March and all its 31 days by Niels Jorgen Thogersen

NIELS JØRGEN THØGERSEN

MARCH And all its 31 days Niels Jørgen Thøgersen The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars. In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year. In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor. A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month: • • • • •

A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer Swallows in March mean a warm summer March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

See more about the names of the 12 months: http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html MARCH 1 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name in ALBINUS DAY. He was a bishop in Angers in France. He could wake up the dead and make blind people see again. He died around 550, and already in 556 a Christian church was named after him. TODAY’s EVENT: 1872: The Yellowstone Park in the US was established.

TODAY’s QUESTION: March – where does the name of that month come from? And what is linked to it? The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars. In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year. In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor. A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month: • • • • •

See more about the names of the 12 months: http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Feather in one’s cap – where does that come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Politics is the will to act. This was said by the former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. 2. Today’s quote: Discussions with a lovely woman is the worst waste of time I can imagine. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1810: 1904: 1910: 1922: 1927:

Fréderic Chopin ( died 1849 ) Glenn Miller ( died 1944 ) David Niven ( died 1983 ) Yitzhak Rabin ( died 1995 ) Harry Belafonte

4. Famous people died on this day: 1875: Tristan Corbière ( 30 years ) 1911: Jacobus Henricus vant Hoff ( 58 years ) 1938: Gabriele d’Annunzio ( 75 years )

MARCH 2 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is SIMPLICIUS’ DAY. He was pope in Rome in the years 468 – 483. He was in particular interested in the Eastern regions of the Roman empire.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1969: The first test flight with the Concorde plane took place in Toulouse, France. TODAY’s QUESTION: 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: Goulash barons – what is the history behind that expression? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Discussions with a lovely woman is the worst waste of time I can imagine.

This was once said by the British actor David Niven. 2. Today’s quote: When I wish I were rich, then I know that I am not quite healthy. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1824: 1842: 1900: 1931: 1942: 1950:

Bedrich Smetana ( died 1884 ) Carl Jacobsen ( died 1914 ) Kurt Weill ( died 1950 ) Mikhail Gorbatjov John Irving Karen Carpenter ( died 1983 )

4. Famous people died on this day: 1930: D.H. Lawrence ( 45 years ) 1999: Dusty Springfield ( 60 years )

MARCH 3 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is KUNIGUNDE’s DAY. She was married to the German-Roman emperor Heinrich II ( 973 – 1014 ). Just before he died she assured the emperor that she was so pious that she had lived her whole life as untouched virgin. And to prove it she walked with her bare feet on red-hot iron without getting hurt. The name Kunigunde comes from the old Germanic word KUONI, which means brave. And the Germanic word GUND means war. In her life Kunigunde according to the legend made a lot of miracles. One was to turn off a fire by making the sign of a cross. Kunigunde died in 1033. And she was later made a saint by the Catholic church. TODAY’s EVENT: 2002: The voters in Switzerland decided that the country should become a member of the United Nations. TODAY’s QUESTION: Goulash barons – what is the history behind that expression?

During World War I the German troops were most of the time eating canned food, especially goulash in many forms. The soldiers called their kitchens in the field Gullasch-Kanonen! A large part of it was imported from neutral countries, including Denmark. And its quality was often very poor. And in those countries many people became very rich very quickly because of that export. Many of them were boasting with their money. So the word Goulash Barons is pretty negative. It was in many ways be compared with today’s Nouveaux Riches from Russia and China. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Horse trading – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: When I wish I were rich, then I know that I am not quite healthy. This was said by the British author D.H. Lawrence. 2. Today’s quote: Most men choose their wife in a light, which they would never dream of using when they select a suit. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1847: 1911: 1914: 1926: 1930:

Alexander Graham Bell ( died 1922 ) Jean Harlow ( died 1937 ) Asger Jorn ( Asger Oluf Jørgensen ) ( died 1973 ) Lys Assia ( Rosa Mina Schärer ) Ion Iliescu

4. Famous people died on this day: 1983: Hergé ( Georges Prosper Remi ) ( 76 years ) 1987: Danny Kaye ( David Daniel Kaminski ) ( 74 years ) 1996: Marguerite Duras ( 81 years ) 2009: Flemming Flindt ( 72 years )

MARCH 4 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is ADRIANUS’ DAY. He was a Roman soldier, who lived in Nicomedia ( in today’s Turkey ). By seeing how the Christians coped with their torture and sufferings in Roman custody he became a Christian himself. For that reason he was himself tortured and killed around year 300. Adrianus is the patron for the prison guards and the postmen. TODAY’s EVENT: 1950: Walt Disney’s cartoon film Cinderella was presented publicly for the first time. TODAY’s QUESTION: Horse trading – where does that expression come from? 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 ofter 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: Irene – where does that name come from ? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Most men choose their wife in a light, which they would never dream of using when they select a suit. This was once said by the American actor Danny Kaye. 2. Today’s quote: The man governs the world. And the woman governs the man. What more can she ask for?

Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1394: 1678: 1928: 1932: 1935: 1951:

Henry the Navigator ( died 1460 ) Antonio Vivaldi ( died 1741 ) Alan Sillitoe ( died 2010 ) Miriam Makeba ( died 2008 ) Bent Larsen ( died 2010 ) Kenny Dalglish

4. Famous people died on this day: 1852: Nikolai Gogol ( 43 years ) 1946: Bror von Blixen-Finecke ( 60 years ) 1948: Antonin Artaud ( 52 years )

MARCH 5 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called THEOFILUS DAY. He was a bishop in Caeserea – which was a place at the coast in present day Israel between Tel Aviv and Haifa. While he was a bishop he was involved in deciding that Easter Day should be on a Sunday. He died around 200 AC. Now and then the name also refers to another Theofilus, who made an agreement with the devil. He succeeded, however, according to the legend, to get out of the agreement again after he had seen Virgin Mary. TODAY’s EVENT: 1918: Moscow becomes the Russian capital instead of Petrograd. TODAY’s QUESTION: Irene – where does that name come from ? And what does it mean? This name comes from the pious Irene, who lived in Saloniki (in present day Greece) in the beginning of the 4th century. She was a Christian. Therefore, she was like other Christians persecuted by the Roman emperor Diocletian. And when the Roman soldiers discovered that she had Christian books and did not want to give up her faith she was together with her two sisters Agape and Chionia and all the books put on the fire in Saloniki in 304. Before that they were taken naked to a local brothel. But nobody touched them. The name Irene comes from Greek and means Peace.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Keelhauling – what is it? And what was it used for? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The man governs the world. And the woman governs the man. What more can she ask for? This was said by the Russian author Nikolai Gogol. 2. Today’s quote: A Dane is like a bottle of ketchup: in the beginning nothing comes out – and then at the end everything comes in one go. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1774: 1871: 1898: 1908: 1918 : 1942:

Ernst Friedrich Weyse ( died 1842 ) Rosa Luxemburg ( died 1919 ) Zhou Enlai ( died 1976 ) Rex Harrison ( died 1990 ) James Tobin ( died 2002 ) Felipe Gonzales

4. Famous people died on this day: 1827: Alessandro Volta ( 77 years ) 1953: Joseph Stalin ( 74 years ) 1961: Kjeld Abell ( 59 years ) 1963: Patsy Cline ( 30 years ) 1966: Anna Ahmatova ( 77 years )

MARCH 6 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called GOTTFRIED’s DAY. He was a cardinal in Rome around 1100. The day was in the old days one of the four socalled Tamper Days. In the Catholic church it was a fast day in the beginning of each quarter of the year. On a Tamper Day

you could predict the weather until the next Tamper Day in three months. In Denmark you had a special Tamper Court. It worked only those four days a year. And it handled all cases on marriage disputes. TODAY’s EVENT: 1512: Michelangelo finishes his decorations of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. TODAY’s QUESTION: Keelhauling – what is it? And what was it used for? This is the name of an old maritime punishment, which was used in many countries from the Middle Ages until around 1800. The guy who had to be punished had his hands and his feed tied, got a rope around his waist and was pulled from one side of the ship under the keel and up on the other side of the ship. It was in no way fun. Either he drowned because the rope was pulled very slowly. Or his skin was totally torn into pieces by all the sharp shells which were always attached to the ships buttom. Or both. Fortunately, the rules in human rights made an end to that sort of misbehavior from the side of the skippers! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Ottomans – what is the history ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A Dane is like a bottle of ketchup: in the beginning nothing comes out – and then at the end everything comes in one go. This was said by the Danish dramatist Kjeld Abell. 2. Today’s quote: Women are beyond any doubt the best we have of that sort! Who said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1475: 1619: 1844: 1858: 1870: 1917: 1944:

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni ( died 1564 ) Cyrano de Bergerac ( died 1655 ) Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov ( died 1908 ) Gustav Wied ( died 1914 ) Oscar Straus ( died 1954 ) Will Eisner ( died 2005 ) Kiri Te Kanawa

4. Famous people died on this day: 1842: Constanze Mozart ( 79 years ) 1932: John Philip Sousa ( 78 years ) 1973: Pearl S. Buck ( 81 years ) 1984: Martin Niemöller ( 92 years ) 1994: Melina Mercouri ( 74 years )

MARCH 7 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called PERPETUAS DAY or PERPETUS DAY. Perpetuas was a Christian woman, who together with her girl friend Felicia was condemned to death in 203 AC. She had according to the legend already earlier been dreaming of her fate and had seen herself walking up to heaven on a ladder. The two women were thrown in front of the lions by the Roman soldiers. But they survived the tough treatment by the animals. Then they were killed with knives. And later they were made saints by the Catholic church. TODAY’s EVENT: 1926: The first successful telephone conversation between London and New York takes place. TODAY’s QUESTION: Ottomans – what is the history ? The Ottomans were the population of the huge Ottoman empire created in 1299 by Osman I – an empire which lasted more than 600 years. It was dissolved in 1922. It covered present day Turkey, large parts of Central Asia, the Balkans in Europe, and most of the Middle East and North Africa. Its peak was in the 16th century following its conquest of Constantinople in 1483. The Ottoman Empire was ruled by a Sultan with his seat in Constantinople/Istanbul. The empire was to a large degree built upon slavery – all the way up to 1908. They were Eunuks, harem women, Janishars and normal slaves. In the 19th century about a quarter of the population in Istanbul were slaves. They were primarily taken from Christian areas, and many were sold to the Arabs. The last part of the Ottoman Empire was split up in smaller countries after World War I, as the Ottomans had fought with the Germans – and lost. The piece of furniture called an Ottoman is a special sofa without armrest and back. It was brought to Europe in the 18th century by the Ottomans.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The place where the pepper grows - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Women are beyond any doubt the best we have of that sort! This was once said by the Danish author and humourist Gustav Wied. 2. Today’s quote: Many people are often not really of the same age as themselves. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1788: 1850: 1875: 1940:

Antoine César Becquerel ( died 1878 ) Thomas Masaryk ( died 1937 ) Maurice Ravel ( died 1937 ) Rudi Dutschke ( died 1979 )

4. Famous people died on this day: 322 BC: 161:

Aristotle ( 62 years )

Antonius Pius ( 75 years )

1274: Thomas Aquinas ( 50 years ) 1976: Tove Ditlevsen ( 58 years ) 1999: Stanley Kubrick ( 70 years )

MARCH 8 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called BEATE’s DAY or BEATA’s DAY. The origin of the name of the day is not known. It is probably the name of a Christian woman, who was killed by the Romans because of her faith. The name Beata itself comes from the Latin name Beatus, which means happy or blessed. Other forms of the name is Beatrix and Beatrice. TODAY’s EVENT: 1910: The International Womens’ Day is decided at a socialist congress in Copenhagen.

TODAY’s QUESTION: The place where the pepper grows - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? To be sent to the place where the pepper is growing is a very old expression, which originally comes from France. They had – and still have – an area in the north of South America called Guyane. It has always had a very tough and unpleasant tropical climate, where nobody wanted to go. At the same time a lot of pepper is growing in the area. The name Cayenne pepper is very well known. During and after the French revolution from 1789 prisoners were sent to Guyane to terrible conditions. So the threat to be sent to the place where the pepper grows comes from that habit. Today the expression is used in an indirect sense. If anybody tells you that he or she wants to send you there it is probably not one of your best friends. Or at least not any longer! QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Potëmkin wings – what is the background? And what does the expression mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Many people are often not really of the same age as themselves. This was said by the Danish author Tove Ditlevsen. 2. Today’s quote: As none of today’s persons has left unforgettable quotes you get one more from Tove Ditlevsen: “Hygge” (cosiness) is what you feel when you are in peace with yourself, with your husband, with the tax authorities and with your internal organs. 3. Famous people born on this day: 1879: 1907: 1930: 1943:

Otto Hahn ( died 1968 ) Konstantinos Karamanlis ( died 1998 ) Douglas Hurd Lynn Redgrave (died 2010)

4. Famous people died on this day: 1844: Karl 14. Johan ( Jean Baptiste Bernadotte ) ( 81 years ) 1869: Hector Berlioz ( 65 years )

1917: Ferdinand von Zeppelin ( 79 years ) 1930: William Taft ( 73 years )

MARCH 9 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called THE DAY OF 40 KNIGHTS. It refers to 40 soldiers in the army of the Roman emperor Licinius ( 308-23 ). They had taken the Christian faith. Therefore, they were put naked on an ice floe. But when they still survived they were instead killed by burning. TODAY’s EVENT: 1956: Archbishop Makarios was deported from Cyprus to the Seychelles by the British. TODAY’s QUESTION: Potëmkin wings – what is the background? And what does the expression mean? This expression comes from Russia in the 18th century. Tsarina Catherine the Great (1729-96) 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: Hocus-pocus – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: “Hygge” (cosiness) is what you feel when you are in peace with yourself, with your husband, with the tax authorities and with your internal organs. This was said by the Danish author Tove Ditlevsen. 2. Today’s quote:

You fight bureaucrats best by following their regulations. Who among today’s people has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1454: 1890: 1934: 1938: 1943: 1954:

Amerigo Vespucci ( died 1512 ) Vjateslav Molotov ( died 1986 ) Jurij Gagarin ( died 1968 ) Lill-Babs ( Barbro Margareta Svensson ) Bobby Fischer ( died 2008 ) Bobby Sands ( died 1981 )

4. Famous people died on this day: 1661: Jules Mazarin ( 59 years ) 1851: H.C. Ørsted ( 73 years ) 1888: Wilhelm I ( 91 years ) 1992: Menachim Begin ( 78 years ) 1993: Cyril Northcote Parkinson ( 84 years )

MARCH 10 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is EDEL’s DAY. It probably has it from the English saint Ethelreda, who worked as an abbess around 630 AC.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1910: The first Hollywood film is presented. It is called “In Old California”. TODAY’s QUESTION: Hocus-pocus – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? 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: Pandora’s Box – what is the history of that expression? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: You fight bureaucrats best by following their regulations. This was said by the British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson. 2. Today’s quote: May your God be with you! This was always the last words by one of today’s personalities. Who? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1845: Zar Alexander III ( died 1894 ) 1936: Sepp Blatter 1957: Osama bin Laden ( died 2011 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1900: J.P.E. Hartmann ( 95 years ) 1948: Jan Masaryk ( 62 years ) 1988: Andy Gibb ( 30 years ) 2005: Dave Allen ( 69 years )

MARCH 11 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is THALA’s DAY. She was a young Christian virgin, who was imprisoned due to her faith by the Roman emperor Diocletian. But as the torture did not seem to harm her, she was released. After she continued to preach Christianity she was caught again and this time crucified. It happened around 300 AC. TODAY’s EVENT: 1985: Michail Gorbatjov is elected secretary-general of the Soviet Communist Party. TODAY’s QUESTION: Pandora’s Box – what is the history 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: Marianne – she is a symbol for a country. Which one? And why? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: May your God be with you! This was the last words in all one-man-shows by the Irish comedian Dave Allen. 2. Today’s quote: The freedom of expression is in danger, when a newspaper is so busy in promoting its own points of view that it does not loyally present that of others. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1899: 1916: 1952: 1976:

King Frederik IX. ( died 1972 ) Harold Wilson ( died 1995 ) Douglas Noël Adams ( died 2001 ) Thomas Gravesen

4. Famous people died on this day: 1955: Alexander Fleming ( 74 years ) 1958: Ole Kirk Christiansen ( 67 years ) (founder of LEGO) 2002: Erhard Jakobsen ( 85 years ) 2006: Slobodan Milosovic ( 65 years )

MARCH 12 TODAY’s NAME: This is GREGORIUS’ DAY. He was pope during the years 590-604. Originally he was a Roman governor. But he decided to become a Christian monk. Following several further appointments he ended up – against his own will – to become a bishop. It was Gregorius, who introduced the concept of purgatory. He is also one of the four so-called church fathers. The others are: Antonius, Augustinus and Hieronymus. TODAY’s EVENT: 1947: US president Harry S. Truman presents the so-called Truman Doctrine, which aims at protecting the West against the communist countries and movements. TODAY’s QUESTION: Marianne – she is a symbol for a country. Which one? And why? This name is used about France. It was started by the revolutionaries during the French revolution. It is mentioned for the first time in 1792. It symbolizes the republic – in contrast to the then very male dominated French monarchy. And it stands for liberty and reason. The name is made from the two most common female names in France at that time: Marie (Mary) and Anne. The name Marianne is today still used by all French authorities. It has its own special logo:

It is also the Marianne figure and its meaning, which inspired France’s gift to the United States in 1886: The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Noah’s Ark – What is the background of that expression? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The freedom of expression is in danger, when a newspaper is so busy in promoting its own points of view that it does not loyally present that of others.

This was said by the Danish politician Erhard Jakobsen. 2. Today’s quote: What a Christian is doing is his own matter. What a Jew is doing falls back on all Jews. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1863: 1890: 1942: 1946:

Gabriele d’Annunzio ( died 1938 ) Evert Taube ( died 1976 ) Ratko Mladic Liza Minelli

4. Famous people died on this day: 604:

Gregor I ( 64 years )

1925: Sun Yat-sen ( 59 years ) 1945: Anne Frank ( 16 years ) 1999: Yehudi Menuhin ( 73 years )

MARCH 13 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called MACEDONIUS DAY. He was a bishop in Constantinople in the middle of the 4th century. He was condemned to death, because he overturned a nonChristian idol statue in a temple. He was very tough. While he was placed on the grill over open fire he asked to be turned around so that he could also be grilled on the other side. In the church he held the heretical point of view that the Holy Spirit cannot be viewed at the same level as the Father and the Son. TODAY’s EVENT: 1991: The Peoples’ Congress of the Soviet Union decides that the one-party system is abolished. TODAY’s QUESTION: Noah’s Ark – What is the background of that expression? This is from Noah in The old Testament. He was the constructor of the ARK, which he used to rescue his family, two pairs of all animals and a vine  from the Flood.

Historically it is likely that the Flood actually happened in pre-historic times, when the Mediterranean Sea broke though the Bosphorus into the Black Sea. The Mediterranean was until then about 8 meters higher, so it is evident that the break-through was an enormous disaster. The legend tells that Noah landed his Ark on the mountain Ararat. It lies at the eastern side of the present day Black Sea. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The Neandertal Men - What is the background and the history? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: What a Christian is doing is his own matter. What a Jew is doing falls back on all Jews. This was said by the Jewish girl Anne Frank, who died 16 year old in a German concentration camp in 1945. 2. Today’s quote: Import is good, because this is something you get. Export is bad, because this is something you lose. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1860: 1884: 1895: 1939:

Hugo Wolf ( died 1903 ) Hugh Walpole ( died 1941 ) Viggo Starcke ( died 1974 ) Neil Sedaka

4. Famous people died on this day: 1808: 1838: 1881: 1979: 1996:

King Christian VII ( 59 years ) Søren Kierkegaard ( 43 years ) Zar Alexander II ( 63 years ) Per Hækkerup ( 64 years ) Krzysztof Kieslowski ( 55 years )

MARCH 14 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is EUTYCHIUS’ DAY. He was a Christian, who lived in Mesopotamia ( today’s Iraq ) in the 8th century. He was killed in 741 by the Arab king Isam because of his faith.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1928: Sergei Eisenstein’s film “October: 10 Days which were shaking the world” was shown publicly for the first time in Moscow. TODAY’s QUESTION: The Neandertal Men - What is the background and the history? Just 12 km to the east of Düsseldorf you can visit your very old ancestor, the Neandertal Man. He is more than 60.000 years old. The village is called Mettmann and is very close to the motorway (Autobahn) from Wuppertal to Düsseldorf). The valley is called Neandertal – created by the small river Düssel. It was named after the German writer and painter Joachim Neander (1650-80), who loved to come to this valley. It was here that some workers in 1859 found human bones, which were examined by specialists. They came from human beings who lived there about 60.000 years go. They got the name the Neandertal Men. Afterwards the place where they were found was forgotten. And it was rediscovered only about 50 years ago. Now you can visit a very interesting Neandertal Museum in the village. It illustrates in a very lively way the development of mankind over thousands, even millions, of years. And the explanations are in German as well as in English. See more here: http://www.neanderthal.de/en/ QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Google – where does that word come from ? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Import is good, because this is something you get. Export is bad, because this is something you lose. This was once said by the Danish politician and once minister Viggo Starcke. 2. Today’s quote: I never think about the future. It can come early enough! Who among this day’s persons has said that?

3. Famous people born on this day: 1681: 1804: 1868: 1879: 1933: 1933: 1953:

Georg Philipp Telemann ( died 1767 ) Johann Strauss ( the older ) ( died 1849 ) Maxim Gorkij ( died 1936 ) Albert Einstein ( died 1955 ) Michael Caine Quincy Jones Lars Lilholt

4. Famous people died on this day: 1883: Karl Marx ( 65 years ) 1932: George Eastman ( 78 years ) 1975: Susan Hayward ( 58 years )

MARCH 15 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is ZACHARIAS’ DAY. He was the 91st pope and reigned in the period 741-52. He was a Greek from Calabria ( which is now the south of Italy ), and he was a very energetic administrator of as well the army as the government in Rome. He died on March 15, 752. TODAY’s EVENT: 1493: Christopher Columbus comes back to Spain from his voyage of discovery to India ( which happened to be America ). TODAY’s QUESTION: Google – where does that word come from ? It comes from the word googol. It is a huge figure: a 1 followed by one hundred zeros. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: To go to Canossa - what is the history behind that expression? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I never think about the future. It can come early enough! This was said by the German – Swiss – American physicist Albert Einstein.

2. Today’s quote: I love treason, but I hate traitors. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1767: 1907: 1953: 1957:

Andrew Jackson ( died 1845 ) Zarah Leander ( died 1981 ) Mike Oldfield Thomas Eje

4. Famous people died on this day: 44 f.Kr.: Julius Gajus Caesar ( 56 years ) 1943: Betty Nansen ( 70 years ) 1959: Lester Young ( 50 years ) 1975: Aristotle Onassis ( 75 years ) 1983: Rebecca West ( 92 years )

MARCH 16 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called GUDMUND’s DAY. Gudmund was an Icelandic catholic bishop, who lived in the years 1161-1237. His full name was: Gudmund Arason. As he was born outside marriage he needed the pope’s permission to become priest. He was in particular in his preaches insisting on the beauty of poverty. He thought that the church was wrong in looking for wealth. Due to this attitude he is often compared to Thomas Beckett. TODAY’s EVENT: 1946: On this day the last Soviet troops left the Danish island of Bornholm after ten months of occupation. TODAY’s QUESTION: To go to Canossa - what is the history behind that expression? The background is the German emperor Heinrich IV’s fight with pope Gregor 7. Heinrich governed in the years 1056-1106. When the emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1076 fired the pope it started a very serious conflict. The pope excommunicated the emperor. A year later Heinrich decided to make an end to the fight by walking barefooted all the way to the pope’s castle in Canossa south of Parma in northern Italy.

Here he had to wait for 3 days in winterly weather in the courtyard of the castle, before the pope forgived him. The expression to go to Canossa became very much known much later, when the German chancellor Bismarck started a serious fight with the Catholic church in the 1870ies. We will never go to Canossa, Bismarck stated at several occasions. But through negotiations the conflict was brought to an end. And many asked themselves afterwards, if Bismarck in reality went to Canossa to finalise the conflict. Today the term to go to Canossa means that you give totally in in a conflict. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The Gold Horns – what is the history behind them? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I love treason – but I hate traitors! This was once said by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. 2. Today’s quote: Peace is for the country what health is for the body. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1751: 1789: 1911: 1920: 1926: 1959:

James Madison ( died 1836 ) Georg Simon Ohm ( died 1854 ) Josef Mengele ( died 1979 ) Jørgen Nash ( died 2004 ) Jerry Lewis Jens Stoltenberg

4. Famous people died on this day: 37: 1698: 1940: 1987:

Tiberius ( 79 years ) Leonora Christina Ulfeldt ( 76 years ) Selma Lagerlöf ( 82 years ) Johan Otto von Spreckelsen ( 58 years )

MARCH 17 TODAY’s NAME: This day has two names – depending in which country you are in.

GERTRUD’s DAY is its name in most European countries. She was a Belgian abbess, who died on this day in 659. She was the helper to dead people on their first night on their way to the purgatory. Saint Gertrud is the patron for travellers. Earlier you saw small chapels with figures of wood to her honour at crossroads. When the paint and the gilt had peeled off you said that “the gilt is off the gingerbread”. In Ireland this day is called SAINT PATRICK’s DAY. He was the country’s first bishop. The day of his death is said to be this day in 461. The day is celebrated by Irish people all over the world, and it is also Ireland’s national day. TODAY’s EVENT: 1948: The Brussels Treaty creating the Western Union is signed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom. It is the forerunner for NATO. TODAY’s QUESTION: To go to Canossa - what is the history behind that expression?

The background is the German emperor Heinrich IV’s fight with pope Gregor 7. Heinrich governed in the years 1056-1106. When the emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1076 fired the pope it started a very serious conflict. The pope excommunicated the emperor. A year later Heinrich decided to make an end to the fight by walking barefooted all the way to the pope’s castle in Canossa south of Parma in northern Italy. Here he had to wait for 3 days in winterly weather in the courtyard of the castle, before the pope forgived him. The expression to go to Canossa became very much known much later, when the German chancellor Bismarck started a serious fight with the Catholic church in the 1870ies. We will never go to Canossa, Bismarck stated at several occasions. But through negotiations the conflict was brought to an end. And many asked themselves afterwards, if Bismarck in reality went to Canossa to finalise the conflict. Today the term to go to Canossa means that you give totally in in a conflict. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A red thread – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Peace is to a country what good health is to a body. Shis was said by the Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf.

2. Today’s quote: A passion for dance in an unintelligent body – it must be hell. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1733: Carsten Niebuhr (died 1815) 1919: Nat King Cole (died 1965) 1938: Rudolf Nurejev (died 1993) 4. Famous people died on this day: 461:

Maewyn Succat ( ”Saint Patrick” ) (74 years)

1781: Johannes Evald (37 years)

MARCH 18 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called ALEXANDER’s DAY. He was a bishop in Jerusalem until 250 AC. Strangely enough he avoided the persecutions under emperor Septimus Sevirus. But later under emperor Decius he was thrown in front of the lions. They would not touch him. He died a natural death in 250.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1962: The independence war in Algeria finishes with a peace agreement between FLN and France.

TODAY’s QUESTION: A red thread – where does that expression come from? 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: Saint Patrick’s Day – what is the history behind it? And what is it today?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :

1. Yesterday’s quote: A passion for dance in an unintelligent body – it must be hell. It was said by the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nurejev.

2. Today’s quote: It takes two to make peace, while one alone can start a war. Who among today’s persons said that?

3. Famous people born on this day: 1844: 1858: 1869: 1918: 1946: 1956:

Nikolaj Rimski-Korsakov ( died 1908 ) Rudolf Diesel ( died 1913 ) Neville Chamberlain ( died 1940 ) Fidel Ramos Svend Pri ( died 1983 ) Ingemar Stenmark

4. Famous people died on this day: 1584: Ivan the Terrible ( 54 years ) 1913: August Bebel ( 73 years ) 1965: King Farouk ( 45 years ) 1973: Lauritz Melchior ( 83 years )

ON: MARCH 19 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is JOSEPH’s DAY. It has its name from Joseph – the husband of Virgin Mary. Stepfather of Jesus. He was a carpenter in Nazareth. And he is today the patron for carpenters. TODAY’s EVENT: 1945: The Nero command: Hitler orders the destruction of industry, infrastructure, etc. inside Germany. TODAY’s QUESTION: Saint Patrick’s Day – what is the history behind it? And what is it today? It is March 17, and it is Ireland’s national day. Why? Because it has its name from the country’s first bishop Saint Patrick, who died 76 years old on that day in 461 AC. He

was born in Roman England andcame to Ireland to introduce Christianity. The legend tells that he used the 3-leaved shamrock to explain the holy trinity to the Irish pagans.

This green shamrock is carried by all Irish, in particular on Saint Patrick’s Day. And it is also the reason why Iremand and the Irish often are linked to the colour green. The day is celebrated by the Irish all over the world. And it is the only national day in a country outside the US which every year is celebrated by a big reception in the White House in Washington – and with most Irish top politicians as guests of honour. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Tycho Brahe days - what is that? And from where does this expression come? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: It takes two to make peace, while one alone can start a war. This was said by the British conservative prime minister Neville Chamberlain. 2. Today’s quote: Knowledge about human nature is at least as important for the business man as any other knowledge from school. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1813: 1829: 1848: 1905: 1906: 1937: 1947: 1955:

David Livingstone ( died 1873 ) C.F. Tietgen ( died 1901 ) Wyatt Earp ( died 1929 ) Albert Speer ( died 1981 ) Adolf Eichmann ( died 1962 ) Egon Krenz Glenn Close Bruce Willis

4. Famous people died on this day: 1930: Arthur Balfour ( 82 years ) 1950: Edgar Rice Burroughs ( 75 years )

MARCH 20 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called CORDIUS’ DAY. Cordius was an officer in the Roman emperor Diocletian’s army around 300 AC. He became a Christian and lived for many years as hermit in the desert. He returned to the city of Caesarea, where he declared his faith. Then he was arrested and tortured in the usual Roman style. At the end he was in 320 killed by a spear. TODAY’s EVENT: 1969: John Lennon is marrying Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. TODAY’s QUESTION: Tycho Brahe days - what is that? And from where does this expression come? These are 32 special days throughout the year selected by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the 17th century. He selected them on the basis of his calculations and considered them to be particularly unfortunate. ( Good old nonsense  )

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: The vessel of danaids – where does that come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Knowledge about human nature is at least as important for the business man as any other knowledge from school. That was said by the Danish industrialist C.F. Tietgen. 2. Today’s quote: Castles in Spain are easy to take refuge in. And they are also easy to build. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 43 BC.: Ovid ( Publius Ovidus Naso ) ( died 18 AC ) 1770: Friedrich Hölderlin ( died 1843 ) 1828: Henrik Ibsen ( died 1906 ) 1890: Lauritz Melchior ( died 1973 ) 1916: Pierre Messmer ( died 2007 ) 1917: Vera Lynn 4. Famous people died on this day:

1727: Isaac Newton ( 84 years ) 1874: H.C. Lumbye ( 64 years ) 1968: Carl Th. Dreyer

( 79 years )

1990: Lev Yashin ( 61 years ) 2004: Queen Juliana ( 95 years )

MARCH 21 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called BENEDICT’s DAY. Benedict or Benedictus studied in Rome, but left his studies in order4 to live as a hermit. After a while he founded the Benedict Monastery at Monte Cassino south of Rome in 529 AC. He is also called the holy Benedict of Nursia. The present day man’s name Benedict comes from his name. TODAY’s EVENT: 1857: An earthquake in Tokyo kills 100.000 people. TODAY’s QUESTION: The vessel of danaids – where does that come from? And what does it mean? Danaos or Danaus was in Greek mythology the son of a king in Egypt. He had 50 daughters – called the Danaids. They were forced to marry 50 men. But when 49 of then during the wedding night killed their husbands they were afterwards condemned to pour water into a vessel, which had no bottom. And according to the legend they continue to do that all the time until this very day. In other words: this is a work which never ends. So the expression the vessel of the Danaids refers to a task, which is futile and useless, and which never ends. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Sisyphonean labour - What is that? And where does this expression come from?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Castles in Spain are easy to take refuge in. And they are also easy to build. This was said by the Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen. 2. Today’s quote:

As none of today’s persons has left any famous quotation I instead give you a quote of a daughter of one of today’s personalities: A lover is a man you do not marry, because you like him. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1685: 1839: 1927: 1945: 1980:

Johann Sebastian Bach ( died 1750 ) Modest Mussorgskij ( died 1881 ) Hans Dietrich Genscher Henrik Nordbrandt Ronaldinho ( Ronaldo de Assis Moreira )

4. Famous people died on this day: 1201: Absalon ( 73 years ) 1936: Alexandr Glasunov ( 71 years ) 1985: Michael Redgrave ( 77 years )

MARCH 22 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called PAULUS DAY. Paulus of Narbonne was a bishop in France in the beginning of the 3rd century AC. He was a disciple of the apostle Paulus. He died a natural death around 250. And he was one of the first to become a saint. TODAY’s EVENT: 1895: The brothers Lumière show the world’s first film. TODAY’s QUESTION: The vessel of danaids – where does that come from? And what does it mean? Danaos or Danaus was in Greek mythology the son of a king in Egypt. He had 50 daughters – called the Danaids. They were forced to marry 50 men. But when 49 of then during the wedding night killed their husbands they were afterwards condemned to pour water into a vessel, which had no bottom. And according to the legend they continue to do that all the time until this very day. In other words: this is a work which never ends. So the expression the vessel of the Danaids refers to a task, which is futile and useless, and which never ends.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Sisyphonean labour - What is that? And where does this expression come from? __________________________________________________________________________ TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A lover is a man you don’t marry, because you like him. This was said by the British actress Vanessa Redgrave. 2. Today’s quote: The youth and the thrilling love both come to an end. Who from today’s list has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1459: 1599: 1797: 1936: 1948:

Maximilian I ( died 1519 ) Anthony van Dyck ( died 1641 ) Wilhelm I ( died 1888 ) Roger Whitaker Andrew Lloyd Webber

4. Famous people died on this day: 1832: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ( 86 years ) 1896: Thomas Hughes ( 74 years ) 1958: Mike Todd ( 49 years ) 2005: Kenzo Tange ( 91 years )

MARCH 23 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called FIDELIS DAY. There are two reasons for that. The has its name from two Christians from different periods of time. Saint Fidelis of Como was an Italian Roman soldier. During the persecutions of the Christians around 300 AC he deserted his legion together with other soldiers. He was recaptured and executed in Como in 304 AC. The other Fidelis’ real name was Markus Roy. He was born in 1577 in the German town Sigmarengen. After a successful law degree he became a Capuchin monk. And he was very active in the Catholic anti-revolution against the protestants. He was at the same

time known as the lawyer of the poor. He was in particular active in the then Austrian Graubünden ( now a canton in Switzerland ). After an important speech he was captured and killed in Seewis in 1622. He became known as Saint Fidelis of Sigmarengen. He is the patron of lawyers. The expression “Semper Fidelis” ( Always Faithful ) is the slogan of the US Marine Corps. TODAY’s EVENT: 1839: The first documented case of the use of the expression OK as an abbreviation for “oll korrekt” is used in The Boston Morning Post. TODAY’s QUESTION: Sisyphonean labour - What is that? And where does this expression come from? 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: A storm in a tea cup – where does that come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The youth and the thrilling love both come to an end. This was once said by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 2. Today’s quote: You have first and foremost to demand from a historian that he has no ability to invent. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1900: Erich Fromm ( died 1980 )

1905: Joan Crawford ( died 1977 ) 1912: Wernher von Braun ( died 1977 ) 1956: José Manuel Barroso 4. Famous people died on this day: 1842: Stendhal ( Henri Beyle ) ( 59 years ) 1992: Friedrich Hayek ( 93 years ) 2011: Elizabeth Taylor ( 79 years )

MARCH 24 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is ULRICA’s DAY. The origin is unknown. The day got this name in 1727. It is not a name of a saint. Before that it was called Saint Pigmenius’ Day – named after a priest, who was killed because of his faith during the reign of emperor Julian ( 361 – 63 BC ). TODAY’s EVENT: 1401: The Mongolian leader Timur Lenk conquers Damascus and organizes a massacre on the population. 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: Denmark in Western Australia – what is that – and the history behind it? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote:

You have first and foremost to demand from a historian that he has no ability to invent. This has been said by the French poet and philosopher Stendhal ( Henri Beyle ). 2. Today’s quote: The Socialists are like the pigeons on the Saint Marco Square: when they are down they eat from peoples’ hands. When they are up they shit on them. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1820: 1926: 1930: 1945:

A.E. Becquerel ( died 1891 ) Dario Fo Steve McQueen ( died 1980 ) Curtis Hanson

4. Famous people died on this day: 1844: Bertel Thorvaldsen ( 74 years ) 1905: Jules Verne ( 77 years ) 1971: Arne Jacobsen ( 69 years ) 1976: Bernard Montgomery ( 89 years )

MARCH 25 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called THE ANNONCIATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY. The reason is that it was on this day that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she in 9 months would give birth to Jesus. TODAY’s EVENT: 1957: Today six countries signed in Rome the Rome Treaty – creating the European Community from January 1, 1958: France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. TODAY’s QUESTION: Denmark in Western Australia – what is that – and the history behind it?

On the south coast of Western Australia you find a small town called Denmark. It is a famous local wine district. But it has nothing (directly) with Denmark in Europe to do.

It has its name fron a medical doctor in the British navy, Alexander Denmark. He was here with his ship in the beginning of the 18th century. But who knows... Perhaps the good doctor has Viking blood  QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Gentlemen’s agreement – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The Socialists are like the pigeons on the Saint Marco Square: when they are down they eat from peoples’ hands. When they are up they shit on them. This was said by the Italian actor, playwright, singer, etc. Dario Fo. 2. Today’s quote: The future is a country on which we have no map. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1881: 1906: 1908: 1921: 1947: 1954:

Béla Bartok ( died 1945 ) A.J.P. Taylor ( died 1990 ) David Lean ( died 1991 ) Simone Signoret ( died 1985 ) Elton John Bendt Bendtsen

4. Famous people died on this day: 1918: Claude Debussy ( 56 years ) 1975: King Faisal ( 69 years ) 2006: Ole Madsen ( 72 years )

MARCH 26 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called GABRIEL’s DAY. It has its name after the arch angel Gabriel, who brought a message from God to Virgin Mary yesterday 2016 years ago.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1995: The SCHENGEN AGREEMENT comes into force. It was in 1985 agreed on the ship Marie-Astrid on the Mosel river in Luxembourg near the borders to Germany and France. It had originally 5 countries as members: France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Today ( March 2016 ) the Schengen-agreement has 26 countries as members. It means that there is no border control between the participating countries.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Gentlemen’s agreement – where does that expression 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 NEXT ISSUE: Like a cat round hot milk – where does that come from? And what does it mean?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The future is a country on which we have no map. This was once said by the British historian A.J.P. Taylor. 2. Today’s quote: A diplomat is a man, who always remembers a woman’s birthday, but forgets her age. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1874: Robert Frost (died 1963) 1911: Tennessee Williams ( died 1983 )

1914: 1935: 1940: 1942: 1944: 1961: 1989:

William Westmoreland ( died 2005 ) Mahmoud Abbas Nancy Pelosi Erica Jong Diana Ross Niels Arden Oplev Simon Kjær

4. Famous people died on this day: 1827: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 57 years ) 1902: Cecil Rhodes ( 49 years ) 1923: Sarah Bernhardt ( 79 years ) 1973: Noel Coward ( 74 years )

MARCH 27 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called CASTULUS’ DAY. He was killed in Rome in 286 AC because of his Christian faith. Castulus worked for the Roman emperor Diocletian, who persecuted the Christians. Still he became a Christian himself, and he was hiding Christians in his house and was even organizing church services inside the imperial palace. When somebody told the emperor about it, he was caught, tortured and at the end buried alive. Castulus is the patron for the shepherds. TODAY’s EVENT: 1953: A new Danish Constitution made it possible also for women to become monarch’s in Denmark. TODAY’s QUESTION: Like a cat round hot milk – where does that come from? And what does it mean?

This is an expression, which goes several hundred years back. In English literature it appears for the first time in 1855, and it becomes very much used very quickly. The original meaning was, of course, that a hungry cat is very hesitant to put its tongue or paw into very hot milk. It does not want to burn it. On the other hand it does not leave, because it continues to be very tempted. It walks several times around it and hopes for “cooler times”.

The sentence also got the present day indirect meaning that people are hesitant to do things they perhaps are afraid of or do not know much about. They postpone doing it for as long as possible. They hurry up slowly. But they normally do it at the end. The saying Danish is not about milk, but about porridge – hot porridge. QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Marry to the left hand – what is that? And what does it mean?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A diplomat is a man, who always remembers a woman’s birthday, but forgets her age. This was said by the American author Robert Frost . 2. Today’s quote: Everybody is only thinking about themselves. The only one who thinks about me, that’s me! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1483: 1845: 1863: 1909: 1924:

Raphael ( Rafaelo Santi ) ( died 1520 ) Wilhelm Röntgen ( died 1923 ) Henry Royce ( died 1933 ) Ben Webster ( died 1973 ) Sarah Vaughan ( died 1990 )

4. Famous people died on this day: 1968: Jurij Gagarin ( 34 years ) 1981: Preben Kaas ( 51 years ) 2002: Billy Wilder ( 96 years ) MARCH 28 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is EUSTACIUS’ DAY. It is called after bishop Eustacius in Antiochia. This city is today called Adana in the south-eastern part of Turkey, just at the border to Syria and at the Mediterranean coast. He was a bishop here in the beginning of the 4th century and died in this city in the year 327 AC.

Another Eustacius was head of the monastery Luxeuil in France. He died as a missionary in Bavaria in 625. TODAY’s EVENT: 845: Danish Vikings under the leadership of Ragnar Lodbrok conquered Paris and demanded a huge ransom. TODAY’s QUESTION: Marry to the left hand – what is that? And what does it mean? It means that a king could marry a normal, non-royal girl. The expression comes from the fact that the king at the wedding gave his bride the left hand. This was a sign that neither the wife nor their children would be heirs to the king. And the king could at the same time marry a royal woman. In the Catholic church marriage to the left hand has been accepted for centuries, not only for kings, but also for noble men - and even for noble women, giving them the possibility to marry someone below their status. And without giving the right be heirs. Concrete cases have been many, such as: 1. 1850: the Danish king Frederik VII and Louise Rasmussen (Countess Danner) 2. 1880: the Russian zar Alexander II and Eketarina Dolgorukova 3. 1900: the Austrian-Hungarian arch-duke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie von Chotek.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Mallorca – what can be told about this Spanish island in the Mediterranean – and on its fascinating history ?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Everybody is only thinking about themselves. The only one who thinks about me, that’s me! This was said by the Danish actor Preben Kaas (“Dynamite Harry”) in one of his films. 2. Today’s quote: A gentleman helps a woman correctly to dress as he earlier has helped her incorrectly to undress. Who has said that?

3. Famous people born on this day: 1609: 1868: 1910: 1942:

King Frederik III ( died 1670 ) Maxim Gorkij ( died 1936 ) Queen Ingrid ( died 2000 ) Neil Kinnock

4. Famous people died on this day: 1941: 1943: 1969: 1985: 2004:

Virginia Woolf ( 59 years ) Sergei Rachmaninov ( 70 years ) Dwight D. Eisenhower ( 79 years ) Marc Chagall ( 98 years ) Peter Ustinov ( 83 years ) MARCH 29

TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is JONAS’ DAY. He was a young man, who together with his brother Barachisus by the Romans was asked to go into a prison in Persia and try to convince the Christian prisoners to abandon their faith. Instead they both became Christians. And they were put to jail right away. The Roman soldiers wrapped up Jonas with strong ropes and left him naked in the snow for the whole night. Next morning they cut off his arms and legs and put the remaining parts of the legs and arms in hot tare. As he still did not want to give up his faith his body was partitioned in two pieces and both was thrown into the sea. It happened in the year 327 AC.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1973: The last American soldiers left South Vietnam.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Mallorca – what can be told about this Spanish island in the Mediterranean – and on its fascinating history ? As everybody knows Mallorca is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean. It is with its 3600 sq.km about the size of Kent in England. And about 800.000 people live there permanently. It is part of the group of islands called the Baleares, where Ibiza is to the west and the smaller Menorca to the east. Mallorca was in the 1960ies very well known for its new mass tourism. The first decade or so tourism was very brutal to the island with lots of new and quickly built hotels in and near Palma. But later they managed to get the development and the tourists much more under reasonable control.

Nature on the island is fantastic with big mountains to the west and very pretty landscapes elsewhere too. There are lots of small fiords and natural harbours, especially on the east side. Many places are called Cala … Cala means a small brook. Historically Mallorca has always attracted a lot of conquerors, as it was and is well placed in the middle of the Mediterranean – or Mare Nostrum as the Romans called it. The Phoenicians were there. Then came the people from Carthage, who actually also were Phoenicians. They were followed by the Romans. Then the moors came. And while they were there for centuries, the Danish vikings arrived. They left no permanent traces, though. The next rulers were the Spaniards, esp. from the east of what is now Spain. That is why the people in Mallorca speak Catalan and not Castilian. The Balearic islands are today one of Spain’s 17 so-called Autonomous Regions with its capital in Palma. It is also here that the huge, impressive Cathedral has been build. It was built on the top of an old mosque. And the mosque was way back build on the top of an old Roman fortress. Mallorca is really worth a visit – especially with a hired car making it possible to come to all the wonderful places more or less hidden all over the island.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Balkanisation – where does that come from? And what does it mean?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A gentleman helps a woman correctly to dress as he earlier has helped her incorrectly to undress. This was said by the British actor, author, etc. Peter Ustinov. 2. Today’s quote: Recovery begins from the darkest moment. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1892: 1940: 1943: 1972: 1973:

Josef Mindszenty ( died 1975 ) Allan Botschinsky John Major Rui Costa Kasper Bech Holten

4. Famous people died on this day:

1880: Constantin Hansen ( 76 years ) 1980: Annunzio Paolo Mantovani ( 75 years ) 2002: Henning Bahs ( 74 years ) MARCH 30 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is QUIRINUS’ DAY. He was a Roman general. When he one day saw one of his Christian prisoners walk through a closed door and cured his sick daughter Balbina he became a Christian himself. Later he was nominated bishop in Neuss near Düsseldorf in Germany. At the end he was – because of his faith – beheaded during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1842: The world’s first operation under anaesthesia took place in Georgia, USA.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Balkanisation – where does that come from? And what does it mean? This is originally a geo-political term referring to the fragmentation of an area in smaller entities. In historical terms it was used about the split-up of the Balkan peninsula – earlier almost totally rules by the Ottoman empire – between 1817 and 1912, when a lot of smaller states were created in the area. And after World War I the term also referred to the creation of many new countries after the Austro-Hungarian empires collapse. The term has a very negative connotation. More recently it has often been used by British politicians, who warn against a balkanization of the United Kingdom – meaning making Scotland and Wales independent countries.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Like a cat round hot milk – where does that come from? And what does it mean?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Recovery begins from the darkest moment. This was said by the British conservative prime minister John Major.

2. Today’s quote: A film director is a mixture of general, sergeant, confessor, psychotherapist, buffer, public relations expert and economic advisor – in short: the simplest job in the world. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1748: 1811: 1853: 1896: 1930: 1937: 1945:

Francisco Goya ( died 1828 ) Robert Wilhelm Bunsen ( died 1899 ) Vincent van Gogh ( died 1890 ) Nikolai Bulganin ( died 1975 ) Preben Kaas ( died 1981 ) Warren Beatty Eric Clapton

4. Famous people died on this day: 1925: Rudolf Steiner ( 64 years ) MARCH 31 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called BALBINA’s DAY. She was the daughter of Quirinus ( see yesterday ). After she was cured from a deadly tumor decease and her father, therefore, became a Christian she was killed together with him by the Roman authorities.

TODAY’s EVENT: 1896: The American inventor Whitcomb Judson got a patent for the zip fastener.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Like a cat round hot milk – where does that come from? And what does it mean? This is an expression, which goes several hundred years back. In English literature it appears for the first time in 1855, and it becomes very much used very quickly. The original meaning was, of course, that a hungry cat is very hesitant to put its tongue or paw into very hot milk. It does not want to burn it. On the other hand it does not leave, because it continues to be very tempted. It walks several times around it and hopes for “cooler times”. The sentence also got the present day indirect meaning that people are hesitant to do things they perhaps are afraid of or do not know much about. They postpone doing it for as long as possible. They hurry up slowly. But they normally do it at the end.

The saying Danish is not about milk, but about porridge – hot porridge.

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Noah’s Ark - what’s the story behind? And perhaps history behind it?

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A film director is a mixture of general, sergeant, confessor, psychotherapist, buffer, public relations expert and economic advisor – in short: the simplest job in the world. This has been said by the American actor, film producer, etc. Warren Beatty. 2. Today’s quote: What a Christian does, is his own responsability. What a Jew does falls back on all Jews. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1596: 1732: 1843: 1926: 1935: 1948:

René Descartes ( died 1650 ) Joseph Haydn ( died 1809 ) Kristian Zartmann ( died 1917 ) John Fowles ( died 2005 ) Herb Alpert Al Gore

4. Famous people died on this day: 1727: Isaac Newton ( 84 years ) 1855: Charlotte Brontë ( 39 years ) 1945: Anne Frank ( 16 years ) 1980: Jesse Owens ( 66 years )