Language Day #6

This time in Language Day a very useful expression if you are traveling abroad. The one question that you need to ask when looking for a place, any place. You already know where you want to get to, and you only need to attach two simple words to it: where is?

Monthly Latin #9

Time for another Latin phrase in our Monthly Latin series. This time about something that will become increasingly important in our modern world as we move towards times that will most probably challenge the ways we handle global adversity collectively.

Sapiens qui prospicit

Melissa Who?

Yet another one in our series First Names First”! Your “task” – should you accept it – is to pick one of the names below, then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he or she could contribute your life with.

Lives lived have all something to tell us – let them!

Data for 1768

Astley’s Amphitheatre in 1773

The first modern circus is staged in London (Jan 9), a peace agreement is made between Britain and several native American leaders of both the northern and southern American lands (Mar 17), the New York Chamber of Commerce is founded (Apr 5),

Streets of Gdansk

This time Streets & Squares will visit Gdansk on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, and – more precisely – by the Gulf of Danzig. Danzig is the former German name of Gdansk.

Remember when..

As we grow older, we all change in some major ways. Physically, naturally, comes to mind first. But there comes a whole package of psychological things as well. One of them being the eradication of some of the prejudices concerning old age. Here is one of them.

Data for 1709

The Great Frost of 1709 in Western Europe begins, killing thousands (Jan 6), the production of hard-paste porcelain in Europe starts (Mar 28), Peter the Great defeats the Swedish forces at Poltava, and thus ends Sweden’s role as a major power in Europe (Jun 27), the city of Chihuahua in Mexico is founded (Oct 12), ten ships leave London for the New York Colony (Dec 25) – and all these fine people were born:

Data for 1621

Mohegan leader Samoset greets the English settlers in Plymouth Colony (Mar 16), first treaty between the Native Americans and the settlers is signed (Apr 1), the Dutch East India Company is founded (Jun 3), the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony and Wampanoags celebrate a harvest feast, later regarded as the First Thanksgiving (Oct), Gothenburg in Sweden is founded, the Dutch forces massacre thousands in Java for nutmeg – and all these fine people were born:

A Platform for Genealogy

If you hadn’t figured it out yet, this site is basically offering to be a platform for genealogy. The groundwork is gradually being done to become just that, so that people like yourself could attach some of  their own data in these pages.

Matt Who?

Once again “First Names First” where  we present a chronological list of persons with their first name here, and your task is to pick one. Then follow the Wikipedia link to read about that person, and to see what if anything he or she could contribute your life with. Perhaps some inspiration. Give a couple of minutes of your life to this. Lives lived have all something worthwhile to tell us – let them!

Data for 1587

The motte of Fotheringhay Castle where Mary Stuart was imprisoned in 1587

Queen Elizabeth I signs the death warrant for Mary, Queen of Scots (Feb 1), beheaded a week later (Feb 8), a group of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina, in order to re-establish the deserted colony (Jul 22), Toyotomi Hideyoshi becomes the Daijō-daijin in Japan – and all these fine people were born:

Did you know that…

two among the most popular and likable individuals in the entertainment business in the last century – Marilyn Monroe and Andy Griffith – were born on the very same day, on June 1st, 1926? She in Los Angeles, California, he in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Data for 2010

The tallest man-made structure to date, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is officially opened (Jan 4), volcanic ash from Mount Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland spreads to northern and western Europe, disrupting air traffic (Apr 14), Greece gets a hefty bailout package from the EU (May 2), Wikileaks leaks to the public thousands of internal U.S. reports (Jul 25),  ISS surpasses record for longest human stay in space (Oct 22), Wikileaks releases new classified reports (Nov 28) – and all these fine people were born:

Who Said That! #17

Vase with Pink Roses, 1890. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

This time in Who Said That! a quote from someone who knew how to live an eventful life. He wouldn’t settle for anything mediocre or devoid of authentic feeling, saying that

“I would rather die of passion

than of boredom”