Archive for July 2023
History of Reek Sunday: The Legend of St Patrick Driving the Snakes from Ireland
HISTORY OF REEK SUNDAY: The Legend of St Patrick Driving the Snakes from Ireland Several years ago, at this time of the Summer, on one of my teaching trips to Ireland, I found myself on the west coast, where they have a saying, “Ahh… west o’ here, the next parish over is Boston.“ This Sunday,…
Read MoreHistory of William Wilberforce: Champion of British Slavery Abolition
HISTORY OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE One hundred ninety years ago today, on July 26, 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act passed its third reading in the House of Commons, ensuring the end of slavery in the British Empire. William Wilberforce authored it. August 24 marks the birthday of British statesman and England’s greatest abolitionist, William Wilberforce.…
Read MoreHistory of St James Day: and the Camino de Santiago
HISTORY OF ST JAMES DAY: AND THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO July 25 is the Feast Day of St James, and Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and some Protestants accordingly celebrate St James Day. For Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, it’s on April 30. Each summer, pilgrims walk the Camino de Santiago or the Way of…
Read MoreHistory of the 1st Moon Landing – Apollo 11: 54 Years Ago
HISTORY OF THE 1ST MOON LANDING: APOLLO 11 Fifty-four years ago today, at 3:17 Eastern Time, July 20, 1969, the first human stepped out of the Apollo 11 lunar module onto the moon. With the immortal words of the 38-year-old Neil Armstrong: “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.” …the…
Read MoreJerusalem in a Day, part 3
HISTORY IN JERUSALEM: ISLAMIC TRADITION In Part 1, I discussed some of the Christian sites in the city of Jerusalem. In Part 2, I discussed the Jewish tradition. In this final article, I’ll examine the third most important Muslim site in the world, after Mecca and Medina. Urusalim (Jerusalem) gets its name from the Canaanites,…
Read MoreJerusalem in a Day, part 2
HISTORY IN JERUSALEM: JEWISH TRADITION In Part 1, I discussed some of the Christian sites in the city of Jerusalem. Here, we discuss the Jewish tradition. In 1995 Jerusalem celebrated 3,000 years of the City of David, commemorating when King David entered the city and made it his capital, rather than Hebron. It was a…
Read MoreJerusalem in a Day, part 1
HISTORY IN JERUSALEM: CHRISTIAN TRADITION Is it possible to see Jerusalem in a day? I did. Twenty eight years ago, following a trip to Israel, I published three articles. I was speaking on technology in Tel Aviv and had only 24 hours to visit Jerusalem. The city may have changed, but the historical sites…
Read MoreHistory of Bastille Day: Its Relation to the French Revolution
HISTORY OF BASTILLE DAY Each year on July 14, Bastille Day is celebrated to commemorate the Storming of the Bastille in Paris on this date in 1789, an important date in the French Revolution. Also known as French National Day, it features feasting, fireworks, public dancing, and an address by the French President. However, the…
Read MoreMovie Review: Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One
MOVIE REVIEW: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE DEAD RECKONING PART ONE [No spoilers] The seventh movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise is non-stop action, where the plot does not get in the way of the daredevil stunts. And this is only the first installment of “Dead Reckoning Part One.” Will there be a sequel? It’s a sure thing.…
Read MoreHistory of French Fries: Are They Really French?
HISTORY OF FRENCH FRIES: NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY Today is National French Fry Day. While no one knows who began this celebration, placing it on July 13 is significant because the important French holiday is the next day, July 14, Bastille Day. Origin of French Fries Some French people might call the delectable potato…
Read MoreHistory of John Calvin: The Genius of Geneva
HISTORY OF JOHN CALVIN On July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, Jean Cauvin was born. We know him by his Latinized name, John Calvin. Of all the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, none were more significant in forming biblical theology or ecclesiastic thought than this one man. Calvin’s teaching and tradition penetrated more of the world than…
Read MoreHistory of Independence Day: Was the Declaration of Independence really signed on July 4, 1776?
HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE DAY Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, celebrates the adoption by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, of the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the severance of the allegiance of the American colonies to Great Britain. It is the most significant secular holiday in the United States, observed in all…
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