NIELS JØRGEN THØGERSEN
JANUARY And all its 31 days Niels Jørgen Thøgersen Where does the name January come from ? The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war. Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward. The word itself comes from the Latin word for door: ianua. The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year. The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH ( Winter Month ) Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar. There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:
Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest Much rain in January will make the fields empty A dry January will make a dry July When January and February are mild March will be cold Strong winds in January mean a mild March A mild January will give frost in March and April
See more about the names of the 12 months: http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html JANUARY 1 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called – as most people know – NEW YEAR’s DAY. It is also called JESU DAY, because it was today – 8 days after his birth – that Jesus was circumcised in the Temple. A couple of old Danish weather warnings are also attached to this day: If the sun is shining, it will be a very fertile year. If it only shines for as long as it takes to saddle a horse the harvest will still be acceptable If the sky is red at sunrise you will have bad weather most of the year This day is also one of the 32 so-called Tycho Brahe Days. They are days, which the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century based on his calculations appointed as particular unfortunate. What old nonsense TODAY’s EVENT: 1958: The European Economic Community ( EEC ) starts. TODAY’s QUESTION: January - where does that name come from? And what is linked to this month? See above. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Estaminet - what is that? And where does it come from? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Justice, not revenge! This is the title of the book, which the Austrian nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal wrote about his work. It is very recommendable.
2. Today’s quote: Women are the chameleons of love. We men are just the colour, which they at any moment adapt to. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1638: 1862: 1887: 1895: 1919:
Nicolas Steno ( died 1686 ) Pierre de Coubertin ( died 1937 ) Wilhelm Canaris ( died 1945 ) J. Edgar Hoover ( died 1972 ) J.D. Salinger ( died 2010 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1559: Christian III ( 56 years ) 1972: Maurice Chevalier ( 84 years ) JANUARY 2 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is ABEL’s DAY. He was according to the Old Testament the son of Adam and Eve. And the legend tells that he was killed by his brother Kain. This day is also one of the 32 so-called Tycho Brahe Days. They are days, which the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century based on his calculations appointed as particular unfortunate. What old nonsense TODAY’s EVENT: 1635: Cardinal Richelieu is founding Academie Francaise. Its main purpose is to ensure the pureness of the French language. TODAY’s QUESTION: Estaminet - what is that? And where does it come from? This is historically a small bar or restaurant in north-eastern France (Nord-Pas-de-Calais) and in Belgium. The local farmers, textile workers and miners met in the Estaminets. Here they could order simple regional food, play boules, or have meetings in their local clubs. Those Estaminets have almost disappeared today, though there are still a number of them around. And often they are specifically promoted.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Flying Dutchman - what is that? And what is the history behind it? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Women are the chameleons of love. We men are just the colour, which they at any moment adapt to. This was said by the French actor and singer Maurice Chevalier. 2. Today’s quote: You want to hear the most important commandment in the catechism of a politician? It is: Risk your skin! Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1783: C.W. Eckersberg ( died 1853 ) 1895: Count Folke Bernadotte ( died 1948 ) 1920: Isaac Asimov ( died 1992 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 17: Ovid ( 74 years ) (full name: Publius Ovidius Naso) 1969: Julius Bomholt ( 73 years ) 1977: Erroll Garner ( 56 years ) JANUARY 3 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is ENOCH’s DAY. He was one of the 7 ancient fathers originating from Adam. Each of them died according to The Old Testament only when they were 365 years old. Enoch was the son of Kain. His name is now and then also spelled Henoch.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1918: Finland becomes independent from Russia.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Flying Dutchman - what is that? And what is the history behind it? The origin of this expression is a legend from the 16th century. It tells about a Dutch merchant ship, which constantly sails over the oceans and never goes into any port. It is in particular seen in the seas around Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Seeing this ship gives other ships a warning that an accident is coming up. The legend also tells that the ship is there as God’s punishment of the Dutch captain Vanderdecken for blasphemy. The topic has often been treated in literature and other forms of art, including in Richard Wagner’s opera The Flying Dutchman. Today we would rather talk about a so-called ghost ship. This is a ship which is sailing without any crew. Such ships exist. It is, though, not dangerous just to see them. It only becomes a real problem, if you run into them. And fortunately this happens very rarely. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: To go to Canossa – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: You want to hear the most important commandment in the catechism of a politician? It is: Risk your skin! This was once said by the Danish social-democratic minister Julius Bomholt. 2. Today’s quote: Nothing is more unbearable than a foll, who succeeds in being successful. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 106 BC: Markus Tullius Cicero ( died 43 BC ) 1883: Clement Attlee ( died 1967 ) 1892: John Ronald Tolkien ( died 1973 ) 1909: Victor Borge ( died 2000 ) 1956: Mel Gibson 1969: Michael Schumacher 4. Famous people died on this day: 1875: Pierre Larousse ( 58 years )
1923: Jaroslav Hasek ( 40 years ) JANUARY 4 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called METHUSALEM’s DAY. He was Enoch’s son and became 969 years old. That’s where the expression “Old like Methusalem” comes from. This day is also one of the 32 so-called Tycho Brahe Days. They are days, which the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century based on his calculations appointed as particular unfortunate. What old nonsense TODAY’s EVENT: 1947: In Germany the very first issue of the weekly magazine DER SPIEGEL is published. The founder and editor was Rudolf Augstein. TODAY’s QUESTION: Carte Blanche – what’s the origin of that expression? And what does it mean? This term comes from French and means white card or white paper. In was used in the old days in connection with negotiations – political, economic or military negotiations. The person who was given the mandate to negotiate and to make the final agreement received a piece of white paper ( a carte blanche) only with the signature of the top boss (the king, the prime minister, the general). Then he or she could fill out the rest with the agreement made – and it was all done. Today the expression carte blanche is still used meaning full power of attorney. In the EU Commission the president receives a carte blanche letter from each member of the Commission only with their signature on. Then he alone can decide when they have to step down. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Gentlemen’s agreement – how did that expression start? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Nothing is more unbearable than a foll, who succeeds in being successful. This was said by the Roman poet and politician Cicero. 2. Today’s quote:
When a woman has become a mother she is no longer a fallen woman, independently of how she became it. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1643: 1785: 1935: 1937: 1946:
Sir Isaac Newton ( died 1727 ) Jacob Grimm ( died 1863 ) Floyd Patterson ( died 2006 ) Johannes Møllehave Arthur Conley ( died 2003 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1786: 1944: 1960: 1965:
Moses Mendelsohn ( 57 years ) Kaj Munk ( 45 years ) Albert Camus ( 46 years ) Thomas Stearns Eliot ( 76 years ) JANUARY 5
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called SIMEONS DAY. He was a pious preacher from Cicilia in Syria. He is the best known of the so-called stylites. He spent the last 26 years of his life on the top of a column outside the city of Antiochia. It was partly to live in peace from pilgrims and tourists. But he also used his time to answer questions from the pilgrims from up there at the top of the column. He was also called Simon Stylitis. He died in 459 AC. TODAY’s EVENT: 1968: Alexander Dubcek is elected secretary-general of the communist party in Czchoslovakia. TODAY’s QUESTION: A Gentlemen’s Agreement – where does that come from? And what does it mean? This expression comes from a number of dinner parties in 1886 in the American finance magnat J.P. Morgan’s house. Morgan lived in the years 1837-1913. During these dinners (only attended by men) a number of very important agreements were made. They were not written down in a contract and were only based on the spoken word and mutual confidence on what had been said. They were called Gentlemen’s Agreements.
In Denmark (and probably also in other countries) you have another way of unwritten agreements. If you have made a deal (bought a horse or something else) the two people clash their right hands against each other. And that confirms the deal. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A French visit – where does that come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: When a woman has become a mother she is no longer a fallen woman, independently of how she became it. This was said by the Danish priest and author Kaj Munk. 2. Today’s quote: A person working for today’s person says: You cannot expect that we say yes and amen to everything you ask us to do. Our man replies: You do not have to say amen! Who is the person from today’s list? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1876: 1921: 1932: 1938: 1952:
Konrad Adenauer ( died 1967 ) Friedrich Dürrenmatt ( died 1990 ) Umberto Eco Ex-King Juan Carlos I Uli Hoeness
4. Famous people died on this day: 1589: Catharine of Medici ( 70 years ) 1933: John Calvin Coolidge ( 61 years ) 2002: Astrid Henning-Jensen ( 87 years ) JANUARY 6 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called EPIPHANY – or THE THREE HOLY KINGS’ DAY. It refers to the three wise men Balthasar, Caspar and Melchior. They found – according to the legend – the Infant Jesus. Balthasar, who came from Ethiopia and consequently had dark skin, brought myrrh. Caspar came with incense, and Melchior brought gold. Later all three of them were named kings.
In the church calendar the day is also called Epiphany. In the old Nordic countries it was called the 13th DAY, as it is 13 days after Christmas and the end of the Christmas period. This day is also one of the 32 so-called Tycho Brahe Days. They are days, which the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century based on his calculations appointed as particular unfortunate. What old nonsense TODAY’s EVENT: 1838: Samuel Morse is for the first time presenting his electrical telegraph. TODAY’s QUESTION: A French visit – where does that come from? And what does it mean? This is an old expression in many countries such as France, England, Germany and the Netherlands. It meant that somebody came for a short visit, said something non-important and left without saying goodbye. And it was at the time not considered to be bad manners. In France and Germany the expression English Visit was now and then used with the same meaning. Today a French visit means that you make a very brief visit – and leave very quickly again. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Achilles heel – where does that come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A person working for today’s person says: You cannot expect that we say yes and amen to everything you ask us to do. Our man replies: You do not have to say amen! This was said by the West German chancellor Konrad Adenauer. 2. Today’s quote: A man who never went to school might steal from railway carriage. But if he has a university degree he might steal the whole railway! Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1412: Joan of Arc ( died 1431 ) 1706: Benjamin Franklin ( died 1790 ) 1838: Max Bruch ( died 1920 )
1946: Syd Barrett ( Pink Floyd ) 1955: Rowan Atkinson ( “Mr. Bean” ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1884: 1919: 1993: 1993: 1993:
Gregor Mendel ( 62 years ) Theodor Roosevelt ( 61 years ) Dizzie Gillespie ( 76 years ) Richard Mortensen ( 83 years ) Rudolf Nurejev ( 55 years )
JANUARY 7 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called CANUTE’s DAY. It comes from Knud ( Canute ) Lavard, who on this day in the year 1131 was killed – 35 years old in Haraldsted Forest near Ringsted in Denmark. The killer was his cousin Magnus. Knud was governor in the south of Jutland, and the whole family was gathered in Roskilde for Christmas celebrations. But king Niels’ son Magnus was afraid, that Knud intended to become king. Therefore, he killed him. This started a revolution, and king Niels was murdered in Slesvig three years later. Knud’s son, Valdemar the Great, arranged 38 years after the murder that the Pope made his father a Saint. TODAY’s EVENT: 1558: France conquers Calais – the last British piece of land in continental Europe. TODAY’s QUESTION: Achilles’ heel – where does that come from? And what does it mean? This expression comes from the Greek mythology. The ancient Greek hero Achilles, who was the main person in the Iliad of Homer, was by his mother Thetis dipped in the river Styx. In this way be became invulnerable. When the mother dipped him she held him by his heels – meaning that they did not become wet. Therefore, they continued to be vulnerable. When Achilles later was fighting near Troy he was hit by the arrows of Paris – and died. When the tendon linking the peroneus with the top of the heel bone is called the Achilles tendon it has its origin in the Iliad. Today you use the expression Achilles heel you refer to somebody’s weak point, where he can be hit – in the figurative sense. So where is your Achilles heel??
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The bird Phoenix – where does that come from? And means what? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A man who never went to school might steal from railway carriage. But if he has a university degree he might steal the whole railway! This was said by the American president Theodore Roosevelt. 2. Today’s quote: None of today’s persons has contributed with famous quotations. 3. Famous people born on this day: 1663: 1800: 1821: 1941: 1964:
Arni Magnusson ( died 1730 ) Millard Filmore ( died 1879 ) Carl Christian Burmeister ( died 1898 ) Iona Brown ( died 2004 ) Nicolas Cage
4. Famous people died on this day: 1131: 1972: 1989: 1992:
Canute Lavard ( 35 years ) Bodil Koch ( 69 years ) Hirohito ( 88 years ) Ejlif Krogager ( 82 years )
JANUARY 8 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is ERHARDT’s DAY. He was an Irish monk, who in the year 600 AD came to the German city of Regensburg. He later became a bishop there. The rumour says that after he baptised the blind Ottilia, the daughter of a local duke, she was again able to see. Erhardt’s skull is still in the cathedral of Regensburg. TODAY’s EVENT: 1198: The state of Monaco becomes independent.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The bird Phoenix – where does that come from? And means what? This is a legendary animal, which is described by the ancient Greek poets. The feathers of the bird were put to flames by the sun, and it burns in its nest. But from the ashes a new Bird Phoenix arises. That’s where the expression to arise like the bird Phoenix comes from. Another version of this legend goes as follows: The bird Phoenix is the only one of its kind in the world. It has lived for 500 years in the Arab desert. Then it collects sweet-scented wood for a fire. This is ignited by the sun. And from the ashes the bird Phoenix arises again – this time in a younger and a more beautiful form. Today the expression to arise like the bird Phoenix means that something very unexpected is happening – almost out of nothing. It is positive, but close to being unreal. Almost magic. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Hocus-pocus - where does that come from? And it means what? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Nothing is more unbearable than a foll, who succeeds in being successful. That was once said by the Roman poet and politician Cicero. 2. Today’s quote: Many politicians die on barricades they never have been standing on! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1935: Elvis Presley ( died 1977 ) 1942: Stephen Hawking 1947: David Bowie (died 2016) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1337: Giotto di Bondone ( 69 years ) 1642: Galileo Galilei ( 77 years ) 1996: Francois Mitterrand ( 79 years )
JANUARY 9 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is JULIANUS’ DAY. He was a Christian, who was killed during emperor Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians. It happened in year 300 AD. Julianus and his wife Basilissa had made their house in Antinoe in Egypt a monastery and a hospital. TODAY’s EVENT: 1929: The penicillin was used for the first time. TODAY’s QUESTION: Hocus pocus – where does that come from? And it means what? 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: Guests and fish smell badly on the 3rd day - where does that come from? And it means what? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Many politicians die on barricades they never have been standing on! This was said by the French president, Francois Mitterrand. 2. Today’s quote: It is not easy to emancipate women, because the wish to please men is part of most women. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1908: Simone de Beauvoir ( died 1986 )
1913: Richard Nixon ( died 1994 ) 1927: Thorkild Hansen ( died 1989 ) 1946: Mogens Lykketoft 4. Famous people died on this day: 1873: Napoleon III ( 64 years ) JANUARY 10 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called PAUL THE HERMIT’s DAY. He was a Christian Egyptian in a rich family in Theben. Because of emperor Decius’ persecutions of all Christians Paul took refuge in the Egyptian desert. He lived in cave here for 90 years. He lived from the fruits from the palm trees. And the legend tells that a tame raven every day brought him half a bread. Paul died 113 years old in his cave in the year 341 AC. He is often considered to be the first Christian hermit. An old Danish saying for this day tells that the sun today has to shine for the time it takes a simple woman with ten thumbs to saddle a horse. It that happens there are great chances to have a good harvest. TODAY’s EVENT: 49 BC: Julius Caesar is crossing the river Rubicon and thereby starts the Roman civil war. TODAY’s QUESTION: Guests and fish smell badly on the 3rd day - where does that come from? And what does it mean? The expression comes from ancient Greece. The first time it has been written down was by the Roman comedy author Plautus ( about 200 BC). He was often rewriting Greek comedies. In his book “The Boasting Soldier” he has this sentence: No friend is so welcome that he won’t be a nuisance after 3 days in a friend’s house. And to combine this with the smell of half-rotten fish makes the point come clearer through. Everybody knows how that smells Today the expression still means that you should always consider not to stay too long, when you make a visit. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A feather in one’s cap – where does that come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: It is not easy to emancipate women, because the wish to please men is part of most women. This was said by the French author, Simone de Beauvoir, married to Jean-Paul Sartre. 2. Today’s quote: You only grumble about work until you don’t have any. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1769: 1869: 1913: 1929: 1945:
Marechal Michel Ney ( died 1815 ) Grigorij Rasputin ( died 1916 ) Gustav Husak ( died 1991 ) Tintin Rod Stewart
4. Famous people died on this day: 1778: 1862: 1917: 1951: 1986:
Carl von Linné ( 71 years ) Samuel Colt ( 47 years ) “Buffalo Bill” ( William F. Coby ) ( 71 years ) Sinclair Lewis ( 66 years ) Jaroslav Seifert ( 85 years ) JANUARY 11
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called HYGINUS’ DAY. It has its name from the Roman pope Hyginus, who was killed during the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius in 142 AC because of his faith. He introduced godfathers at the baptism of small children. This day is also one of the 32 so-called Tycho Brahe Days. They are days, which the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century based on his calculations appointed as particular unfortunate. What old nonsense TODAY’s EVENT: 1971: Sweden changes from two chambers to one chamber in its Parliament. Denmark did the same in 1953.
TODAY’s QUESTION: A feather in one’s cap – where does that come from? And what does it mean? Feathers have in history always played a very important symbolic role. The ancient Greek poet Aesop (620-564 BC) talked in one of his tales about a crowe, which borrowed the feathers of a parrot to try to look better. And the soldiers in the Roman armies wore feathers on their helmets. This should sympolise that they were able to fly, just like the birds. As time went by it became a habit that the more feathers you had in your cap the more important you were. They were a sign of your influence and rang. A few hundred years it was a normal saying in English that nobody should wear a feather, if he hadn’t killed a Turk. Again: a symbol for something good (?) you had done. Today the expression a feather in one’s cap means that you have got an honour you can be proud of. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Hand on your heart – what is the origin of that? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: You only grumble about work until you don’t have any. This was said by the American author Sinclair Lewis. 2. Today’s quote: None of today’s persons has left unforgettable quotations. 3. Famous people born on this day: 1755: 1898: 1907: 1938: 1957:
Alexander Hamilton ( died 1804 ) Hans Kirk ( died 1962 ) Pierre Mendes-France ( died 1982 ) Arthur Scargill Brian Robson
4. Famous people died on this day: 1914: 1928: 1941: 1952:
Carl Jacobsen ( 71 years ) Thomas Hardy ( 88 years ) Emanuel Lasker ( 72 years ) Jean de Lattre de Tassigny ( 63 years )
1954 : Oscar Straus ( 84 years ) 1966 : Alberto Giacometti ( 65 years ) JANUARY 12 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called REINHOLD’s DAY. He was a stone mason in Cologne. He was murdered in the 13th century and his body thrown into the Rhein. The reason was that he being in charge of building a church asked the workers to work faster. Then they smashed his head and threw him into the river. The day is also one of the 32 so-called Tycho Brahe Days. They are days, which the DanishCzech astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century based on his calculations appointed as particular unfortunate. What old nonsense TODAY’s EVENT: 1945: The Soviet Union starts an intensive attack on the East Prussia in Germany. TODAY’s QUESTION: To hold your hand on your heart – where does this come from? And means what? This has since ancient times been a symbol of honesty. In the Middle Ages priests and women put their hand at their heart when taking the oath. But already in the very old times people in the north (cimbrians, Vikings, etc.) put their right hand on the heart when meeting other people to show that they did not carry a weapon in that hand – that they were peaceful. This has later been replaced by holding out one’s right hand when saying hello. This proves that you do not carry arms in that hand. The Americans put their right hand on the heart when the national anthem is played. This is meant to show loyalty to the country. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: To keep the pot boiling –where does that come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: None of yesterday’s persons has left unforgettable quotations. 2. Today’s quote: An elderly lady is like a cathedral: the older it gets, the less important is each year.
Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1729: Edmund Burke ( died 1797 ) 1876: Jack London ( died 1916 ) 1893: Hermann Göring ( died 1946 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1960: Nevil Shute ( 61 years ) 1976: Agathe Christie ( 86 years ) JANUARY 13 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called HILARIUS DAY. He was a bishop in Poitiers in France, who died in 367. He was among other things saint for handicapped children. And he is considered to be the first hymn writer in the Christian church. This day is also the day of festival for all shoe makers. TODAY’s EVENT: 1990: A progrom in Azerbadjan kills 132 Armenians. TODAY’s QUESTION: To keep the pot boiling - where does that come from? And what does it mean? This expression has its origins in the works of the Greek sophist and collector of proverbs Zenobios (117-38). He worked for the emperor in Rome. He writes: If the pot boils the friendship will last. Much later the English poet Charles Dickens (1812-70) uses the expression to keep the pot boiling when he quotes young people, when they suddenly stof in the middle of their philosophical discussions. Then the others present said: keep the pot boiling. Today the expression is still used to say: keep going – continue. With what you are saying, doing, trying, planning, etc. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Flamengo – where does that word come from? And what is it? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote:
An elderly lady is like a cathedral: the older it gets, the less important is each year. This is said by the British author Agathe Christie. 2. Today’s quote: A democrat is a person, who suffers from the prejudice that he wants to hear his opponent. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1596: Jan van Goyen (died 1656) 1866: Vassili Kalinnikov (died 1901) 1898: Kaj Munk ( died 1944 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1864: Stephen Foster ( 58 years ) 1941: James Joyce ( 59 years )
JANUARY 14 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called FELIX DAY. Felix is a man’s name, which in Latin means happy and lucky. Felix was a Christian man, who could walk on water, when he was chased by emperor Decius’ troops in year 200 AC. In this way he saved - according to the legend - his life. He died around 260 AC. TODAY’s EVENT: 1896: X-Rays are used for the first time. TODAY’s QUESTION: Flamenco – where does that word come from? And what does it mean? It is well known that flamenco is a lively Spanish song with guitar music, a forceful dance and loud clapping with the hands. It is in particular known in Andalusia in the south of Spain. Originally it was the culture of poor people. It goes back to the 16th century and comes from gipsy music and somewhat also from the Moorish culture, also after the Moors were thrown out of Europe by 1492. Flamenco is mentioned for the first time in 1774. And when the first Flamenco Café opened in Andalusia in 1842 it was no success from the beginning.
Where does the word flamenco then come from? Flamenco – also today – in Spanish means Flemish. How come? Because people in Spain thought in the 16th century that the gypsies came from Flanders (including present day Belgium). It was under the Spanish king from 1556-1713. So perhaps there is some truth in it. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The holy flame – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A democrat is a person, who suffers from the prejudice that he wants to hear his opponent. This was said by the Danish priest and author Kaj Munk. 2. Today’s quote: I prefer a pleasant vice to a boring virtue ! Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1875: Albert Schweitzer ( died 1965 ) 1931: Catharina Valente 1941: Fay Dunaway 4. Famous people died on this day: 1908: 1957: 1972: 1977: 1977:
Holger Drachmann ( 62 years ) Humphrey Bogart ( 58 years ) King Frederik IX ( 73 years ) Anthony Eden ( 80 years ) Anaïs Nin ( 74 years )
JANUARY 15 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called MAURUS’ DAY. He was a Benedictine monk, who around 500 made missionary work in France. He made miracles and cured dumb people and cripples. He also founded the first Benedictine monastery in France, Glanfeuil, in Anjou in the Loire region. And he died around 550 AC.
Maurus is the patron of the coppersmiths.
TODAY’s EVENT: 2001: Wikipedia starts officially. It is the free on-line dictionary written by the readers themselves. And which in comparison with Encyclopedia Britannica and other similar works is considered more precise and up-to-date.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The holy flame – where does that expression come from? And what doies it mean? This is the name of the permanent fire in the temples in the ancient times. It is known from many religions. To the ancient Greeks fire was sacred. They believed it had been stolen from the gods by Prometheus. In the Christian religion it is mentioned in the Law of Moses, where God asks Moses to ensure that the flame on the alter will burn permanently. From there comes the tradition with a burning lamp in Jewish synagogues. It is also known in the Catholic church. When you see a permanent flame on monuments for killed soldiers in wars, f.ex. on the tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is comes from the same tradition. The Olympic flame has the same origin. Some time in advance of Olympic games a special ceremony is organized at the Mount Olympus in Greece. The flame is ignited by the beams of the sun, and a torch with the flame is transported over long distances, often by a runner, to the place, where the games take place. At the end of the games the flame is extinguished again.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Pandora’s Box – where does that come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: What is nationalism? It is patrionism, which has lost its distinction. This was said by the Danish priest and author Kaj Munk. 2. Today’s quote: I prefer a pleasant vice to a boring virtue ! Who of today’s persons has said that?
3. Famous people born on this day: 1622: 1900: 1906: 1918: 1929:
Molière ( died 1673 ) (original name: Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) William Heinesen ( died 1991 ) Aristotle Onassis ( died 1975 ) Gamal Abdal Nasser ( died 1970 ) Martin Luther King ( died 1968 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1815: 1919: 1919: 1927:
Lady Hamilton (54 years) Rosa Luxembourg (48 years) Karl Liebknecht (48 years) Harald Giersing ( 45 years ) JANUARY 16
TODAY’s NAME: Today is MARCELLUS’ DAY. He was pope in Rome – died in 309. He had problems with the emperor all the time. And most of the time as pope he also had to look after the stables for emperor Maxentinus.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1969: The 21 year old Czech student Jan Palach puts himself on fire on the main street Vaclavske Namesti in Prague as a protest against the Soviet occupation. He dies from his wounds.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Pandora’s Box – what’s the origin of that expression? And what does it mean? This story comes from Greek mythology. Pandora was a woman, who was rich and possessed a lot of valuable things. She was created by Hefaistos from earth and water. She was considered to be the first ancestress of all women. When she got married, she received from the gods as a present a big box with food. She was in the first instance not allowed to look into the box. But she was too curious and opened the box despite the prohibition. This meant that all sorts of pains jumped out of the box and were spread to all people in the world. In the bottom of the box only hope was left. That is why people always have hope left, when everything else has gone. Today the expression Pandora’s Box is used to describe that something unexpected may happen, if you do things with unpredictable consequences. In other words: if you open Pandora’s Box.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The fifth column - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I prefer a pleasant bad habit to a boring virtue ! This was one said by the French author and actor Molière. 2. Today’s quote: Zeros are always placed to the right, if they want to mean anything. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1853: André Michelin ( died 1931 ) 1901: Fulgencio Batista ( died 1973 ) 1931: Johannes Rau ( died 2006 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1969: Jan Palach ( 21 years ) 2001: Laurent Kabila ( 61 years ) JANUARY 17 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called ANTONIUS’ DAY. He was a hermit, one of the so-called “desert fathers”, a well known church father. He died 115 years old in 356 AC. He is patron for shepherds and for brush-makers. In the 14th century a number og monasteries were built for the holy Antonius, including one in Præstø in Denmark.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1917: Denmark sells the Danish West Indian Islands to the US for the sum of 25 mill. dollars. They are now called the US Virgin Islands.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The fifth column - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? It comes from the Spanish civil war 1936-39. General Franco was about to attack Madrid with 4 military columns – attacking from north, east, south and west. At the same time he organized that fascist supporters inside the city were ready for fight and at the right moment go into action and attack the government forces from inside. They got the name the fifth column. Later the expression was used about German spies, who under the cover of being journalists, scientists or business people were German spions in Germany’s neighbouring countries – ready to help, if and when German troops attacked the country they were in. During the Cold War the expression the fifth column was used to describe the traitors, who for ideological reasons felt more attached to another country than to their own – and therefore were willing to give confidential information to the other country. The Soviet Union was very active in using citizens of other countries in this role.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Murphy’s Law - what is the origin of this expression? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Zeros are always placed to the right, if they want to mean anything. This was once said by the social-democratic German politician and president Johannes Rau. 2. Today’s quote: Admiration – the daughter of ignorance! Who among today’s personalities said that ? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1706: 1860: 1899: 1942:
Benjamin Franklin ( died 1790 ) Anton Tjekhov ( died 1904 Al Capone ( died 1947 ) Muhamad Ali ( alias Cassius Clay )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1468: 1751: 1961: 1991:
Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg ( 63 years ) Tomaso Albinoni ( 80 years ) Patrice Lumumba ( 36 years ) King Olav V ( 88 years ) JANUARY 18
TODAY’s NAME: This is PRISCAS DAY. She was a 13 year old Roman girl, who due to her Christian faith was thrown into the lions’ cage by emperor Aurelian. But as they did not want to touch her she was beheaded instead.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1919: In Versailles in France the peace conference after World War I opens. The date is carefully selected, because it was on this day the German Empire was founded in 1871 – in exactly the same castle in Versailles. ________________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUESTION: Murphy’s Law – what’s the origin of this expression? And what does it mean? It comes from England. We don’t know exactly, who this Murphy was. But it is certain that it refers to an Irishman (Murphy is a typical Irish name). This Irishman was electrician. And the English had no confidence in his technical skills. Things always went wrong, when he tried to do something. In this way the expression Murphy’s Law came to mean, that if anything can go wrong it will go wrong. This is not nice or just to the Irish. But history and traditions are not always nice and just
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Parkinson’s Law – what is that? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :
1. Yesterday’s quote: Admiration – the daughter of ignorance! This was once says by one of the American founding fathers, the politician, diplomat, and scientist Benjamin Franklin. 2. Today’s quote: The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchi is not as dangerous to public well-being as the apathy of citizens in a democracy. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1689: Montesquieu ( died 1755 ) (full name: Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brede et de Montesquieu) 1892: Oliver Hardy ( died 1957 ) 1904: Cary Grant ( died 1986 ) 1913: Danny Kaye ( died 1987 ) 1955: Kevin Costner 4. Famous people died on this day: 1878: Antoine César Béquerel ( 90 years ) 1936: Rudyard Kipling ( 71 years ) 2006: Östen Warnerbrink ( 72 years ) JANUARY 19 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is PONTIANUS’ DAY. He was a Christian martyr, who had to suffer a very violent death because of his faith. He was whipped, walked on burning coal, had liquid plomb poured into his mouth. At the end he was thrown to the lions. But as they would not touch him he was at the end beheaded. It all happened in the year 160 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1879: Anne Bates in Ohio gave birth to the heaviest baby boy ever : 76 cm long and weighing 10,8 kg. The boy died 11 days after his birth.
TODAY’s QUESTION:
Parkinson’s Law – what is that – and does it say? The British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson (1909-93) wrote in 1958 a book, where he presented his laws about how the public sector almost automatically grows and grows. One of the laws says: an official wants to increase the number of his subordinates, not of his competitors. Another law goes like this: the officials create work for each other. That is why the number of officials increases progressively even if the work does not increase. It even does so if the number of tasks decreases. And a third law: the budget costs increase without obvious reasons as progressively as the number of officials. The term Parkinson’s Law has later become a often used concept, which means that the public sector grows and grows automatically. It is not a positive concept. When somebody says that this is Perkinson’s Law he is of the opinion that things are going too far. And that something has to be done about it.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Sisyphean labour – where does that come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchi is not as dangerous to public well-being as the apathy of citizens in a democracy. This was once said by the French political philosopher Montesquieu. 2. Today’s quote: Modesty is a quality, which comes from the consciousness of own power. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1736: 1798: 1807: 1809: 1839: 1923: 1943: 1946:
James Watt ( died 1819 ) Auguste Comte ( died 1857 ) Robert E. Lee ( died 1870 ) Edgar Allan Poe ( died 1849 ) Paul Cézanne ( died 1906 ) Markus Wolf ( died 2006 ) Janis Joplin ( died 1970 ) Dolly Parton
4. Famous people died on this day: 1990: 1994: 1998: 2007:
Herbert Wehner ( 84 years ) Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis ( 64 years ) Carl Perkins ( 66 years ) Hrant Dink ( 53 years ) JANUARY 20
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called FABIAN’s and SEBASTIAN’s DAY. The pious Fabian was appointed as pope in 236 AC following a “sign from heaven”. During the election a pigeon suddenly came and “parked” on his head. Then he was elected. And later he has often been portrayed with a pigeon. After a peaceful and constructive period he was at the end beheaded by the Roman emperor on January 20, 250 AC. Sebastian was a Christian officer in emperor Diocletian’s army. His own soldiers killed him with arrows. But he only died when he was beheaded. TODAY’s EVENT: 1961: John F. Kennedy becomes the so far youngest and the first catholic president of the United States.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Sisyphonean Labour – what’s the origin of this expression? And it means what? The Greek poet Homer (about 8 centuries BC) tells in the Odyssee about the Greek king Sisyphos. At a certain moment he has to suffer for his many sins, including his frequent excitements. He is, therefore, asked to roll a big stone to the top of a big mountain. Just before the top the stone rolls back each time. So he has to start all over again. That is why the expression Sisyphonean Labour today means very hard and very useless work, which does not give any results.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Platonic love – where does that come from? And means what?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote:
Modesty is a quality, which comes from the consciousness of own power. This was once said by the French painter Paul Cézanne. 2. Today’s quote: Nature is never banal! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1775: 1873: 1920: 1949:
André-Marie Ampère ( died 1836 ) Johannes V. Jensen ( died 1950 ) Federico Fellini ( died 1994 ) Göran Persson
4. Famous people died on this day: 1848: 1850: 1984: 1993:
King Christian 8. ( 62 years ) Adam Oehlenschlæger ( 71 years ) Johnny Weissmuller ( 80 years ) Audrey Hepburn ( 64 years ) JANUARY 21
TODAY’s NAME: Today is called AGNES’ DAY. She was a young Christian Roman virgin, who refused to marry a non-Christian man. As revenge he sent her naked to a brothel. But the legend tells that God let her hair grow so much that she was no longer naked.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1506: The world’s oldest and still existing army is founded: The Swiss Guard in the Vatican. It consisted and still consists of about 80-90 men. And they are mostly recruited among young men in Switzerland.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Platonic love – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) is in one of his dialogues praising the highest form of love, which human beings can move up to from the lower, sensual love. It is the higher love, which according to Platon stimulates the ability to see the beauty of the soal and of one’s character. From this praise comes the expression Platonic love – meaning the completely non-
sensual love between man and woman. Several philosophers claim that Platon has been wrongly interpreted in this way, and that he only thinks about the need for philosophical comprehension. Today the expression Platonic love is still used in the first interpretation – a non-sensual, more physical love. They live in a Platonic way, as they say.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The Köpenick event – what was that? And what does it mean today?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Nature is never banal! This was said by the Danish poet and Nobel Prize winner Johannes V. Jensen. 2. Today’s quote: A real leader has to be able to swin in the fountain of the people. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1886: 1905: 1924: 1941:
Wilhelm Furtwängler ( died 1954 ) Christian Dior ( died 1957 ) Telly Savales ( died 1994 ) Placido Domingo
4. Famous people died on this day: 1793: Louis 16 ( 39 years ) 1924: Vladimir Lenin ( 54 years ) 1950: George Orwell ( 47 years )
JANUARY 22 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called VINCENT’s DAY. It has its name from a Spanish male nurse Vincent ( Vincentius ) in Zaragoza. He was in 304 AC killed by the Roman emperor Dioclecian’s
troops because of his faith. First he was perforated by lances, and then he was grilled over a fire. The legend tells that his prison after his death was transformed into a flower garden by God Vincent is the patron for Portugal and also for wine growing
TODAY’s EVENT: 1972: Denmark, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway sign in Brussels the treaty on membership of the EEC.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The Köpenick event – what was that? And what does it symbolize? This expression comes from an event in 1906. A shoemaker in Berlin, Wilhelm Voigt (18491922) – former prisoner and a poor guy to look at – took in the German town of Köpenick outside Berlin the uniform of a military officer and behaved like a captain in the imperial guard. He commanded a group of soldiers to follow him to the City Hall, where they arrested the authorities and took the city’s money box with 4000 Mark. After that he disappeared. But he was caught quite quickly afterwards. After two years he was pardoned by emperor Wilhelm and was freed from prison. He became a popular hero in Germany. Now he wrote a book about the event. It was later also made into a film. The event was used by Voigt and many others to make the Prussian authorities look like fools with their obedience to military uniforms. When the expression a Köpenick event or affair is used now and then today it means that somebody makes fun of the authorities.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Blue blood - where does that come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A real leader has to be able to swin in the fountain of the people. This was once said by the Soviet communist dictator Vladimir Lenin, born Uljanow.
2. Today’s quote: Many women are only satisfied with their doctor, when they look badly in a fascinating way. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1561: Francis Bacon ( died 1626 ) 1729: Gotthold Lessing ( died 1781 ) 1788: George Gordon Byron ( died 1824 ) 1849: August Strindberg ( died 1912 ) 1909: U Thant ( died 1974 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1901: 1973: 1975: 2007:
Queen Victoria ( 82 years ) Lyndon B. Johnson ( 65 years ) Clara Pontoppidan ( 87 years ) Abbé Pierre ( 95 years ) JANUARY 23
TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is EMERENTIA’s DAY. She was a woman, who according to the legend could help pregnant and childless women. But she was stoned to death by Roman soldiers because of her Christian faith in the year 304 AC. She was buried next to her friend Agnes, who had been killed too for the same reason. In the Middle Ages Emerentia was often called upon by pregnant women because they believed she could help sick babies.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1556: History’s worst known earthquake takes place in China – 830.000 people killed.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Blue blood – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? This saying has its origin from Castillia in Spain. The local Castillians had a more light skin than the immigrants, who were were mostly moors and jews. Due to their light skin you could more easily see the veins through the skin. The expression locally was and is: sangre azul, which means blue blood.
Many Castillians at the time – at least the more known ones – were from the nobility. That is why the expression blue blood later has got the meaning it has today: people of royal or noble families.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A storm in a tea cup – where does that come from? And it means what?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Many women are only satisfied with their doctor, when they look badly in a fascinating way. This was said by the Swedish author and playwright August Strindberg. 2. Today’s quote: Unlimited power tends to make the minds of those people who have it corrupt. Who among today's people have said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1783: 1832: 1858: 1898: 1928:
Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle ) ( died 1842 ) Eduard Manet ( died 1883 ) Max Planck ( died 1947 ) Sergei Eisenstein ( died 1948 ) Jeanne Moreau
4. Famous people died on this day: 1803: 1806: 1944: 1989: 2005:
Arthur Guinness ( 78 years ) William Pitt ( 43 years ) Edvard Munch ( 81 years ) Salvador Dali ( 85 years ) Johnny Carson ( 80 years ) JANUARY 24
TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is TIMOTHEUS’ DAY. He was one of Paul’s friends and followers. He was born as the son of a Jewish mother and a pagan father, and he later became a Christian bishop in
Ephesus. At the end he was stoned to death in the year 97 AC, because he would not accept a festival for Dionysos. He was buried in Ephesus. About two hundred years later his body was transferred to Constantinople.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1984: The first Apple Macintosh computer is for sale.
TODAY’s QUESTION: A storm in a tea cup – where does that come from? And what does it mean? It is a very old Roman proverb. Cicero (106-43 BC) quoted it in this way: He started a storm in a small spoon! Later the French political philosopher Montesquieu (1689-1755) used the expression Une tempête dans un verre d’eau. Directly translated: A storm in a glass of water. He used it to describe political instability in the mini state San Marino. The expression was in English, of course, made to: a storm in a tea cup. The meaning of this expression was then and also today that something which perhaps gives the impression of being important is in reality of no real importance.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A bed of roses – what is the origin of that expression? And it means what?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Unlimited power tends to make the minds of those people who have it corrupt. This was once said by the British conservative politician William Pitt. 2. Today’s quote: A democracy is a state, where an open exchange of opinions does not end with a funeral. Who among the personalities below has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 76:
Emperor Hadrian ( died 138 )
1670: 1705: 1712: 1732: 1888: 1941:
William Congreve ( died 1729 ) Farinelli ( Carlo Broschi ) ( died 1789 ) Friederich der Grosse ( died 1786 ) Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais ( died 1799 ) Ernst Heinkel ( died 1958 ) Neil Diamond
4. Famous people died on this day: 41:
Emperor Caligula ( 29 years )
1895: Lord Randolph Churchill ( 45 years ) 1965: Winston Churchill ( 91 years )
JANUARY 25 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called PAUL’s CONVERSION DAY. The name comes from the Jewish Pharisee Saulus, who was persecuting the Christians very actively. He became blind, and when he later got his sight back again he converted to Christianity. After that he took the name Paul, which in Latin means “the small” or “the inferiour”. He became the missionary for the pagans. And later he was executed in Rome. TODAY’s EVENT: 2011: The Egyptian revolution starts. TODAY’s QUESTION: A bed of roses – where does that come from? And means what? This expression comes from the time of the decay of the Roman empire around the 3rd and 4th century AC. People did a lot of decadent things in that period. One of them was to have roses in masses all over the place – to live with lots of roses everywhere and at all times. The beds were often filled with leaves of roses. The floors were covered with roses. This habit was sometime continued in the Middle Ages at special occasions. So the expression a bed of roses still today means that you have a good life. A life without problems. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: To paint the town red – where does that come from? And means what?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A democracy is a state, where an open exchange of opinions does not end with a funeral. This is a typical quote from Winston Churchill. 2. Today’s quote: The ideal husband is – according to American women – a butler, who has the income of a director-general. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1759: 1874: 1882: 1928: 1942:
Robert Burns ( died 1796 ) William Somerset Maugham ( died 1965 ) Virginia Woolf ( died 1941 ) Eduard Shevardnadse ( died 2014 ) Eusebio (died 2014)
4. Famous people died on this day: 1559: King Christian 2. ( 78 years ) 1947: Al Capone ( 48 years ) 1990: Ava Gardner ( 68 years )
JANUARY 26 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called POLYCARPUS’ DAY. He was born about 69 AC and was one of the apostle John’s followers. He had not studied theology, but was rather a practical man and a very clever teacher. He became bishop in Smyrna ( today Izmir in Turkey ). And here he was condemned to death by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. When he 85 years old was burned on the bond fire in the year 155 AC the flames made a protection around him. The Roman soldier instead had to kill him with his sword. Polycarpus’ written material belongs to the oldest material, which still exists. He is considered a saint in the Roman Catholic church as well as in the Orthodox religion.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1993: Vaclav Havel is elected as president of the Czech Republic.
TODAY’s QUESTION: To paint the town red - what is the origin of that? And it means what? This expression comes from the US. Originally it comes from an Irish-American ballade, which says: the beacon hills were painted red. It referred to a tradition that the hills with the beacons were actually now and then painted red to signal that a big festival was about to start. There is also proof that the expression comes from the Missisippi river. The captain of an old steam ship had big difficulties in competition with the new steam ships. One day he said to his crew: Paint her red, boys! From then on his business was very good again. In German you talk about Rot anstreichen (to paint something red). It refers to the tradition that you make a red mark in your calendar/diary for days when some festivities are expected to happen. Nowadays the expression to paint the town red is – as you know – still used. It means you are going to have a great evening out. Normally without painting anywhere.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A red thread - where does that come from? And means what?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The ideal husband is – according to American women – a butler, who has the income of a director-general. This was once said by the British playwright Somerset Maugham. 2. Today’s quote: Age is not a question of years, but of the state of mind. Who said that? 3. Famous people born on this day:
1763: 1880: 1904: 1918: 1924: 1925: 1928: 1953:
Karl 14. Johan ( Jean Baptiste Bernadotte ) ( died 1844 ) Douglas MacArthur ( died 1964 ) Sean MacBride ( died 1988 ) Nicolae Ceaucescu ( died 1989 ) Alice Babs Paul Newman ( died 2008 ) Roger Vadim ( died 2000 ) Anders Fogh Rasmussen
4. Famous people died on this day: 1854: 1947: 1973: 1993: 2007:
Peter von Scholten ( 71 years ) Gerda Neumann ( 32 years ) Edward G. Robinson ( 80 years ) Robert Jacobsen ( 81 years ) Hans J. Wegener ( 93 years ) JANUARY 27
TODAY’s NAME: Today is called CHRYSOSTOMUS’ DAY. Why ? Because bishop John in Constantinopel living around year 400 AC was called Chrysostomos, which means “ Golden Mouth”. He was called so because of his excellent and very precise speeches about the bible. At the end he was sent away to a far away place and died in the year 407. TODAY’s EVENT: 1945: The German concentration camp Auschwitz is liberated by Soviet forces. TODAY’s QUESTION: A red thread – what’s the origin of that? And what does it mean? You say: A red thread goes through it! This is an expression which comes from the Royal British Navy. For centuries it had a serious problem about its ropes being stolen. And nobody could trace where it had gone. That is why they started to weave a red thread into all new ropes. This made it much easier to find the thieves and to bring the ropes back to the Navy. This method is still in use. And it has been further refined in the sense that each Navy base has its own colour of the thread. The same method was used by the Danish Navy until 1900. The expression a red thread through something means today that things are coherent. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Horsetrading – what is the background of that expression? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :
1. Yesterday’s quote: Age is not a question of years, but of the state of mind. This was once said by the American general Douglas MacArthur. 2. Today’s quote: I do not know any parties any more. I only know Germans. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1756: 1859: 1891: 1934: 1947:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( died 1791 ) Emperor Wilhelm II ( died 1941 ) Ilja Ehrenburg ( died 1967 ) Edith Cresson Björn Afzelius ( died 1999 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1814: 1901: 1972: 2006:
J.G. Fichte ( 51 years ) Giuseppe Verdi ( 88 years ) Mahalia Jackson ( 61 years ) Johannes Rau ( 75 years ) JANUARY 28
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called CHARLEMAGNE’s DAY. It has its name from the German-Roman emperor Charles the Great / Charlemagne, who died on this day in the year 814 AC in Aachen. This was his city of residence. He was the ruler over the Germanic and the Frankian empire. In a way he managed to unite Europe after the total collapse of the Roman empire as is therefore often considered to the father of Europe. He has given his name to the so-called Charlemagne Prize ( Karls Preis ), which each year is given in Aachen to a prominent European. The Charlemagne Prize is in 2014 given to Mr. Herman van Rompuy, president of the European Council. In 2012 it was given to the German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble. In 1966 the then Danish prime minister Jens Otto Krag receive the prize. Bill Clinton has also received it. See more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne_Prize
A special Youth Charlemagne Prize has also been started. It is given to a young person between 16 and 30 years, who has done something special for the understanding and cooperation between Europeans. Charlemagne became a saint in 1165. TODAY’s EVENT: 1985: The song “We are the World” was recorded by 45 well-known American singers as support to Africa. TODAY’s QUESTION: Horsetrading – what is the background of that expression? And what does it mean? The original word horse-trading came from the big horse markets in the Middle ages. In other countries the same expression is referring to cows (Germany) or bullocks (Denmark). Why? Because there were bigger markets in those countries for cows and bullocks than for horses. In all these markets the trading often took the form of farmers (or more often professional animal traders) discussed – often in a very lively way – the price and at the end made the deal by slamming their right hands together. This was the deal. Nowadays the expression horse trading is in particular used about political negotiations. It refers to talks where each part often has to reduce its ideological or other demands in order to get a political deal. Among voters political horse trading is often seen as negative. But in reality it is a necessary and important part of politics in order to get results at the end. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Potëmkin wings – what is that? And what does it mean today? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I do not know any parties any more. I only know Germans. This was said by the German emperor Wilhelm II. 2. Today’s quote: Those people who always let their children do what they want have misunderstood the concept of freedom completely. It is simply wrong to say to your kids: You can do what you like. Who among today's personalities has said that?
3. Famous people born on this day: 1768: King Frederick VI ( died 1839 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 814: Charlemagne ( 72 years ) 1754: Ludvig Holberg ( 69 years) 2002: Astrid Lindgren ( 94 years ) JANUARY 29 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is VALERIUS’ DAY. It has its name from bishop Valerius in Trier. According to the legend he was sent there by Saint Peter to make the Franconians Christians. He died in the 3rd century AC. TODAY’s EVENT: 1886: The German Karl Benz gets the patent for his three-wheeled “selfdriving carriage”, the world’s first car. Its name is “Motorwagen”. Its speed was 13-16 km per hour. TODAY’s QUESTION: Potëmkin Wings – where does that come from? And what does it mean? This expression comes from Russia in the 18th century. Tsarina Catherine the Great (172996) had a governor-general in the south of Russia called Grigorij Potëmkin. He lived in the years 1739-91. He was a dynamic officer, who was very interested in many things, including women (also the tsarina). When he in 1787 had to show Catherine around in his part of the country he contructed a range of artificial villages to give her the best possible impression. All houses looked nice and attractive from the street side. And they were filled with people, who looked very healthy and happy. The Tsarina should get the impression that his region developed very positively under his leadership. But behind the front walls everything was like before: depressing and underdeveloped. When you today talk about Potëmkin Wings you refer to the fact that things are not always as they pretend to be at first sight. The “decorated reality” does not correspond to the real reality. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A Muse - what is that? And what’s its meaning today?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Those people who always let their children do what they want have misunderstood the concept of freedom completely. It is simply wrong to say to your kids: You can do what you like. This was once said by the Swedish author of childrens' book - and mother of two – Astrid Lindgren. 2. Today’s quote: Poetry is what goes lost in translation. Who of today's persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1749: King Christian VII ( died 1808 ) 1860: Anton Chekhov ( died 1904 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1906: King Christian IX ( 88 years ) 1955: Hans Hedtoft ( 51 years ) 1963: Robert Frost ( 88 years )
JANUARY 30 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called ADELGUNDE’s DAY. She was a French princess who refused to marry a guy she was supposed to marry. She ran away and was hiding as a hermit. Later she founded a monastery in Maubeuge in the north of France. She died here in the year 684 AC. TODAY’s EVENT: 1847: The city Yerba Buena in California gets a new name: San Francisco.
TODAY’s QUESTION: A muse – what is that? And what does it mean? This is a word from Greek mythology. They were the inspiration for the Gods for innovations and discoveries in literature, science and arts. They were the source of knowledge. There were 9 muses. They were all daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Each of them looked after a special field: Clio: Thalia: Erato: Euterpe: Polyhymnia: Calliope: Terpsichore: Urania:
history comedy poetry of love song hymns epic poetry dance astronomy
Nowadays, you still see the connection between some of these names and a number of words linked to the 9 special fields. And today you also use the expression: a man’s muses. This means that there are women behind him to inspire and encourage him.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Gordian knot – what’s the origin? And what does the expression mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I do not know any parties any more. I only know Germans. This was said by the German emperor Wilhelm II. 2. Today’s quote: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself! Who among this day’s persons said that?
3. Famous people born on this day: 1882: 1927: 1930: 1937: 1937: 1941:
Franklin D. Roosevelt ( died 1945 ) Olof Palme ( died 1986 ) Gene Hackman Vanessa Redgrave Boris Spasskij Dick Cheney
4. Famous people died on this day: 1649: King Charles I ( 49 years ) 1928: Johannes Fibiger ( 60 years ) 1948: Mahatma Gandhi ( 79 years ) JANUARY 31 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is VIGILIUS’ DAY. He was a bishop in Trient ( now Trentino ) in the Dolomites in the north of Italy. He is known for building many churches and also for an energetic fight against all the Roman gods. The legend tells that once he turned over a statue for the Roman god for harvest, Saturnus, just with his prayers. This made people kill him. It happened in 405 AC. TODAY’s EVENT: 1943: The German troops under field marshal Paulus in Stalingrad surrender to the Russians. TODAY’s QUESTION: A Gordian Knot – where does that come from? And means what? This expression comes from Apollon’s Oracle in Delphi – the centre of the world in ancient Greece. The Oracle had predicted that the person who could undo a knot on the harness on a pole of a wagon in the temple of Zeus in Gordion would become the ruler of the world. Then came Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and solved the problem by cutting the knot with his sword. And he actually became the ruler of the known world at the time. Today, the expression to untie the Gordian knot means that you solve a problem, which seems unsolvable. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Are you armed? Or are you just happy to see me? – where does that expression come from?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself! This was once said by the American democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt 2. Today’s quote: The key idea in art is that people should not have what they like. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1686: 1797: 1902: 1920: 1938:
Hans Egede ( died 1758 ) Franz Schubert ( died 1828 ) Alva Myrdal ( died 1986 ) Nat Russell ( died 1990 ) Queen Beatrix
4. Famous people died on this day: 1606: Guy Fawkes ( 36 years ) 1967: Poul Henningsen ( ”PH” ) ( 73 years ) 1976: Evert Taube ( 86 years )
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen kimbrer@gmail.com www.niels-jorgen-thogersen.dk