NIELS JØRGEN THØGERSEN
MAY And all its 31 days Niels Jørgen Thøgersen The month of May has its name from the Roman goddess MAYA. She was the goddess for fertility and for nature. In ancient Rome a big festival was organised every year on May 1. A priest had to sacrifice a pregnant pig in the honour of Maya. Maya was the daughter of Atlas ( the guy who as a punishment had to carry the firmament on his shoulders ). And she was married to Vulcan. Together they had the son Mercury. In the Scandinavian countries this month was in the old days also called the FLOWER MONTHS ( Blomstermåned ). The reason was that nature “exploded” in May. Everything is sprouts and grows. Way back in pre-Christian times the month was called Cuckoo Month. Why? Because now was the time when the cuckoo returned after the winter. May is called more or less the same in all European languages: May ( English ); Mai ( German, French and Romanian ); Mayo ( Spanish ); Maggio ( Italian ); Máj ( Czech ); Maj ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ). May is over the centyries also known for all its festivals. In Scandinavia people often selected a socalled “Duke of May” among the young men in the village. His job was to organise the festivals. Children who are born during the month of May are in many countries something special. In England they are considered to be more wet than children born in other parts of the year. And in Norway people consider children born in May as specially blessing children. Some old Danish weather warnings are connected to the month of May:
If May is wet the barns will be full Frost in May will give a small harvest
A warm May will not make the farmer happy Rain in May will give a good harvest and a dry June MAY 1
TODAY’s NAME: This day is called PHILIP’s and JACOB’s DAY. They were both apostles of Jesus. After the apostles separated in groups they went to Asia Minor ( nowadays Turkey ). Here both of them were killed around 100 AC. Today is also called VALBORG’s DAY. Or VOLDERSMISSE. This name was used especially in Denmark in the old days. The name comes from the English-German princess Waltpurgis, who was a nun and an abbest in Hildesheim in Germany. She died in 779. Her remains were in 871 transferred to the city of Eichstädt. The custom to celebrate May 1 as the Workers’ International Campaign Day was started at the the 2nd congress of the Socialist International in 1889. This was 100 years after the start of the French revolution. Already in 1888 workers in the US had organized manifestations on that day. The purpose was to have an 8 hours work day. The first Danish May 1 manifestation took place in 1890. For many years May 1 was the day when employees on Danish farms could change to another job. The other annual day to change job was November 1. You also have for this day a couple of old Danish weather warning: If the rye cannot today cover a lark you will have bad weather this summer Rain on this day means a drought for the rest of May
TODAY’s EVENT: 1979: Greenland’s home rule starts.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Flamenco – What is the origin of that word? And it is what?
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: Fox behind the ear - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Just call me Chiquita! This was said by former Danish prime minister Poul Hartling, when he was asked by journalists, if he was a “tough banana” in negotiations. 2. Today’s quote: I can’t stad it. It’s driving me sane! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1853: 1872: 1916: 1944:
Calamity Jane ( died 1903 ) Hugo Alfvén ( died 1960 ) Glenn Ford ( died 2006 ) Rita Coolidge
4. Famous people died on this day: 1873: 1904: 1945: 1965: 1973:
David Livingstone ( 60 years ) Antonin Dvorak ( 63 years ) Joseph Goebbels ( 47 years ) Spike Jones ( 54 years ) Asger Jorn ( 59 years ) MAY 2
TODAY’s NAME:
Today is called ATHANASIUS’ DAY. He lived in the years 293 – 373 in Egypt. He was for many years bishop in Alexandria, but a large part of the time he had to hide in the desert because of emperor Constantius’ persecutions of the Christians. Athanasius was a small man with a great personality. And he is considered to be a very important “father of the church” by all Christian religions.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1952: The first jet plane started on a normal civil route. It was a Havelland Comet jet plane. And the route was London – Johannesburg.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Fox behind the ear - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? This is a very old expression from the Middle Ages. It is based on the popular belief, that people with very protruding ears are very sly. In German you use the expression: Etwas hinter den Ohren zu stecken (to hide something behind the ears). Already in the Antiquity fables were talking about the slyness of the fox. In the 17th century the fox became the direct symbol of slyness. The Danish collector of fables, Peder Syv (1631-1702) found fables about having a fox in the sleeves (the sleeves at that time were very wide and easy to use to hide something in). Another fable collector got hold of a story in 1876 about a fox living behind a man’s ear, and it got seven puppies there! Today the expression still means that a person is very sly and artful. You have to watch out, when you are dealing with him or her.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Casanova - who was that? And what are the stories linked to him?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I can’t stand it. It’s driving me sane! This was said by the American musician and entertainer Spike Jones. 2. Today’s quote: Money is not everything in this world. But it certainly helps keeping in contact with one’s children.
Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1729: 1892: 1903: 1912: 1936: 1942: 1975:
Catherine the Great ( died 1796 ) Manfred von Richthofen ( died 1918 ) Bing Crosby ( died 1977 ) Axel Springer ( died 1985 ) Engelbert Humperdinck Jacques Rogge David Beckham
4. Famous people died on this day: 1519: 1885: 1957: 1999:
Leonardo da Vinci ( 67 years ) Peter Ludvig Panum ( 65 years ) Joseph McCarthy ( 49 years ) Oliver Reed ( 61 years ) MAY 3
TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is HOLY CROSS DAY. The reason for this name is that an important church festival took place in the old days to celebrate that Constantine the Great’s mother, empress Helena, on this day in year 326 AC found the cross of Jesus in Jerusalem. The legend tells that she forced a Jew to show her the place where Jesus had been crucified. On the spot she found three crosses. How did she find out which one was the one of Jesus ? By putting a dead woman next to each of the crosses. And when she was next to the cross of Jesus the woman came alive. In Scandinavia farmers said in the old days that the harvest will be very good, if the sowing took place on Holy Cross Day. And this is also the day, when the swallows return from their winter stay further south. Another old Danish weather warning says that the “summer will be more or less like the weather on this day”. Today is the United Nations’ international “World Press Freedom Day”.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1960: EFTA – the European Free Trade Association starts. It has seven member states: United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal. It is also called “The Outer Seven”.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Casanova - who was that? And what are the stories linked to him?
Giacomo Casanova (1725-98) was an Italian from Venice. He described in details life in Europe in the 18th century. And he is in particular known for being a very active “womanizer”. That is why his name today is used to describe exactly that – men who are very successful with women. I believe you are a real Casanova!
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: A Dutch treat – what is that? And where does the expression come from?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Money is not everything in this world. But it certainly helps keeping in contact with one’s children. This was said by the American singer and entertainer Bing Crosby. 2. Today’s quote: The Jews will only have the sympathy of the world, when they are victims of persecution. When they defend themselves and differ from the picture of the pitiful Jew, people get very angry with them. Who among today’s personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1469: 1886: 1898: 1903: 1919: 1920:
Niccolò Macchiavelli ( died 1527 ) Marcel Dupré ( died 1971 ) Golda Meir ( died 1978 ) Bing Crosby ( died 1977 ) Pete Seeger ( died 2014 ) Sugar Ray Robinson ( died 1989 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1704: Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber ( 68 years ) 1942: Thorvald Stauning ( 68 years )
MAY 4 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is called FLORIAN’s DAY. Florian was a soldier in the army of the Roman emperor Diocletian. He became special in the sense that he decided to be a Christian. As such he tried to rescue 40 Christians from execution. But he was himself caught and tortured. At the end he was thrown into a river with a millstone around his neck. He died around year 300 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1924: The Olympic Games in Paris open. Altogether 3.089 athletes from 44 countries participate.
TODAY’s QUESTION: A Dutch treat – what is that? And where does the expression come from?
This expression comes originally from the rivalry between the English and the Dutch in the 17th century. The two nations and their people did not always talk nicely about each other. The English was of the opinion that the Dutch were always trying to avoid paying their share. They wanted to save their money. This is perhaps not totally surprising. The Calvinist religion – to which many Dutch belonged and still belong – encourages people to save as much money as possible. The more money you have when you die, the greater your chance is to get to heaven. So why take the risk and use the money during one’s lifetime ?! Nowadays the expression a Dutch treat often means, that everyone pays for himself, when you go together to a restaurant or a bar. You can also say: going Dutch. This has the same meaning. In some cases Dutch people get offended, when they hear the expression. In other cases they use it themselves to make a bit of fun.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Noah’s Ark - what’s the origin? And the meaning?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote:
The Jews will only have the sympathy of the world, when they are victims of persecution. When they defend themselves and differ from the picture of the pitiful Jew, people get very angry with them. This was said by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. 2. Today’s quote: It is normally the fate of a new truth that it starts as heresy and ends as superstition. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1655: 1825: 1928: 1929: 1936: 1939:
Bartolomeo Cristofori ( died 1731 ) Thomas Huxley ( died 1895 ) Hosni Mubarak Johan Otto van Spreckelsen ( died 1987 ) Audrey Hepburn ( died 1993 ) Amos Oz
4. Famous people died on this day: 1776: Jacques Saly ( 59 years ) 1980: Josip Broz Tito ( 88 years ) MAY 5 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is GOTHARD’s DAY. He was a German, son of a farmer and became bishop in Hildesheim in Germany in 1022. He was also a close friend of the emperor. In his work he built 30 churches and did a lot for schools and for the arts. Gothard died on May 5, 1038, and later an altar was built for him in the Alps – in what is now called the Saint Gothard pass.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1835: The first railway in continental Europe opened in Belgium between Brussels and Mechelen.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Noah’s Ark - what’s the origin? And the meaning?
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 Bosporus 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 Ottomans – what’s the history?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: It is normally the fate of a new truth that it starts as heresy and ends as superstition. This was said by the British biologist Thomas Huxley. 2. Today’s quote: Ambassadors are usually noblemen who are spies. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1747: 1813: 1818: 1943:
Leopold II. ( died 1792 ) Søren Kierkegaard ( died 1855 ) Karl Marx ( died 1883 ) Michael Palin
4. Famous people died on this day: 1821: Napoleon Bonaparte ( 52 years ) 1977: Ludwig Erhard ( 80 years ) MAY 6 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is JOHANNES’ DAY ( or JOHN’s DAY ). It is named after the apostle Johannes / John and especially after the event, when he in year 95 AC in front of the gate of Rome was thrown into boiling oil. But the legend tells that he afterwards walked away unhurt.
TODAY’s EVENT: President Mitterrand and Queen Elizabeth II opened the Eurotunnel under the Channel.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The Ottomans – what’s 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: Saint Nicolas – what is the history? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: He loved himself with a passionate reciprocate love. This was once written by the Russian poet Vladimir Nabokov. 2. Today’s quote: I hate television as much as I hate peanuts. But I cannot stop eating then once I have started. Who among today’s persons has said that?
3. Famous people born on this day: 1758: 1856: 1895: 1915: 1953:
Maxililien Robespierre ( died 1794 ) Sigmund Freud ( died 1939 ) Rudolph Valentino ( died 1926 ) Orson Wells ( died 1985 ) Tony Blair
4. Famous people died on this day: 1859: Alexander von Humboldt ( 90 years ) 1910: Edward VII ( 69 years ) 1992: Marlene Dietrich ( 91 years ) 2002: Pim Fortuyn ( 54 years )
MAY 7 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called FLAVIA’s DAY. She was a young beautiful Roman girl, who was Christian. But as emperor Domitian and his followers persecuted all Christians she was due to her faith sent off to the island Pandataria in the sea south west of Rome. This island is today called Ventotene and is only 1,5 sq.km ( 1 sq.m ) in size. Here she died as a prisoner in the year 95 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1948: The Council of Europe started in Strasbourg.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Saint Nicolas – what is the history?
December 6 is called NICOLAUS’ DAY. It is named after bishop Nicolaus of Myra. Myra was an ancient city in Greek Anatolya at the south coast of present day Turkey. The small town of Demre can be found at that place today. Nicolaus lived in the 4th century AC. The legend tells many stories about him. One is that he once during a sea voyage in a heavy storm managed to make the waves go quiet and thereby save many seamen in danger. He also did a lot for poor children. And he lived a very active Christian life. He dies around the year 350. And many pilgrims visited his grave afterwards. The town of Demre still has a Christian church with the name of St. Nicolaus Church. It has just been renovated.
In the year 1087 people from the city of Bari in the south of Italy decide to find Nicolaus’s grave in Anatolia. They find it and bring his relics with them back to Bari. They are still here. You find them in the St. Nicolaus church in the center of the city. Nicolaus is the patron for children, seamen – and lawyers. At the same time he is the model for Santa Claus. He is the man who brings presents to the kids – either today at St. Nicolaus’ Day, or at Christmas eve on December 24. The habits are different from country to country.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Horse trading – Origin? Meaning?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I hate television as much as I hate peanuts. But I cannot stop eating then once I have started. This was once said by the American actor Orson Welles. 2. Today’s quote: You cannot build socialism with bayonets. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1833: 1840: 1892: 1901: 1919:
Johannes Brahms ( died 1897 ) Pjotr Tjajkovskij ( died 1893 ) Josip Broz Tito ( died 1980 ) Gary Cooper ( died 1961 ) Eva Peron ( died 1952 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 973: Otto the Great ( 61 years ) 1825: Antonio Salieri ( 75 years )
MAY 8 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called STANISLAUS DAY. He was bishop in Krakow in present day Poland. He criticized king Boleslaus’ immoral and violent government. This made the king so furious that he in 1079 cleaved the skull of the bishop and cut his body into many pieces. The legend tells that after the murder four eagles came down from heaven to put the bishop’s body together again. It is also today the world’s RED CROSS DAY. The Swiss founder of the organization Henri Dunant was born on this day.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1858: The first cable under the Atlantic from Europe to the US started working.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Horse trading – Origin? Meaning?
The original word horse-trading came from the big horse markets in the Medieval 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: The Peter Principle – what is that? And where does it come from?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote:
You cannot build socialism with bayonets. This was once said by the Yougoslav president Josip Tito. 2. Today’s quote: If a politician tells you, that he is an honest man, then hurry back home and lock your door. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1629: 1828: 1884: 1926: 1932:
Niels Juel ( died 1697 ) Henri Dunant ( died 1910 ) Harry S. Truman ( died 1972 ) David Attenborough Sonny Liston ( died 1970 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1794: Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier ( 50 years ) 1873: John Stuart Mill ( 67 years ) 1880: Gustave Flaubert ( 58 years ) 1903: Paul Gaugain ( 54 years ) 1960: Hugo Alfvén ( 78 years ) 1999: Dirk Bogarde ( 78 years )
MAY 9 TODAY’s NAME: This day has two names: CASPAR’s DAY and EUROPE DAY. The name Caspar probably comes from one of the Three Wise Men from the East, who came to see Virgin Mary and her small child Jesus in Bethlehem, after he was born. Some people think that they were astrologists from Babylon. Caspar was the guy without beard. He brought incense to Virgin Mary and her baby. The name EUROPE DAY is caused by the fact that it was on this day In 1950 that the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, in a speech in Paris suggested that a new and binding cooperation should be started among the European countries. A cooperation where the participating countries transferred some of their national sovereignty to a common authority. Why? Because this would according to Mr. Schuman once and forever make wars between the European countries impossible. The two key countries were France and Germany. They had fought numerous wars between each other – the
latest one only five years earlier. The idea for such a new and pioneering cooperation was prepared by the French energetic and imaginative official, Jean Monnet. And then proposed officially by the French government. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were positive right away. And only two years later the first European Community, called the European Coal and Steel Community, started. This unique cooperation has since then developed enormously, and altogether 28 European countries are today members. More countries want to join. That is why EUROPE DAY in celebrated all over the continent on this day. In Belgium it is law that all public buildings must fly the European Flag today. More and more countries do the same.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1950: Robert Schuman’s proposal to start the EU.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The Peter Principle – what is that? And where does it come from? This expression tells that there is a tendency to promoting all employees beyond what their skills can manage. This naturally leads to incompetence and people being useless or worse in their jobs. The expression was in its most recent form described by the Canadian Laurence J. Peter in 1969 (hence the name), The Peter Principle. But already in 1910 Jose Ortega e Gasset wrote that all employees ought to be degraded to the level under the one they are actually working at. This would according to him give the best work. To this description can be added – as others have done – that in such a situation (ruled by the Peter principle) staff often manages to manipulate with their incompetent superiors in such a way that they do not interfere in their work. It is often called Managing upwards. As an old hand in the EU I wonder, if this principle still lives today
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Croatia – what is the short story about that country?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: If a politician tells you, that he is an honest man, then hurry back home and lock your door.
This was once said by the American president Harry S. Truman. 2. Today’s quote: Egoism is loneliness. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1873: 1891: 1936: 1945: 1955:
Howard Carter ( died 1939 ) May Warden ( died 1978 ) Glenda Jackson Jupp Heynckes Anne-Sofie von Otter
4. Famous people died on this day: 1707: 1805: 1976: 1978:
Dietrich Buxtehude ( 70 years ) Friedrich Schiller ( 46 years ) Ulrike Meinhof ( 42 years ) Aldo Moro ( 62 years ) MAY 10
TODAY’s NAME: Today is called GORDIANUS’ DAY. He was one of emperor Julian’s servants. In his work he forced Christian prisoners to serve other gods than Christ. Later he became a Christian himself. He was then taken to prison, terribly tortured and at the end beheaded. This happened in year 362 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1940: Winston Churchill is confirmed as prime minister in the UK.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Croatia – what is the short story about that country? This is a country on the Balkans in Europe. It has a long history with dominance from many different people and powers. The Illyrians werethe first people living there, as far as we know. They were later partly defeated by the ancient Greeks, who created colonies in the area, and many geographical names have a Greek origin. The Romans were the next power to take over. One of their emperors, Diocletian, even had his headquarters in Split, which today is Croatia’s second biggest city. When Rome disappeared the Croatian people came from the east (like the other Slavic people) and settled in the area. Further on in history then came under Hungarian and later Austrian dominance. After
World War I the area became part of the independent kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II they were part of communist Yugoslavia. And finally independent Croatia was established in 1991, when Yugoslavia disappeared. This happened in the context of very bloody wars between the ex-Yugoslav regions. Hundreds of thousands of Croats were killed or forced away from their home regions. Croatia has an area of 56.000 sq.km – about 20 % bigger than Denmark. This includes more than 1.000 bigger and smaller islands in the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 4,2 million. The language is Croatian, which is very close to Serbian, spoken in Serbia. The religion is Roman-Catholic unlike Serbia, which is Orthodox. Croatia became a member of NATO in 2009 and of the European Union in 2013. The main industry is tourism.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Flying Dutchman - what is the history?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Egoism is loneliness. This was said by the German poet Friedrich Schiller. 2. Today’s quote: Dance is a telegram to earth with a wish that gravity would be abolished. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1850: 1878: 1899: 1960:
Thomas Lipton ( died 1931 ) Gustav Stresemann ( died 1929 ) Fred Astaire ( born Frederick Austerlitz) ( died 1987 ) Bono (full name: Paul David Hewson )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1774: Louis XV ( 64 years ) 1977: Joan Crawford ( 72 years ) 1999: Shel Silverstein ( 69 years ) MAY 11 TODAY’s NAME:
This day is called MAMERTUS DAY. It carries its name from a bishop in Vienne in Gallia ( nowadays Southern France ). He was murdered in the year 477 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1949: The Soviet blockade of West Berlin stops.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Flying Dutchman - what is the history? 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: Estaminet - what is this? And where does it come from?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Dance is a telegram to earth with a wish that gravity would be abolished. This was said by the American actor and dancer Fred Astaire. 2. Today’s quote: If we lack culture, we can damned buy one. Who of today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1720: Baron von Münchhausen ( died 1797 )
1783: 1888: 1892: 1904:
Peter Willemoes ( died 1808 ) Irving Berlin ( died 1989 ) Margaret Rutherford ( died 1972 ) Salvador Dali ( died 1989 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1778: 1891: 1960: 1976: 1988: 2006:
William Pitt the Older ( 70 years ) A.E. Becquerel ( 71 years ) John D. Rockefeller ( 86 years ) Alvar Aalto ( 78 years ) Kim Philby ( 76 years ) Floyd Patterson ( 71 years ) MAY 12
TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is PANCRATIUS’ DAY. He was a Christian man from Phrygia ( in present day Turkey ), who was executed in year 304 AC because of his faith. It happened during emperor Diocletian’s fight against all Christians. Another Pancratius, whose name might also be linked to this day, was killed in 896, because he was praying for the victory of emperor Anuf’s troops, when they conquered Rome. An old Danish weather warning says: Only if the nightingale is singing today the weather will be good for the rest of the spring and in the summer.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1797: Napoleon conquers Venezia.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Estaminet - what is this? And where does it come from? This is historically a small bar or restaurant in north-eastern France (Nord-Pas-deCalais) 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: Marry to the left hand - what is that? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: If we lack culture, we can damned well buy one. This was said by the American billionaire and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller JR. 2. Today’s quote: Politeness normally means that you do not tell people what you think. Who has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1496: 1820: 1907: 1928: 1940:
Gustav Vasa ( died 1560 ) Florence Nightingale ( died 1910 ) Katharine Hepburn ( died 2003 ) Burt Bacharach Lill Lindfors
4. Famous people died on this day: 1182: Valdemar the Great ( 51 years ) 1884: Bedrich Smetana ( 60 years ) 2005: Monica Zetterlund ( 68 years ) MAY 13 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called INGENUUS’ DAY. It has its name from a Roman soldier, who worked in the legions of emperor Decius. But after he became a Christian, he was executed in year 250 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1873: The brewery Tuborg was founded in Copenhagen.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The Peter Principle – what is that? And where does it come from?
This expression tells that there is a tendency to promoting all employees beyond what their skills can manage. This naturally leads to incompetence and people being useless or worse in their jobs. The expression was in its most recent form described by the Canadian Lawrence J. Peter in 1969 (hence the name), The Peter Principle. But already in 1910 Jose Ortega e Gasset wrote that all employees ought to be degraded to the level under the one they are actually working at. This would according to him give the best work. To this description can be added – as others have done – that in such a situation (ruled by the Peter principle) staff often manages to manipulate with their incompetent superiors in such a way that they do not interfere in their work. It is often called Managing upwards. As an old hand in the EU I wonder, if this principle still lives today
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Gordian knot – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: If a politician tells you, that he is an honest man, then hurry back home and lock your door. This was once said by the American democratic president Harry S. Truman. 2. Today’s quote: The hottest spot in Hell is reserved for those people, who during a moral crisis keep their neutrality. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1265: 1588: 1717: 1907: 1940: 1943: 1950:
Dante ( died 1321 ) Ole Worm ( died 1654 ) Maria Theresia ( died 1780 ) Daphne du Maurier ( died 1989 ) Bruce Chatwin ( died 1989 ) Kurt Trampedach (died 2013) Stevie Wonder
4. Famous people died on this day: 1871: Daniel Auber ( 89 years )
1930: Fridjof Nansen ( 69 years ) 1961: Gary Cooper ( 60 years )
MAY 14 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called CHRISTIAN’s DAY. The name itself comes from the word Christian, of course. But the reason why this day carries the name is not known. It is not a name of a saint. And it only entered the almanac in 1738.
TODAY’s EVENT: Louis XIV became king of France only 4 ½ years old. He was king for 72 years. He is also called the “King of the Sun / Roi du Soleil”.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Gordian knot – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? 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: Flamenco – where does that word come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The hottest spot in Hell is reserved for those people, who during a moral crisis keep their neutrality. This was said by the Italian author Dante Alighieri in the Middle Ages.
2. Today’s quote: A cynic is a person, who considers other people equally mean as he is himself. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1316: 1686: 1805: 1897:
Charles 4. ( died 1378 ) Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit ( died 1736 ) J.P.E. Hartmann ( died 1900 ) Sidney Bechet ( died 1959 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1847: Fanny Mendelsohn ( 42 years ) 1912: Frederik VIII ( 69 years ) 1912: August Strindberg ( 63 years ) 1957: Thit Jensen ( 83 years ) 1959: Sidney Bechet ( 62 years ) 1998: Frank Sinatra ( 83 years )
MAY 15 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called SOFIE’s DAY. The name comes from two different persons: The first one was the widow Sofie, who went to Rome with her three daughters Fides, Spes and Caritas ( which means faith, hope and love ). Here all three daughters were executed because of their faith. The mother died immediately after she had buried her daughters. This happened in the year 120 AC. The other Sofie was a Roman virgin, who due to her Christian faith was killed in the year 300 AC during the reign of emperor Diocletian. This day is also the United Nations’ International Family Day.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1948: The Arab countries attacked the newly created state of Israel.
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: Red thread - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A cynic is a person, who considers other people equally mean as he is himself. This was once said by the American entertainer Frank Sinatra. 2. Today’s quote: As none of today’s persons has left known quotations you get one more by Frank Sinatra: I only use newspapers to put in the bottom of my parrot cage! 3. Famous people born on this day: 1773: 1884: 1937: 1952:
Count Metternich ( died 1859 ) Vilhelm Hammershøi ( died 1916 ) Madeleine Albright Mike Oldfield
4. Famous people died on this day: 1886: Emily Dickinson ( 55 years )
1967: Edmund Hopper ( 85 years ) 2003: Rick van Steenbergen ( 79 years )
MAY 16 TODAY’s NAME: Today it is SARA’s DAY. It has the name from the wife of the patriarch Abraham ( from the old testament ). She was the mother of Isak.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1966: The cultural revolution in China starts.
TODAY’s QUESTION: 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: Hocus pocus – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I only use newspapers to put in the bottom of my parrot cage! This was said by the American entertainer Frank Sinatra. 2. Today’s quote: I read a joke in a column about a guy, who played golf on Long Island. The professional player asked him about his handicap – and he replied: I am black, a one-eyed Jew – do I need more?
Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1905: Henry Fonda ( died 1982 ) 1919: Liberace ( díed 1989 ) 1955: Olga Korbut 4. Famous people died on this day: 1830: Joseph Fourier ( 62 years ) 1990: Sammy Davis, Jr. ( 65 years )
MAY 17 TODAY’s NAME: Today is BRUNO’s DAY. Bruno was a bishop in Würzburg in Germany. He was a son of the German-Roman emperor Conrad II. Bruno died in 1045 when a ceiling fell down in his castle. He became a saint following rumours about miracles near his grave. Today is also the United Nations World Day for Telecommunications. Today is also the national day of Norway. It was on this day that the country got its first democratic constitution, the Eidsvoll constitution following the independence from Denmark. Denmark only got its first democratic constitution 35 years later.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1814: The signing of the first Norwegian democratic constitution – the Eidsvoll Constitution.
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: The Muses - what is that? And what is the history?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I read a joke in a column about a guy, who played golf on Long Island. The professional player asked him about his handicap – and he replied: I am black, a one-eyed Jew – do I need more? This was once said by the American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. 2. Today’s quote: As none of today’s persons has offered any unforgettable quotations, you get another one by Frank Sinatra: What in the Subway is considered overcrowded is in a night club pleasant intimacy. 3. Famous people born on this day: 1803: 1900: 1918: 1957:
Martinus Rørbye ( died 1848 ) Ayatollak Khomeini ( died 1989 ) Birgit Nilsson ( died 2005 ) Peter Høeg
4. Famous people died on this day: 1727: Catherine I. ( 43 years ) 1987: Gunnar Myrdal ( 89 years )
MAY 18 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called ERIK’s DAY. It has its name from the Swedish king Erik the 9th ( or Holy Erik ). He was beheaded in a church by the Danish prince Magnus Eriksen on the way back from a crusade in Finland in the year 1160. His bones are still today to be seen in the cathedral in Uppsala in Sweden.
TODAY’s EVENT:
1936: The Spanish civil war started. It lasted until 1939. It caused the death of at least 500.000 people.
TODAY’s QUESTION: The Muses - what is that? And what is the history?
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: history Thalia: comedy Erato: poetry of love Euterpe: song Polyhymnia: hymns Calliope: epic poetry Terpsichore: dance Urania: 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: Vessel of the Danaids - what is the origin? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: What in the Subway is considered overcrowded is in a night club pleasant intimacy. This was once said by the American entertainer Frank Sinatra. 2. Today’s quote: As none of today’s persons has left any unforgettable quotations you get one by the Austrian poet Robert Musil instead:
A bit of fear for something concrete is good. It reduces the much bigger fear for something unknown. 3. Famous people born on this day: 1869: 1897: 1913: 1920:
Tsar Nicolaj II ( díed 1918 ) Frank Capra ( died 1991 ) Charles Trenet ( died 2001 ) John Paul II ( died 2005 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1911: Gustav Mahler ( 51 years ) 1921: Martin Nyrop ( 72 years ) 1990: Jill Ireland ( 54 years ) MAY 19 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called POTENTIANA’s DAY. It has its name from a 16 year old Roman girl, who together with her sister Praxedis was killed by the Roman emperor in the year 160 AC because of her Christian faith.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1536: Anne Boleyn, the second wife of king Henry VIII, is beheaded.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Vessel of the Danaids - what is the origin? 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: Trojan horse – what is the history? And what does it mean today?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A bit of fear for something concrete is good. It reduces the much bigger fear for something unknown. This is said by the Austrian author, Robert Musil. 2. Today’s quote: I do not think that love has very much to do with candle lights and roses. It is much about the WILL to love, that you make an effort. That you use time for it. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1760: 1881: 1890: 1941:
Antoine Bournonville ( died 1843 ) Kemal Atatürk ( died 1938 ) Ho Chi Minh ( died 1969 ) Ritt Bjerregaard
4. Famous people died on this day: 1536: Anne Boleyn ( 35 years ) 1994: Jacqueline Kennedy ( 65 years )
MAY 20 TODAY’s NAME: The name of this day is ANGELICA’s DAY. It is unknown where the name comes from. It is not a name of a saint. And it only came into the Almanach in 1727.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1927: Charles Lindbergh starts the first trip by airplane across the Atlantic from the US to France.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Trojan horse – what is the history? And what does it mean today?
It comes from ancient Greece. The Greek poet Homer ( 8th century BC) writes in his book The Odyssey about the 10-year Greek siege of Troy in Asia Minor. Then they built a huge horse of wood. A number of Greek soldiers were hiding inside the horse. Then the Trojans were tempted to bring the nice horse inside their city. And during the night the Greek soldiers came out and conquered and ravaged the city of Troja. The expression a Trojan horse is, therefore, since used to describe a special war trick. The same method was used by some prisoners in a German KZ camp to get out of the camp hidden in a big box. The indirect sense of the expression means that you use sneaky, hidden methods to obtain what you want. In the Internet world a Trojan horse is a small programme, which looks useful, but which in reality risks destroying a lot in your computer.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Goulash barons – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: I do not think that love has very much to do with candle lights and roses. It is much about the WILL to love, that you make an effort. That you use time for it. This has been said by the Danish politician and former EU Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard. 2. Today’s quote: Real happiness you only find, if you adapt to the seasons of life in exactly the same way as you adapt to the seasons of the year. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1799: 1806: 1882: 1908: 1915: 1944:
Honoré de Balzac ( died 1850 ) John Stuart Mill ( died 1873 ) Sigrid Undset ( died 1949 ) James Stewart ( died 1997 ) Moshe Dayan ( died 1981 ) Joe Cocker ( died 2014 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1506: Christopher Columbus ( 55 years )
1834: La Fayette ( 83 years )
MAY 21 TODAY’s NAME: This day’s name is HELENE’s DAY. It is called after the mother of emperor Constantine the Great, Helene. She found the cross of Jesus in Jerusalem and became a Christian. She built a number of churches, including the Church of the Cross in Bethlehem and the Apostles Church in Constantinopel ( nowadays Istanbul ). Helene died in 329 AC. Today is also the United Nations’ international World Day for cultural diversity in dialogue and development.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1851: Gold is found in Australia
TODAY’s QUESTION: Goulash barons – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? 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 GullaschKanonen! 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: Guests and fish smell badly on the third day: Where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Real happiness you only find, if you adapt to the seasons of life in exactly the same way as you adapt to the seasons of the year. This was said by the Norwegian author Sigrid Undset. 2. Today’s quote:
A woman is not more sure about her lover after she has lost her beauty than a man is sure of his friends after he lost his fortune. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1527: 1688: 1904: 1921:
King Philip II ( died 1598 ) Alexander Pope ( died 1764 ) Fats Waller ( died 1943 ) Andrej Sakharov ( died 1989 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 337:
Constantine the Great ( 55 years )
1481: Christian I ( 55 years ) 1895: Franz von Suppé ( 74 years ) 1991: Rajiv Gandhi ( 47 years )
MAY 22 TODAY’s NAME: This day is CASTUS’ DAY. He was a young Roman from Carthage. He was like his friend Aemilius a Christian. Therefore, they were both imprisoned during emperor Decius’ persecution of all Christians. In the beginning they denied their faith. But when they later admitted their religion they were burnt alive in Carthago in the year 250 AC. Today is the United Nations’ international day for biological diversity.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1892: The American dentist Washinton Sheffield invented the tube for tooth paste. Until now tooth paste had been kept in jars.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Guests and fish smell badly on the third day: Where does that expression 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: Google – where does that word come from? And what is it?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A woman is not more sure about her lover after she has lost her beauty than a man is sure of his friends after he lost his fortune. This was once said by the British poet Alexander Pope. 2. Today’s quote: A classic is an author, who is still quoted, but not read anymore. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1813: 1907: 1907: 1924: 1946:
Richard Wagner ( died 1883 ) Lawrence Olivier ( died 1989 ) Hergé ( Georges Prosper Remi ) ( died 1983 ) Charles Aznavour George Best ( died 2005 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1885: Victor Hugo ( 83 years ) 1972: Margaret Rutherford ( 80 years )
MAY 23 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called DESIDERIUS’ DAY. It has its name after two different French bishops with the same name. They were both executed. The first one was a bishop in Viennes in the south of France. He was killed in 364 AC.
The other one was a bishop in Langres in the Champagne area. He was stoned to death at the order of queen Brunhilde, because he had critisized her immoral life. It happened in 607 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1949: The Federal Republic of Germany starts with Bonn as its capital
TODAY’s QUESTION: Google – where does that word come from? And what is it? It comes from the word googol. It is a huge figure: a 1 followed by one hundred zeros. The company Google probably uses it to indicate that it is the source of an incredible amount of information. Which is true.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Silence is gold – where does that expression come from? And it means?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A classic is an author, who is still quoted, but not read anymore. This was said by the British actor Lawrence Olivier. 2. Today’s quote: You have to lose a lot to get a lot. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1707: 1834: 1848: 1891: 1933:
Carl von Linné ( died 1778 ) Carl Bloch ( died 1890 ) Otto Liljenthal ( died 1896 ) Pär Lagerkvist ( died 1974 ) Joan Collins
4. Famous people died on this day:
1886: Henrik Ibsen ( 58 years ) 1937: John D. Rockefeller ( 98 years ) 1945: Heinrich Himmler ( 45 years )
MAY 24 TODAY’s NAME: Today’s name is ESTHER’s DAY. It has its name from the Jewish girl Esther, who married the Persian king Xerxes. According to the Old Testament she did so to save the Jews from the persecutions of the Persians.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1976: The Concorde plane is making its first flight from London/Paris to Washington DC.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Silence is gold – where does that expression come from? And it means? This expression goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt. It later appeared in an English bible from 1382: Silence is maad in heuen (made in heaven). The English poet Thomas Carlyle wrote about it in 1831 – inspired by German sources. He presents a long praise of silence and all its virtues. Such as: speech is of time. Silence is of eternity. It seems that the well-known phrase Speech is silver and silence is gold (Sprechen ist Silbern, Schweigen ist Gold) comes from Switzerland. In a religious context it is still practiced in a Belgian monastery. New monks are not allowed to say a word the first five years. They are expected to pray and to brew beer (and drink it in between). So it must be quite a challenge to keep totally silent after a couple of mugs of great, strong beer! The expression Silence is gold is often used today to tell talkative people that saying nothing is often preferable to speaking. Whether it helps is another matter QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Money is the root of all evil – where does that expression come from? And means?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :
1. Yesterday’s quote: You have to lose a lot to get a lot. This was once said by the Swedish author Pär Lagerkvist. 2. Today’s quote: Sometimes I feel that the world is one big prison, some of us are prisoners, the rest are prison guards. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1686: 1819: 1913: 1925: 1941:
Gabriel Fahrenheit ( died 1736 ) Queen Victoria ( died 1901 ) Haldor Topsøe ( died 2013 ) Mai Zetterling ( died 1994 ) Bob Dylan
4. Famous people died on this day: 1212: Queen Dagmar ( 26 years ) 1543: Nicolaus Kopernikus ( 70 years ) 1959: John Foster Dulles ( 71 years ) 1974: Duke Ellington ( 75 years )
MAY 25 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called URBANUS’ DAY. It has its name after pope Urbanus, who worked in the years 220-230. He was killed because of his belief in 230. He had together with other Christians been hiding in the catacombs in Rome. When he was arrested he did not want to give up his faith. That is why he was tortured and at the end beheaded.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1901: Norway introduces as the first country in Europe voting right for women.
TODAY’s QUESTION:
Money is the root of all evil – where does that expression come from? And means? This expression comes from the bible. But it has been misquoted over the centuries. St. Paul said according to the bible: The love of money is the root of all evil. And this is, of course, a very different story from giving money itself all the blame. The meaning of the expression today is rather: don’t let money decide everything. It is nice to have But there are other values in life too.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Paint the town red – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Sometimes I feel that the world is one big prison, some of us are prisoners, the rest of us are prison guards. This is said by the American singer Bob Dylan. 2. Today’s quote: Without being enthusiastic you never obtain anything great! Who among today’s personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1743: 1803: 1889: 1928:
Jean-Paul Marat ( died 1793 ) Ralph Waldo Emerson ( died 1882 ) Igor Sikorski ( died 1972 ) Pol Pot ( died 1998 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1776: Johann Georg von Langen ( 77 years ) 1972: Asta Nielsen ( 91 years )
MAY 26 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called BEDA’s DAY ( or BEDE’s DAY ). He was a monk and priest, who worked in England around 700 AC. He was born in 672 in Northumbria. Already at the age of 7 he started at a monestary. Later he was also an author and a poet of psalms. And it was him who suggested that our calendar should start with the birth of Jesus.
It was also Beda, who wrote a lot about religion in England before Christianity. A special expression comes from Beda: to pour oil on stormy waters. This was what he suggested a young priest to do, when a storm was about to start. Beda died in 735 – 53 years of age.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1924: The US makes limits to immigration and stops it totally for Japanese and others.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Paint the town red – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? 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: Feather in one’s cap – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Without being enthusiastic you never obtain anything great! This was said by the American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. 2. Today’s quote:
In my view women have the right to work where they want to, as long as dinner is served as soon as I come home! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1810: 1886: 1907: 1926: 1968:
Christian Købke ( died 1848 ) Al Jolson ( died 1950 ) John Wayne ( died 1979 ) Miles Davis ( died 1991 ) Crown prince Frederik
4. Famous people died on this day: 1762: Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten ( 48 years ) 1976: Martin Heidegger ( 87 years )
MAY 27 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called LUCIAN’s DAY. He was a Christian who together with others of the same faith was killed in year 200 AC in the town Tomis at the Black Sea. Tomis was placed where the Romanian city of Constanta is today.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1703: The city Saint Petersburg in Russia is founded by zar Peter the Great.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Feather in one’s cap – where does that expression 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: Coffee – what is the history? And why is it called coffee?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: In my view women have the right to work where they want to, as long as dinner is served as soon as I come home! This was once said by the American actor John Wayne. 2. Today’s quote: A compromise is just, usable and lasting, when both parties are dissatisfied with it right away. Who among today’s personalities has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1894: 1911: 1923: 1975:
Louis-Ferdinand Céline ( died 1961 ) Hubert Humphrey ( died 1978 ) Henry Kissinger Jamie Oliver
4. Famous people died on this day: 1564: Jean Calvin ( 55 years ) 1840: Niccolò Paganini ( 58 years ) 1965: Jawaharlal Nehru ( 75 years )
MAY 28 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called VILHELM’S DAY. It has its name from Vilhelm ( in French: Guillaume ), who was duke of Gascogne. He was one of Charlemagne’s closest allies, and they were fighting together against the Moors in Spain. Later he became a very religious man, and he founded a monastery. According to the legend he even became so religious that he was able to walk into a red-hot oven with getting harmed. And when he died in 812 AC the bells in his monastery started ringing all by themselves.
TODAY’s EVENT:
1987: The 19 years old German Mathias Rust is landing his Cessna plane on the Red Square in Moscow.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Coffee – what is the history? And why is it called coffee? Coffee is very old. It goes back to the 6th century AC, when a shepherd looking after his goats discovered, that his goats got very excited, when they were chewing the berries from a special tree. It took place in a place called Kaffe in Yemen in the south of the Arabian peninsula. But it was only about 800 years later that somebody got the idea to roast the berries/beans and make a drink from them. Coffee had been invented – and it got its name from the place called Kaffe (coffee, café). Until then it was only grown in the south of Arabia and in Ethiopia. Later it was exported to many places like South America by the Spanish and Java in Indonesia by the Dutch. At an early stage the Coffee Houses got a great importance as meeting places. Not least in the Middle East due to Islam’s prohibition against wine and alcohol. The first coffee house in Europe was started in Venezia in 1645, and the European coffee houses and cafés became very important as centres for political, literary and scientific discussions. The Coffee House was the place from where news was spreading, and many of the British Empire’s institutions have directly been founded in the coffee houses in London. So when you next time visit a Café you are expected to think great thoughts and breathtaking plans for the future!
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Sandwich – what is the history behind that word?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: A compromise is just, usable and lasting, when both parties are dissatisfied with it right away. This has been said by the very experienced American politician Henry Kissinger. 2. Today’s quote: As none of today’s personalities has left important quotes you get one more by
Henry Kissinger: The woman I dream about has more sex in her eyes than in any other of her body parts. 3. Famous people born on this day: 1779: 1884: 1908: 1925:
Thomas Moore ( died 1852 ) Edvard Benes ( died 1948 ) Ian Fleming ( died 1964 ) Bülent Ecevit ( died 2006 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1787: Leopold Mozart ( 68 years ) 1805: Luigi Boccherini ( 62 years ) 2004: Mads Stage ( 82 years )
MAY 29 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called MAXIMINUS’ DAY. It has its name from bishop Maximus in Trier, Germany. He functioned in the period 330 – 352 AC. The legend tells that during one of his trips to Rome his donkey was eaten by a bear. He then put the saddle on the back of the bear, and it carried him the rest of the journey. Maximinus died in 352 after a visit to Constantinopel. Here he had tried to reconcile the Eastern and the Western churches.
TODAY’s EVENT: 862: The Viking chief Rurik ( probably a Dane from Hedeby / Hauthabu ) is founding the first Russian state in Novgorod.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Sandwich – what is the history behind that word? We all know what a sandwich is: two pieces of bread put on top of one another and with some nice stuff like meat, cheese or salad in between. But do you also know the origin of the word? Where does it come from? The Earl of Sandwich ( a place in Kent in south-east England ) was in the 18th century a gentleman called John Montagu. He lived from 1718 to 1792. He was the 4th Earl of
Sandwich. He was a very active and very well respected politician, and he had several ministerial posts at his CV. But he was also a very active card player. He played with his friends as soon as he had time. And he was so dedicated to his play that he did not want to interrupt playing just because of a meal. On the other hand he did not want to make the cards dirty or filthy with remains from the food. So he asked his waiter to prepare one or several breads (two pieces of bread with stuff – for him: normally meat - in between). Then playing and eating could go very well together. The Sandwich had been invented! Some people with less interest in and respect for playing cards have invented the “spin” that it was during his long hours at work that he asked for “sandwiches” from his staff, so that he could eat without making the king’s papers dirty with all sorts of food
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Tobil – what is it? And what’s the history behind it?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: The woman I dream about has more sex in her eyes than in any other of her body parts. This was once said by the American politician Henry Kissinger ( popular with women ) 2. Today’s quote: Propaganda is the art to step other people on their toes and at the same time scream OUCH ! Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1880: Oswald Spengler ( died 1936 ) 1903: Bob Hope ( died 2003 ) 1917: John F. Kennedy ( died 1963 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1956: Johannes Jørgensen ( 90 years ) 1982: Romy Schneider ( 44 years ) 1994: Erich Honecker ( 82 years )
1998: Barry Goldwater ( 89 years )
MAY 30 TODAY’s NAME: This day is called VIGAND’s DAY. He was also called the holy Venantius of Arles ( in the south of France ). In his younger days he tried to convince his brother that he should give up his Christian faith. Instead he became himself a convinced Christian and lived as such for the rest of his life. At the end Vigand was killed in 370 AC because of his faith.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1431: 19 year old Jeanne d’Arc was burnt on the bonfire by the British in Rouen. A court ruling said that she was a witch and a traitor.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Tobil – what is it? And what’s the history behind it? The Danish film guru Ole Olsen (1863-1943) started the world’s first film company. It happened in 1906 and was called Nordisk Film (Nordic Film Company). It still exists. So Ole Olsen actually started before Hollywood. He was in general a very energetic innovator and was always ready to try new things. And all this despite the fact that his years in school were catastrophic. He left school at the age of 10 and was word-blind. He has big problems about writing and spelling. To read about him and his life is very interesting and encouraging. Of course, he was also very interested in one of the most important innovations of his time: the car. Or the automobile, as it was called. The first one was invented by the German engineer Karl Benz in 1886. The start of the Mercedes-Benz company. As soon as it came to Denmark Ole Olsen was one of the first owners of it. He loved to drive it. As far as we know he was not very good at driving it. But he was driving fast. And as soon as a new model was presented Ole Olsen bought one right away. But the funny thing about his relationship to cars was that he had his own name for them. He called each of them: TOBIL. Created from the word automobile. If this special name came about due to his word-blindness or because he liked his own name for cars, is not known. A fact was that Ole Olsen was very often seen in his TOBIL with great speed on his way from his home in Copenhagen to his summerhouse about 100 km away on the island of Zealand.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW: Fifth column - where does that expression come from? And what does it mean?
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Propaganda is the art to step other people on their toes and at the same time scream OUCH ! It was once said by the American entertainer Bob Hope. 2. Today’s quote: Even if you add together all the reasonings of a man they cannot make up for the instinct of a woman. Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1220: 1672: 1846: 1909:
Alexander Nevskij ( died 1263 ) Peter the Great ( died 1725 ) Carl Fabergé ( died 1920 ) Benny Goodman ( died 1986 )
4. Famous people died on this day: 1431: Jeanne d’Arc ( 19 years ) 1640: Peter Paul Rubens ( 63 years ) 1778: Francois Voltaire ( 83 years ) 1912: Wilbur Wright ( 45 years ) 1960: Boris Pasternak ( 70 years ) 1971: Marcel Dupré ( 85 years )
MAY 31 TODAY’s NAME: Today is called PETRONELLA’s DAY. She was a daughter of the apostle Peter – or at least his spiritual daughter. She had promised never to marry. When a very rich and well regarded Roman gentleman suggested to her that they should marry she asked for
three weeks to reflect upon it. After she had enjoyed the Holy Communion she starved herself to death. It happened in the year 100 AC.
TODAY’s EVENT: 1915: Zeppelins are making some of the first bombardments of London. 28 people were killed and 60 wounded. One of the main German Zeppelin bases was near Tønder in the south of Denmark. It belonged to Germany until 1920. There is a Zeppelin Museum there now.
TODAY’s QUESTION: 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: Taste blood – where does that expression come from? And what does it mean? TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE : 1. Yesterday’s quote: Even if you add together all the reasonings of a man they cannot make up for the instinct of a woman. This was said by the French philosopher, historian and author Francois Voltaire – one of the most important persons in the era of Enlightenment. 2. Today’s quote: If a film costs 5 mio. dollars and it looks as if it has cost 10 mio., then it is good. If it looks as if it has cost 4 mio., it is bad.
Who among today’s persons has said that? 3. Famous people born on this day: 1923: Prince Rainier III ( died 2005 ) 1930: Clint Eastwood 1945: Rainer Werner Fassbinder ( died 1982 ) 4. Famous people died on this day: 1809: Joseph Haydn ( 77 years ) 1968: Preben Uglebjerg ( 37 years ) 1983: Jack Dempsey ( 88 years )