30 May - Guru Arjan rememberence 1606

 

Guru Arjan (15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606)was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib.

He was born in Goindval, in the Punjab, the youngest son of Bhai Jetha, who later became Guru Ram Das, and Mata Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das.He completed the construction of Darbar Sahib at Amritsar, after the fourth Sikh Guru founded the town and built a pool.Guru Arjan compiled the hymns of previous Gurus and of other saints into Adi Granth, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, and installed it in the Harimandir Sahib.

Guru Arjan reorganized the Masands system initiated by Guru Ram Das, by suggesting that the Sikhs donate, if possible, one-tenth of their income, goods or service to the Sikh organization (dasvand). The Masand not only collected these funds but also taught tenets of Sikhism and settled civil disputes in their region. The dasvand financed the building of gurdwaras and langars (shared communal kitchens).

Guru Arjan was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and asked by him to remove all references to Hinduism and Islam in his book. He refused, was tortured and executed in 1606 CE. Historical records and the Sikh tradition are unclear whether Guru Arjan was executed by drowning or died during torture.His martyrdom is considered a watershed event in the history of Sikhism.It is remembered as Shaheedi Divas of Guru Arjan in May or June according to the Nanakshahi calendar released by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 2003.

27 May - The Queen Mary sailed her maiden voyage 1936

 

ON THIS DAY: 27th May 1936 

The Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage and won the Blue Riband that August; she lost the title to SS Normandie in 1937 and recaptured it in 1938, holding it until 1952, when it was taken by the new SS United States. With the outbreak of World War II, she was converted into a troopship and ferried Allied soldiers during the conflict. The 80,000 + tonne British Liner sailed primarily on the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard-White Star Line and was built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. She left Southampton for the last time on 31 October 1967 and sailed to the port of Long Beach, California, United States, where she was permanently moored until the present day.

26 May - British Guiana gained independence 1966

 

On 26 May 1966, , became Guyana.

British Guiana was the name of the British colony, part of the British West Indies, on the northern coast of South America, now known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to discover Guiana was Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer.

10 May - The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown.The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form of a mutiny of sepoys of the Company's army in the garrison town of Meerut, 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Delhi. It then erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions chiefly in the upper Gangetic plain and central India,though incidents of revolt also occurred farther north and east.The rebellion posed a considerable threat to British power in that region,and was contained only with the rebels' defeat in Gwalior on 20 June 1858.On 1 November 1858, the British granted amnesty to all rebels not involved in murder, though they did not declare the hostilities to have formally ended until 8 July 1859. Its name is contested, and it is variously described as the Sepoy Mutiny, the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion, the Revolt of 1857, the Indian Insurrection, and the First War of Independence.
 

29 April - The Simpsons 2018

 

 

"The Simpsons," created by Matt Groening, aired its 636th episode on April 29, 2018, surpassing "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running scripted prime-time show in the United States. "Gunsmoke" aired a total of 635 episodes from 1955 to 1975.

"The Simpsons" first premiered on December 17, 1989, and has since become a cultural phenomenon, known for its satirical humor, memorable characters, and sharp social commentary. The show follows the lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie—in the fictional town of Springfield.

Since breaking the record, "The Simpsons" has continued to air new episodes, further solidifying its place in television history.

29 April - British royal wedding 2011

 

On this day in 2011, Prince William of Wales, second in line to the British throne, married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Middleton, in a lavish ceremony broadcast to millions of television viewers

The wedding on April 29, 2011, of Prince William of Wales to his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Middleton, prompted lavish preparations in the United Kingdom. Though many of the finer details surrounding the wedding were closely guarded by the British royal family, especially so that the couple could maintain some privacy and preserve a few elements of surprise, public curiosity prompted the royal family, in the weeks leading up to the event, to release a number of facts about the eagerly anticipated nuptials, which the media dubbed the “wedding of the century.”

28 April - Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic created on 1920

 Azerbaijan, officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic also referred to as Soviet Azerbaijan, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1922 and 1991. Created on 28 April 1920 when the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic brought pro-Soviet figures to power in the region, the first two years of the Azerbaijani SSR were as an independent country until incorporation into the Transcausasian SFSR, along with the Armenian SSR and the Georgian SSR.

In December 1922, the Transcaucasian SFSR became part of the newly established Soviet Union. The Constitution of Azerbaijan SSR was approved by the 9th Extraordinary All-Azerbaijani Congress of Soviets on 14 March 1937. On 5 February 1991, Azerbaijan SSR was renamed the Republic of Azerbaijan according to the Decision No.16-XII of Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan approving the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan SSR dated 29 November 1990,[2] remained in the USSR for the period before the declaration of independence in August 1991. The Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR ceased to exist in 1995, upon the adoption of the new Constitution of Azerbaijan.

28 April - Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti born in 1937

 

 

 

 

Saddam Hussein (1937–2006) was the President of Iraq from 1979 until his overthrow and capture by U.S. forces in 2003. His full name was Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti. Here are some key points about Saddam Hussein:

1. Early Life: Saddam Hussein was born on 28 April 1937, in the town of Al-Awja, near Tikrit, in present-day Iraq. He came from a poor family and grew up in a troubled environment.

2. Rise to Power: Saddam initially joined the Ba'ath Party, a secular Arab nationalist party, and became involved in political activities. He played a role in the coup that brought the Ba'ath Party to power in Iraq in 1968.

3. Presidency: Saddam became the President of Iraq in 1979 after a series of political maneuvers, including purges of political rivals and consolidating power within the Ba'ath Party.

4. Iran-Iraq War: One of the major events during Saddam's presidency was the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). The conflict began when Iraq, under Saddam's leadership, invaded Iran. The war had devastating consequences for both countries.

5. Invasion of Kuwait: In 1990, Saddam ordered the invasion of Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War (1990-1991). A coalition of international forces, led by the United States, intervened, and Kuwait was liberated. Saddam's forces were forced to withdraw.

6. Post-Gulf War Sanctions: After the Gulf War, Iraq faced international sanctions, which had a severe impact on the country's economy and its people.

7. 2003 Invasion of Iraq: In 2003, the United States, along with a coalition of allies, invaded Iraq, citing concerns about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and ties to terrorism. Saddam Hussein was eventually captured by U.S. forces in December 2003.

8. Trial and Execution: Saddam Hussein faced trial for crimes against humanity, including the suppression of political opponents and the killing of Iraqi Kurds. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Saddam was executed by hanging on 30 December 2006.

Saddam Hussein's regime was marked by authoritarian rule, human rights abuses, and military conflicts. His removal from power and subsequent execution marked a significant chapter in Iraq's recent history, but the aftermath of the Iraq War and the fall of Saddam's regime have also been associated with complex challenges in the region.

 

28 April - Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini death in 1945

 

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, postage stamp Germany, 1941

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 1943, and "Duce" of Italian Fascism from the establishment of the Italian Fasces of Combat in 1919 until his execution in 1945 by Italian partisans. As dictator of Italy and principal founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired and supported the international spread of fascist movements during the inter-war period.

23 April - World Book Day

 

World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is celebrated on April 23rd each year to promote reading, publishing, and copyright around the world.

The primary aim of World Book Day is to encourage people, especially children and young adults, to discover the joy of reading and to appreciate the importance of books as vehicles for knowledge, creativity, and cultural exchange. It also aims to highlight the role of authors, publishers, and other stakeholders in the book industry and to raise awareness about copyright protection and intellectual property rights.

World Book Day is celebrated through various activities and events, including book fairs, reading marathons, author signings, storytelling sessions, and book giveaways. It provides an opportunity for individuals and organizations to come together to celebrate the written word and to promote literacy and education worldwide.