Russia Day

 

Russia Day is a national holiday in the Russian Federation celebrated annually on June 12. In accordance with the Russian Labor Code, it is an official public holiday.

Declaration of State Sovereignty

On June 12, 1990, the 1st Congress of People’s Deputies of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR, part of the Soviet Union) adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. The document declared the primacy of the Constitution and the laws of the Russian republic over the Soviet Union’s legislation, establishing equal rights for all citizens, political parties and non-governmental organizations, the principle of separation of powers into three branches, namely the legislative, executive and judicial and the necessity to substantially expand the rights of the regions. The document also stated that the Declaration is the basis to frame a new constitution. In all, 907 deputies voted to adopt the document, 13 voted against it, while 9 abstained. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Boris Yeltsin signed the Declaration.

Holiday established

On June 11, 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Russia published a decree designating June 12 as a public holiday. On September 25, 1992, the corresponding amendments were introduced into the Russian Labor Code.

Holiday’s history in Russia

On Russia Day, the country traditionally holds holiday concerts, mass open air celebrations and sports events.

On June 12, 1995, the holiday was celebrated for the first time. The first ceremony of awarding the State Prizes (introduced in 1992-1993) in science and technology, literature and the arts was held in the Kremlin on that day. In later years, the State Prize awarding ceremonies on June 12 became a tradition. The holiday also received the unofficial title of "Independence Day." This wording has never been used in the official documents, but can be seen in the media, appears on placards and banners.

In 1998, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin proposed calling this day "Day of Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of RSFSR" — Russia Day — in his address to the nation broadcasted by the main TV channels. However, the holiday was officially renamed only on February 1, 2002, when the new Labor Code came into force with all the official public holidays set out.

Since 2001, Russia Day has been celebrated with fireworks in Moscow and in other cities around the country.

In 2014, Russia Day was celebrated for the first time in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. On this day, the All-Russian Five Stars young performers contest was held in Yalta. In Sevastopol, the holiday coincided with celebrations on the occasion of the 231st anniversary of the city's foundation.

 

 

 

Superman Day (United States)

 

Every year on June 12, fans around the world honour Superman Day, a celebration of the legendary Kryptonian hero and his 90 years of adventures. Established in 2013 by D.C. Entertainment to coincide with the release of "Man of Steel," this special day was initially known as "Man of Steel Day." Comic book shops, in partnership with D.C., marked the occasion by distributing free copies of "All-Star Superman #1 Special Edition." Over time, the celebration evolved naturally, and the name transitioned to Superman Day, continuing to unite enthusiasts in tribute to the timeless superhero.

The creation of the Kryptonian Hero

The world was first introduced to Superman in 1933, a creation conceived from the mastermind’s, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Making his debut in Action Comics #1, this marked the start of an extraordinary journey for the iconic Man of Steel. Clad in his signature blue costume, complemented by a red cape and emblazoned with a distinctive red "S" on his chest, Superman has since become a globally recognized symbol.

Previous live-action performances of Superman

For 76 years and continuing, Hollywood has brought Superman to life on screen, starting with Kirk Alyn's portrayal in the 1948 serial film “Superman." But it was with the titular Richard Donner magnum opus, “Superman,” that the character gained multidimensional stardom. From this point, the live-action universe changed forever. Superman began his journey onto the theatre screens from being a two-dimensional cartoon to a personified figure in the highly acclaimed Donner feature. From then on, there was no looking back.

The Kryptonian took on many forms with the indomitable force of Christopher Reeves in the Donner films, to Tom Welling’s teenage Clark Kent in the TV series “Smallville,” to Brandon Routh’s forgettable rendition in “Superman Returns,” to his most popular on-screen reincarnation, by the British thespian, “Henry Cavill” in the “Man of Steel,” being the most notable.

And with that, the torch is being handed to David Corenswet in the upcoming James Gunn-helmed 2025 tentpole, “Superman” which was previously titled as “Superman: Legacy.”

Upcoming Superman films

The most anticipated and the only Superman feature slated to be releasing soon is the James Gunn’s “Superman.” Gunn unveiled the first look at David Corenswet in the 2025 film "Superman," a month back, introducing a fresh take on the iconic hero and his costume.

Corenswet follows in the footsteps of legendary actors, from Christopher Reeve’s memorable portrayal in the 1970s to Henry Cavill’s grittier rendering in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe. In a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Corenswet shared that his ultimate acting ambition was “definitely to play Superman.”

The initial images of Gunn's film show Corenswet in a worn and grimy Superman suit, hinting at a possibly gritty version of the character. Gunn previously mentioned to Variety that his Superman needed to be “someone who has all the humanity that Superman has but he’s also an alien. It’s gotta be somebody who has the kindness and the compassion that Superman has and be somebody who you want to give a hug.”

"Superman" is set to hit theatres on July 11, 2025, from Warner Bros.

Anne Frank's Birth Anniversary

 

Anne Frank, born on 12 June 1929, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, was a Jewish girl whose diary of her family’s two years in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands became a classic of war literature.

Early in the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, Anne’s father, Otto Frank (1889–1980), a German businessman, took his wife and two daughters to live in Amsterdam. In 1941, after German forces occupied the Netherlands, Anne was compelled to transfer from a public school to a Jewish one. On June 12, 1942, she received a red-and-white plaid diary for her 13th birthday. That day she began writing in the book: “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.”

When Anne’s sister, Margot, was faced with deportation (supposedly to a forced-labour camp), the Franks went into hiding on July 6, 1942, in the Backroom office and warehouse of Otto Frank’s food-products business. With the aid of a few non-Jewish friends, among them Miep Gies, who smuggled in food and other supplies, the Frank family and four other Jews—Hermann and Auguste van Pels and their son, Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer—lived confined to the “secret annex.” During this time, Anne wrote faithfully in her diary, recounting day-to-day life in hiding, from ordinary annoyances to the fear of capture. She discussed typical adolescent issues as well as her hopes for the future, which included becoming a journalist or a writer. Anne’s last diary entry was written on August 1, 1944. Three days later the annex was discovered by the Gestapo, which was acting on a tip from Dutch informers.

The Frank family was transported to Westerbork, a transit camp in the Netherlands, and from there to Auschwitz, in German-occupied Poland, on September 3, 1944, on the last transport to leave Westerbork for Auschwitz. Anne and Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen the following month. Anne’s mother died in early January, just before the evacuation of Auschwitz on January 18, 1945. It was established by the Dutch government that both Anne and Margot died in a typhus epidemic in March 1945, only weeks before the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, but scholars in 2015 revealed new research, including analysis of archival data and first-person accounts, indicating that the sisters might have perished in February 1945. Otto Frank was found hospitalized at Auschwitz when it was liberated by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945.

Friends who searched the hiding place after the family’s capture later gave Otto Frank the papers left behind by the Gestapo. Among them he found Anne’s diary, which was published as Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (originally in Dutch, 1947). Precocious in style and insight, it traces her emotional growth amid adversity. In it she wrote, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.”

The Diary, which has been translated into more than 65 languages, is the most widely read diary of the Holocaust, and Anne is probably the best known of Holocaust victims. The Diary was also made into a play that premiered on Broadway in October 1955, and in 1956 it won both the Tony Award for best play and the Pulitzer Prize for best drama. A film version directed by George Stevens was produced in 1959. The play was controversial: it was challenged by screenwriter Meyer Levin, who wrote an early version of the play (later realized as a 35-minute radio play) and accused Otto Frank and his chosen screenwriters, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, of sanitizing and de-Judaizing the story. The play was often performed in high schools throughout the world and was revived (with additions) on Broadway in 1997–98.

A new English translation of the Diary, published in 1995, contains material that was edited out of the original version, which makes the revised translation nearly one-third longer than the first. The Frank family’s hiding place on the Prinsengracht, a canal in Amsterdam, became a museum that is consistently among the city’s most-visited tourist sites.

Philippines Independence Day

 

One of the most significant dates from the Philippines’ history is Independence Day because it marks the nation’s independence from the Spanish rule on June 12, 1898. Filipinos celebrate it annually on June 12.

The annual June 12 observance of Philippines Independence Day came into effect after past President Diosdado Macapagal signed the Republic Act No. 4166 regarding this matter on August 4, 1964. This Act legalized the holiday, which is based on the Declaration of Independence on June 12, 1898 by General Emilio Aguinaldo and Filipino revolutionary forces from the Spanish colonization. The Philippines’ flag was raised and its national anthem was played for the first time in 1898. However, liberty was short-lived because Spain and the United States did not recognize the declaration.

The 1898 Treaty of Paris ended the war between Spain and the United States. Spain surrendered the entire archipelago comprising the Philippines to the United States. The Philippines started a revolt against the United States in 1899 and achieved national sovereignty on July 4, 1946, through the Treaty of Manila. Independence Day was officially observed on July 4 until the Republic Act No. 4166, which set out to move the holiday to June 12, was approved on August 4, 1964.

World Day Against Child Labour

 

World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12. Its goal is to catalyze the expanding global movement against child labour. The United Nations thinks that if people and governments focus on the core cause and recognise the interconnectedness between social justice and child work, child labour may be eradicated.

Children ought to grow up in circumstances that support their health and development. They should not be forced to perform manual labour to make a living because they are vulnerable to physical and emotional abuse. Unfortunately, child labour and abuse are prevalent in the majority of poor nations.

World Day Against Child Labour: History & Significance

On June 12, 2002, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) marked the first World Day Against Child Labour at its headquarters in Geneva, which had been founded the day before.

World Day Against Child Labour was established to promote and amplify the global call to stop child labour. Since 1987, the Indian central government has implemented a National Policy on Child Employment, which focuses on the rehabilitation of children and adolescents who have been exposed to employment. It also addresses the underlying causes of poverty by assisting victims’ families in improving their economic chances.

World Day Against Child Labour: Quotes

“Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.” – Rabindranath Tagore.

“Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.” – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

“Safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.” – Nelson Mandela.

“Some girls cannot go to school because of the child labour and child trafficking.” – Malala Yousafzai.

“You can’t regulate child labour. You can’t regulate slavery. Some things are just wrong.” – Michael Moore.