Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Post submitted by Akshita, one of our Student Experience Ambassadors Bastille Day, celebrated annually on July 14th, commemorates the Storming of the Bastille in 1789, a pivotal event in the French Revolution. While commonly referred to as Bastille Day in English-speaking countries, it is known in France as Fête Nationale Française (French National Celebration) or … Continue reading “Bastille Day le quatorze juillet”
Ernö Rubik, a Hungarian who studied architecture and went on to become a professor of descriptive geometry, is credited with having created the cube. His classes taught students how to visualise three-dimensional shapes in two-dimensional images. One day in the spring of 1974, while researching Platonic solids, Rubik saw the possibility of putting together eight … Continue reading “Rubik’s Cube at 50”
It was not until the early 1950s that most commodities came ‘off the ration’. Meat was the last item to be de-rationed and food rationing ended completely at midnight on 4 July 1954. In January 1940 the British government introduced food rationing to ensure fair shares for all at a time of national shortage. Every … Continue reading “70th anniversary of the end of food rationing in the UK”
16 June marks the 75th anniversary of the UK release of Ealing comedy ‘Whisky Galore’. Starring Basil Radford, Joan Greenwood, James Robertson Justice and Gordon Jackson, among others and based on a true event – the running aground of the SS Politican, it tells the story of a shipwreck off a fictional Scottish island, whose … Continue reading “Whisky Galore”
13 June 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the UK release of the sublime (and the Ed’s favourite film) Ealing comedy ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’. Directed by Robert Hamer (born in Kidderminster) and featuring Dennis Price, Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood, with a delightful cameo from Miles Malleson, the story (based loosely on … Continue reading “Kind Hearts and Coronets”
21 May 2024 marks 25 years since the UK release of Richard Curtis’ film ‘Notting Hill’. Starring Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, the story is of a romance between a British bookseller (Grant) and a famous American actress (Roberts) who happens to walk into his shop in London’s Notting Hill district. Winning a host of awards – … Continue reading “Notting Hill – 25th anniversary”
Post submitted by Caitlin, Student Experience Ambassador Opening on 6th May 1994, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel. The anniversary allows us to reflect on three decades of profound connectivity between the United Kingdom and France. Since its inauguration, the tunnel has facilitated seamless travel, trade and cultural exchange, symbolizing the … Continue reading “30th anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel”
Submitted by Caitlin, Student Experience Ambassador 4th May marks the centenary of the death of English writer and poet, E. Nesbit, and offers a chance to commemorate not only the woman herself but also the enduring impact of her literary contributions. Edith Nesbit, renowned for her children’s classics like “The Railway Children” and “Five Children and … Continue reading “E Nesbit – centenary”
28 April marks the 75th anniversary of the UK release of Passport to Pimlico, a 1949 Ealing comedy starring Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford, Charles Hawtrey and Hermione Baddeley, among a host of other well-known names at he time. The story concerns the unearthing of treasure and documents that leads to a small part of Pimlico being … Continue reading “75th anniversary of ‘Passport to Pimlico’”
The British Empire Exhibition was opened on 23 April 1924 by King George V and Queen Mary at the Empire Stadium. The King gave a speech on the opening day which was broadcast by the BBC, becoming the first broadcast made by a British monarch on radio. The exhibition was described as a successor to … Continue reading “British Empire Exhibition 100th anniversary”
