addiction helping create "opioid epidemic", first of 2,000 cases against US pharmaceutical firms
2020 Minnesota Governor Tim Walz declares State of Emergency in Minneapolis and activates the Minnesota National Guard after protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody
2020 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani calls for new protections for women after the 'honor killing' of a 14-year old by her father