NIELS JØRGEN THØGERSEN
AUGUST And all its 31 days Niels Jørgen Thøgersen This month is named after the Roman emperor Augustus. He ruled in the period 31 BC to 14 AD. The name means The Elevated. He was born in Rome in the year 63 BC and was called Gaius Octavius before he became emperor. He died of natural causes (unlike the vast majority of Roman emperors) as a 77-year-old in the year 14 AD. He was Caesar’s adopted child. It is a frequent misunderstanding that it was Emperor Augustus, who was to blame for that the month of August has 31 days. The legend tells he would not accept that the month he renamed after himself should be shorter than July, which was named after his predecessor and adoptive father, Julius Caesar. The change was previously done by Caesar in the year 45 BC. He extended this month, which originally had only 29 days, with two days. He took them from the month of February. Perhaps to prolong the summer The Latin name of this month was Sextilis (with reference to the fact that it was the sixth month in the previous Roman calendar. It started on 1 March. The old Danish name for this month is MONTH OF HARVEST. The farmers, of course, preferred to do their harvesting in good weather. An old Danish weather warning says that thunder in August means a lot of disease to humans and animals. In the old days in Denmark a number of interesting habits were important during the harvest period in August. One of them was that if a stranger came into the field, where the harvesting took place, all the men would stop working, line up in a long row and hang their caps on the scythes. Then the farm foreman would make 3 loud strokes with his scythe sharpener, and everybody would sharpen their scythes at the same time. For this show the guest had to pay with a bottle of aquavit
Another old, permanent habit was this one: The last sheaf, which was harvested, was in Jutland called The Old Man and on the Danish islands called The Harvest Hag. The Old Man was often in the darkness of the night brought to a neighbour who was not yet finished with the harvest. On the sheaf was added a letter, which, under certain circumstances promised help to the slow farmer. What The Harvest Hag is concerned the girls doing the sheafing were not enthusiastic about finishing the very last sheaf. Why? Because the girl, who did it, had to dance the first dance at the annual harvest ball with The Harvest Hag (i.e. the sheaf ) as her dancing partner. The so-called Hundedage ( Days of Dogs ) started on 22 July and last for three weeks until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constellation Big Dog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star, which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten, milk turns acid, and the dogs become fierce and run away. A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start. See more about the names of all 12 months: http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html AUGUST 1 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called PETER's PRISON DAY. It comes from the Bible. It tells that Peter in 43 AD was put into prison by Herodes Agrippa. But the legend also tells that he on this day was liberated by an angel, who removed his chains. These chains are said to exist as relics in two churches in Rome. Afterwards Peter moved to Rome and founded the first Christian community. The Catholic church considers him to be the first pope. The legend tells that Jesus said those words to peter: You are Peter ( which means rock ), and on this rock I will build my church. You can today read these words inside the dome of the Church of St. Peter's. Two old weather warnings for this day say the following: * rain on this day means rain the whole month * strong winds on this day means a bad harvest TODAY’s EVENT: 1902: USA buys the rights for the Panama Canal from France.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Eau de Cologne - why is one of them called 4711? The background for this story is - as in many other historic events - Napoleon. When he with his Grande Armée in 1794 was about to enter the German city of Cologne the local mayor decided that all streets in the city should have a name and all houses a number. This was not the case until then. But he knew that this was very important to the French emperor. So he thought it would be better to have this well in place, before the French troops entered the city. The house where the special Eau de Cologne or Kölnisch Wasser ( special perfumes for ladies ) was produced got the street number 4711. The street's name was Glockenstrasse - and the house number was later 12. This is where the company's headquarters were based for many years. So this is the history behind the famous product Eau de Cologne 4711. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Venezuela - where does that name come from ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already. It has been said by the Scottish author J.K. Rowling . 2. Today’s quote: The woman's great power is her theatrical side, her mask, her sense of mysticism. It is very rare that you find a man, who mysterious. Who among today’s persons has said that? 2. Famous people born on this day: 10 BC: Emperor Claudius ( died 54 AD ) 1819: Herman Melville ( died 1891 ) 1936: Yves Saint-Laurent ( died 2008 ) 1947: David Bowie ( died 2016 ) 3. Famous people died on this day: 1714: 1973: 2005:
Queen Anne ( 49 years ) Walter Ulbricht ( 80 years ) King Fahd ( 82 years )
AUGUST 2 TODAY’s NAME: Today's name is HANNIBAL's DAY. We do not know, why is carries that name. It is certainly not because of the army leader from Carthage with the same name. He lived in the years 247-183 BC. All saints come from the time after the birth of Christ. _________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s EVENT: 1931: Albert Einstein encourages all scientists to refuse to work on projects with a military purpose. TODAY’s QUESTION: Venezuela - where does that name come from ? This is - as most people know - a country in the very north of South America. The area was colonised by Spain in 1522. Colombus called the area "The Land of Grace". The Spaniards rented the area to a German banking group in the years 1528-46, probably to get some money. And it was in that period that the Germans gave the area the name Venezuela - meaning Little Venezia! The country's size today is 916.445 sp.km - 21 times the size of Denmark, almost three times as big as the size of Germany and 30 % bigger than France. Its number of inhabitants is today 32 million. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: European Artists Villages - what is that? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The woman's great power is her theatrical side, her mask, her sense of mysticism. It is very rare that you find a man, who mysterious. This has been said by the French artist Yves Saint-Laurent , 2. Today’s quote: Israeli children should be taught to look into the future - and not live in the past. I prefer to teach them to think in an innovative way instead of living in the past. Who among today's personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1869: King Constantin I ( died 1923 )
1905: 1923: 1932: 1942:
Karl Amadeus Hartmann ( died 1963 ) Shimon Peres ( died 2016 ) Peter O’Toole ( died 2013 ) Isabel Allende
4. Famous people died on this day: 1921: 1922: 1934: 1997:
Enrico Caruso ( 48 years ) Alexander Graham Bell ( 75 years ) Paul von Hindenburg ( 87 years ) William S. Burroughs ( 83 years ) AUGUST 3
TODAY’s NAME: This day's name is NIKODEMUS' DAY. He was a Jewish leader, who was a member of the supreme council in Jerusalem, and who lived around the time of the birth of Jesus. He was a Pharisee and as such a Jew. But according to the legend he assisted Jesus in different ways. In the TV serie Jesus of Nazareth from 1977 Nikodemus was played by Sir Laurence Olivier .. TODAY’s EVENT: 1778: The La Scala opera in Milan was inaugurated. TODAY’s QUESTION: European Artists Villages - what is that? This is a group med a dozen different villages in several countries - all with art as their brand. We experienced one of them a couple of times some years ago, Worpswede. You find it about 25 km north-east of Bremen. You see galleries, museums, working artists, art events, art bookshops, etc. And some of the small hotels and guest houses have been installed on the houses of artists, who died or moved away. Really a nice atmosphere in the village. Germany has more interesting art villages: Murnau am Staffelsee in Bavaria, Ahrenshoop near the Baltic Sea, Schwaan in Mecklenburg, and Dachau near München. In France you find similar art villages in Lagny-sur-Marne and in Barbizon near Fontainebleau. The Netherlands has a very interesting village - Oosterbeek nearArnhem - home for the Dutch impressionism.
In Sweden you should go to Arvika north of Lake Vänarn, and in Finland the most interesting art village is probably Önningeby on the Åland Island in the Baltic Sea. And last, but not least the Danish art and tourist town of Skagen in the very north of Jutland is a very interesting place to - very much worth a détour as the Michelin Guide says. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Carpet - to be called on the carpet - what does that mean ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Israeli children should be taught to look into the future - and not live in the past. I prefer to teach them to think in an innovative way instead of living in the past. This was once said by the former Israeli president Shimon Peres . 2. Today’s quote: What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1872: 1920: 1926: 1946:
Prince Carl / King Haakon VII ( died 1957 ) P.D. James ( died 2014 ) Tony Bennett Jack Straw
4. Famous people died on this day: 1977: Makarios ( 64 years ) 2006: Elisabeth Schwartzkopf ( 89 years ) AUGUST 4 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called DOMENICUS' DAY. He was the founder of the monastic order the Dominicans in 1215 AD. He lived very ascetic himself. Everything he owned he have to the poor. And he always slept on the ground. He carried a heavy chain of iron around his waist.
When the Pope accepts the Dominican monastic order in 1215 it was called the Order of Preachers. It was only in the 15th century it got the name the Dominicans. Domenicus dies in 1221 and is buried in Bologna. _____________________________________________ TODAY’s EVENT: 1997: The person with the highest documented age ever dies. It is the 122 year old French woman Jeanne Calment. TODAY’s QUESTION: Carpet - to be called on the carpet - what does that mean ?
To be called on the carpet means that you probably have done something you shouldn't have done - and your teacher or another adult wants an explanation from you. It might well end with a reprimand. In the "good old days" you might even get some physical punishment. So it is not - neither then nor now - a very positive experience to be called on the carpet! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Kleptocracy - what is that ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. This was said by the British author P.D. James . 2. Today’s quote: I don't care what you call what I play - jazz or swing. It sounds the same way anyhow! Whom among today’s persons can have said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1792: 1821: 1859: 1901: 1912:
Percy Shelley ( died 1822 ) Louis Vuitton ( died 1892 ) Knut Hamsun ( died 1952 ) Louis Armstrong ( died 1971 ) Raoul Wallenberg ( died 1947 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1526: Juan Sebastian Elcano ( 50 years )
1875: H.C. Andersen ( 70 years ) AUGUST 5 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called OSVALDUS' DAY. It has its name from the English king Osvaldus, who lost his life on this day in 642 AD in the fight against non-Christians. He was in 635 the founder of the monastery Lindisfarne on a small island at the coast of Northumberland in north-east England. The Viking conquest of England started in 793 by the fall of this monastery. In the years following the death of Osvaldus the legend tells that his right hand continued to function as before, because he earlier had been blessed by bishop Aidan, after he had given his food to the poor. TODAY’s EVENT: 1884: The first stone was put in place for the Statue of Liberty in New York at Bedloe's island in the harbour of the city. It was a present from France.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Kleptocracy - what is that ?
The word comes from ancient Greek and is the name for a sort of government, where fraud and corruption are the guiding principles, run by thieves and deceivers. That sort of governance ensures that the people in charge collects huge fortunes and grap political power through undemocratic means at the cost of the population. More and more people see today's Russia as a Kleptocracy. And it is also likely that president Putin is the richest man in the world. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Vergina - what is that ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I don't care what you call what I play - jazz or swing. It sounds the same way anyhow! This was said by the American musician and entertainer Louis Armstrong . 2. Today’s quote:
Conferences today remind me of parking areas for unsolved problems. Who among today's personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1399: 1737: 1850: 1912: 1930:
Johannes Gutenberg ( died 1469 ) Johann Friedrich Struensee ( died 1772 ) Guy de Maupassant ( died 1893 ) Abbé Pierre ( died 2007 ) Neil Armstrong ( died 2012 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1895: 1962: 1984: 2000:
Friedrich Engels ( 75 years ) Marilyn Monroe ( 36 years ) Richard Burton ( 59 years ) Alec Guinness ( 86 years ) AUGUST 6
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called CHRIST's EXPLANATION DAY. It is called so because the legends tell that it was today that Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, Jacob and John, up on Mount Tabor to pray. And while they were here a voice from heaven said that Jesus was God's son. Afterwards Jesus "spoke" to Moses and Elias about his coming death in Jerusalem. TODAY’s EVENT: 1890: As the first person ever William Kemmler was executed in the electric chair. TODAY’s QUESTION: Vergina - what is that ? This is a small village in the north of Greece, not far from Thessaloniki. It became known as one of the areas, where Greeks from Turkey and Bulgaria - after they had to move after the Treaty of Lausanne i 1922 - settled down. But is is much more known, yes world famous, because it was here the old kings of Macedonia lived. It was the royal capital of Macedonia. It was called Aigai. That's where the name Aegean comes from. The most famous Macedonian kings are Philip II ( 359-336 BC ) and his son Alexander the Great ( 356-323 BC ). Some of the buildings go back to the 11th century BC. It was only in 1976 that archeologists during excavations found the royal castle and the grave of Philip II. The palace is the biggest building from ancient Greece and together with the Parthenon at Acropolis the most important one.
The castle and the grave is under a hill. And the new museum is very beautiful and interesting. We were there some years ago. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Pacific Ocean - what is special about that? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Conferences today remind me of parking areas for unsolved problems. This was said by the British actor Richard Burton . 2. Today’s quote: We have to realise that far too many people are prisoners of other people's freedom. Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1881: Alexander Fleming ( died 1955 ) 1917: Robert Mitchum ( died 1997 ) 1928: Andy Warhol ( died 1987 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1660: 1973: 1978: 2005:
Diego Velazquez ( 61 years ) Fulgenio Batista ( 72 years ) Pope Paul VI ( 81 years ) Robin Cook ( 41 years ) AUGUST 7
TODAY’s NAME: Today is called DONATUS' DAY. The name comes from Donatur from Arezzo in Italy. He could according to the legend just through the force of prayers repair the holy shrine. TODAY’s EVENT: 1991: The World Wide Web becomes publicly available on the Internet. TODAY’s QUESTION: Pacific Ocean - what is special about that?
This is - as everybody knows - the biggest ocean on earth. Its area is 169 million sq.km, which is a third of the surface of the world. And it covers 46 % of the total surface of all oceans and seas in the world. All seven continents of the world could fit into the oceanThe name was given to it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan ( 1480-1521 ). After he had navigated in the very stormy seas south of South America he came to a new ocean, which he right away called "beautiful and peaceful". Oceano Pacifico. The Pacific Ocean. It has kept this name in all languages ever since. Though it is sure that the Indians and the people living on the islands in the Ocean called it something different, before Magellan arrived. The Ocean has about 25.000 islands. And its depth goes down to 11 km - the deepest in the world. A high underwater mountain range goes from north to south. And the ocean bed is full of all sorts of valuable minerals. Efforts are under way to exploit these minerals. A company is building special huge machines in Newcastle in England for the time being. The Pacific Ocean is very important in different ways for the climate of the earth. At the same time it is hit by serious pollution. One sort of pollution comes from many tests of nuclear bombs way back in the 1950ies and 1960ies. And another and more important pollution is a huge "island" of plastic material, which over time has been thrown into the Ocean. Today it is actually of the same size as the area of Africa ( 30 million sq.km), and it is floating around in the northern part of the Pacific. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Quinoa - what is that? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: We have to realise that far too many people are prisoners of other people's freedom. This was said by Pope Paul VI . __________________________________________________________________________ 2.Today’s quote: You can recognice the yellow press on one and only thing: that it at all times has an attitude to anything on beforehand. Who from today's lists has said that? 2. Famous people born on this day 1867: 1876: 1919: 1942:
Emil Nolde ( died 1956 ) Mata Hari ( died 1917 ) Kim Borg ( died 2000 ) Carlos Monzon ( died 1995 )
3. Famous people died on this day: 1933: Henrik Cavling ( 75 years ) 1957: Oliver Hardy ( 65 years ) 1993: Red Adair ( 79 years ) AUGUST 8 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called RUTH's DAY. And it has its name after Ruth, who is mentioned in the Book of Rut in the Old Testament. TODAY’s EVENT: 1786: The top of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, was reached for the first time. TODAY’s QUESTION: Quinoa - what is that? These are the very, very healthy and nutricious seeds from a plant from South America ( Peru, Equador, Columbia and Chile). Its full name is chenopodium quinoa. It was already 3-4000 years ago used as food by the Indians. It is part of the same family as beetroot and spinach. The shell has to be removed, as it has a very bitter taste. Then the seeds have to be treated more or less like rice. But they are much, much more healthy. They contain all the nine most important amino acids - and they also have lots of omega3, very important for the heart. It looks very much like couscous. Many people believe that quinoa will become a more and more important part of our food in the future. I have heard a successful Danish cattle breeder say that he believes that quinoa will and should replace the cows over time. Not least because cows with their frequent farting are damaging the climate more than the cars do. And also because quinoa can be grown easily almost everywhere. So try it out. It actually tastes very well! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Fight against nonsence in the public debate - how to fight it ? A new way. TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: You can recognice the yellow press on one and only thing: that it at all times has an attitude to anything on beforehand. This was said by the Danish editor Henrik Cavling .
2. Today’s quote: I can prove anything with the help of statistics - except the truth! Who among today's persons said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1908: Arthur Goldberg ( died 1990 ) 1937: Dustin Hoffman 1981: Roger Federer 4. Famous people died on this day: 1827: 1965. 1973: 2010:
George Canning ( 57 years ) Shirley Jackson ( 59 years ) Vilhelm Moberg ( 75 years ) Patricia Neal ( 84 years ) AUGUST 9
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called ROMANUS' DAY. It has its name from the young Roman soldier Romanus. When he in 258 AD saw how Laurentius was tormented to death ( August 10 ) he became a Christian. According to the legend he saw a white figure wipe the blood off the wounds of Laurentius. When he later himself was preaching for the Christian faith he was also killed. TODAY’s EVENT: 1483: The Sistine Chapei in the Vatican opens. TODAY’s QUESTION: Fight against nonsence in the public debate - how to fight it ? A new way.
We all know it. The debate in the media and on the web is often dominated by contributions with a content without knowledge about the theme discussed or filled with ignorance and stupid attacks. There seems to be people around, who gets a kick out of writing in public without doing the effort to learn what the subject matter is all about. Some media have an editor to filter the contributions. Others do nothing. Facebook is probably one of the places, which is hardest hit. And why is it like that? Perhaps because some people have courage enough to sit at home in front of the computer and just write anything instead of standing up in a meeting and risk to be confronted by others right away. Now Norwegian radio and TV ( NRK ) has decided to try to do something about it. When they publish something on their website, which people may give their comments
to, people will first be confronted with a questionnaire. By answering these questions people will show if they actually have read the article, before they make comments to it. And only when they have replied to the questions the system will open up for them to write what they want. In my view this could become a smart and self-regulating way to get rid of some of the worst and most stupid, un-informed contributions we see today. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Pulse of Europe - what is that ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I can prove anything with the help of statistics - except the truth! This was said by British conservative politician George Canning . 2. Today’s quote: The European bureaucracy is much smaller than you think! Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1938: 1939: 1963: 1964:
Leonid Kuchma Romano Prodi Whitney Houston ( died 2012 ) Cæcilie Norby
4. Famous people died on this day: 1962: Hermann Hesse ( 85 years ) 1969: Sharon Tate ( 26 years ) 1975: Dmitrij Sjostakovitj ( 69 years ) AUGUST 10 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called SAINT LAWRENCE DAY. The name comes from Laurentius, who was a sort of finance minister to pope Sixtus. When the Pope and Laurentius refused to hand over the taxes to the emperor the Pope was killed. Then Laurentius insisted on also being killed. It happened three days later. The legend tells, that when he was l fired on the bondfire, he shouted to the emperor that he should like to be turned around, so that he could also be fried on the other side of his body. It happened in Rom in 258 AD.
During the nights around August 10 you can on the sky see the traces of meteors. They are called the "Tears of Saint Lawrence". TODAY’s EVENT: 70: Roman troops with Titus as their leader conquers and destroys Jerusalem. TODAY’s QUESTION: Pulse of Europe - what is that ?
This is an initiative started by students in Frankfurt in the autumn of 2016. It is a citizens' initiative which encourages everybody to speak up publicly for Europe. It is a reaction to the populist and nationalist movements around Europe. It is based on ten principles: 1. Europe must not fail 2. The threat to peace 3. We are responsible 4. Get up and vote 5. Basic right and rule of law inviolable 6. European fundamental rights not negotiable 7. Reforms are necessary 8. Take mistrust seriously 9. Diversity and joint qualities 10. We all can and should be part of it Its basic principle is that as many citizens as possible meet at a central place in a city on Sundays at 14.00. In May 2017 this happened in 118 cities in 18 European countries. __________________________________________________________________________ QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The Kamaki Culture - what is that ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The European bureaucracy is much smaller than you think! This was said by the former Italian prime minister and president of the European Commission Romano Prodi . 2. Today’s quote: Children are our most valuable natural resource. Who among today's personalities has said that?
3. Famous people born on this day: 1874: 1928: 1940: 1960:
Herbert Hoover ( died 1964 ) James Dean ( died 1952 ) Les Humphries Antonio Banderas
4. Famous people died on this day: 1806: Michael Haydn ( 69 år ) AUGUST 11 TODAY’s NAME: This day's name is HERMAN's DAY. He was a German Jew, who became a Christian in 1131 AD. Later he worked to convince other Jews to become Christians. TODAY’s EVENT: 1999: On this day the world experienced the most total eclipse ever.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The Kamaki Culture - Amore fantastico - what is that ? We are back in the period from the 1960ies to the 1980ies. The place is Lesbos. The Greek island, which according to the ancient legend was reserved for women. The word Lesbian comes from the name of the island. But it is not like that anymore. And certainly not in the period just mentioned. This was the start of the huge charter tourism. Thousands of tourists from the cold north came to Lesbos to enjoy the heat. And it was not only the heat from the sun they were looking for. Especially the young and the younger women, perhaps also some of the less young, were ready for more! And if had not made a plan for it themselves they were very quickly assisted by the local dynamic men! They had together started sort of a competition, which got the name: the Kamaki Culture. Its main ingredient was that each young man should try to "score" - to get involved with - as many of the blond tourist girls as possible. They knew the arrival hours of the charter flights by heart, so they could be ready in the airport as soon as the planes arrived. These guys were called the Kamkaies. They were very innovative. Flowers, compliments, joint motorbike tours in moonshine, wine under the stars, poems and phony romanticism almost as you see it in the B-films! The Kamkaies made systematic bookkeeping on all their conquests, and there were rules on how many points each conquest gave you. Two sisters together gave 10 points. If you received a love letter after the girl had returned back home: 20 points. And if a blond came back again just to visit you: 50 points. Everything was written down and
comparisons were made between the Kamakies. And the most successful of them ruled the island like old Greek kings! At that time Greek girls normally did not go out. And if they did they had long dresses. This was certainly not the case with the tourists! PS: Now you probably think that this story can only have been written by a man. But no! It is written on the basis of a very entertaining article written by a female journalist in the Danish daily Berlingske Tidende on August 6, 2017. And the headline of the big article was: When grandpa was harpooning blond girls! The Greek word kamaki means: harpoon ! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: King Carrot - what is behind that expression ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Children are our most valuable natural resource. This was once said by the former American president Herbert Hoover . 2. Today’s quote: Poverty is the richest inheritance a young man can get ! Who among this day's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1897: 1921: 1943: 1950:
Enid Blyton ( died 1968 ) Alex Haley ( died 1992 ) Pervez Musharraf Steve Wozniak
4. Famous people died on this day: 1919: Andrew Carnegie ( 84 years ) 1996: Rafael Kubelik ( 82 years ) 2001: Jorge Amado ( 79 years ) AUGUST 12 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called CLARE's DAY. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies in accordance with the rules of the Franciscans. And the created the first Clara monastery in Assissi in Italy. She died in 1253 AD.
Clara is the patron of the washing ladies. TODAY’s EVENT: 1851: Isaac Singer gets his first patent for his sewing machine. TODAY’s QUESTION: King Carrot - what is behind that expression ?
To play King Carrot means to be supercilious and arrogant. But where does the expression come from? It comes from the French composer Jacques Offenbach's satirical operetta Le Roi Carotte (King Carrot) from 1872. In this operetta the carrot is the leader of a revolution, where all vegetables take over the power in France. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: WiFi - what is that? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Poverty is the richest inheritance a young man can get ! This was once said by the Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie , who grew up in poverty and became a very rich man. He gave away 94 % of his fortune. 2. Today’s quote: Books, the arteries of the mind! Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1930: 1939: 1971: 1977:
George Soros George Hamilton Pete Sampras Jesper Grønkjær
4. Famous people died on this day: 30 f.Kr.: Cleopatra ( 39 years ) 1848: George Stephenson ( 67 years ) 1955: Thomas Mann ( 80 years )
1964: Ian Fleming ( 56 years ) 1982: Henry Fonda ( 77 years ) AUGUST 13 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called HIPPOLYTUS' DAY. He was a theologian from Asia Minor, probably the most important theologian in the Catholic church in the 3rd century. He was very critical of the bishops in Rome and in other places, and he was the first "alternative pope". He was departed by the Romans during their persecution of the Christians and was in a work camp together with pope Victor I. During their time in the camp they reconciled. Hippolytus died in captivity in Sicily in 235 AD. He is a very valuable source about Christian habits, rituals and ways of life in the beginning of the 3rd century in Rome. TODAY’s EVENT: 1961: The Berlin Wall is built by the communist regime in GDR. It lasted for 28 years. TODAY’s QUESTION: WiFi - what is that? And what does it mean? It is a technology for wireless local area networking. The name comes from Wireless Fidelity. It was invented and put into use in 1998. Its technology is used all over the world, so that you can connect to it wherever you are. An increasing number of cities in the world offer free WiFi access all over the city area, at least in the centre. And more and more hotels offer it too - also for free. Also som air companies such as Emirates, offer WiFi during the fligt. The ideal situation seen from the consumers is, of course, that it would be free everywhere at all times. A very active opponent of that is - not surprisingly - the telephone companies, who still earn a lot of money from offering internet access via fiber networks. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Wet behind the ears - what does that mean? And what is the story behind it? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Books, the arteries of the mind! This is said by the German author Thomas Mann .
2. Today’s quote: A man is only really married, when he understands all the words his wife does not say. Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1812: 1899: 1926: 1948: 1970:
Georg Carstensen ( died 1857 ) Alfred Hitchcock ( died 1980 ) Fidel Castro ( died 2016 ) Kathleen Battle Lisa Nilsson
4. Famous people died on this day: 1910: Florence Nightingale ( 90 years ) 1946: H.G. Wells ( 80 years ) AUGUST 14 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called EUSEBIUS' DAY. He was a Roman priest, who after seven months in prison died in 357 AD. TODAY’s EVENT: 1980: Lech Walesa ( pronounced Walensa ) starts the general strike in Gdansk against the Polish communist authorities. TODAY’s QUESTION: Wet behind the ears - what does that mean? And what is the story behind it? This expresssion means that somebody is very unexperienced and knows very little. Just as if he or she had just been born and therefore still is wet behind the ears from the birth. This explanation is very well known. But what is perhaps less know to you is the same expression in the Danish language: He just arrived with the four o'clock train! This is primarily a sort of slang from Copenhagen - with the same meaning as above. The historical explanation is that a hundred years and more ago many people from the west of Denmark ( Jutland ) took the train to Copenhagen to look for work. There weren't that many trains at the time. So you could take one mid morning from Jutland and be in Copenhagen at 4 p.m. And those people were often by the locals seen as very unexperienced and therefore only
qualified for very unskilled tasks. So history is as always a very active factor in the development of any language. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Jorvik - what is that? And what is the history behind it? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A man is only really married, when he understands all the words his wife does not say. This was once said by the British-American actor and film director Alfred Hitchcock. 2. Today’s quote: It is not easy to stop in politics. It is like riding a tiger. You cannot get off. Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1771: 1777: 1867: 1914: 1949:
Walter Scott ( died 1832 ) H.C. Ørsted ( died 1851 ) John Galsworthy ( died 1933 ) Poul Hartling ( died 2000 ) Morten Olsen
4. Famous people died on this day: 1951: 1984: 1988: 1994:
William Randolph Hearst ( 90 years ) J.B. Priestley ( 90 years ) Enzo Ferrari ( 90 years ) Elias Canetti ( 89 years )
AUGUST 15 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called MARY's ASCENSION DAY. Virgin Mary was the mother of Jesus. The name Maria/Mary is the Greek version of the Aramaic name Mirjam. According to the New Testament the young woman Mirjam/Mary was told by an angel that she with the help of the Holy Spirit would become pregnant with a son. The son she called Jesus, and he was born in a stable in Jerusalem. After that Maria had to flee to Egypt with her
husband Joseph. But after some years they came back to to Nazareth. She was later present at her son's crucifixion. A Catholic dogma from 1950 tells that Mary together with her son was take tken up to heaven with soal and body. This is celebrated in the Catholic church on the third Sunday of August. TODAY’s EVENT: 1843: Tivoli in Copenhagen opens. ___________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: Jorvik - what is that? And what is the history behind it? This is the name which the Vikings gave to the city, which today is called York in the north of England. The city is more than 2000 years old and was originally founded as city by the Romans in 71 AD. Its name was Ebocarum. It is the Latin version of the original Celtic name ofvthe area. Several Roman emperors lived here, including Hadrian (who build the wall between England and Scotland) and Constantine 1. When Constantine died his son, the later Constantine the Great, was nominated Roman emperor during his stay in Ebocarum. He became the first Christian Roman emperor. And still today the city has a very big statue of him. After the Romans decided to leave England in 400 AD the area was occupied by immegrants from Jutland and North Germany, the Anglo-Saxons. Their name for Ebocarum was Eoforwic. And when they in 866 AD were thrown owt by the Danish Vikings the city got the Norse name Jorvik. The present name York first appeared during the 13th century. Today you have a very interesting interactive Jorvik Historical Viking Centre in the centre of York. It is really worth visiting. It is even more interesting that the Viking Centre in Dublin. York be ame very famous also for another reason. When the Duke of York in 1664 with his army won a battle with the Dutch and took over what was called Nieuw Amsterdam the English renamed the place and gave the city its present name New York. ________________________________________________________________________ QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The Varus Battle - what was that? And how is it very important? ____________________________________________ TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: It is not easy to stop in politics. It is like riding a tiger. You cannot get off.
It was said by the former Danish prime minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Poul Hartling. 2. Today’s quote: When you do stupid things they should at least succeed! Who among today's personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1769: Napoleon Bonaparte ( died 1821 ) 1925: Oscar Peterson ( died 2007 ) 1945: Alain Juppé 4. Famous people died on this day: 423: 1887: 1967: 1996:
Flavius Honorius ( 39 years ) Meir Aron Goldschmidt ( 68 years ) René Magritte ( 69 years ) Sergiu Celibidache ( 84 years ) AUGUST 16
TODAY’s NAME: This day's name is ROCHUS' DAY. He was born around 1350 AD in a rich family in Montpellier in the south of France. He was very pious, and when his parents died, he gave everthing to the poor. He was according to the legend also able to cure sick people. When plague broke our in Konstanz in 1414 during a Church Congress Rochus was invited to come. And the plague disappeared. TODAY’s EVENT: 1960: Archbishop Makarios proclaims the independence of Cyprus from the United Kingdom. __________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: The Varus Battle - what was that? And how is it very important? This battle took place in year 9 AD. And it was here the Romans were stopped for ever in their attempts to dominate the German tribes. They never tried again. They made the Rhein and Danube rivers the external borders of their area. Varus was the general for the Roman legions in the middle of Germany. The leader of the rebellion, Armenius, was a German officer in the Roman army. His German name was Hermann - and that is why the battle is also called the Hermann Battle.
The place of the battle is north of Osnabrück in the west of Germany - about 10 km east of Autobahn 7. Some years ago a very interesting museum about the dramatic battle was built here. Visit the museum and try to imagine that if the Romans had not lost this battle, you would perhaps today be a descendant of the Romans - sort of an Italian. If that would have been good or bad is for you to decide! Three Roman Legions with altogether 30.000 soldiers under the leadership of Varus were totally beaten and exterminated by a German army of 18.000 soldiers. The whole battle took place in these Teuteburger Forest. Right up to today it is possible to find remains from the battle. And the legend tells that emperor Augustus was almost in coma when he heard that his three legions no longer existed. He refused to cut his hair and beard for a long time afterwards. And the numbers of the three Legions were never used by the Romans again. Read more about the battle (in several languages) here: http://www.kalkriese-varusschlacht.de/ The address of the Museum is: Venner Strasse 69, D-49565 Bramsche. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Haithabu - what is that? __________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: When you do stupid things they should at least succeed! This was once said by Napoleon Bonaparte . 2. Today’s quote: Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1888: 1913: 1929: 1958:
T.E. Lawrence ( died 1935 ) Menachim Begin ( died 1992 ) Bill Evans ( died 1980 ) Madonna Louise Ciccone
4. Famous people died on this day: 1949: Margret Mitchell ( 49 years ) 1977: Elvis Presley ( 42 years ) 2003: Idi Amin ( 75 years )
AUGUST 17 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called ANASTASIUS' DAY. Two different persons have given its this name. One is bishop Anastasius in Persia. He was killed because of his belief in 620 AD. The other with the same name is a Dalmatian soldier, who was killed because of his Christian faith during emperor Diocletian's persecutions of the Christians. TODAY’s EVENT: 1999: An earthquake in Izmir in Turkey killed 17.000 people and 44.000 were wounded. TODAY’s QUESTION: Haithabu - what is that?
Haithabu - or Hedeby - was the biggest and most important viking trading settlement in Northern Europe. The name comes from Heida = Heath and Býr = farm or castle ( in old Norse language ). You find the settlement about 3 km south-east of the present day city of Schleswig in Germany. At the time it was very strategically placed at the end of the rather long Schleswig Fiord and to the west the small river Schlei ( Slien ). This made it possible for traders to bring their commodities from the Baltic to the North Sea. And the north-south main traffic route was also nearby, though it was less important than some centuries later. Haithabu was first mentioned in 804 AD. And it was more or less destroyed in 1050 AD in a big battle between Danish and Norwegian vikings. The place was then forgotten. And only excavations from around 1900 brought Haithabu to light again. A very interesting museum next to Haithabu opened in 1985. Its address is: Am Haddebyer Noor 5, D-24866 Busdorf. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Hocus-pocus - what is that? And what's the history behind it? __________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. This was once said by Elvis Presley . 2. Today’s quote: A kiss is a man's signature !
Who among today's persons has said that? 3.
Famous people born on this day: 1786: 1893: 1920: 1943:
Davy Crockett ( died 1836 ) Mae West ( died 1980 ) Maureen O’Hara ( died 2015 ) Robert de Niro
4.Famous people died on this day: 1786: 1850: 1983: 1987:
Frederck the Great ( 74 years ) Honoré de Balzac ( 51 years ) Ira Gershwin ( 87 years ) Rudolf Hess ( 93 years ) AUGUST 18
TODAY’s NAME: Today's name is AGAPETUS' DAY. He was a 14 year old Roman boy, who had become a Christian. That is why he was arrested by the Roman authorities and thrown into the cage of the lions in Circus Maximus in Rome. As they would not touch him he was instead put on the bonfire. Iy happened around 200 AD. TODAY’s EVENT: 1966: The Cultural Revolution in China starts. ___________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: Hocus-pocus - what is that? And what's the history behind it? This expression has its origin in the bible: it is a distortion of the words from the communion: hoc est corpus - Latin for: this is my body. It was many years ago in particular used as a swear-word. Later it changed to be used in relation to magics. The first time this was seen was in an English handbook on magics from 1634. It carried the title: Hocus pocus junior. Today the expression hocus pocus is used when you do or show something almost like a magician. You make things happen almost out of nothing! Like many people think about the origins of the expression in Latin. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Movements in space - do you know how fast we are all moving?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A kiss is a man's signature ! This was once said by the American singer Mae West . 2. Today’s quote: The technology available for film-making now is incredible, but I am a big believer that it's all in the story. Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1750: 1830: 1859: 1933: 1936:
Antonio Salieri ( died 1825 ) Emperor Franz Joseph I ( died 1916 ) Anna Brøndum ( married Ancher ) ( died 1935 ) Roman Polanski Robert Redford
4. Famous people died on this day: 1227: Djengis Khan ( 62 years ) 1992: John Sturgess ( 81 years ) AUGUST 19 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called SEBALDUS' DAY. He was according to the legend a Christian son of a king from Dacia, perhaps Denmark. He went to Paris to study, but gets engaged to a princess, whom he leaves after the wedding night to go to Rome. Later he lives as a hermit in Poppenreuth west of Nuremberg ( Nürnberg ). Later he dies at a monastery in Nuremberg. This happens in 770 AD. Other legends tell that it happens later, in the 11th century. Sebaldus is the patron of Nürnberg. TODAY’s EVENT: 1991: In a coup a number of Soviet leaders try to overthrow president Michail Gorbachev. The coup is not successful.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Movements in space - do you know how fast we are all moving? Most people know that our Earth is turning around its own axis. Do you know with what speed? 465 meters per second. But this is not our only move every second. Our Earth is circling around the Sun with an average speed of 29,8 km per second. And furthermore, our solar system, called the Milky Way, is also constantly turning around its axis. And it does it with a speed of 250 km per second. So if you feel that everything is on the move, you are right! We are all moving – day and night – 280,3 km every second. So think twice before you next time say: Stop the world, I want to get off!
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Pour oil on stormy waters - what does that mean? And where does the expression come from? _____________________________________________ TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The technology available for film-making now is incredible, but I am a big believer that it's all in the story. This was said by the American actor Robert Redford . 2. Today’s quote: Promising too much can be as cruel as caring too little. Who among today’s persons has said that?
3. Famous people born on this day: 1883: Gabrielle Coco Chanel ( died 1971 ) 1946: Bill Clinton 4. Famous people died on this day: 14: 1662: 1819: 1977:
Emperor Augustus ( 51 years ) Blaise Pascal ( 39 years ) James Watt ( 83 years ) Groucho Marx ( 87 years )
AUGUST 20 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called BERNHARD's DAY. He lived in the years 1090-1153 and was the founder of the Order of the Cisterciences for monks. He also started the monastery Clairvaux in the south of France. The legend tells tha Virgin Mary once came in front of him and pressed milk from her breast. This milk was collected and stored as relics in the monastery. An old Danish weather warning tells that strong winds will appear on this day. TODAY’s EVENTS: 1968: The Soviet Union and its allies invade Czechoslovakia. TODAY’s QUESTION: Pour oil on stormy waters - what does that mean? And where does the expression come from?
This expression comes from the monk and priest Bede. This was what he suggested a young priest to do, when a storm was about to start. Today the meaning is that you try to calm down a situation of anger and excitement. Bede was a monk and priest, who worked in England around 700 AC. He was born in 672 in Northumbria. Already at the age of 7 he started at a monestary. Later he was also an author and a poet of psalms. And it was him who suggested that our calendar should start with the birth of Jesus. It was also Bede, who wrote a lot about religion in England before Christianity. Bede died in 735 – 53 years of age. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Venus from Milo - what is the story ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Promising too much can be as cruel as caring too little ! This was said by the former American president Bill Clinton . 2. Today’s quote: The party is the historical instrument through which classes become
conscious of their class. Who among today's personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1898: 1923: 1941: 1944:
Vilhelm Moberg ( died 1973 ) Jim Reeves ( died 1964 ) Slobodan Milosovic ( died 2006 ) Rajiv Gandhi ( died 1991 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1672: Jan de Witt ( 48 years ) 1940: Lev Trotskij ( 61 years ) AUGUST 21 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called SOLOMON's DAY. It comes from king Solomon, who was king of Israel in the period 965-926 BC. According to the Bible he was son of David. And the day is also one of the 32 socalled Tycho Brahes Days. They are days which according to calculations by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century were particular unfortunate. What old nonsense :-( __________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s EVENT: 1942: The Battle of Stalingrad between German and Russian troops start. _________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: Venus from Milo - what is the story ? This a very famous statue from ancient Greece around 100 BC. It was found by a local peasant of the small 160 sp.km Greek island of Milos north of Crete in the Aegean Sea. It happened in 1820 AD. It is more than two meters tall and is a statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite - the goddess for love and beauty. Her arms are missing. The peasant sold it to the French ambassador to Greece. But as he took a long time to pick it up - and pay - the peasant sold it to the Sultan in Constantinople. Just as the Sultan's people were about to pick up the statue the ambassador arrived and insisted that the deal with him was still valid. That is why the famous statue is today on the Louvre Museum in Paris. Why is it then called Venus from Milo? Because the Romans - who took over power in ancient Greece - calls Aphrodite Venus. And why Milo? Because the French and Italian name for Milos is - Milo.
Venus from Milo is known to be one of the most elegant and attractive statues ever made. That is also why many women want to look like Aphrodite/Venus - same look, same measures, same attraction :-) The Roman Venus has also given its name to the planet Venus - the sister planet to the Earth, closer to the sun and therefore only needs 225 days for a tour around the sun. It is the brightest planet/star on the sky at night. And it is often the favourite "star" for many women. Everything about Venus / Aphrodite is lovely interconnected :-) QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Dunkirk - what is the story ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The party is the historical instrument through which classes become conscious of their class. This was said by the former Soviet revolutionary leader Lev Trotskij . 2. Today’s quote: Bentley is the fastest lorry in the world! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1805: 1904: 1914: 1923: 1938: 1951:
August Bournonville ( died 1879 ) Count Basie ( died 1984 ) Karl Krøyer ( died 1995 ) Shimon Peres ( died 2014 ) Kenny Rogers Rasmus Lyberth
4. Famous people died on this day: 1943: Henrik Pontoppidan ( 76 years ) 1947: Ettore Bugatti ( 66 years ) 2005: Robert A. Moog ( 71 years )
AUGUST 22 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called SYMFORIAN's DAY. He was a young Christian from Roman Gallia ( nowadays France ). He was beheaded by the Roman authorities, because he refused to give gifts to the gods in the Cybele temple. It happened in 179 AD. According to old Danish weather warnings today is the first day of autumn. TODAY’s EVENT: 1864: Red Cross is created at the initiative of the Swiss Henri Dunant. And its first activity took place the same year in the short war between Prussia and Denmark. TODAY’s QUESTION: Dunkirk - what is the story ? This is a small town in north-eastern France - at the coat of the English Channel. The area is called French Flanders, because this wa originally a Flemish speaking region. The name of Dunkirk was and is in Flemish: Duinkerken, meaning the Church in the Dunes. The French name is Dunkerque. This place became very famous during World War II, because it was here the German forces i May 1940 managed to surround a huge British-French army. It was taken by total surprise by the German attack on the Netherlands on May 10 and some days later on Belgium. Already on May 20 the Germans had reached the Channel south of Dunkirk, where a large part of the British-French army was placed. And as the German army was already occupying the Netherlands to the north the Allied were surrounded. Due to the speed and overwhelming power of the Germans the British and French were at a certain moment thinking of surrendering. But on May 24 the Germans stopped their frontal attack. This gave the British time to plan an evacuation. This took place in the days from May 26 to June 3. Altogether 338.000 soldiers ( 215.000 British and 123.000 French ) were brought back to England by all sorts of ships, including a lot of small private boats. This happened while part of the French army kept fighting to cover the evacuation. Most of those 35.000 French soldiers were afterwards taken as German prisoners of war. Also the air forces of the two enemies were fully in action. The Brits lost 106 planes, while the Germans lost 135. The big question is: why did the Germans stop the attacks for some days at a moment, when they most certainly could have won an all-out victory? One guess is that Hitler at this point still hoped that he could make peace with England before his big attack on the Soviet Union the following year. Another guess is that the Germans thought that the British-French army was stronger than it actually was. Another possibility is that Hermann Göring's offer to Hitler that Luftwaffe could destroy the whole British-French army in Dunkerque was accepted - but certainly failed. And the third possibility is that the enormous efforts done by the people involved in the evacuation combined with the very strong French resistance was enough to ensure the Allied success.
The British and French lost many soldiers and had to leave behind modern equipment enough for 8 divisions. But it is beyond any doubt that the success of the evacuation was a huge boost to the moral in the UK - making it ready for many more serious challenges to come such as the Blitz on London and much more. The French surrendered at the end of June, and the Americans only joined the war at the end of 1941. So the name Dunkirk still means a lot in British and also in French war history. A new film called Dunkirk by Christopher Nolan from 2017 is very realistic and very much worth seeing. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Lutein - what is that? And why is it very important? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Bentley is the fastest lorry in the world. This was said by the car maker Ettore Bugatti . 2.
Today’s quote: Who among today’s persons has said that?
2. Famous people born on this day: 1846: 1862: 1902: 1904: 1928: 1934:
Amalie Skram ( died 1905 ) Claude Debussy ( died 1918 ) Leni Riefenstahl ( died 2003 ) Deng Xiaoping ( died 1997 ) Karlheinz Stockhausen ( died 2007 ) Norman Schwarzkopf
3. Famous people died on this day: 1922: Michael Collins ( 32 years ) 1978: Jomo Kenyatta ( 86 years ) AUGUST 23 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called ZACHARIAE's DAY. He was a small customs officer, who went up into a mulberry tree to see Jesus coming into Jerusalem. This day is also the International Day in remembrance of the Slave Trade and its abolition. And it is also the European Memorial Day for the victims of stalinism and nazism.
Finally, old weather warnings say that this day is the last day of the Dog Days. _____________________________________________ TODAY’s EVENT: 1913: The sculpture of the Little Mermaid by the sculptor Edvard Eriksen was installed at Langelinie in the harbour of Copenhagen. TODAY’s QUESTION: Lutein - what is that? And why is it very important? This is an organic stuff which you find in green vegetables, especially in spinach, kale and yellow carrots. From scientific experiments made especially in Belgium we know that Lutein is very important for the human eye. The test persons tried to eat 300 grammes daily of the vegetables mentioned above. And after five weeks the contents of Lutein in their blood was significantly higher than in the blood of persons, who did not eat these vegetables. You pronounce Lutein with the stress on 'in. So do not pronounce it "Lutajn". In other words: We often say: Green is good for the eyes! Lutein is the proof, that this is correct! So go for it :-)
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Alpha and omega - what does that mean? And where does it come from? __________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: It is not important if the cat is black or white - as long as it can catch mice ! This was once said by the former Chinese communist leader Deng Xiaoping . 2. Today’s quote: Civilisations die from suicide - not from murder ! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1754: 1852: 1912: 1930:
King Louis XVI ( died 1793 ) Arnold Toynbee ( died 1883 ) Gene Kelly ( died 1996 ) Michel Rocard ( died 2016 )
4. Famous people died on this day:
1305: William Wallace ( 33 years ) 1926: Rudolph Valentino ( 31 years ) 1960: Oscar Hammerstein II ( 65 years ) AUGUST 24 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called BARTHOLOMEW's DAY. He was one of the disciples of Jesus. According to the legend he could cure sick people. He also brought Christianity to India. Here he was later dramatically killed because of his faith. Bartholomew is often in religious art shown with a knife in his hand. And he is the patron of the tanners. In the old Nordic societies it was not allowed to use artificial light such as candles etc. until after this day. TODAY’s EVENT: 1572: 12.000 huguenots ( protestants ) were killed in Paris during the Night of Bartholemew. TODAY’s QUESTION: Alpha and omega - what does that mean? And where does it come from? The meaning of this expression is - as most people know - that something is fundamental and very, very important. Originally it means from the first to the last letter. Alfa is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter. The expression is already used in the Bible, where Jesus once says: I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end! The expression from A to Z is exactly the same. Why? Because A is the first letter in the original Latin alphabet and Z is the last one. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Europe - what is the background of that name ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Civilisations die from suicide - not from murder ! This was said by the British historian Arnold Toynbee .
2. Today’s quote: In the libraries the immortal soals of the dead are talking! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1635: 1919: 1929: 1948:
Peter Griffenfeld ( died 1699 ) Niels Viggo Bentzon ( died 2000 ) Yassir Arafat ( died 2004 ) Jean-Michel Jarre
4. Famous people died on this day: 79: Plinius the Elder ( 56 years ) 1831: August von Gneisenau ( 71 years ) AUGUST 25 TODAY’s NAME: This day's name is LOUIS' DAY. It is called so after the French king Louis IX. He was king in the years 1226-70, and he had the biggest army in Europe at that time. In 1270 he leaves for a crusade to Tunesia. He wants to try to convince the local sultan to became a Christian. He is not successful. Instead he is killed on this day. He is 55 years old. And the pope makes him a saint in 1297. ______________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s EVENT: 1830: The Belgian revolution against the Dutch starts and leads to Belgium's independence the following year. ______________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: Europe - what is the background of that name ? As I want to make a small update to the reply to this question I will postpone it until tomorrow. Instead the question today is the following: Hangover - what is that? And what is it called in other languages? Most people know what a hangover is - and especially how it feels :-( You are only able to "hang over" the table, your chair, your work or your bed, because you had a dynamic meeting with alcohol the day before! Fortunately, nature is a master in chasing it away again. Sometimes quickly - sometimes you feel it takes ages :-( Combined with a real adult hangover you sometime hear the victim ask: Did I have good fun last night?! The same phenomenon exists in all countries, I believe. And it has different names! In Denmark we call it Tømmermænd (timber men). Why? Because it feels as a whole group
of timber man are hammering and working hard inside your head. In Jutland - the western part of Denmark - they say: I have a blacksmith inside my forefront! Not fun either. The French call it: Gueule de bois. A throat of wood. And the Germans talk about driving the Katen away. Katen is a tomcat. So we all have our "fun". Often with the promise to yourself: Never, never again.... Until next time :-)_____________________________________________________________________ QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Europe - what is the background of that name ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: In the libraries the immortal soals of the dead are talking! This is said by the Roman author and military leader Plinius the Elder . 2. Today’s quote: A politician and a diplomat understands better than anybody else how to make friends with people, they do not like. Who among today’s personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1530: 1912: 1918: 1930:
Ivan the Terrible ( IV ) ( died 1584 ) Erich Honecker ( died 1994 ) Leonard Bernstein ( died 1990 ) Sean Connery
4. Famous people died on this day: 1270: 1776: 1900: 1908:
Louis IX ( 55 years ) David Hume ( 65 years ) Friedrich Nietzsche ( 56 years ) Henri Becquerel ( 54 years ) AUGUST 26
TODAY’s NAME: Today's name is IRENAEUS' DAY. It has its name from the monk Irenaeus from Lyon in Gallia ( France ). He was thrown into a well and choked because he had arranged a Christian funeral for the holy Concordia. It happened in 258 AD.
TODAY’s EVENT: 55 BC: Julius Caesar lands in England with his Roman legions. TODAY’s QUESTION: Europe - what is the background of that name ? The name Europe comes from Greek mythology. The legend tells that Europa was a Phoenician princess. She was abducted by Zeus himself. He had the form of a white bull, when he abducted her. He took her to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to three sons, including the later king Minos. There are also other versions of the event from the Antique. There are also different perceptions among researchers about the linguistic background of the word Europe. Many believe that its origin comes from the Semitic word Ereb meaning the land of sunset, the land of the evening. It makes sense, because nowadays Europe is to the west of Greece and of the Middle East. The old poets and historians from the Antique are already talking about Europe as a geographical entity. Homér (600 BC) calls the present Greek area without Peleponnes and without the many islands Europe. Herodotus ( 400 BC ) talks about three parts of the world: Europe, Asia and Libya ( Africa ). And later the Romans used the name Europa to a province in Thrakia ( present day European part of Turkey ). Further on in history - after the fall of the Roman empire in the 5th century AD and after the huge migrations in the following centuries - the area of nowadays Europe was still not called Europe. It was normally called Christianity. This was the case for Charlemagne with his huge kingdom with the capital Aachen ( 9th century AD ). So it was actually only in the Middle Ages that Europe started to be used as the name for our continent. The name now covers the area from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains in Russia and from the North Pole to the Mediterranean. It is an area of 10,5 sq.km, which is 6,7 % of the total landmass of the earth. In addition to the continent Europa the name has also been given to one of the moons of the planet Jupiter. It is 628 mill. km away from the Earth. It is smaller than our moon. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Water off the duck's back - what does that mean? And where does the expression come from? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A politician and a diplomat understands better than anybody else how to make
friends with people, they do not like. This was once said by the former Danish minister K.K. Steincke. 2. Today’s quote: Gratitude is an important sense for future honors. Who among today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1676: 1740: 1904: 1910:
Robert Walpole ( died 1745 ) Joseph Montgolfier ( died 1810 ) Christopher Ischerwood ( died 1986 ) Mother Teresa ( died 1997 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1666: Frans Hals ( 86 years ) 1974: Charles Lindbergh ( 72 years )
AUGUST 27 TODAY’s NAME: This day's name is GEBHARDUS' DAY. He was a German noble man, who decided to work for the church. He became bishop in Konstanz near the Bodensee in the south of Germany. He also founded the Benedictine monastery Petershausen in Switzerland. He died on this day in 996 AD. TODAY’s EVENT: 79: The town of Pompeji in Italy is destroyed by the volcano Vesuv. TODAY’s QUESTION: Water off the duck's back - what does that mean? And where does the expression come from? It simple means that something has no effect. It might be to teach somebody, to ask somebody to do something or to critisize somebody. It is all in vain. The background of the expression is double: One reason is that the feathers of a duck is so efficiently impregnated that water simply falls off the feathers. It cannot penetrate it.
The other reason is that a duck is considered to be stupid. It is not able to learn anything. Trying to teach something it is hopeless. The same expression exists in Danish. In that case the animal is a goose. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Haparanda - what is so special about that? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Gratitude is an important sense for future honors. This was said by the British politician Robert Walpole . 2. Today’s quote: What is sensible is real; and what is real is sensible! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1770: Georg Friedrich Hegel ( died 1831 ) 1908: Lyndon B. Johnson ( died 1973 ) 1909: Lester Young ( died 1959 ) 1929: Ira Levin ( died 2007 ) 1942: Per Stig Møller
4. Famous people died on this day: 1645: Hugo Grotius ( 62 years ) 1965: Le Corbusier ( 61 years ) 1975: Hailie Selassie ( 83 years )
1979: Earl Mountbatten ( 83 years )
AUGUST 28 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called AUGUSTINE's DAY. He was born in North Africa and lived in the period 354-430 AD. He is one of the so-called Church Fathers ( the three others are Antonis, Gregorius and Hieronimus ). He was bishop in the city of Hippo Regius ( in nowadays Algeria ). According to the legend he prayed to God, when the city was attacked by the Vandals in 420 AD. As father of the church he developed the lessons about the Original Sin. TODAY’s EVENT: 1963: Martin Luther King makes in Washington DC his famous speech ”I have a dream”. TODAY’s QUESTION: Haparanda - what is so special about that? This is a small town in the very north of Sweden - at the bottom of the Botnic Bay. It has about 10.000 inhabitants. And it is just at the border to Finland. On the other side of the border (which is a small river) you find the Finnish town of Tornio. It has 22.000 inhabitants. The two towns were one area / one town, until Sweden in 1809 had to give Finland to Russia. Then they were split. Now they are sister cities or twin towns. And twin towns in a very concrete and practical way. It is facilitated by the fact that the citizens on both sides of the border all speak Swedish as well as Finnish (which are two very different languages ). The two towns work together in many different ways, such as: 1) they have a number of common schools 2) they have a joint fire brigade 3) they have a joint border station - which is always open 4) they promote tourism together 5) as they belong to two different countries they also belong to two different postal services. So if somebody in Haparanda wants to send a letter to somebody in Tornio, they letter has first to go to Stockholm, from there to Helsinki and then to Tornio. The very practical local people have solved this challenge in a very elegant way: in both towns you will at the border find two mail boxes: one Swedish and one Finnish. So when the Swede wants to send a letter to Tornio, he puts it in the Finnish mail box - and it is delivered the following day without having to pass the very time consuming way via the capitals. One practical problem, which the two towns cannot influence: they are in two different time zones. Finland (and Tornio) is one hour ahead of Sweden (Haparanda).
This gives at least one advantage: The towns also have a joint golf course. It is placed on both sides of the border. So the creative golf and tourist people say in their publicity: Come to Tornio-Haparanda to play golf. It is the only place in the world, where you can kick the golf ball, and it will land more than one hour later! I have visited the twin-towns. It is highly interesting. I can strongly recommend it.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Ants - why do they walk in one long line?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: What is sensible is real; and what is real is sensible! This was once said by the German philosopher Georg Friedrich Hegel . 2. Today’s quote: Only the shabby people are modest - the clever ones are pleased with their deeds. Whom among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1749: 1828: 1913: 1969:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ( died 1832 ) Lev Tolstoi ( died 1910 ) Robertson Davies ( died 1995 ) Jason Priestley
4. Famous people died on this day: 430: Aurelius Augustin ( 76 years ) 1957: Erik Tuxen ( 55 years ) 1967: Charles Darrow ( 78 years )
AUGUST 29 TODAY’s NAME: This day's name is JOHN's BEHEADING DAY. John the Baptist was - as you know beheaded at the order of king Herod, and his head was delivered on a silver plate to Salome. It was the king's thank you to her for her dance for him.
TODAY’s EVENT: 2005: The hurricane Katrina hits the American Gulf coast, including New Orleans. And more than 1800 people are killed. TODAY’s QUESTION: Ants - why do they walk in one long line? We have all seen how ants almost always are on the move. And they always walk in line normally between the huge nest and some place, where they collect food. How do they do that? How do they know how to follow the guy in front? Some antelopes have a special "design" on their back, so that it is easy for those behind them to follow. Do ants have the same? The answer is no. They follow each other because they spread a special smell, which those behind just follows. And those smells apparently signals different things: either that there is food ahead. Or there are enemies ahead. Or there are other ants in the neighbourhood. How do we know that? A scientific project in New York shows it. The researchers were of the belief, that smell was the reason. Therefore, they took the gene making it possible to smell out of some ants' brains ( which is not bigger that the head of a small pin ). And what happened? The ants with no ability to smell were no longer following other ants, but were running around in a disorganised way. Very interesting findings. Also because we know that the number of ants in the world is enormous. A prudent calculation says that there are 1.400 ants per inhabitant in the world. PS: Talking about ants: do you know what the expression for being very energetic and active is? It is: to have ants in your pants ! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Environmental badges - what is that ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Only the shabby, simple people are modest - the clever ones are pleased with their deeds. This was said by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe . 2. Today’s quote: Getting old is like climbing a mountain. You might lose your breath, but the view is much better !
Who among today’s personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1632: 1915: 1920: 1923: 1924: 1944:
John Locke ( died 1704 ) Ingrid Bergman ( died 1982 ) Charlie ”Bird” Parker ( died 1955 ) Richard Attenborough (died 2014) Dinah Washington ( died 1963 ) Rajiv Gandhi ( died 1991 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 30 BC: Cleopatra ( 39 years ) 1877: Brigham Young ( 71 years ) 1982: Ingrid Bergman ( 67 years ) AUGUST 30 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called BENJAMIN's DAY. He was the youngest son of the Old Testament's patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. Rachel died when Benjamin was born. The best known of Benjamin's 12 brothers is Joseph. TODAY’s EVENT: 1645: Dutch immigrants make peace with the Indians in New Amsterdam ( now New York ). TODAY’s QUESTION: Environmental badges - what is that ? These are badges, which cars since 2007 have to have to be allowed to drive in so-called environmental zones in Germany, especially in most German cities. If you do not have it, you risk to get a huge fine. The German name of this badge is: Umwelt-Plakette. Cars which are friendly to the environment (less pollutant vehicles ) will get a Green badge. They can drive everywhere. The Yellow badge gives less freedom. And if you only get a Red badge you have to keep away from most cities. You can buy the badge in TÜV car inspection centres in Germany and in many car workshops. You can also buy them on-line from abroad. The price is 5 EURO . It is valid for the whole life of the car. Several other European countries also have Environmental Badges. France is one of them.
So you'd better check it out, before you travel with your car around Europe! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Game reflectors - what is that? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Getting old is like climbing a mountain. You might lose your breath, but the view is much better ! This has been said by the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman . 2. Today’s quote: As none among today's persons had left important quotes you get one more by Ingrid Bergman : Happiness is a good health and a bad memory! 3. Famous people born on this day: 1797: 1871: 1946: 1958:
Mary Shelley ( died 1851 ) Ernest Rutherford ( died 1937 ) Ex-queen Anne-Marie Anna Politskovskaja ( died 2006 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1483: King Louis XI ( 60 years ) 2003: Charles Bronson ( 82 years ) 2006: Glenn Ford ( 90 years ) AUGUST 31 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called BERTA's DAY. She was a Christian English queen, who convinced king Edelbert also to become a Christian around 500 AD. TODAY’s EVENT: 1997: Lady Diana, princess of Wales, is killed in a traffic accident in Paris. _____________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: Game reflectors - what is that?
We have all seen lots of game and other animals killed on our roads, because they are hit by a car, when they try to cross the street. A German inventor got a great idea. He constructed a three-angled reflex device, which is put on to the backside of the white road poles marking the side of the roads of each side of the road. When a car approaches with its headlights on, a reflex of that light will automatically be sent into the area next to the road. This will keep the animals away - at least as long as cars are passing by. This is a very efficient instrument to reduce the killing of game significantly. They are called Game Reflectors. These reflectors were introduced also on Danish roads about 20 years ago. And I have myself been involved in getting them used in the north of Sweden, where serious accidents often happen, when a huge moose tries to cross the road and is hit by a car. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Toucan - what is that? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Happiness is a good health and a bad memory! This was said the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman . It is also an old Chinese saying. 2.
Today’s quote: I felt we were three in our marriage. It was a bit crowded ! Who among today’s persons has said that?
2. Famous people born on this day: 12: 1812: 1866: 1880: 1928: 1945:
Caligula ( died 41 ) Georg Carstensen ( died 1857 ) Georg Jensen ( died 1935 ) Wilhelmina ( died 1962 ) James Coburn ( died 2002 ) Itzhak Perlman
3. Famous people died on this day: 1654: 1867: 1973: 1986: 1997:
Ole Worm ( 66 years ) Charles Baudelaire ( 46 years ) John Ford ( 81 years ) Urho Kekkonen ( 86 years ) Lady Diana ( 36 years )