Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Post submitted by Akshita, one of our Student Experience Ambassadors Twenty-five years ago “The Blair Witch Project” revolutionised the horror genre. The film had a limited release on July 14 1999, before expanding to a wider release starting on July 30. Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, this groundbreaking film introduced the found footage … Continue reading “Blair Witch Project – 25th anniversary”
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”
Post submitted by Akshita, one of our Student Experience Ambassadors Black Country Day is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Black Country region, which includes Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. This area is specifically known for where the coal seam comes to the surface, encompassing locales such as Oldbury, … Continue reading “Black Country Day 14 July”
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”
The history of chocolate goes back about 2500 years. The Aztecs loved their newly-discovered liquid chocolate so much that they believed the god of wisdom, Quetzalcoatl, literally bestowed it upon them. Cocoa seeds even acted as a form of currency. Many present day chocolate companies began operations in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with … Continue reading “World Chocolate Day 7 July”
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”
The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2024 is ‘20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!’ World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year by people around the world on June 14. It is celebrated on the birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner on June 14, 1868. Landsteiner was awarded the Nobel for his … Continue reading “14 June World Blood Donor Day”
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”
Post submitted by Akshita, Student Experience Ambassador Step into the vibrant celebration of Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks! Shavuot is one of the three pilgrimage festivals along with Passover and Sukkot. Shavuot is a fascinating holiday with agricultural and historical significance. Taking place seven weeks after the first day of Passover, this year Shavuot begins … Continue reading “Shavuot”
