Worldwide events newspaper; 229 issue; 24 30 may 2015

Battle of Pichincha Ecuador - M a y 2 4

The Battle of Pichincha took place on 24 May 1822, on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, 3,500 meters above sea-level, right next to the city of Quito, in modern Ecuador.

The encounter, fought in the context of the Spanish American wars of independence, pitted a Patriot army under General Antonio José de Sucre against a Royalist army commanded by Field Marshal Melchor Aymerich. The defeat of the Royalist forces loyal to Spain brought about the liberation of Quito, and secured the independence of the provinces belonging to the Real Audiencia de Quito, or Presidencia de Quito, the Spanish colonial administrative jurisdiction from which the Republic of Ecuador would eventually emerge.

Background

The military campaign for the independence of the Presidencia de Quito could be said to have begun on October 9, 1820, when the port-city of Guayaquil proclaimed its independence from Spanish rule after a quick and almost bloodless revolt against the local colonial garrison. The leaders of the movement, a combination of Venezuelan and Peruvian pro-independence officers from the colonial army, along with local intellectuals and patriots, set up a governing council and raised a military force with the purpose of defending the city and carrying the independence movement to the other provinces in the country.

By that time, the tide of the wars of independence in South America had turned decisively against Spain: Simón Bolívar's victory at theBattle of Boyacá (August 7, 1819) had sealed the independence of the former Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada, while to the south, José de San Martín, having landed with his army on the Peruvian coast on September, 1820, was preparing the campaign for the independence of the Viceroyalty of Perú.

Aftermath

While in the general context of the Wars of Independence, the Battle of Pichincha stands as a minor clash, both in terms of its duration and the number of troops involved, its results were to be anything but insignificant. On May 25, 1822, Sucre entered with his army in the city of Quito, where he accepted the surrender of all the Spanish forces then based in what the Colombian government called the "Department of Quito", considered by that Government as an integral part of the Republic of Colombia since its creation on December 17, 1819.

Previously, when Sucre had recaptured Cuenca, on February 21, 1822, he had obtained from its local Council a decree by which it proclaimed the integration of the city and its province into the Republic of Colombia.

Now, the surrender of Quito, which put and end to the Royalist resistance in the northern province of Pasto, allowed Bolívar to finally come down to Quito, which he entered on June 16, 1822. Amid the general enthusiasm of the population, the former Province of Quito was officially incorporated into the Republic of Colombia.

One more piece to the puzzle remained, Guayaquil, still undecided about its future. The presence of Bolívar and the victorious Colombian army in the city finally forced the hands of the Guayaquilenos, whose governing council proclaimed the Province of Guayaquil as part of Colombia on July 13, 1822.

Eight years later, in 1830, the three southern Departments of Colombia, Quito (now renamed Ecuador), Guayaquil and Cuenca, would secede from that country to constitute a new nation, which took the name of Republic of Ecuador.

Bermuda Day Bermuda - M a y 2 4

Bermuda Day is a public holiday in the islands of Bermuda. Like certain other public holidays, it is always celebrated on May 24, or the weekday nearest May 24 if that date falls on the weekend.

Bermuda Day is traditionally the first day that local residents will go into the sea. It is also traditionally the first day on which Bermuda shorts are worn as business attire (although in recent years, Bermuda shorts are increasingly worn at any time of the year). Many people also see Bermuda Day as the first day on which they can go out on the water after the winter—consequently there is always a rush to get one's boat 'in the water' just before May 24.

To celebrate the holiday, there is a parade in Hamilton, and a road race from the west end of the island into Hamilton. These events are very popular as spectator events, and residents are known to stake out particular sections of the pavements to enable them to watch the runners and the floats. Ways of marking out your family's section can include roping it off (frowned on as people have been hurt walking into such ropes the night before), marking it off with tape with your name on it, or sleeping there overnight.

Commonwealth Day Belize - M a y 2 4

Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday in March, and marked by a multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by HM Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth High Commissioners in London. The Queen delivers an address to the Commonwealth, broadcast throughout the world.

In the year before the quadrennial Commonwealth Games, the Queen starts the Queen's Baton Relay on Commonwealth Day at Buckingham Palace, handing the baton to the first relay runner to start a journey that will end at the Opening Ceremony of the upcoming Games.

While it has a certain official status, Commonwealth Day is not a public holiday in most Commonwealth countries and there is little public awareness of it.

History

Clementina Trenholme introduced Empire Day in Canadian schools, first in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1898, on the last school day before 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday.

It was celebrated more each year. A typical Empire Day in Hamilton schools occupied the entire day and included inspirational speeches by trustees and songs such as The Maple Leaf Forever and Just Before the Battle. Empire Day was instituted in the United Kingdom in 1904 by Lord Meath, and extended throughout the countries of the Commonwealth. This day was celebrated by lighting fireworks in back gardens or attending community bonfires.

It gave the Queen's people a chance to show their pride in being part of the British Empire.

In 1958 Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day, in accordance with the new post-colonial relationship between the nations of the former empire.

The National Council in Canada of the Royal Commonwealth Society expressed in a 1973 letter to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau that Commonwealth Day should be observed on the same day throughout all countries of the Commonwealth. They asked that this notion be included on the agenda of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Ottawa that year. The item eventually appeared on the agenda of the 1975 meeting, and it was agreed that the Commonwealth Secretariat select a date, preferably one without previous historical connotations. At the meeting of officials in Canberra in 1976, the Canadian proposal of the second Monday in March was adopted.

Sts. Cyrilus and Methodius Day Macedonia, Bulgaria - M a y 2 4

The Canonization process was much more relaxed in the decades following Cyril's death than today. Cyril was regarded by his disciples as a saint following his death. His following spread among the nations he evangelized and subsequently to the wider Christian Church, resulting in the renown of his holiness, along with that of his brother Methodius. There were calls for Cyril's canonization by the crowds lining the Roman streets during his funeral procession. Their first appearance in a papal document is Grande Munus by Leo XIII in 1880. The brothers are known as the "Apostles of the Slavs" and are still highly regarded by both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

Sts Cyril and Methodius' feast day is currently celebrated on 14 February in the Roman Catholic Church (to coincide with the date of St Cyril's death); on 11 May in the Eastern Orthodox Church (though note that for Eastern Orthodox Churches still on the Julian Calendar or 'old calendar' this is 24 May according to the Gregorian calendar); and on 7 July according to the old sanctoral calendar that existed before the revisions of the Second Vatican Council. The celebration also commemorates the introduction of literacy and the preaching of the gospels in the Slavonic language by the brothers. The brothers were declared "Patrons of Europe" in 1980.

According to old Bulgarian chronicles, the day of the holy brothers used to be celebrated ecclesiastically as early as 11th century. The first recorded secular celebration of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Day as the "Day of the Bulgarian script", as it is traditionally accepted by Bulgarian science, was held in the town of Plovdiv on 11 May 1851, when a local Bulgarian school was named "Saints Cyril and Methodius", both acts on initiative of the prominent Bulgarian enlightener Nayden Gerov, although an Armenian traveller mentioned his visit at "celebration of the Bulgarian script" in the town of Shumen on 22 May 1803.

The day is now celebrated as a public holiday in the following countries: In Bulgaria it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the "Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavonic Literature Day" (Bulgarian: Ден на българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост), a national holiday celebrating Bulgarian culture and literature as well as the alphabet. It is also known as "Alphabet, Culture, and Education Day" (Bulgarian: Ден на азбуката, културата и просвещението). SS Cyril and Methodius are patrons of the National Library of Bulgaria. A monument of them is present in front of the library.

SS Cyril and Methodius are the most celebrated saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox church, and icons of two brothers can be found in every church.

In the Republic of Macedonia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the "Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners' Day" (Macedonian: Св. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на словенските просветители), a national holiday. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia took the decision for the statute of national holiday in October 2006 and Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia passed a corresponding law at the beginning of 2007. Before that it was celebrated only in the schools.

It is also known as the day of the "SolunBrothers" (Macedonian: Солунските браќа).

In Czech Republic and Slovakia, the two brothers were originally commemorated on 9 March, but Pope Pius IX changed this date to 5 July for several reasons. Today, Saints Cyril and Methodius are worshipped there as national saints and their name day (July 5), "Sts Cyril and Methodius Day" is a national holiday in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Czech Republic it is celebrated on 5 July as "Slavic Missionaries Cyril and Methodius Day" (Czech: Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje), in Slovakia it is celebrated on 5 July as "St. Cyril and Metod Day" (Slovak: Sviatok svätého Cyrila a Metoda).

In Russia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the "Slavonic Literature and Culture Day" (Russian: День славянской письменности и культуры), celebrating Slavonic culture and literature as well as the alphabet. Its celebration is ecclesiastical (11 May on the Church's Julian calendar), and it is not a public holiday in Russia.

The saints' feast day is celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 11 May and by the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion on 14 February as "Saints Cyril and Methodius Day". The Lutheran Churches commemorate the two saints either on 14 February or 11 May.

Independence Day Eritrea - M a y 2 4

The Independence Day of Eritrea is one of the most important public holidays in the country. It is observed on May 24 every year. On this day in 1991,Eritrean People's Liberation Front forces moved into the capital Asmara, reinstating independence, following a 30-year-long battle against the Ethiopian military regime. Eritrea Independence Day is a public holiday, with workers given a day off from work.

History Together with northern Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti,

and the Red Sea coast of Sudan, Eritrea is considered the most likely location of the land known to the ancient Egyptians as Punt (or "Ta Netjeru", meaning "God's Land"), whose first mention dates to the 25th century BC. The ancient Puntites were a nation of people that had close relations with Pharaonic Egypt during the times of Sahure and Hatshepsut.

D'mt was a kingdom located in southern Eritrea and northern Ethiopia that existed during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. With its capital at Yeha, the realm developed irrigation schemes, used plows, grew millet, and made iron tools and weapons. After the fall of Dʿmt in the 5th century BC, the plateau came to be dominated by smaller successor kingdoms, until the rise of one of these polities, the Aksumite Kingdom during the first century, which was able to reunite the area.

The history of Eritrea is tied to its strategic position on the Red Sea littoral, with a coastline that extends more than 1,000 km. Many scientists believe that it is from this area that anatomically modern humans first expanded out of Africa. From across the seas came various invaders and colonizers, such as the South Arabians hailing from the present-day Yemen area, as well as the Ottoman Turks, the Portuguese from Goa (India), the Egyptians, the British and, in the 19th century, the Italians. Over the centuries, invaders also came from the neighboring countries in Africa, like Egypt and Sudan to the west and north, as well as Ethiopia to the south. However, present-day Eritrea was largely affected by the Italian colonisers of the 19th century.

In the period following the opening of the Suez canal in 1869, when European powers scrambled for territory in Africa and tried to establish coaling stations for their ships, Italy invaded Ethiopia and occupied Eritrea. On 1 January 1890, Eritrea officially became a colony of Italy. In 1936, it became a province of Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana), along with Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. By 1941, Eritrea had about 760,000 inhabitants, including 70,000 Italians.

Through the 1941 Battle of Keren, the British expelled the Italians and took over the administration of the country.

The British continued to administer the territory under a UN Mandate until 1951, when Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia per UN Resolution 390A(V) under the prompting of the United States adopted in December 1950.

The strategic importance of Eritrea, due to its Red Sea coastline and mineral resources, along with their shared history, was the main cause for the federation with Ethiopia, which in turn led to Eritrea's annexation as Ethiopia's 14th province in 1962. This was the culmination of a gradual process of takeover by the Ethiopian authorities, a process which included a 1959 edict establishing the compulsory teaching of Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia, in all Eritrean schools. The lack of regard for the Eritrean population led to the formation of an independence movement in the early 1960s (1961), which erupted into a 30-year war against successive Ethiopian governments that ended in 1991. Following a UN-supervised referendum in Eritrea (dubbed UNOVER) in which the Eritrean people overwhelmingly voted for independence, Eritrea declared its independence and gained international recognition in 1993.

The de facto predominant languages are Tigrinya and Arabic, both of which belong to the Semitic branch of the AfroAsiatic family. English is used in the government's international communication and is the language of instruction in all formal education beyond the fifth grade.

Eritrea is a single-party state. Though its constitution, adopted in 1997, stipulates that the state is a presidential republic with a unicameral parliamentary democracy, it has yet to be implemented. In 1998 a border dispute with Ethiopia led to the two-year Eritrean–Ethiopian War. The war resulted in the death of as many as 100,000 Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers, although specific casualty estimates are varied.

World Schizophrenia Day Worldwide - M a y 2 4

The World Schizophrenia Day is observed across the entire world on the 24th of May every year. This is the day when special efforts are taken to spread awareness about the disease, Schizophrenia. This disease impairs the brains and leads to mental disorder in a person. The stigma of getting infected with Schizophrenia often forces people to hide their actual condition. To prevent this and help patients tackle this illness effectively, the whole world joins hands on the World Schizophrenia Day. The purpose is to educate and make people aware of the disease and its recovery.

The World Schizophrenia Day finds the whole world voicing a similar concern for those infected with this health condition.

This is to ensure that Schizophrenia patients are taken care of and helped to lead a better life. So, on the World Schizophrenia Day, send a special card to your dear ones to share your concern over this disease. Choose World Schizophrenia Day cards which can best convey your message and encourage your dear ones to spread awareness about this health condition.

Africa Day Africa Region - May 25

Africa Day is the annual commemoration on May 25 of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). On this day, leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1991, the OAU established the African Economic Community, and in 2002 the OAU established its own successor, the African Union.

However, the name and date of Africa Day has been retained as a celebration of African unity. This years theme of Africa Day is "Africa and the Diaspora." The New York celebration was held in New York City on May 31, 2011. In Nairobi, it was celebrated at Uhuru Park Recreational Park. It should also be noted that Africa Day is observed as a public holiday in only three African countries, that is, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. However, celebrations are held in some African countries, as well as by Africans in the diaspora.

History The first pan-African meeting was held in Accra, Ghana where African leaders from independent states in Africa in-

cluding Egypt, Sudan, Ghana, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Ghana, Libya, Cameroon, Morocco, and Algeria (representatives from National Liberation Front) have come together to call for universal independence of other African countries which were still under foreign control.

The conference led to the establishment of African Freedom Day, a holiday that reflects the march to freedom of African nations still under colonial status.

A little five years after the conference took place, a conference was again held on May 25, 1963 and attended by 32 independent African States and formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The Organization of African Unity (OAU) promotes oneness among African nations and their people and calls for the liberation of African nations by their colonial masters. Along with this meeting is the establishment of African Liberation Day, formally replacing African Freedom Day.

Celebrations The African Liberation Day in Chad is celebrated with sports and dance contests. Musical activities are also organized

National Missing Children's Day U.S. - May 25

at N’Djamena, the country’s capital. African Liberation Day is one of the most important holidays in many African countries and is considered a day of no work.

National Missing Children's Day has been commemorated on May 25 since 1983, when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan.

In the several years preceding the establishment of National Missing Children's day a series of high-profile missing-children cases made national headlines.

On May 25, 1979, Etan Patz he was only six years old disappeared from a New York City street on his way from bus to school. The date of Etan's disappearance was designated as National Missing Children's Day. At the time, cases of missing children rarely garnered national media attention, but Etan’s case quickly received a lot of coverage. His father, a professional photographer, distributed black-and-white photographs of Etan in an effort to find him. The resulting massive search and media attention that followed focused the public's attention on the problem of child abduction and the lack of plans to address it.

For almost three years media attention was focused on Atlanta, Georgia, where the bodies of young children were discovered in lakes, marshes, and ponds along roadside trails. Twenty-nine bodies were recovered before a suspect was arrested and identified in 1981.

Towel Day Worldwide - May 25

Towel Day is celebrated every 25 May as a tribute by fans of the late author Douglas Adams. On this day, fans carry a towel with them to demonstrate their love for the books and the author, as referred to in Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The commemoration was first held in 2001, two weeks after Adams' death on 11 May 2001.

Recognition Several news sources around the world

have mentioned Towel Day, including the major Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten and the television news show NRK Nyheter, and National Public Radio, Los Angeles.

In May 2010, an online petition was created asking Google to recognise Towel Day with either a Google Doodle or by returning search results in the Vogon language for a day.

Day of Revolution Argentina - May 25

The First National Government (Spanish: Primer gobierno patrio) is a public holiday of Argentina, commemorating the May Revolution and the creation of the Primera Junta on May 25, 1810, which is considered the first patriotic government of Argentina.

Along with the 9th of July, which commemorates the Declaration of Independence, it is considered the National Day of Argentina.

History Commemorations of the May Revolu-

tion have been held since 1811, the first year since the May Revolution.

Cornelio Saavedra ruled so for Buenos Aires, and Manuel Belgrano and Juan José Castelli did the same during their military campaigns at the cities they had under control during the anniversaries. The day was officially declared a national day by the Assembly of Year XIII on May 5, 1813.

The 1816Argentine Declaration of Independence provided later an alternative national day. In the beginning, this added to the conflicts between Buenos Aires and the provinces in the Argentine Civil War, with the date on May being related to Buenos Aires and the 9th of July to the whole country. This led the unitarian Bernardino Rivadavia to cancel the celebration on July, and the federalist Juan Manuel de Rosas to re-allow it, but without giving up celebrations on May. The celebrations in 1857, when Buenos Aires had temporary seceded from the Argentine Confederation, were large and included the remodelation of the Plaza. By 1880, with the federalization of Buenos Aires, the local connotations were removed and the May Revolution was considered the birth of the nation.

Massive celebrations of the holiday have been a tradition during the 19th century and part of the 20th century, but were slowly forgotten by the end of it. However, the Argentina Bicentennial held in 2010 raised again the public interest in the holiday, becoming the most attended public event in the history of Buenos Aires.

Legal status May 25 is considered a national and non-workable holiday by law 21.329. It is immovable, meaning it is celebrated

National Tap Dance Day U.S. - May 25

exactly on May 25 regardless of day of the week.

National Tap Dance Day falls on May 25 every year and is a celebration of tap dancing as an American art form. The idea of National Tap Dance Day was first presented to U.S. Congress on September 15, 1988 and was signed into American law by President George H.W. Bush on November 7, 1989. Tap Dance Day is also celebrated in other countries, particularly Japan, Australia, India and Iceland.

National Tap Dance Day was the brainchild of Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval, and Linda Christensen. They deemed May 25 appropriate for this holiday because it is the birthday of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, a significant contributor to tap dance.

Tap dance day can be celebrated with an event which may be organized by a studio or tap dance interest group. Some may also celebrate it individually due to geographical dispersion or lack of access to the wider tap community. National Tap Dance Day is celebrated in many different ways. For example, a studio may send people out onto the streets to teach the "Shim Sham Shimmy" to passers-by. However, there are several cities (particularly in America) that have their own performances and events to coincide with Tap Dance Day.

Independence Day Jordan - May 25

Jordan officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Arabic: ‫)ةَّيِمِشاَهلَا ةَّيِنُدْرُألَا ةَكَلْمَملَا‬, Al-Mamlakah Al-Urdaniyyah Al-Hashimiyyah) is akingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the northeast, Syria to the north and the West Bank andIsrael to the west, sharing control of the Dead Sea with the latter. Jordan's only port is at its south-western tip, at the Gulf of Aqaba, which is shared with Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Over half of Jordan is covered by the Arabian Desert. However, the western part of Jordan is arable land and forests. Jordan is part of the Fertile Crescent. The capital city isAmman. According to the CIA World Factbook, Jordan has the second highest life expectancy in the Middle East, after Israel.

The average life expectancy is one position behind the United Kingdom, although the age remains exactly the same (80.05 years).

Modern Jordan was founded in 1921, and it was recognized by the League of Nations as a state under the British mandate in 1922 known as The Emirate of Transjordan. In 1946, Jordan became an independent sovereign state officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. After capturing the West Bank area of Cisjordan during the 1948–49 war with Israel, Abdullah I took the title King of Jordan, and he officially changed the country's name to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in April 1949.

Modern Jordan is classified as a country of "medium human development" by the 2011 Human Development Report, and an emerging market with a free market economy by theCIA World Fact Book. Jordan has an "upper middle income" economy. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States went into effect in December, 2001 phased out duties on nearly all goods and services between the two countries. Jordan has also enjoyed "advanced status" with the European Union since December 2010 as well as being a member of the Euro-Mediterranean free trade area. Jordan has more Free Trade Agreements than any other country in the region. It has close relations with the United States and the United Kingdom, and became a major non-NATO ally of the United States in 1996. Jordan is a founding member of the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Jordan was invited to Join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Jordan was the first Arab and Middle Eastern state to join the International Criminal Court. The Jordanian Government is one of three members of the 22 Arab League states to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, the others being the Egyptian and Palestinian governments.

History of Jordan Ancient history:

The Roman Oval Piazza in the ancient city of Jerash

Kingdoms that flourished in the area in the 2nd and 1st millennia B.C. include NabateanPetra, Edom, Ammon, and Moab which flourished in Jordan in the 2nd and 1st millennium B.C. The Nabatean kingdom (Arabic: ‫طابنألا‬, AlAnbāt) was one of the most prominent states in the region. The Nabateans were an ancient Semitic people who controlled the regional and international trade routes of the ancient world by dominating a large area southwest of thefertile crescent, which included the whole of modern Jordan in addition to the southern part ofSyria in the north and the northern part of Arabian Peninsula in the south. The Nabataeans developed the Arabic Script, with their language as an intermediary between Aramaean and the ancient Classical Arabic, which evolved into Modern Arabic.

In antiquity, the present day Jordan became a home for several ancient kingdoms including: the kingdom of Edom, the kingdom ofMoab, the kingdom of Ammon and the prominent Nabataean kingdom of Petra. However, across different eras of history, parts of the country laid under the control of some regional powers including Pharaonic Egypt during their wars with the Babylonian and the Hittites; and for discrete periods of times by Israelites who were taken under the captivity of the Babylonian, and who were later defeated by theMoabites as recorded in Mesha Stele. Furthermore, and due to its strategic location in the middle of the ancient world, Jordan was also controlled by the ancient empires of Greece, the Persians, the Romans and later by the Byzantine. Yet, the Nabataean managed to create their independent kingdom which covered most parts of modern Jordan and beyond, for some centuries, before it was taken by the still expanding Roman empire. However, apart from Petra, the Romans maintained the prosperity of most of the ancient cities in Jordan which enjoyed a sort of city-state autonomy under the umbrella of the alliance of the Decapolis. With the decline of the Roman Empire, Jordan came to be controlled by the Ghassanid Arab kingdom. In the seventh century, and due to its proximity to Damascus, Jordan became a heartland for the Arabic Islamic Empire and therefore secured several centuries of stability and prosperity, which allowed the coining of its current Arabic Islamic identity. In the 11th century, Jordan witnessed a phase of instability, as it became a battlefield for the Crusade wars which ended with defeat by the Ayyubids. Jordan suffered also from the Mongol attacks which were blocked by Mamluks. In 1516, It became part of the Ottoman Empire and it remained so until 1918, when the Army of the Great Arab Revolt took over, and secured the present day Jordan with the help and support of Jordan local tribes.

The Kingdom of Edom was based in the south of Jordan. The Mesha Stele recorded the glory of the King of Edom and the victories over the Israelites and other nations. The Ammon and Moab kingdoms are mentioned in ancient maps, Near Eastern documents, ancientGreco-Roman artifacts, and Christian and Jewish religious scriptures.

Nabataean civilization left many magnificent archaeological sites at Petra, which is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World as well as recognized by the UNESCO as a world Heritage site. Other civilizations leaving their archaeological fingerprints on Jordan include the Hellenistic and the Roman through their ruins in Decapolis cities of Gerasa (Jerash), Gadara (Umm Qais),Philadelphia (Amman), Capitolias (Beit Ras), Raphana, Pella and Arabella (Irbid) and the Byzantine site of Um er-Rasas (a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site). The Arabic Islamic Empire has left desert palaces such as Qasr Mshatta, Qasr al Hallabat and Qasr Amra; and the castles of Ajloun and Al Karak which were used in the Crusader, Ayyubid and Mamluk eras. The country also has Ottomanmosques, tombs, railway stations and fortresses.

Classic antiquity:

During the Greco-Roman period, a number of semi-independent city-states also developed in the region of Jordan under the umbrella of the Decapolis including: Gerasa (Jerash), Philadelphia (Amman), Raphana (Abila), Dion (Capitolias), Gadara (Umm Qays), and Pella(Irbid). Parts of Jordan were later incorporated into the Hasmonean kingdom, with pastoralist Nabateans slowly establishing their own realm in the southern parts of the Transjordan. Following the establishment of Roman Empire at Syria and Judaea, the country was incorporated into the client Judaea Kingdom of Herod, and later the Iudaea Province. With the suppression of Jewish Revolts, the eastern bank of Jordan was incorporated into the Syria Palaestina province, while the eastern deserts fell under Parthian and laterPersian Sassanid control.

Muslim empires:

In the 7th century, and for several centuries, the region of today's Jordan became one of the heartlands of the Arabic Islamic Empireacross its different Caliphates' stages, including the Rashidun Empire, Umayyad Empire and Abbasid Empire. During the Islamic era, Jordan coined its current Arabic Islamic cultural identity. Several resources pointed that the Abbasid movement, was started in region of Jordan before it took over the Umayyad empire. After the decline of the Abbasid, It was ruled by several conflicting powers including theMongols, the Crusaders, the Ayyubids and the Mamluks until it became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1516.

Great Arab Revolt:

Petra, one of the New Seven

During World War I, the Jordanian tribes fought, along with other tribes Wonders of the World of Hijaz and Levantregions, as part of the Arab Army of the Great Arab Revolt. The revolt was launched byHashemites and led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca against the Ottoman Empire. It was supported by the Allies of World War I. The chronicle of the revolt was written by T. E. Lawrence who, as a young British Army officer, played a liaison role during the revolt. He published the chronicle in London, 1922 under the title "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", which was the base for the iconic movie "Lawrence of Arabia".

The Great Arab Revolt was successful in liberating most of the territories of Hijaz and theLevant, including the region of east of Jordan. However, it failed to gain international recognition of the region as an independent state, due mainly to the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement of 1916 and the Balfour Declaration of 1917. This was seen by the Hashemites and the Arabs as betrayal of the previous agreements with the British, including the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence in 1915, in which the British stated their willingness to recognize the independence of the Arab state in Hijaz and the Levant. However, a compromise was eventually reached and the Emirate of Transjordan was created under the Hashemites reign.

British mandate of Transjordan:

In September 1922 the Council of the League of Nations recognized Transjordan as a state under the British Mandate and Transjordan memorandum excluded the territories east of the River Jordan from all of the provisions of the mandate dealing with Jewish settlement.

The country remained under British supervision until 1946.

The Hashemite leadership met multiple difficulties upon assuming power in the region. The most serious threats to emir Abdullah's position in Transjordan were repeated Wahhabi incursions from Najd into southern parts of his territory. The emir was powerless to repel those raids by himself, thus the British maintained a military base, with a small air force, at Marka, close to Amman. The British military force Field marshal Habis Al-Majali and forwas the primary obstacle against the Ikhwan, and was also used to mer prime minister Wasfi Al-Tal help emir Abdullah with the suppression of local rebellions at Kura and later by Sultan Adwan, in 1921 and 1923 respectively.

Independence:

On May 25, 1946 the United Nations approved the end of the British Mandate and recognized Jordan as an independent sovereign kingdom. The Parliament of Jordan proclaimed King Abdullah as the first King.

On April 24, 1950, Jordan formally annexed the West Bank and East Jerusalem, an act that was regarded as illegal and void by the Arab League. The move formed part of Jordan’s "Greater Syria Plan" expansionist policy,and in response, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Syria joined Egypt in demanding Jordan’s expulsion from the Arab League. A motion to expel Jordan from the League was prevented by the dissenting votes of Yemen and Iraq. On June 12, 1950, the Arab League declared the annexation was a temporary, practical measure and that Jordan was holding the territory as a “trustee” pending a future settlement. On July 27, 1953, King Hussein of Jordan announced that East Jerusalem was "the alternative capital of the Hashemite Kingdom" and would form an "integral and inseparable part" of Jordan.

Abdullah I was assassinated in 1951 as he was leaving the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Jordan became a founding member of the Arab League in 1945 and, as an independent country, it joined the United Nations in 1955. In 1957 it terminated the Anglo-Jordan treaty, one year after the king sacked the British personnel serving in the Jordanian Army. This act of Arabization ensured the complete sovereignty of Jordan as a fully independent nation.

1967 Six Day War:

In May 1967, Jordan signed a military pact with Egypt. In June 1967, it joined Egypt, Syria and Iraq in the Six Day War against Israel, which ended in an Israeli victory and the capture of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The period following the war saw an upsurge in the activity and numbers of Arab Palestinian paramilitary elements (fedayeen) within the state of Jordan. These distinct, armed militias were becoming a "state within a state", threatening Jordan's rule of law. King Hussein's armed forces targeted the fedayeen, and open fighting erupted in June 1970. The battle in which Palestinian fighters from various Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) groups were expelled from Jordan is commonly known asBlack September.

The heaviest fighting occurred in northern Jordan and Amman. In the A handshake between Hussein I of ensuing heavy fighting, a Syrian tank force invaded northern Jordan Jordan and Yitzhak Rabin, accompato back the fedayeen fighters, but subsequently retreated. King Hus- nied by Bill Clinton, after signing the sein urgently asked the United States and Great Britain to intervene Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace, Octoagainst Syria. Consequently, Israel performed mock air strikes on the ber 26, 1994 Syrian column at the Americans' request. Soon after, Syrian President Nureddin al-Atassi, ordered a hasty retreat from Jordanian soil. By September 22, Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo arranged a cease-fire beginning the following day. However, sporadic violence continued until Jordanian forces, led by Habis Al-Majali, with the help of Iraqi forces, won a decisive victory over the fedayeen on July 1971, expelling them, and ultimately the PLO's Yasser Arafat, from Jordan.

1973 Yom Kippur War:

In 1973, allied Arab League forces attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur War, and fighting occurred along the 1967 Jordan River cease-fire line. Jordan sent a brigade to Syria to attack Israeli units on Syrian territory but did not engage Israeli forces from Jordanian territory. At the Rabat summit conference in 1974, Jordan was now in a more secure position to agree, along with the rest of the Arab League, that the PLO was the "sole legitimate representative of the [Arab] Palestinian people", thereby relinquishing to that organization its role as representative of the West Bank.

The Amman Agreement of February 11, 1985, declared that the PLO and Jordan would pursue a proposed confederation between the state of Jordan and a Palestinian state. In 1988, King Hussein dissolved the Jordanian parliament and renounced Jordanian claims to the West Bank. The PLO assumed responsibility as the Provisional Government of Palestine and an independent state was declared.

Peace treaty with Israel:

In 1991, Jordan agreed to participate in direct peace negotiations with Israel at the Madrid Conference, sponsored by the US and the Soviet Union. It negotiated an end to hostilities with Israel and signed a declaration to that effect on 25 July 1994. As a result, an Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty was concluded on 26 October 1994. King Hussein was later honored when his picture appeared on an Israeli postage stamp in recognition of the good relations he established with his neighbor. Since the signing of the peace treaty, the United States not only contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in an annual foreign aid stipend to Jordan, but also has allowed it to establish a free trade zone in which to manufacture goods that will enter the US without paying the usual import taxes as long as a percentage of the material used in them is purchased in Israel.

The last major strain in Jordan's relations with Israel occurred in September 1997, when Israeli agents allegedly entered Jordan using Canadian passports and poisoned Khaled Meshal, a senior leader of Hamas. Israel provided an antidote to the poison and released dozens of political prisoners, including Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated in 2004 in the Gaza Strip.

Independence Day Georgia - May 26

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads ofWestern Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 km² and its population is almost 4.7 million. Georgia is a unitary, semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy.

During the classical era independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia. The kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia adopted Christianity in the early 4th century. A unified Georgia reached the peak of its political and economic strength during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 11th– 12th centuries. At the beginning of the 19th century, Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire. After a brief period of independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia was occupied by Soviet Russia in 1921, becoming the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic and part of the Soviet Union. After independence in 1991, post-communist Georgia suffered from civil unrest and economic crisis for most of the 1990s. This lasted until the Rose Revolution of 2003, after which the new government introduced democratic and economic reforms.

Georgia is a member of the Council of Europe and the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. It contains two de facto independent regions, Abkhazia andSouth Ossetia, which gained limited international recognition after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Georgia considers the regions to be part of its sovereign territory under Russian military occupation.

Etymology Ethnic Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi(ქართველები), their land

Sakartvelo(საქართველო – meaning "a land of Kartvelians"), and their language Kartuli(ქართული). According to the ancientGeorgian Chronicles, the ancestor of theKartvelians was Kartlos, the great grandson of the Biblical Japheth. The name Sakartvelo(საქართველო) consists of two parts. Its root,kartvel-i (ქართველ-ი), specifies an inhabitant of the core central-eastern Georgian region ofKartli, or Iberia as it is known in sources of Eastern Roman Empire. Ancient Greeks(Strabo, Herodotus, Plutarch, Homer, etc.) and Romans (Titus Livius, Tacitus, etc.) referred to early eastern Georgians as Iberians (Iberoi in some Greek sources) and western Georgians as Colchians.

The terms "Georgia" and "Georgian" appeared in Western Europe in numerous early medieval annals. At the time, the name was folk etymologized – for instance, by the French chronicler Jacques de Vitry and the compiler John Mandeville – from Georgians' especial rever- Coat of Arms ence of Saint George. Another theory, popularized by the likes of Jean Chardin, semantically linked "Georgia" to Greek andLatin roots, respectively, γεωργός ("tiller of the land") and georgicus ("agricultural"). The supporters of this explanation sometimes referred to classical authors, in particular Pliny and Pomponius Mela, who wrote of "Georgi" tribes, which were named so to distinguish them from their unsettled and pastoral neighbors. According to some scholars, "Georgia" could have been borrowed in the 11th or 12th century from the Syriac gurz-ān or -iyān and Arabic ĵurĵan or ĵurzan, derived from the New Persian gurğ or gurğān.

History

Prehistory:

The territory of modern-day Georgia has been inhabited by Homo erectus since the Paleolithic Era. The proto-Georgian tribes first appear in written history in the 12th century BC. Archaeological finds and references in ancient sources reveal elements of early political and state formations characterized by advanced metallurgy and goldsmith techniques that date back to the 7th century BC and beyond.

Antiquity:

The classic period saw the rise of the early Georgian states Diaokhi (XIII BC) of Colchis(VIII BC), of Sper (VII BC) and of Iberia (VI BC).

In the 4th century BC a unified kingdom of Georgia—an early example of advanced state organization under one king and an aristocratic hierarchy—was established.

The two early Georgian kingdoms of late antiquity, known to Greco- It is said that Georgians were Roman historiography as Iberia (Georgian: იბერია) (in the east of the named because they revered country) and Colchis(Georgian: კოლხეთი) (in the west), were among Saint George. the first nations in the region to adopt Christianity (in AD 337, or in AD 319 as recent research suggests). In Greek mythology, Colchis was the location of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and theArgonauts in Apollonius Rhodius' epic tale Argonautica. The incorporation of the Golden Fleece into the myth may have derived from the local practice of using fleeces to sift gold dust from rivers. Known to its natives as Egrisi or Lazica, Colchis was also the battlefield of the Lazic War fought between Byzantine Empire and Persia.

After the Roman Empire completed its conquest of the Caucasus region in 66 BC, the Georgian kingdoms were Roman client states and allies for nearly 400 years. In 337 AD King Mirian III declared Christianity as the state religion, giving a great stimulus to the development of literature, arts, and ultimately playing a key role in the formation of the unified Georgian nation. King Mirian III's acceptance of Christianity effectively tied the kingdom to the neighboring Eastern Roman Empire which exerted a strong influence on Georgia for nearly a millennium, determining much of its present cultural identity.

Middle Ages:

The early kingdoms disintegrated into various feudal regions by the early Middle Ages. This made it easy forArabs to conquer most of eastern Georgia in the 7th century. The various independent regions would not be united into a single Georgian Kingdom until the beginning of the 11th century.

Although Arabs captured the capital city of Tbilisi in AD 645, Kartli-Iberia retained considerable independence under local Arab rulers. In AD 813 the prince Ashot I – also known as Ashot Kurapalat – became the first of the Bagrationi family to rule the kingdom. Ashot's reign began a period of nearly 1,000 years during which the Bagrationi, as the house was known, ruled at least part of what is now the republic.

Bagrat III (r. 1027–72) united western and eastern Georgia. In the next century, David IV (called the Builder, r. 1089– 1125) initiated the Georgian golden age by driving the Seljuk Turks from the country and expanding Georgian cultural and political influence southward into Armenia and eastward to the Caspian Sea. The Georgian Kingdom reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. This period has been widely termed as Georgia's Golden Age or Georgian Renaissance during the reigns of David the Builder and Queen Tamar. This early Georgian renaissance, which preceded its West European analogue, was characterized by the flourishing of romantic-chivalric tradition, breakthroughs in philosophy, and an array of political innovations in society and state organization, including religious and ethnic tolerance.

The Golden age of Georgia left a legacy of great cathedrals, romantic poetry and literature, and the epic poem "The Knight in the Panther's Skin". David the Builder is popularly considered to be the greatest and most successful Georgian ruler in history. He succeeded in driving the Seljuks out of the country, winning the major Battle of Didgori in 1121. His reforms of the army and administration enabled him to reunite the country and bring most lands of the Caucasus under Georgia's control.

David the Builder's granddaughter Tamar succeeded in neutralizing opposition and embarked on an energetic foreign policy aided by the downfall of the rival powers of the Seljuks and Byzantium. Supported by a powerful military élite, Tamar was able to build on the successes of her predecessors to consolidate an empire which dominated the Caucasus, and extended over large parts of present-day Azerbaijan, Armenia, and eastern Turkey, until its collapse under the Mongol attacks within two decades after Tamar's death.

The revival of the Georgian Kingdom was set back after Tbilisi was captured and destroyed by the Khwarezmian leader Jalal ad-Din in 1226. The Mongols were expelled by George V of Georgia, son ofDemetrius II of Georgia, who was named "Brilliant" for his role in restoring the country's previous strength and Christian culture. George V was the last great king of the unified Georgian state. After his death, different local rulers fought for their independence from central Georgian rule, until the total disintegration of the Kingdom in the 15th century. Georgia was further weakened by several disastrous invasions byTamerlane. Invasions continued, giving the Kingdom no time for restoration, with both Black and Whitesheep Turkomans constantly raiding it's southern provinces. As a result, Georgian Kingdom collapsed into anarchy by 1466 and fragmented into three independent Kingdoms and five semi-independent principalities. Neighboring empires exploited the internal division of the weakened country, and beginning in the 16th century, the Persian Empire and the Ottoman Empire subjugated the eastern and western regions of Georgia, respectively.

The rulers of regions which remained partly autonomous organized rebellions on various occasions. However, subsequent Persian and Ottoman invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions. As a result of incessant wars the population of Georgia dwindled from 5 million in the 13th century to 250,000 inhabitants at the end of the 18th century. Eastern Georgia, composed of the regions of Kartliand Kakheti, had been under Persian suzerainty since 1555. With the death of Nader Shah in 1747, both kingdoms broke free of Persian control and were reunified through a personal union under the energetic king Heraclius II in 1762.

Georgia in the Russian Empire:

In 1783, Russia and the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, which recognized the bond of Orthodox Christianity between Russian and Georgian people and promised eastern Georgia protection. However, despite this commitment to defend Georgia, Russia rendered no assistance when the Turks and Persians invaded in 1785 and in 1795, completely devastating Tbilisi and massacring its inhabitants. This period culminated in the 1801 Russian violation of the Treaty of Georgievsk and annexation of eastern Georgia, followed by the abolishment of the royal Bagrationi dynasty, as well as the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Pyotr Bagration, one of the descendants of the abolished house of Bagrationi would later join the Russian army and rise to be a general by the Napoleonic wars.

On December 22, 1800, Tsar Paul I of Russia, at the alleged request of the Georgian King George XII, signed the proclamation on the incorporation of Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the Russian Empire, which was finalized by a decree on January 8, 1801, and confirmed by Tsar Alexander I on September 12, 1801. The Georgian envoy in Saint Petersburg reacted with a note of protest that was presented to the Russian vice-chancellor Prince Kurakin. In May 1801, under the oversight of GeneralCarl Heinrich Knorring Imperial Russia transferred power in eastern Georgia to the government headed by General Ivan Petrovich Lasarev. The Georgian nobility did not accept the decree until April 1802 when General Knorring compassed the nobility in Tbilisi's Sioni Cathedral and forced them to take an oath on the Imperial Crown of Russia. Those who disagreed were temporarily arrested.

In the summer of 1805, Russian troops on the Askerani River near Zagam defeated the Persian army and saved Tbilisi from conquest now that it was officially part of the Imperial territories.

Following the annexation of eastern Georgia, the western Georgian kingdom of Imereti was annexed by Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The last Imeretian king and the last Georgian Bagrationi ruler Solomon II died in exile in 1815. From 1803 to 1878, as a result of numerous Russian wars against the Ottoman Empire, several of Georgia's previously lost territories – such as Adjara – were recovered. The principality of Guria was abolished and incorporated into the Empire in 1828, and that of Megrelia in 1857. The region of Svaneti was gradually annexed in 1857–59.

Declaration of independence:

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia declared independence on May 26, 1918 in the midst of the Russian Civil War. The parliamentary election was won by the MenshevikGeorgian Social-Democratic Party. Its leader, Noe Zhordania, became prime minister.

In 1918 the Georgian–Armenian War erupted over parts of Georgian provinces populated mostly by Armenians which ended because of British intervention. In 1918–19 Georgian general Giorgi Mazniashvili led a Georgian attack against the White Army led by Moiseev and Denikin in order to claim the Black Sea coastline from Tuapse to Sochi and Adler for independent Georgia. The country's independence did not last long. Georgia was under British protection from 1918–1920.

Georgia in the Soviet Union:

In February 1921 Georgia was attacked by the Red Army. The Georgian army was defeated and the Social-Democrat government fled the country. On February 25, 1921 the Red Army entered the capital Tbilisi and installed a Moscow directed communist government, led

by Georgian BolshevikFilipp Makharadze.

Nevertheless the Soviet rule was firmly established only after a 1924 revolt was brutally suppressed. Georgia was incorporated into the Transcaucasian SFSR uniting Georgia,Armenia and Azerbaijan. The TSFSR was disaggregated into its component elements in 1936 and Georgia became theGeorgian SSR. Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian, was prominent among the Bolsheviks, who came to power in the Russian Empire after the October Revolution in 1917. Stalin was to rise to the highest position of theSoviet state.

Georgian girl holding a poster and From 1941 to 1945, during World War II, almost 700,000 Georgians fought in the Red Army against Nazi Germany. (A number also fought candles during the 2008 RussoWar Georgian on the German side.) About 350,000 Georgians died in the battlefields of the Eastern Front.

On April 9, 1989, a peaceful demonstration in the Georgian capital Tbilisi ended up with several people being killed

by Soviet troops. Before the October 1990 elections to the national assembly, the Umaghlesi Sabcho (Supreme Council) – the first polls in the USSR held on a formal multi-party basis – the political landscape was reshaped again.

While the more radical groups boycotted the elections and convened an alternative forum (the National Congress) with alleged support of Moscow, another part of the anticommunist opposition united into the Round Table—Free Georgia (RT-FG) around the former dissidents like Merab Kostava andZviad Gamsakhurdia.

The latter won the elections by a clear margin, with 155 out of 250 parliamentary seats, whereas the ruling Communist Party (CP) received only 64 seats. All other parties failed to get over the 5%-threshold and were thus allotted only some single-member constituency seats.

Georgia after restoration of independence:

On April 9, 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia declared independence. On May 26, 1991, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was elected as a first President of independent Georgia. Gamsakhurdia stoked Georgian nationalism and vowed to assert Tbilisi's authority over regions such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia that had been classified as autonomous oblasts under the Soviet Union.

He was soon deposed in a bloody coup d'état, from December 22, 1991 to January 6, 1992. The coup was instigated by part of the National Guards and a paramilitary organization called "Mkhedrioni" or "horsemen". The country became embroiled in a bitter civil war which lasted almost until 1995.Eduard Shevardnadze returned to Georgia in 1992 and joined the leaders of the coup — Kitovani and Ioseliani — to head a triumvirate called "The State Council".

In 1995, Shevardnadze was officially elected as president of Georgia. At the same time, simmering disputes within two regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, between local separatists and the majority Georgian populations, erupted into widespread inter-ethnic violence and wars. Supported by Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, with the exception of some "pockets" of territory, achievedde facto independence from Georgia.

Roughly 230,000 to 250,000 Georgians were expelled from Abkhazia by Abkhaz separatists and North Caucasian volunteers (including Chechens) in 1992–1993. Around 23,000 Georgians fled South Ossetia as well, and many Ossetian families were forced to abandon their homes in theBorjomi region and moved to Russia.

In 2003, Shevardnadze (who won reelection in 2000) was deposed by the Rose Revolution, after Georgian opposition and international monitors asserted that the November 2 parliamentary elections were marred by fraud. The revolution was led by Mikheil Saakashvili,Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze, former members and leaders of Shevardnadze's ruling party. Mikheil Saakashvili was elected as President of Georgia in 2004.

Following the Rose Revolution, a series of reforms were launched to strengthen the country's military and economic capabilities. The new government's efforts to reassert Georgian authority in the southwestern autonomous republic of Ajaria led to a major crisis early in 2004. Success in Ajaria encouraged Saakashvili to intensify his efforts, but without success, in breakaway South Ossetia.

These events, along with accusations of Georgian involvement in the Second Chechen War, resulted in a severe deterioration ofrelations with Russia, fuelled also by Russia's open assistance and support to the two secessionist areas. Despite these increasingly difficult relations, in May 2005 Georgia and Russia reached a bilateral agreement by which Russian military bases (dating back to the Soviet era) in Batumi and Akhalkalaki were withdrawn. Russia withdrew all personnel and equipment from these sites by December 2007 while failing to withdraw from the Gudauta base in Abkhazia which it was required to vacate after the adoption of Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty during the 1999 Istanbul summit.

2008 military conflict with Russia:

2008 saw a military conflict between Georgia on one side, with Russia and the separatist republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other. In response to the shelling of Georgian towns around South Ossetia, supposedly by South Ossetian militias well equipped with Russian military supplies, Georgia massed military forces near the region.

Russia also massed larger military forces near the border with South Ossetia. On August 7, Georgian forces began a massive artillery attack on the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, which started after months-long clashes between Georgian police and peacekeepers, and Ossetian militia and Russian peacekeepers. On early August 8, Georgian Army infantry and tanks, supported by Interior Ministry commandos, began pushing into South Ossetia, supported by artillery and multiple rocket launcher fire and Su-25 strike aircraft. After several hours of fierce fighting, Georgia had captured numerous villages throughout South Ossetia, and had captured almost all of Tskhinvali from Ossetian militia and Russian peacekeepers. A Russian peacekeepers' base stationed in South Ossetia was shelled, and personnel were killed. Units of the Russian58th Army, supported by irregular forces, subsequently entered South Ossetia through the Russian-controlled Roki Tunnel, and a three-day battle left the city of Tskhinvali heavily devastated.

Georgian forces were driven out of South Ossetia, and Georgian villages were burned by Ossetian militia to prevent refugees from returning. The Russian Air Force launched a series of coordinated airstrikesagainst Georgian forces in South Ossetia, and multiple targets inside Georgia proper, but met heavy resistance from Georgian air defenses.

The Georgian Air Force also managed to carry out air attacks on Russian troops throughout most of the battle. At the same time, the separatist Republic of Abkhazia launched an offensive against Georgian troops in the Kodori Valley with the support of Russian paratroopers, marines, and naval forces. Georgian troops offered minimal resistance and withdrew Russian paratroopers launched raids against military bases in Senaki, Georgia, from Abkhazia. The Russian Navy stationed a task force of sixteen ships off the coast of Abkhazia, and in a brief naval skirmish with Georgian missile boats and gunboats, sank a Georgian Coast Guard cutter.

Following their defeat in South Ossetia, Georgian forces regrouped at Gori with heavy artillery. Russian forces crossed into Georgia proper, and all Georgian forces retreated toTbilisi, leaving some military equipment behind.

Russian forces entered the city and occupied numerous villages completely unopposed. Irregulars such as Ossetians, Chechens and Cossacks followed and were reported looting, killing and burning. Russian troops removed military equipment abandoned by retreating Georgian troops in Gori, and also occupied the port city of Poti, where they sank several naval and coast guard vessels moored in the harbor, and removed captured military equipment, including four Humvees. Georgia lost a total of 150 pieces of military equipment (including 65 tanks), 1,728 small arms, and 4 naval vessels during the war.

On August 12, President Medvedev announced an intent to halt further Russian military operations in Georgia. Russian troops withdrew from Gori and Poti, but remained in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which it recognized as independent countries. Georgia, on the contrary, considers those territories to be under Russian occupation. Russia also created temporary checkpoints in several locations inside Georgia, but gradually withdrew from them.

Because of the intensive fighting in South Ossetia there were many disputed reports about the number of casualties on both sides, which targets had fallen under aerial attacks, the status of troop movements, and the most current location of the front line between the Georgian and Russian-Ossetian combat units. South Ossetian and Russian officials claimed the Georgian Army was responsible for killing 2,000, and later 1,400 South Ossetian civilians. These allegations have not been substantiated, and Human Rights Watch and European Union investigators in South Ossetia accused Russia of exaggerating the scale of such casualties. The actual death toll, according to the Russian Prosecutor's Office, is 162. Another 150 South Ossetian militiamen were also killed. Russian casualties totalled 67 dead or missing, and 323 wounded. Abkhaz forces lost 1 dead and 2 wounded. Georgian military casualties totaled 170 dead or missing, 1,964 wounded, and 42 taken prisoner. Georgian civilian casualties stand at 228, with a total of 12 police officers killed or missing. A Dutch journalist, Stan Storimans, was also killed.

Independence Day Guyana - May 26

Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and (for over 200 years) the British. It is the only state of theCommonwealth of Nations on mainland South America, and the only one on that continent where English is an official language. It is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which has its secretariat headquarters in Guyana's capital,Georgetown. Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966, and became a republic on 23 February 1970. In 2008 the country joined the Union of South American Nations as a founding member.

Historically, the region known as "Guiana" or "Guyana" comprised the large shield landmass north of the Amazon River and east of the Orinoco River known as the "Land of many waters".

Historical Guyana is made up of three Dutch colonies: Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice. Modern Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil, to the west by Venezuela, and on the north by theAtlantic Ocean.

At 215,000 km2, Guyana is the third-smallest independent state on the mainland of South America (after Uruguay and Suriname). Its population is approximately 770,000.

Etymology

The name "Guyana" is derived from Guiana, the original name for the region that now includes Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and parts of Venezuela and Brazil. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the name comes from an American Indian word meaning "land of many waters".

History

Guyana was inhabited by the Arawak and Carib tribes of Native Americans. AlthoughChristopher Columbus sighted Guyana during his third voyage (in 1498), the Dutch were the first to establish colonies: Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). The British assumed control in the late 18th century, and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. In 1831 the three separate colonies became a single British colony known as British Guiana.

Since Independence in 1824, Venezuela has claimed the area of land to the west of the Essequibo river. Letters from Simon Bolivar warned the British government about the Berbice and Demerara settlers settling on land the Venezuelans claimed was theirs. In 1899 an international tribunal ruled the land belonged to Great Britain.

Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966 and became a republicon 23 February 1970, remaining a member of theCommonwealth. The US State Department and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), along with the British government, played a strong role in influencing political control in Guyana during this time.

The American government supported Forbes Burnham during the early years of independence because Cheddi Jaganwas a self-declared Marxist. They provided secret financial support and political campaign advice to Burnham's People's National Congress to the detriment of the Jagan-led People's Progressive Party, mostly supported by Guyanese of Indian descent.

In 1978, Guyana received considerable international attention when 918 members, almost entirely American, (more than 300 of whom were children) of the Jim Jones-led Peoples Temple died in a mass murder/suicide in Jonestown – a settlement created by the Peoples Temple. An attack by Jim Jones' bodyguards at a small remote airstrip close to Jonestown resulted in the murder of five people, including Leo Ryan, the only congressman ever murdered in the line of duty in US history.

In May 2008, President Bharrat Jagdeo was a signatory to The UNASUR Constitutive Treatyof the Union of South American Nations. Guyana has ratified the treaty.

Mother's Day Poland - May 26

In Poland, "Dzień Matki" ("Mother's Day") is celebrated on 26 May. Mother's Day is a modern celebration honoring one's own mother, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day. The celebration of Mother's Day began in the United States in the early 20th century; it is not related to the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration (originally a celebration of the mother church, not motherhood). Despite this, in some countries, Mother's Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.

Prince Fredrik's Birthday Denmark - May 26

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, RE, SKmd (Danish: Frederik André Henrik Christian, Kronprins af Danmark, Greve af Monpezat; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.

Education and career On 14 January 1972 he became Crown Prince of Denmark

when his mother succeeded to the throne as Margrethe II. The Crown Prince attended elementary school at Krebs' Skole during the years 1974–1981, from 1974–1976 as a private pupil at Amalienborg Palace, and from the third form atKrebs' Skole. In the period 1982–1983, the Crown Prince was a boarder at École des Roches in Normandy, France. In 1986, Crown Prince Frederik graduated from the upper secondary school of Øregaard Gymnasium.

In 1989, the Crown Prince began to study for an academic degree, when he began a course in Political Science at University of Aarhus. This included a year at Harvard University (1992–1993) under the name of Frederik Henriksen, studying political science. He then took up a position for three months with the Danish UN mission in New York in 1994. In 1995 Crown Prince Frederik obtained his MA degree in Political Science fromUniversity of Aarhus. He completed the course in the prescribed number of years with an exam result above average. His final paper was an analysis on the foreign policy of the Baltic States, which he had visited several times during his studies. The Crown Prince was posted as First Secretary to the Danish Embassy in Paris from October 1998 to October 1999.

He has completed extensive military studies and training in all three services, notably completing education as a sailor in the naval elite special operations forces (members of this are known as frogmen or frømænd in Danish). His frogman nickname is "Pingo".

In the period 2001 and 2002, the Crown Prince completed further training for leaders at the Royal Danish Defence College. Crown Prince Frederik remains active in the defence, and in the period 2002–2003 served as a staff officer at Defence Command Denmark, and from 2003 as a senior lecturer with the Institute of Strategy at the Royal Danish Defence College.

Military service:

• The Royal Life Guard 1986.

• Lieutenant in the Reserve (Army) 1988.

• Reconnaissance Platoon Commander with the Royal iment 1988.

• First Lieutenant in the Reserve (Army) 1989.

• Royal Danish Navy Frømandskorpset 1995 (equivalent to the Royal Navy Special Boat Service, or US Navy SEALs).

• First Lieutenant in the Reserve (Navy) 1995.

• Captain in the Reserve (Army) 1997.

• Lieutenant Commander in the Reserve (Navy) 1997.

• Royal Danish Air Force Flying School 2000 • Captain in the Reserve (Air Force) 2000.

• Command and General Staff Course, Royal Danish Defence College 2001-2002.

• Commander (Navy) and Major (Army, Air Force) 2002.

• Staff Officer, Defence Command Denmark 2002-2003.

• Senior lecturer with the Institute of Strategy at the Royal Danish Defence College, 2003-.

• Commander, senior grade (Navy), lieutenant colonel (Air force, Army) 2004.

• Captain (Navy), Colonel (Air Force, Army) 2010.

Guard Hussars’ Reg-

Marriage and children

In the Council of State on 8 October 2003, Queen Margrethe gave her consent to the marriage of Crown Prince Frederik to Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, an Australian marketing consultant whom the prince met when he was attending the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The wedding The Crown Prince in Vágur, Faroe took place on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, Copenhagen. Islands, on 21 June 2005.

On 25 April 2005 the Danish royal court announced that Crown Princess Mary was pregnant with the couple's first child, and on 15 October 2005 she gave birth to a Prince. As it is a tradition in the Royal House that kings are named Frederik or Christian in alternating order, the baby was baptised Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John on 21 January 2006.

On 26 October 2006, the Danish court announced that the Crown Princess was pregnant with her second child. On 21 April 2007, The Crown Princess gave birth to a baby daughter at Copenhagen University Hospital, the first Danish princess born since 1946. The Crown Prince was at his wife's side the entire time. Their daughter was christened PrincessIsabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe on 1 July 2007.

The Crown Princess gave birth to Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander at 10:30 am local time (weight 2.674 kg (5 lb 14 oz), length: 47 cm (18 in.), and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda at 10:56 am (weight: 2.554 kg (5 lb 10 oz), length: 46 cm (18 in.) on 8 January 2011. The names were made public at their christening on Thursday, 14 April 2011, which took place at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen.

Areas of interest

Scientific research, climate change and sustainability:

Frederik has a special interest in scientific research, climate change and sustainability. The Prince was interviewed by Financial Times and CNN International, in the Future Cities program, for their commitment to sustainability. He participated in expeditions, forums and events on climate. The prince has represented Denmark as a promoter of sustainable Danish energy. The prince was one of the authors of the Polartokt Kongelig (Polar Cruise Royal), about the challenges of climate, published in 2009 with a preface written by Kofi Annan. In 2010, wrote the book's foreword Naturen og klimaændringerne i Nordøstgrønland (The nature and climate change in Greenland). Supports scientific research projects, as a patron, as expeditionary, with regular attendance at events and through his foundation, Kronprins Frederiks Fond.

Sports and Health:

The Prince encourages Danish participation in sports. He is a patron and honorary member of various sports organizationsand a member of the International Olympic Committee. He also promotes an active lifestyle in society.

Frederik is an avid sportsman, running marathons in Copenhagen, New York and Paris, and completing the 42 kilometers with a respectable time of 3 hours, 22 minutes and 50 seconds in the Copenhagen Marathon. Frederik is a keen sailor, being a competitive Farr 40 skipper as well as an accomplished Dragon sailor. He won victories and was a leader in the steps championships. He finished in fourth place in the European Championship Dragon Class 2003 (with 51 boats participating), and at number 4 in the Farr 40 Worlds 2008 (with 33 boats participating). He was the first in his class boat inFyn Cup 2010 in Denmark, and at number 2 in the Dragon DM 2011 (with 25 boats participating).

Crown Prince Frederik’s Foundation The purpose of the foundation is to provide financial assistance to students of social policy and sciences, for one year’s

study at Harvard. and provide financial support for scientific expeditions, particularly to foreign parts of the world, including Greenland and the Faeroe Islands and sports purposes, including those with a particularly social aspect.

Patronages Aarhus University Male Choir

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Copenhagen International Furniture Fair Danish Deaf Association Danish Design Center Danish Railway Museum in Odense Juullip Nipitittagaa / The Greenlandic Christmas-Seal Foundation Odense International Film Festival Plant a Tree Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus Royal Awards for Sustainability Save the Children Fund The Anders Lassen Foundation The Association of Fine Arts (Kunstforeningen GL The Associations of the Guard Hussars The Blood Donors in Denmark The Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland The Danish Association of the Hard of Hearing The Danish Dyslexia Organisation The Danish Military Sports Association The Danish National Committee of United World Col leges The Danish Naval Officers' Club The Danish Pleasure Crafts Safety Board The Danish Tennis Association The Foreign Policy Society The Georg Jensen Prize The Greenlandic Society The Naval-Lieutenant-Society The Soldiers’ Grant

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Honorary tasks

President of The Royal Danish Geographical Society • Honorary Vice-President of The Siam Society in Thailand • Patron for Danish Red Cross • Member of ISAF's (International Sailing Federation) • Events Committee Member of IOC (International Olympic Committee) • Member of Young Global Leaders •

Titles, styles, honours and arms Titles and styles:

Arms of Crown Prince Frederik

26 May 1968 – 14 January 1972: His Royal Highness Prince Frederik of Denmark • 14 January 1972 – 29 April 2008: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Denmark • 29 April 2008 – present: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat • His official title in Danish is Hans Kongelige Højhed Kronprins Frederik til Danmark, Greve af Monpezat. If he succeeds to the throne and uses his first given name as his regnal name, he would be known as Frederik X. But if he uses his last given name, he'll be known as Christian XI.

Danish honours and decorations:

He has a number of decorations, the most notable of which are: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.) • Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog (S.Kmd.) • Silver Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog • The Silver Jubilee Medal of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (accession to the Danish throne) • Commemorative 70th Birthday Medal of Her Majesty The Queen (Em.16.apr.2010.)

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Foreign decorations:

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Belgium : Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold Brazil : Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil Brazil : Grand Cross of the Order of the Rio Branco of Brazil Bulgaria : Order of Stara Planina, 1st Class, of Bulgaria Estonia : Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class, of Estonia Finland : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland Germany : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Greece : Grand Cross of the Order of Honour of Greece Iceland : Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon Italy : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Japan : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum Jordan : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Renaissance of Jordan Latvia : Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars Luxembourg : Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau Nepal : Grand Cross of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya of Nepal Norway : Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav Romania : Grand Cross rank of the Order of the Star of Romania Sweden : Knight of the Order of the Seraphim Thailand : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao

Sorry Day Australia - May 26

National Sorry Day is an annual event that has been held in Australia on 26 May, since 1998, to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the continent's indigenous population. The Australian government's most controversial policies resulted in an entire "Stolen Generation"— i.e., "Aboriginal children separated, often forcibly, from their families of origin in the interest of turning them into white Australians". 26 May carries great significance for the Stolen Generations, as well as for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and non-indigenous Australians. On 26 May 1997, the "Bringing Them Home" report was tabled in Parliament.

The annual National Sorry Day commemorations remind and raise awareness among politicians, policy makers, and the wider public about the significance of the forcible removal policies and their impact on the children that were taken, but also on their families and communities.

Apology to the Stolen Generations

On 13 February 2008, then Prime Minister The Honorable Kevin Rudd moved a motion of Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples, apologising for past laws, policies, and practices that devastated Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples—in particular members of the stolen generations. This was the new parliament's first order of business, and Kevin Rudd became the first Australian Prime Minister to publicly apologize to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Australian federal government. Tom Calma AO, then Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission, delivered the formal response to the apology.

Mother's Day Bolivia - May 27

In 1812, when many regions of South America were fighting for their independence from Spain, the Spanish army, led by Brigadier General Goyeneche, had just left the area of Cochabamba where he thought he had squelched an insurrection. He was headed toward Argentina to invade various provinces that had begun to revolt there too; however, patriots in Cochabamba, headed by Esteban Arze, revolted again after he had left. So he quickly returned and soundly defeated them.

On May 27th, with their husbands, brothers and fathers dead or dying, the women of Cochabamba didn't hesitate to take up arms and rise up in defense of the region. A valiant woman named Manuela Gandarilla (who was very old and also blind!) gathered a group of women to fight against the Spaniards. The battle took place on a hill called "La Coronilla" (known today as the "Cerro San Sebastián"). During this uprising, Spanish troops slaughtered hundreds of women.

Bolivia eventually did achieve its independence in 1825. Two years later, on November 8, 1927 a law was passed declaring May 27th as Mother's Day (also known as the "Day of the Heroines of Coronillas") in homage to the hundreds of women who helped defend and liberate Bolivia from Spain on a hill in Cochabamba that day.

Reconciliation Week Australia-May 27

National Reconciliation Week was initiated in 1996 by Reconciliation Australia to celebrate indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster reconciliation discussion and activities. It is held between 27 May and 3 June of each year, with the dates holding special historical significance: the former marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum in Australia and the latter marks the anniversary of High Court of Australia judgement on the Mabo v Queensland of 1992.

National Flag Day Philippines - M a y 2 8

The Philippine National Flag Day is celebrated on the 28th day of May of every year to commemorate the date when the Philippine flag was first unfurled after the Philippine Revolutionary Army defeated the Spanish forces in the Battle of Alapan in 1898.

The celebration starts from May 28 until June 12, the Philippine Independence Day. All Filipinos are then encouraged to display the Philippine flag in all offices, agencies and instruments of government, business establishments, schools and private homes throughout this period provided that they abide the law governing its proper use and display, as mandated by Republic Act 8491 (The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines).

Overthrow of the Dergue Regime Ethiopia - M a y 2 8

Ethiopia commemorates the end of Derg regime in 1991, a military junta which ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987.

The holiday is officially called as Derg Downfall Day and is celebrated yearly in the country every 28th of May.

History Derg (Dergue) came to power after ousting the former

Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 Haile Selassie I. The Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army (Derg) was formed to address the rampant corruption in the military during that time.

The Derg has successfully obtained clearance from the former emperor to arrest individuals, especially government officials and military officers who were believed to have participated in the said corruption. Mengistu Haile Mariam headed the Derg during this period. Little did the emperor know that these were the start of a process to disintegrate the monarchy so that in September 12, 1974, the emperor found himself imprisoned by the Derg. The monarchy was formally dissolved in May of 1975. A few months later, Emperor Haile Selassie died.

According to sources, Derg imprisoned and executed thousands of its political opponents who were perceived to have participated in an attempt to overthrow the military junta from the period 1975 to 1987.

During Mengistu’s leadership, a new constitution was instituted and Ethiopia’s name was changed to People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE). His leadership was marred by violence and execution of key officials who formed part of the monarchical government under Emperor Haile Selassie.

Mengistu had to face Ethiopian Red Terror which took place from 1977 to 1978 and the Ethiopian Civil War lasting from 1974 to 1991. The latter, with the help of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), an integrated alliance of revolutionary groups in the country during the civil war, successfully brought Derg to its downfall in 1991.

Celebrations

During the holiday, politicians visit war memorials and deliver speeches to honor the lives of the people who perished in the Ethiopian civil war and the Red Terror. The holiday is one of the most important holiday in Ethiopia and is considered a work-free day.

Republic Day Azerbaijan - May 28

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyəti) was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world (pre-dating the Republic of Turkey).

The ADR was founded by the Azerbaijani National Council in Tiflis on 28 May 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire. Its established borders were with Russia in the north, Democratic Republic of Georgia in the northwest, Democratic Republic of Armenia in the west, and Iran in the south. It had a population of 2 million. Ganja was the temporary capital of the Republic as Baku was under Bolshevik control.

Under the ADR, a government system was developed in which a Parliament elected on the basis of universal, free, and proportionate representation, was the supreme organ of state authority and Council of Ministers held responsible before it. Fatali Khan Khoyski became its first prime-minister. Besides the Musavat majority, Ahrar, Ittihad, Muslim Social Democrats as well as representatives ofArmenian (21 out of 120 seats), Russian, Polish, Jewish and German minorities gained seats in the parliament. Some members supported Pan-Islamist and Pan-Turkist ideas.

Among the important accomplishments of the Parliament was the extension of suffrage to women, making Azerbaijan the first Muslim nation to grant women equal political rights with men. In this accomplishment, Azerbaijan also preceded the United Kingdom and the United States. Another important accomplishment of ADR was the establishment of Baku State University, which was the first modern-type university founded in Azerbaijan.

Restoration of Armenia's Statehood Day Armenia - May 28

It’s First Republic Day, when the Armenian statehood was restored in 1918, and the National Council declared the establishment of the Independent Republic of Armenia on May 28.

It was the Battle of Karakilisa of May 21-28, 1918, when the Armenian defenders managed to turn back the Ottoman forces, which broke the armistice, signed on December 1917, with Transcaucasian commissariat entering Western Armenia, conquering Erznka, Erzerum, Sarighamish, Kars and Alexandropol and reaching Karakilisa. The victory here and in Sardarapat and Aparan was instrumental in allowing the Democratic Republic of Armenia to come into existence.

On June 4, 1918, the Armenian-Turkish peace treaty was signed in Batumi, which remapped Armenia. Yerevan, Etchmiadzin, Alexandropol, Karalagyaz, Kazakh, Borchalu and Nor Bayazet were perceived as Armenia, which in accordance with the treaty was established in the territory of 11,000 square meters.

On August 1, 1918, a ceremony of opening the Armenian Parliament took place at the City Hall in Yerevan. Avetik Sahakyan (Father Abraham) was elected as chairman of the Parliament. Hovannes Kadjaznuni became the first prime minister.

Since 1992 Armenia has been officially marking May 28 as First Republic Day. Festive events will be held throughout the country, as well as in Artsakh today.

Canary Islands Day Spain - May 30

The 30th May celebrates the first session of the Canary Islands Parliament in 1983, and the spirit of freedom and unity born on that day spreads throughout the island amongst various festivals and events that take place in its main resorts.

These events include street parties with traditional food for you to sample, extravagant costumes that visitors are encouraged to dress up in, and music to lift your spirits throughout the festival and keep you dancing though the throngs of people eager to celebrate.

Anniversary of the death of President Ali Soilih Comoros - M a y 2 9

Ali Soilih, full name Ali Soilih Mtsashiwa, (January 7, 1937 – May 29, 1978) was a Comorian socialist revolutionary and political figure.

Biography

Soilih was born in Majunga, Madagascar. He lived much of his early life there, and was educated in Madagascar and France. During the early 1960s he went to Comoros and worked in agriculture and economic development.

Rise to power:

In 1970 Ali Soilih entered politics as a supporter of Said Ibrahim, leader of the Democratic Assembly of the Comoran People,Rassemblement démocratique du Peuple Comorien (RDPC), and soon developed an ideology based on hostility against France asformer colonial power. His ideas were somewhat influenced by Maoism but without renouncing his Islamic principles.

Less than a month after Comoros gained independence from France, Soilih overthrew President Said Mohamed Jaffar and became head of a revolutionary council which took over Comoros. This occurred on August 3, 1975 when Soilih, whose adherents were barely armed, hired French mercenary Bob Denard to overthrow Abdallah. Soilih officially became President of the revolutionary council in January 1976. He adopted extended powers under the terms of a new constitution, and implemented socialist economic policies. In 1977 he held a referendum on his presidency, with 56.63% of voters endorsing it.

Revolutionary program:

Soilih embarked on a revolutionary program that was mainly directed against the traditional Muslim society of the country. His vision, based on a mixture of Maoist and Islamic philosophies, was to develop the Comoros as an economically self-sufficient and ideologicallyprogressive Islamic modern state.

Condemned as wasteful and cumbersome, certain inherited customs of Comorian culture were abolished, like the 'Anda', the traditional "grand marriage", as well as traditional funerary ceremonies, criticized as being too costly.

Soilih advanced the cause of the youth by discouraging the study of history and allowing young people to take more power. In order to reach his goal the voting age was lowered to fourteen and teenagers were put in positions of responsibility. Among the most striking of his reforms were some measures designed to gain the favor of the youth, like the legalization of cannabis and promoting the removal of the veil among the women of Comoros.

Soilih created the 'Moissy', a young revolutionary militia trained by Tanzanian military advisers. The Moissy was a Comorian version ofMao Zedong's Red Guards and their methods were similar to those that had been employed by their Chinese counterpart during theCultural Revolution. Moissy units terrorised villages and specialized in violent attacks against conservative elders, formerly revered old men.

Consequences:

As a result of Soilih's confrontational policies, France, the former colonial power in the islands, terminated all its aid and technical assistance programs to Comoros. The teenage Moissy were perceived as a repressive political police, and their intimidation tactics and often random and chaotic activity caused widespread resentment among the Comorian population. Their humiliation at the hands of the Moissy and the undermining of their authority alienated the traditional leaders of the Comoros who resented the progressive elimination of age-old traditions. Growing discontent promoted by the political opposition resulted in four unsuccessful coup attempts against the Soilih regime during its two and a half-year existence.

On May 13, 1978, Soilih was finally overthrown by a fifty-member European mercenary unit, hired by exiled former leader Ahmed Abdallah in France and led by French Colonel Bob Denard. After Abdallah took over, Soilih's policies were reversed and the name of the country was changed to "Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros", Abdallah became president, and Soilih was soon assassinated by Abdallah's supporters.

Aftermath

More than a decade later, in 1989, Soilih's older half-brother, Said Mohamed Djohar, overthrew Abdallah, possibly with the help of Denard. He served as president of Comoros until 1996.

The effects of the social policies of Ali Soilih are still apparent in the Comoros, particularly on Anjouan.

Indian Arrival Day - May 30 Trinidad & Tobago

Indian Arrival Day is a holiday celebrated on various days in the nations of the Caribbean and the island nation of Mauritius, usually commemorating the arrival of people from the Indian subcontinent to that nation as indentured labor brought by British colonial authorities and their agents.

T&T Indian Arrival Day is a holiday celebrated on May 30 in Trinidad and To-

bago each year since the 1990s. It commemorates the first arrivals from the Indian subcontinent to Trinidad, on May 30, 1845, on the ship Fatel Razack (a rendering of the Arabic Fath Al Razak'Victory to Allah the Sustainer'). The many versions of the spelling for this historic ship reflects the difficulties of pronunciation and transliteration of foreign and East Indian names in Trinidad (as with the street festival of "Muhurram" or "Hosay" and "Hussay").

History of the celebration

Indian Arrival Day was first celebrated in Skinner Park, San Fernando, as the East Indian Centenary on May 30, 1945 which marked the hundredth anniversary of the coming of Indians to Trinidad. The Acting Governor representing the Government of the United Kingdom attended indicating the significance of the observance. Other local dignitaries who addressed the large crowd included Timothy Roodal,George Fitzpatrick, Adrian Cola Rienzi, and Murli J. Kirpalani. Greetings were also read from Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Wavell, and Colonel Stanley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

After the 1945 Centenary extravaganza, however, the celebration of the anniversary of May 30 gradually declined.

By the 1950s, theEast Indians who followed the Fatel Razack as immigrants to Trinidad were brought over not as free immigrants and farmers, but as "coolies". By the early seventies only the Hindu group the Divine Life Society of Chaguanas was staging an annual procession and ceremony under the name Indian Emigration Day. Indian Emigration Day, as it was called then, had been celebrated by various organizations after 1945 with limited success. By 1973 the latest was organized by the Divine Life Society, which had organized small annual processions in Chaguanas for Indian Emigration Day. By the late seventies even that small remembrance was dwindling.

In 1976 the Indian Revival and Reform Association (IRRA) was formed. They were concerned about racism against Indians and were interested in developing ideas, writing pamphlets to bring about an Indian revival and renewed pride in Indian heritage and Indian culture. The IRRA wanted to preserve the good things about Indian heritage and reform the ones that were no longer useful or relevant. The anniversary of the coming of Indians to Trinidad was one of the good things that came to the IRRA notice.

In 1977 IRRA formed committee was established to revive the memory of the coming of Indians to Trinidad on May 30, 1845 - Indian Emigration Day. The initial historic Committee comprised Anand Rameshwar Singh, Khalique Khan, Ramdath Jagessar, Rajiv Sieunarine, Azamudeen "Danny" Jang, Michael Sankar and Rajesh Harricharan. Rajnie Ramlakhan, Devanand Rameshwar Singh and Taj Hosein assisted in the first celebration. Anand Maharaj and Ashok Gobin was also instrumental in the second celebration The first active step was taken in early 1978, when they produced and distributed an onepage pamphlet with the title “Indian Emigration Day May 30, 1978”. It gave a brief account of the coming of Indians in 1845, and the importance of the event. The names of the first pioneers on the Fath-al Razack were listed, and there was a short description of the achievements of Indians in Trinidad since 1845. The Trinidad Express carried a press release, and the Trinidad Guardian printed an article by Kusha Haracksingh on the voyage of the Fath-al Razack. Mastana Bahar dedicated a show to Indian Emigration Day. San Fernando Secondary School organized a celebration.

A major turning point occurred in 1979 when the group expanded by approaching the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha.

The SDMS Secretary General Satnarayan Maharaj receptive to the idea, agreed to organize a major celebration at Lakshmi Girls College on May 27, 1979. IRRA and the SDMS in discussions agreed that Indians were no longer emigrants to Trinidad, but citizens who had arrived 134 years before. At a meeting held at Khalique's residence in Ward Lane, El Socorro, the group decided that the named should be changed to reflect our presence. Azamudeen Jang suggested the name Indian Arrival Day. The 1979 celebration was a great success and included the presence of some of the original immigrants born in India. Government ministers Sham and Kamal Mohammed were there, as was the Indian High Commissioner and Presbyterian Church moderator Idris Hamid. The event was widely covered by the local media and immediately knew about the event. In fact it took just two years and an idea to revive the memory of the Arrival of Indians in Trinidad to awaken the entire Indian community in Trinidad.The group decided to meet other community leaders and encourage them to start celebrations in their district. This was widely accepted and under the guidance of the original members, Indian Arrival Day celebration was finally established in Trinidad and Tobago.

Subsequent years the Hindu Seva Sangh and other smaller groups approached the IRRA for guidance in developing in various communities throughout Trinidad. By 1980 Indian Arrival Day celebrations were held at the Spring Village, Cedros, Penal, San Juan, Chaguanas, and many other parts of the country. The National Joint Action Committee, the Catholic Church, libraries, mosques, mandirs and schools at this point joined in the observances. In a remarkably short time, Indian Arrival Day was sweeping through the country. By 1985 there were more than 10 significant Indian Arrival Day celebrations taking place. The Hindu community took the lead in the development of the celebrations.

In 1991 Members of Parliament Trevor Sudama and Raymond Pallackdarrysingh first introduced to the House of Representatives the concept that Indian Arrival Day should be made a national public holiday. This call to make Indian Arrival Day a public holiday continued to be unheeded until 1995 Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared that the 150th Anniversary would be a public holiday called Indian Arrival Day, but thereafter the holiday will be called Arrival Day. The 1995 celebrations surpassed the 1945 celebrations with the Maha Sabha having major celebrations in Trinidad.

In 1995 Prime Minister Basdeo Panday declared that 30 May would be known as Indian Arrival Day and not Arrival Day. Ironically, in the birthplace of Indian Arrival Day – Trinidad – there is a lobby to remove the word 'Indian' from the name. In the 1990s the Maha Sabha expanded the Indian Arrival Day celebrations and dubbed May as "Indian Heritage Month" which ends on Indian Arrival Day.

Similar observances in other countries

Since its establishment in Trinidad, Indian Arrival Day has given rise to similar celebrations in Jamaica, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, there is no similar celebration in Fiji, South Africa or Kenya, which are also home to large Indian-origin populations.

Mother's Day Nicaragua - May 30

Croatian Parliament Day Croatia - May 30

In Nicaragua, the Día de la Madre has been celebrated on 30 May since the early 1940s. The date was chosen by President Anastasio Somoza García because it was the birthday of Casimira Sacasa, his wife's mother.

Parliament Day is annually observed in Croatia on May 30. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the first convocation of the multi-party parliament on May 30, 1990.

Originally May 30 used to be Statehood Day and it marked the anniversary of constitution of the first post-Communist multi-party Parliament of Croatia. But since 2002 June 25 prevailed as Statehood Day, celebrating declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. And May 30 became Parliament Day, which is not an official dayoff.

St. Ferdinand III of Castile Int’l - May 30

Ferdinand III of Castile was the son of Alfonso IX, King of Leon, and Berengaria, daughter of Alfonso III, King of Castile (Spain). He was declared king of Castile at age eighteen. Ferdinand was born near Salamanca; proclaimed king of Palencia, Valladolid, and Burgos; his mother advised and assisted him during his young reign.

He married Princess Beatrice, daughter of Philip of Suabia, King of Germany and they had seven sons and three daughters. His father (the king of Leon) turned against him and tried to take over his rule. The two reconciled later, and fought successfully against the Moors. In 1225, he held back Islamic invaders; prayed and fasted to prepare for the war; extremely devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Between 1234-36, Ferdinand conquered the city of Cordoba from the Moors. Queen Beatrice died in 1236, and he overtook Seville shortly thereafter. He founded the Cathedral of Burgos and the University of Salamanca; married Joan of Ponthieu after the death of Beatrice.

He died on May 30th after a prolonged illness, and buried in the habit of his secular Franciscan Order. His remains are preserved in the Cathedral of Seville and was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671. Ferdinand was a great administrator and a man of deep faith. He founded hospitals and bishoprics, monasteries, chuches, and cathedrals during his reign. Her also compiled and reformed a code of laws which were used until the modern era. Ferdinand rebuilt the Cathedral of Burgos and changed the mosque in Seville into a Cathedral. He was a just ruler, frequently pardoning former offenders to his throne. His feast day is May 30th.