07 January - Franz Beckenbauer death anniversary

 

Franz Beckenbauer is a retired German footballer and football manager who is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Here are some key details about him:

Birth: 11 September 1945 Munich, Germany

Playing Career: Franz Beckenbauer had an illustrious playing career. He was a versatile player who excelled as a defender and midfielder. Beckenbauer played a crucial role in Germany's national team success during the 1970s. Some of his notable achievements as a player include:

1. World Cup Wins: Beckenbauer won the FIFA World Cup both as a player (in 1974) and as a manager (in 1990).

2. European Cup Success: He won the European Cup three times with Bayern Munich (1974–1976).

3. Ballon d'Or: Beckenbauer won the Ballon d'Or (FIFA Player of the Year) twice, in 1972 and 1976.

Managerial Career: After retiring as a player, Beckenbauer transitioned into football management. He continued to achieve success, notably coaching the German national team to victory in the 1990 World Cup.

Beckenbauer is often referred to as "Der Kaiser" (The Emperor) due to his elegant style of play and leadership qualities on the field. He has left an enduring legacy in the world of football, both as a player and a manager.

 Beckenbauer died on 07 January 2024, at the age of 78, due to natural causes as announced by his family

07 January - Sir Sandford Fleming birth anniversary

 

Sir Sandford Fleming, a Canadian engineer and inventor, was born on 07 January 1827, in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. He played a crucial role in the development of the Canadian Pacific Railway and is perhaps best known for his role in the establishment of standardized time zones.

Sandford Fleming passed away on 22 July 1915, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Throughout his lifetime, he made substantial contributions to civil engineering, telecommunications, and transportation, leaving a lasting impact on the development of Canada and other parts of the world.

07 January - Jože Plečnik death anniversary

 

Jože Plečnik passed away on 07 January 1957. He was born on 23 January 1872, and his death occurred at the age of 84. Plečnik was a prominent Slovenian architect known for his influential contributions to modern architecture, particularly in Central Europe. His legacy continues through the significant impact of his designs on the architectural landscape of cities like Ljubljana and Prague.

07 January - Ludwig III birth anniversary

 

Ludwig III, born Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried on 07 January 1845, was the last king of Bavaria. He reigned from 05 November 1913, until the abdication of the Bavarian monarchs on 07 November 1918, following the German Revolution and the end of World War I.

Ludwig III died on 18 October 1921, in Sárvár, Hungary. After his abdication, he lived in exile, and his death marked the end of the Wittelsbach dynasty's reign in Bavaria.

07 January - The Italian tricolour was first adopted as an official flag by the government

 

The Italian tricolour, consisting of green, white, and red vertical stripes, was first adopted as the official flag by the government of the Cispadane Republic. The Cispadane Republic was a short-lived political entity in northern Italy that existed from 1796 to 1797 during the Napoleonic era.

The flag was officially adopted on January 7, 1797, and it is said to have been inspired by the uniforms worn by the civic guards of Milan. The Cispadane Republic eventually merged with the Transpadane Republic to form the Cisalpine Republic, and later, various states and regions in Italy adopted the tricolour as their national flag.

Today, the Italian tricolour is the national flag of Italy, and its three colors are said to symbolize different aspects: green for hope, white for faith, and red for charity.

 

07 January - Russian Christmas

 

Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7th, according to the Julian calendar observed by the Russian Orthodox Church. Here are some key aspects of how Christmas is traditionally celebrated in Russia:

1. Religious Services: Christmas is primarily a religious holiday in Russia. Many people attend the Christmas Eve service on January 6th, which includes the vespers and the Divine Liturgy. The services are held in beautifully decorated churches with icons, candles, and festive decorations.

2. Fasting and Holy Supper: The Christmas Eve meal, known as the Holy Supper or "Sochevnik," is an important tradition. This meal typically consists of twelve meatless dishes, symbolizing the twelve apostles. Common foods include kutia (a type of porridge made with wheat, honey, and poppy seeds), borscht (beet soup), fish, and various other traditional dishes.

3. Festive Decorations: Homes and public spaces are decorated with festive ornaments, lights, and Christmas trees. In rural areas, you might find traditional decorations made from straw and other natural materials.

4. Gift-Giving: While gift-giving is not as prominent on Christmas as it is during the New Year's celebration, some families exchange small gifts on Christmas Day. However, the main gift-giving occasion in Russia is New Year's.

5. Caroling: Groups of children and adults may go caroling, singing traditional Christmas carols known as "kolyadki." In return for their singing, they might receive small treats or gifts.

6. Cultural Traditions: Different regions of Russia may have unique customs and traditions associated with Christmas. In some areas, there are reenactments of the Nativity scene, processions, and community events.

It's important to note that Christmas celebrations were limited during the Soviet era due to official atheistic policies. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a revival of Christmas traditions, and many Russians now observe Christmas as a religious and cultural holiday.

 

07 January - Josef Stefan death anniversary

 

Josef Stefan ( 24 March 1835 – 07 January 1893) was an Austrian physicist best known for his contributions to the study of heat radiation. He made significant advances in understanding the behavior of blackbody radiation, and his work laid the foundation for later developments in the field.

Stefan's most notable contribution is the formulation of Stefan's law, which describes the total energy radiated by a perfect black body per unit surface area and unit time. The law, published in 1879, states that the total energy radiated (E) is proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature (T) of the black body. Mathematically, it is expressed as:

$E=\sigma \cdot T^4$

where $\sigma$ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.

Later, in 1884, Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann extended Stefan's work, incorporating a constant of proportionality that became known as the Stefan-Boltzmann constant. This constant is crucial for quantifying the total power radiated by a black body at a given temperature.

Stefan's law has had profound implications for astrophysics and our understanding of stars, as it provides a basis for determining the temperature and energy output of celestial bodies. The Stefan-Boltzmann law remains fundamental in the study of thermodynamics and heat radiation.

07 January - Johann Philipp Reis birth anniversary

 

Johann Philipp Reis ( 07 January 1834 – 14 January  1874) was a German scientist and inventor who is best known for his early contributions to the development of the telephone. Reis's work on the transmission of sound laid the groundwork for later inventors, particularly Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray, who independently patented their own telephone designs.

Reis developed a device he called the "telephon" in 1860, which was an early version of a voice transmission apparatus. His invention utilized a diaphragm and a needle to transmit vibrations, converting sound into electrical signals. Reis demonstrated his telephon by transmitting simple musical tones and even some intelligible speech-like sounds.

While Reis's work was groundbreaking, it had limitations, and his device could not transmit clear and distinct speech. The scientific community initially showed interest in his invention, but widespread acceptance and recognition were delayed due to the device's shortcomings.

Johann Philipp Reis died in 1874 at the age of 40, and it wasn't until later that his contributions to the development of the telephone were more widely acknowledged. Despite not achieving commercial success during his lifetime, Reis is remembered as one of the pioneers in the early history of telecommunications.