World's First Motor Race in 1887

The world’s first-ever motor race took place on 20 April 1887 in Saint James in Paris. Driving a steam-powered DE Dion-Bouton-Trepardoux tricycle, Georges Bouton won the race from Paris to Versailles, setting a speed record of 26 km/h.

Bram Stoker's Death Anniversary

 

Abraham "Bram" Stoker, who passed away on 20 April 1912, aged 64, was an Irish writer. He is best remembered as the author of the classical and influential vampire novel Dracula. A vampire is a kind of monster associated with death and the Devil.

The novel’s influence on representations of vampires in Western popular culture has been immense and long-lasting. Dracula has enjoyed wide popularity in its many adaptations for film, television, and the stage.

Stoker wrote several other novels—among them The Mystery of the Sea (1902), The Jewel of Seven Stars (1903), and The Lady of the Shroud (1909)—but none of them approached the popularity of Dracula.

The Curries successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from pitchblende

 

On April 20, 1902, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radioactive radium salts from pitchblende, a mineral, in a laboratory in Paris, France. Inspired by French physicist Henri Becquerel’s 1896 experiment on phosphorescence, or the phenomenon that allows certain objects to glow in the dark, the Curries were able to find traces of two radioactive elements—polonium (Element 84) and radium (Element 88).

Philippe Pinel's Birth Anniversary

Philippe Pinel, born on 20 April 1745, was a French physician who pioneered in the humane treatment of the mentally ill.

Arriving in Paris (1778), he supported himself for a number of years by translating scientific and medical works and by teaching mathematics. During that period, he also began visiting privately confined mental patients and writing articles on his observations. In 1792 he became the chief physician at the Paris asylum for men, Bicêtre, and made his first bold reform by unchaining patients, many of whom had been restrained for 30 to 40 years. He did the same for the female inmates of Salpêtrière when he became the director there in 1794.

Discarding the long-popular equation of mental illness with demoniacal possession, Pinel regarded mental illness as the result of excessive exposure to social and psychological stresses and, in some measure, of heredity and physiological damage. In Nosographie philosophique (1798; “Philosophical Classification of Diseases”) he distinguished various psychoses and described, among other phenomena, hallucination, withdrawal, and a variety of other symptoms.

Pinel did away with such treatments as bleeding, purging, and blistering and favoured a therapy that included close and friendly contact with the patient, discussion of personal difficulties, and a program of purposeful activities. His Traité médico-philosophique sur l’aliénation mentale ou la manie (1801; “Medico-Philosophical Treatise on Mental Alienation or Mania”) discusses his psychologically oriented approach.

 

 

Adolf Hitler's Birth Anniversary

 

Adolf Hitler, born on 20 April 1889, was an Austrian-born German politician who rose to power as the dictator of Germany, leading the country from 1933 to 1945. He was the head of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party. Hitler's aggressive policies initiated World War II and he was a key figure in the execution of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of approximately six million Jews and millions of others.

Hitler was born in Austria-Hungary, and in 1913, he relocated to Germany. He served in the German Army during World War I, being awarded the Iron Cross for bravery twice, and subsequently joined the German Workers' Party, which he transformed into the Nazi Party and took control of in 1921.

His attempt to overthrow the government in the 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch failed, resulting in his imprisonment. During his imprisonment, he wrote Mein Kampf, outlining his political ideology. Once released, Hitler gained popularity by promoting anti-Semitic and anti-communist sentiments. His charismatic oratory backed by Nazi propaganda found a receptive audience in Germany during the Great Depression.

In 1933, Hitler ascended to the role of chancellor of Germany and quickly established himself as the Führer, consolidating his power. His first six years in power resulted in rapid economic recovery from the Great Depression and the removal of restrictions imposed on Germany after World War I.

Hitler's ambitions included the expansion of German living space, or Lebensraum, particularly in Eastern Europe, which precipitated the start of World War II. This aggressive foreign policy is considered to be the primary cause of the outbreak of World War II in Europe. He directed large-scale rearmament and on September 1st, 1939 invaded Poland, resulting in British and French declarations of war on Germany.

In June 1941, Hitler ordered an invasion of the Soviet Union. By the end of 1941, German forces and the European Axis powers occupied most of Europe and North Africa. Failure to defeat the Soviet Union, who ultimately battled back to Berlin, and the entry of the United States into the war forced Germany onto the defensive and ultimately its defeat.

Throughout the war, Hitler's strategic decisions were responsible for the loss of countless lives and the widespread devastation across Europe. 29 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of military action in the European theatre. This number of deaths was unprecedented and it constitutes the deadliest conflict in human history.

He was supported in this endeavour by such other leading members of the Nazi party as Joseph Goebbels, Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, and Reinhard Heydrich. Most of these figures died during the war, such as Heydrich, or committed suicide towards the end, such as Goebbels, or afterwards, such as Himmler and Göring.

As Germany's prospects deteriorated, Hitler became increasingly isolated, coordinating his military campaigns from a bunker in Berlin. In his final days, with Soviet and Allied forces advancing, Hitler chose to marry Eva Braun, his partner of many years. On 30 April 1945, they both committed suicide in their Berlin bunker.

World Circus Day

 

World Circus Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of April every year all around the world. In 2024, we celebrate World Circus Day on April 20. This holiday is created to shine a spotlight on circus creators, performers, and artists. As one of the most popular and universal forms of entertainment, circus art is brought to the forefront to create awareness for everyone involved in the industry. This day is dedicated to emphasizing their craft, talents, and skills. It also helps them raise funds, attract audiences, and enter the zeitgeist of the entertainment scene. From veteran performers to up-and-coming artists, this day is dedicated to their hard work and dedication. Circus art is not as easy as it looks — it takes years of training and perseverance to achieve mastery. Today, we celebrate them and their contributions to the arts.