Category: Commemorative event

Held on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr Day honours the work and dreams of Martin Luther King Jr and celebrates the life and achievements of this influential American civil rights leader. Martin Luther King Jr was born on 15 January 1929. An American Baptist Minister, he grew up in the Southern … Continue reading “Martin Luther King Jr Day 18 January”

17 December marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. Although born and raised in Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven spent most of his life in Vienna, arriving in his early twenties in 1792 and remaining there until his death in 1827. The city is peppered with Beethoven landmarks, including the Beethoven Museum and his … Continue reading “Ludwig van Beethoven 250th anniversary”

One of the most widely read French authors, Alexandre Dumas’ (1802-1870) works have been translated into many languages. Many of his historical novels of high adventure were originally published as serials, including ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ and ‘The Three Musketeers’. His novels have been adapted into nearly 200 films. Dumas began his career writing … Continue reading “150th anniversary of the death of Alexandre Dumas”

World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. … Continue reading “World AIDS Day”

Guru Nanak, also referred to as Baba Nanak, was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Guru Naka’s birthday, which is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar, is commemorated on the Full Moon Day (Pooranmashi … Continue reading “Guru Nanak’s birthday 30 November”

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honours the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Transgender Day of Remembrance  was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender … Continue reading “Transgender Day of Remembrance”

Remembrance Day The British grave of the Unknown Warrior (often known as ‘The Tomb of The Unknown Warrior’) holds an unidentified British soldier killed on a European battlefield during the First World War. He was buried in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interment of a French unknown soldier at the … Continue reading “At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month”

Intersex Day of Remembrance (8 November), also known as Intersex Solidarity Day, is an internationally observed civil awareness day designed to highlight issues faced by intersex people. It marks the birthday of Herculine Barbin, a French intersex person whose memoirs were later published by Michel Foucault in Herculine Barbin: Being the Recently Discovered Memoirs of … Continue reading “Intersex Day of Remembrance”

8 November marks 100 year since Rupert Bear made his debut in the ‘Daily Express’  newspaper. Rupert is a children’s comic strip character created by British artist Mary Tourtel. In 1935 the stories were taken over by Alfred Bestall who worked on the Rupert stories and artwork into his 90s. A Rupert Annual has been … Continue reading “Rupert Bear centenary”

Prophet Muhammad’s birthday from the evening of 28 to the evening of 29 October Mawlid or Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif is the observance of the birthday of Islamic prophet Muhammad commemorated in the third month of the Islamic calendar and is considered to be an auspicious day amongst Muslims. The history of this celebration goes back to the early … Continue reading “Mawlid – Prophet Muhammad’s birthday 28-29 October”