Posts Tagged ‘History’
History of Australia Day: Ties to the American Revolutionary War?
HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA DAY Did you know that the history of European Australia has ties to the American Revolutionary War? When the 13 American Colonies were part of the British Commonwealth, it was convenient for England to transport its convicts to the Colonies. Indeed, it was considered more humane to “transport” prisoners than to execute…
Read MoreHistory of Macintosh: a 39-Year Love Affair
HISTORY OF MACINTOSH: A 39-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR The now-famous Macintosh computer turns 39. When Apple President Steve Jobs launched this computer at the Flint Center on the De Anza College campus on January 24, 1984, to the theme from the movie Chariots of Fire, he called it “insanely great!” Macintosh Launch The $1.5M “1984”…
Read MoreHistory of Chinese New Year: Lunar New Year
HISTORY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR Chinese New Year is China’s oldest, longest, and most important social and economic holiday, beginning on the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It starts this year on January 22, though the celebrations continue for around two weeks. Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year or…
Read MoreHistory of Martin Luther King, Jr.: His life, dream, and legacy
HISTORY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Born on January 15, 1929, we celebrate a holiday in honor of a man who was not a president, an explorer, or a saint. Instead, he was a Baptist minister and an American leader of the 1960s civil rights movement named after the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther after his…
Read MoreHistory of Friday the 13th
HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH If you’re reading this article to learn the history of Friday the 13th, you’re in luck. Or perhaps bad luck. No one knows, with any certainty, when it began or why it’s to be feared. However, there are lots of entertaining speculative theories about the topic. What is…
Read MoreHistory of Epiphany and Twelfth Night: Ending the 12 Days of Christmas?
HISTORY OF TWELFTH NIGHT AND EPIPHANY Twelfth Night is on January 5, the eve of Epiphany. Epiphany occurs in the Christian calendar on January 6, signifying the event of the Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus. It is known in some Latin cultures as the Feast of the Three Kings or Three Kings…
Read MoreHistory of New Year’s Resolutions: Where Did They Begin?
HISTORY OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS As I mentioned previously, New Year’s Day celebrations began in pre-Christian times, beginning with the Babylonians in March, but later changed to January by the Romans. Where did we get the idea of New Year’s Resolutions, and why at the beginning of the year? Roman New Year’s Resolutions The…
Read MoreHistory of New Year’s Day: Why on January 1?
History of New Year’s Day: Why on January 1? It wasn’t always on this date. This article discusses its history.
Read MoreHistory of Childermas: Feast of the Holy Innocents
HISTORY OF CHILDERMAS: FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS Childermas, from an Old English word meaning the Mass of the Infants, is the festival in the church calendar begun in the fifth century — celebrated in the Western Church on December 28 and in the Eastern Church on December 29. It is also known as Bairn’s…
Read MoreHistory of the Feast of St. John: Which St John?
History of the Feast of St. John. Who was St. John the Apostle and what was his role in history?
Read MoreHistory of Boxing Day and Feast of St. Stephen
History of Boxing Day: how is it related to the Feast of St. Stephen?
Read MoreHistory of the Christmas Truce of 1914: Peace in the WWI Trenches
History of the Christmas Truce of 1914: The Surprising Peace in the WWI Trenches
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