On January 20th, I didn’t blog about Martin Luther King, Jr., on the observance of his birthday, which actually occurs on January 15th but is not observed until the Federally-sanctioned holiday (usually a Monday to give Federal workers a three-day weekend) that occurred this year on January 20th.
As Pat (an Arkansas stamper) might say, January 21st is also a day.
On this date in 763, the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa ended in a decisive Abbasid victory.
On this date in 1525, the Swiss Anabaptist Movement was founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manz’s mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.
On this date in 1535, following the Affair of the Placards, French Protestants were burned at the stake in front of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.
On this date in 1720, Sweden and Prussia signed the Treaty of Stockholm.
On this date in 1793, after being found guilty of treason by the French Convention, Louis XVI of France was executed by guillotine.
On this date in 1840, Jules Dumont d’Urville discovered Adélie Land, Antarctica.
On this date in 1861, Jefferson Davis, who would become the President of the Confederate States of America, resigned from the United States Senate.
On this date in 1887, 465 millimetres (18.3 in) of rain fell in Brisbane, a record for any Australian capital city.
On this date in 1908, New York City passed the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public, only to have the measure vetoed by the mayor.
On this date in 1925, Albania declared itself a republic.
On this date in 1941, sparked by the murder of a German officer in Bucharest, Romania, the day before, members of the Iron Guard killed 125 Jews.
On this date in 1948, the Flag of Quebec was adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Quebec Flag Day.
The Wikipedia article that contains all of the preceding information also lists hundreds of famous and not-so-famous persons whose births or deaths occurred on January 21st. Perhaps you will recognize some of them.
Just thank your lucky stars I did not publish a post yesterday. If I had, you might have been subjected to a poem called The Eve of St. Agness by a Mr. John Keats (1795-1821) which is almost as long as the list of births and deaths for January 21st.
I dare you to read it.
Who is this man? (Helpful hint: It is not Jefferson Davis):
'Tis true, 'tis true. Yesterday was the Eve of St. Agnes. I read the Keats poem from beginning to end (I have been known to take a dare.) I didn't know beforehand that such a poem existed and, at present, care not that it does; I've done my penance by reading it. The man did run on, didn't he?
ReplyDeleteSt. Agnes was martyred (A.D.304) under Diocletian at age 12 after withstanding threats and tortures. A beautiful painting of St. Agnes was included with this morning's email of The Daily Office West, to which I subscribe. Had I not read said Daily Office earlier in the day, your comments concerning St. Agnes would have meant naught.
I hope this January 21 was a pleasant one for you and "Miss Ellie."
Just another day I say.
ReplyDeleteAnother day like so many. Packed. With joy, with tragedy, with wonder.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for enlightening me about where the name for Adelie penguins (one of my favourites) originated.
Pat in Arkansas and Rubye Jack, thanks to you both for dropping by!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite penguins too. When you said 'you weren't there' I thought you were talking about me, because it's been so long since I was in Blogland...
ReplyDeleteHow self-centred I am!
Elephant's Child in Australia and Katherine in New Zealand, leave it to you residents of the Southern Hemisphere to turn this into a discussion of penguins! I have added some links to the post, so you may learn more about Adelie Land simply by clicking. Sorry, there's no click for penguins.
ReplyDeleteIs the picture of Martin Luther King Jr, the white activist who played a big part in the civil rights movement? Inspired by the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, he delivered his famous "I have a bean" speech on the bandstand in Canton Town Square. Previously I never realised he was (judging from the picture) also in a marching band.
ReplyDeleteYorky Pud, no, sorry, the photograph is not of Martin Luther King, Jr., who preferred to be judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin. Americans nowadays prefer to think there are not black activists or white activists, just activists.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I love a good poem, so next time you find one let me know because that was pants.Hahahaha.
ReplyDeleteThe picture - tis Zog I, King of the Albanians. Yup. I know my crazy named royals eh? What a name - Ahmet Muhtar Bej Zogolli officially mind.
*curtsies and catches flowers
We have a winner! Miss (or Ms.) Michelle a.k.a. All-Consuming of the United Kingdom has correctly identified the photograph in the post as being Zog I, King of the Albanians a.k.a Ahmet Muhtar Bej Zogolli. My in-laws called him Zogu.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is disappointing to learn that this same Miss (or Ms.) Michelle a.k.a et cetera does not care for one of the greatest poems by one of her country's greatest poets of the 19th century, John Keats, The Eve of St. Agnes. I learned this only after going to a website that explains British slang to find out what pants means. I do understand that tastes in poetry have changed over the last 190 years. I'm not that thick.
Blimey, you give with one hand and take with the other don't you! That's what happens to swots, never popular, best to hide your light under a...bushel I believe. *hides it. I do like Keats, just not that rambler. He took the news batter than you did too.
ReplyDelete