Mary, Queen of Scots, at Madame Tussauds in London In the year 1586, the deposed and imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, recognizes Philip II of Spain as her heir (Jun 16), English explorer Thomas Cavendish begins the first deliberately planned circumnavigation of the globe (Jul 21), Mary, Queen of Scots, is placed on treason trial, and then sentenced to death (Oct 15-25), Flemish mathematician Simon Stevin publishes a study showing that two objects of different weight fall with the same speed – and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in First Names First we will concentrate on the name Clint, often the short form of Clinton. So take your pick, and find some inspiring stories behind these names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Let them! Only the year of birth given here. 1828-1208 Clinton B. Fisk* Temperance Movement leader – York, NY USA (1890/61) 1881-1022 Clinton Davisson* physicist/N – Bloomington, IL USA(1958/76) Continue reading

Christ the Redeemer (1931) overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro In the year 1565, Ivan the Terrible starts the repression of the aristocrats (Jan 3), the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded (Mar 1), St. Augustine in Florida is established, becoming the oldest surviving European settlement in the modern-day United States (Sep 8), the first recorded naval battle between Japan and the West is fought in Fukuda Bay (Oct 18), the pencil is first documented, and becomes common in England - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Those of you who watch regularly the Saturday Night Live are very familiar with this concept: the Five-Timers Club. An exclusive club for celebrity guest hosts that have hosted the show at least five times. A fun addition to great entertainment that we get to see on Saturdays - or any other day of the week if you so please. The Five-Timers Club has been around since the December 8, 1990 episode. Continue reading

In the year 1537, Pope Paul III declares in his Sublimis Deus that the natives of the New World are rational beings with souls who mustn’t be enslaved or robbed (Jun 2), the Catholic rebellion in Norway ends with the Siege of Hamar (Jun 23), the Spanish conquistador Rodrigo Orgóñez occupies and sacks the Inca center of Vitcos, but Manco Inca Yupanqui escapes and establishes the independent Neo-Inca State (Jul), and the Spaniards bring the potato to Europe - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Three gypsy ladies in the 1930’s Helsinki You readers of Language Day have come to see that this article series can contain most anything to do with languages. The lingual possibilities are countless and how could it be otherwise - there are thousands of languages and nations in the world. This time in Language Day, we concentrate on the language spoken by the Romanis. And more precisely, Romanis living in Finland and Sweden. Continue reading

In the year 1590, Henry IV of France unsuccessfully attempts to besiege Paris (May), Anne of Denmark is crowned queen consort of Scotland (May 17), two women are burned as witches after witch trials in Kronberg, Denmark (Sep) which prompts the North Berwick witch trials in Scotland, confessions extracted by torture in Old Tolbooth in Edinburgh (Dec 7), compound microscope is invented, Japan is united by Toyotomi Hideyoshi - and and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1504, Svante Nilsson is elected Regent of Sweden (Jan 21), Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse this night, to convince the indigenous Jamaican people to provide him with supplies (Feb 29), Michelangelo’s sculpture of David is erected in Florence (Sep 8), Isabella of Castille dies, ending her patronage for Columbus (Nov 26), Venetian ambassadors suggest to Turkey the construction of a Suez Canal, Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli become involved in a scheme to divert the Arno River, cutting the water supply to Pisa to force its surrender – and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

As you may have noticed, we tend to pick each month here in the First Names First male and female names that both start with the same letter. So as we had Abraham two weeks ago, it is now time forAbigail ! Often shortened as Abby. So, take your pick! Find some inspiring stories behind the names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Continue reading

This article in our article series Streets & Squares is about Houston, the most populous city of Texas, founded by land investors on August 30, 1836, and incorporated as a city the following year. It is named after General Sam Houston, who was also president of the Republic of Texas, having won Texas’s independence from Mexico. Let’s see who are the people behind the eponymous street signs of Houston! As always in Streets & Squares, clicking on the address links leads you to Google Maps, and clicking on the names to the person’s Wikipedia page. Continue reading

The Great Wall of China. Several of its walls were built from as early as the 7th century BC Well, here you have the very ancient births. As they are all BC (before Christ) or as some of us would prefer, BCE (before Common Era), the list differs from the usual. It starts from the most distant births, and ends with those closest to our time. This page is being updated on an ongoing basis. Continue reading

This time in **First Names First it is all aboutAbraham! **An archaic name still in use, and very popular in the 17th century. Often shortened as Abe. So take your pick, and find some inspiring stories behind the names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Let them! Abraham Ortelius* Flemish cartographer/cosmographer/creator of the first modern atlas – Antwerp, Habsburg Netherlands (1527) Continue reading

In the year 1337, Edward the Black Prince, age 6, establishes the Duchy of Cornwall, becoming the first English Duke (Mar 16), Philip VI of France confiscates Gascony on the French coast from English control (May 24), Edward III of England formally rejects Philip VI’s claim to the French throne, and thus begins the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) (Oct), slavery is forbidden in Sweden, the famine in China, which had lasted since 1332 and killed 6 million people, comes to an end - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Time for another quote! Things that people have uttered in a moment of elation, insight, inspiration, wisdom, despair – or any other emotion. Try to guess or remember first who said that, and if you don’t know, you’ll see who it was at the very end of this article. These pieces are there to lift your spirits, brighten your day, increase your tolerance of fellow human beings – or just give you a temporary relief from whatever you were doing a moment ago - or what is going around you. Continue reading

Bula bula! This time in Language Day we have a special treat for all you Survivor fans out there! Some titbits of the Fijian language! An Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken by some 350,000–450,000 ethnic Fijians (i.e. less than half the population) as their first language, and as their second, some 200,000 more. The traditional Fijian language is made up of a number of dialects, with the official interpretation being Bau Fijian. Continue reading

In the year 1506, the classical statue of Laocoön and His Sons is unearthed in Rome, and placed on public display in the Vatican a month later (Jan 14), the Swiss Guard arrives at the Vatican, to serve as permanent ceremonial and palace guards (Jan 22), Pope Julius II lays the foundation stone of the new St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (Apr 18), the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tatars of the Crimean Khanate (Aug 6), Leonardo da Vinci completes the Mona Lisa (according to Louvre) – and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in the **First Names First **we will have Barbara/Barbra ! So, take your pick and choose at least one of the names below to read more about the person ! Find some inspiring stories behind these names. Give this a couple of minutes – for lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us. Let them! Barbara Fugger* German businesswoman/banker – Augsburg (1419) Barbara Strozzi (B) (b Valle) singer/composer – Venice, Republic of Venice (1619) Continue reading

The city we go this time in Streets & Squares is Basel, a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. The official language of Basel is German - the Swiss variety of Standard German. As always, clicking on the address links leads you to Google Maps, and clicking on the names to the person’s Wikipedia page. Achilles Bischoff-Strasse - Achilles Bishoff (1795-1867) was a politician born in Basel, Swiss Confederacy. Continue reading

In the year 1517, Cairo is captured by the Ottoman Empire, and the Mamluk Sultanate falls (Feb 3), xenophobic riots break out in London (May 1), Egypt becomes a province of the Ottoman Empire (Aug 25), Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, and thus begins the Reformation (Oct 31) - and all these fine people were born: 1517-0117 Antonio Scandello* Italian composer – Bergamo, Republic of Venice (1580/63) Continue reading

Bourges Cathedral, completed in 1255 In the year 1255, Guelph forces under Thomas II of Savoy invade the Ghibelline territory of Asti in Northern Italy, but is defeated by the Astigiani army led by William VII at Garzigliana (Feb 25), Llywelyn ap Gruffudd becomes the sole ruler of northern Wales (Jun), (), the Teutonic Knights in Prussia found Königsberg (modern-day Kaliningrad) and name it in honour of King Ottokar II of Bohemia, the Gothic cathedral at Bourges (a future Unesco World Heritage Site) in central France is completed, and all these fine people were born: Continue reading