The Venus de Milo rediscovered in 1820

 

One of the star attractions, along with the Mona Lisa, of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Venus de Milo, named after the island where she was rediscovered on 8 April 1820, is thought to have been made by the sculptor Alexandros of Antioch in the 2nd century BC.

Although most often held to be a depiction of Aphrodite, the ancient goddess of Love, she may also be Amphitrite, the Greek goddess of the sea. Carved in two main sections in the Hellenistic style, the statue is famous for its missing arms in addition to its beauty.

Mangal Pandey' execution in 1857

Mangal Pandey, who was executed on 8 April 1857, aged 29, Barrackpore, was an Indian soldier whose attack on British officers on 29 March1857, was the first major incident of what came to be known as the Indian, or Sepoy, Mutiny (in India the uprising is often called the First War of Independence or other similar names).

Pandey was born in a town near Faizabad in what is now eastern Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, although some give his birth place as a small village near Lalitpur (in present-day southwestern Uttar Pradesh). He was from a high-caste Brahman landowning family that professed strong Hindu beliefs. Pandey joined the army of the British East India Company in 1849, some accounts suggesting that he was recruited by a brigade that marched past him. He was made a soldier (sepoy) in the 6th Company of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, which included a large number of Brahmans. Pandey was ambitious and viewed his profession as a sepoy as a stepping-stone to future success.

Pandey’s career ambitions, however, came into conflict with his religious beliefs. While he was posted at the garrison in Barrackpore in the mid-1850s, a new Enfield rifle was introduced into India that required a soldier to bite off the ends of greased cartridges in order to load the weapon. A rumour spread that the lubricant used was either cow or pig lard, which was repugnant to Hindus or Muslims, respectively. The belief arose among the sepoys that the British had deliberately used the lard on the cartridges.

There have been various accounts of the events of March 29, 1857. However, the general agreement is that Pandey attempted to incite his fellow sepoys to rise up against their British officers, attacked two of those officers, attempted to shoot himself after having been restrained, and eventually was overpowered and arrested. Some contemporary reports suggested that he was under the influence of drugs—possibly cannabis or opium —and was not fully aware of his actions. Pandey was soon tried and sentenced to death. His execution (by hanging) was set for April 18, but British authorities, fearing the outbreak of a large-scale revolt if they waited until then, moved the date up to April 8. Resistance to the use of Enfield cartridges later that month in Meerut led to the outbreak of a revolt there in May and the start of the larger insurrection.

In India, Pandey has been remembered as a freedom fighter against British rule. A commemorative postage stamp with his image on it was issued by the Indian government in 1984. In addition, a movie and stage play that depicted his life both appeared in 2005.

 

 

Heinrich Wilhelm von Stephan's Death Anniversary

 

Heinrich Wilhelm von Stephan, who passed away on 8 April 1897, aged 66, in Berlin, Germany, was a general post director for the German Empire who reorganized the German postal service. He was integral in the founding of the Universal Postal Union in 1874, and in 1877 introduced the telephone to Germany.

When Stephan began his work as a postal worker, Germany was divided into 17 independent states, each with its own separate policies and fees. He worked early on to establish a uniform postage rate throughout Germany, to facilitate easier mailing. His general goal of standardization and internationalization is evident in his work to combine the postal service with the telegraph service in Germany, and in his efforts to organize the International Postal Conference in Bern in 1874, in which the Universal Postal Union was established. He introduced the postcard (which he had initially suggested in 1865) to Germany after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck promoted him in 1870: the postcard came into widespread use in the subsequent Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 as a method of communication between units in the field. He is also credited with having introduced the telephone to Germany.

Pablo Picasso's Death Anniversary

 

Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso, who passed away on 8 April 1973, aged 91, was perhaps the most famous and influential artist of the 20th Century.

Picasso moved to Paris to work from his native Spain. Picasso's long artistic career included many styles, including his early Blue and Rose Periods before developing Cubism with Georges Braque from 1909.

His most famous painting Guernica (1937) depicts an event from the Spanish Civil war and comes from his later Classical Period. Picasso worked with many mediums, including collage, sculpture (The Chicago Picasso), ceramics and prints.

Kumar Gandharva's 100th Birth Anniversary

 

Pandit Kumar Gandharva, originally known as Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkalimath, born on 8 April 1924 would have been 100 today. Gandhara was an Indian classical singer, well known for his unique vocal style and for his refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana. The name, Kumar Gandharva, is a title given to him when he was a child prodigy; a Gandharva is a musical spirit in Hindu mythology.

International Pageant Day

 

International Pageant Day has been observed every April 8 since 2018. This holiday celebrates beauty pageants, as well as all women around the world who compete in them to win the coveted title and crown.

Beauty pageants, also known as beauty contests, are competitions where women are judged based on their beauty, both physical and inner. Although pageants originally focused on the physical attractiveness of the contestants, they have evolved to include other aspects, such as talent, intelligence, personality, character, and involvement in charity.

The roots of beauty pageants can be traced back to medieval May Day celebrations in the British Isles, which included the selection of a May Queen. The first known modern beauty pageant was held in 1839. It was part of the Eglinton Tournament, a re-enactment of a medieval joust what was organized by Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, and took place at his castle in Scotland.

The first modern pageant in the United States was organized by P. T. Barnum in 1854, but it was quickly shut down due to public protest. The popularity of beauty contests started to rise in the 1880s, but these events still weren’t considered as respectable.

The attitude towards beauty pageants began to change in the 1920s following the launch of the Miss America pageant. First held in 1921, Miss America is the world’s oldest beauty pageant that is still in operation today. It should not be confused with Miss USA, which was established more than three decades later.

The first international beauty contest was the International Pageant of Pulchritude. It was held in Galveston, Texas every year between 1926 and 1935. The active development of international beauty pageants began after World War II.

Miss World, the world’s longest-running international beauty contest, was launched in 1951. It was followed by Miss Universe (established in 1952) and Miss International (established in 1960). The youngest of the so-called Big Four international beauty pageants, Miss Earth, was created in 2001.

Although beauty pageants have been criticized for putting pressure on women to conform to conventional standards of beauty and reinforcing the idea that a women’s primary purpose is to be physically attractive, subjecting women to objectification, and a lack of diversity, among other things, they do have a positive side.

Many pageant contestants have said that participation helped them overcome shyness and build confidence, make new social connections, improve their public speaking skills, and get involved in charitable work and volunteering. In addition, participation in international pageants gives women an opportunity to represent the culture of their home countries, speak out against xenophobia and racism, and promote peace and mutual understanding.

International Pageant Day was created to educate people of the positive impact of beauty pageants and to promote reform in the beauty entertainment industry in order to make it more inclusive and less toxic.