This month in “First Names First” is German month, so we continue here with the female name, namely Jutta - a German form of Judith. A name which is in use outside of Germany as well. Follow one of those Wikipedia links to read about the person, and then see what if anything she could contribute your life with. Inspiration, passion, enlightenment, encouragement, empathy, etc. Or just thoughts for the day. Continue reading

Othello and Desdemona, a painting by Fradelle from circa 1827 In the year 1604, Duke Carl becomes King Carl IX of Sweden (Mar 22), the Dutch begin contructing the city of Gothenburg in Sweden (Aug 21), William Shakespeare’s Othello is performed, probably for the first time, in London (Nov 1), construction of the Kajaani castle by order of King Carl IX begins in eastern Finland, France begins settling Acadia which becomes the first successful French North American colony, the first known English dictionary to be organized by alphabetical ordering, the Table Alphabeticall, is published - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In the year 1351, Edward III of England institutes the Treason Act of 1351, one of the earliest statutes still in force under English law (Jan 14), in the Hundred Year’s War, the French are defeated by the English at the Battle of Taillebourg in Cascony (Apr 4), Zürich joins the Swiss Confederation (May 1), Vantaa in Finland is first mentioned, the Turks cross the Dardanelles into Europe for the first time, King Ramathibodi I ascends the throne in Ayutthaya (now Thailand) and begins to propagate Theravada Buddhism as the state religion - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

In compliance with the voting results where you could choose between Barcelona, Casablanca and Visby, we now head in Streets & Squares to Barcelona - the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, and also the second most populous municipality of Spain. 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

In the year 1676, as the leader of the Wampanoags nation Metacomet attacks Northampton, Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Council debates whether a wall should be erected around Boston (Feb 14), Metacomet, having waged a war throughout southern New England, is killed by another Indian (Aug 12), Sweden defeats the forces of Denmark in the Battle of Lund (Dec 4), Ole Rømer makes the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light (Dec 7), Anton van Leeuwenhoek discovers microorganisms, first coffeehouse in North America opens in Boston - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Cologne Cathedral in Cologne (Köln), Germany In the year 1248, the Gothic chapel Sainte-Chapelle is consecrated in Paris, France (Apr 26), the foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral is laid, with construction completed 632 years later in 1880! (Aug 15), Roger Bacon publishes the formula for black powder in Europe, Muslims are expelled from the Crown of Aragon, King Louis IX of France launches the Seventh Crusade, toward Egypt - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

From today on Journeys of Life is also in Twitter - better later than never, right?! At the same time we are replacing the old email address of kivita@gmail.com with a new one: jovestoneblog@gmail.com - also long overdue. So if you want to contact us by email, that’s the one to use starting today. Twitter, yes. There will be regular tweeting now. The tweets will be referring to either a recently published post or any of the older ones that seem a good option to tweet about. Continue reading

This one might hit a little sore spot. Or so it might seem. We all dream. Growing up, getting in the labor market, creating a career, family, traveling to places, climbing Mount Everest, you name it. We all have dreams. From the youngest age till the day we die perhaps. Dreams add spice to our lives and even hold it together, but at some point, if we don’t back them up with substance, they may become a bit unrealistic. Continue reading

Ever heard of the term earworm? I bet you have! Or if you for some inexplicable reason haven’t, I bet you have had the experience, time and time again! I hadn’t heard of the term (in any language, go fathom!) as I googled for an explanation why is it so hard to get rid of a melody in my mind. Earworm? What a strange word for such a neat thing. Continue reading

Frost Fair on the frozen river Thames in winter 1683 In the year 1683, a 173,000-man Ottoman force arrives at Vienna and starts to besiege the city (Jul 14), Germantown in Philadelphia is founded as the first permanent German settlement in North America (Oct 6), the English crown colony of New York is subdivided into 12 counties (Nov 1), the River Thames in London freezes, allowing a frost fair to be held (Dec), wild boars are hunted to extinction in Britain – and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

This time in First Names First we have a German name, **Jürgen.**Lately in use in Estonia as well. Why not pick one of the names below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about the person, and see what if anything he could contribute your life with. Lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us – let them! Jürgen Wullenwever* merchant/burgomaster of Lübeck – Hamburg, Germany, Holy Roman Empire (1492) Continue reading

Governors Island, south of Manhattan In the year 1624, as Oslo in Norway is destroyed once again by fire, King Christian IV of Denmark–Norway decrees its rebuilding on a new site, and to be named Christiania (May 24), the first Dutch settlers arrive in New Netherland as they disembark at Governors Island (Jun), Portuguese Jesuit priest António de Andrade becomes the first European to enter Tibet (Jul-Aug), the Japanese shōgun expels the Spanish from the land, and severs trade with the Philippines - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

the reason why ambulances have the word AMBULANCE written as mirror writing on the front of the vehicle is so that drivers (of cars driving in front of them) would be able to see the word the right way around in their rear-view mirror? Some people are naturally good at mirror writing. Leonardo da Vinci for example wrote most of his personal notes in this way. But it is a phase that most of us go through in childhood. Continue reading

Our aim here in Journeys of Life is to indicate the place of birth as accurately as possible and by so doing give some of the historical context at a glance. Sometimes Wikipedia suggests the modern version of the area or country name, so it can be a challenge to find out under whose rule the city or area actually was at the time of birth. Because that is what we want to give here - the place of birth as it was known at the time of birth. Continue reading

Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan like it used to look This article of the decade of 1390s will serve mostly as historical background material as individual year files will as a rule not be published. 1390 Individual post In the year 1390, Robert III becomes King of Scotland (Apr 19), the Kingdom of Kaffa is established in present day Ethiopia, Templo Mayor is built in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, and construction begins on San Petronio Basilica in Bologna. Continue reading

The Temple of Athena Nike at Acropolis, Athens. Built around 420 BC, excavated in the 1830s. Painting from 1877 by Carl Werner In the year 1687, the French explorer Robert Cavelier is murdered by a crew member while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River (Mar 19), Isaac Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica is published in London, and becomes the foundation of modern physics (Jul 11), Venetian forces besiege the Ottoman garrison in the Acropolis of Athens whereupon the Temple of Athena Nike is demolished (Sep 23) and half the Parthenon destroyed when a cannon ball hits a powder magazine (Sep 16) - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Have you ever wondered what the term “polymath” entails? Anything to do with mathematics for example? Being in various ways talented in mathematics? You would be partly right. It may indicate being talented in mathematics, but also in many other fields of science as well. According to Wikipedia, “A polymath is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems” Continue reading

In the year 1695, the Bank of Scotland is founded (Jul 17), a window tax is imposed in England and Wales, resulting in some windows being bricked up (Dec 31), a £2 fine is imposed for swearing in England, gold is discovered in Brazil, the Great Famine caused by early frost and bad harvests begins in the Swedish Empire, the famine in Scotland goes on - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading

Aaron & Shawn Ashmore This is a fascinating subject when it comes to people: having a twin! For those of us who don’t have a twin (most of us), and in this case, an identical twin (almost all of us), it is pretty hard to fathom that there could be someone who looks just like you. And with whom you would be so much closer in every sense of the word from the moment you are born. Continue reading

Statue of Queen Margaret I in Roskilde, Denmark In the year 1389, Queen Margaret of Norway and Denmark, and the founder of the Kalmar Union, defeats the King of Sweden in battle, and becomes ruler of all three kingdoms (Feb 24), the Käpplinge murders take place in Stockholm (Jun), Serbs are victorious over the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Kosovo (Jun 15), Carmo Convent is built in Lisbon - and all these fine people were born: Continue reading