Nostradamus' Death Anniversary

 

Nostradamus, who passed away on 1/2 July 1566, in Salon, France, aged 62, was a French astrologer and physician, the most widely read seer of the Renaissance.

Nostradamus began his medical practice in Agen sometime in the 1530s, despite not only never having taken a medical degree but also apparently having been expelled from medical school. In 1544 he moved to Salon, where he gained renown for his innovative medical treatments during outbreaks of the plague at Aix and Lyon in 1546–47. He began making prophecies about 1547, which he published in 1555 in a book entitled Centuries. The work consisted of rhymed quatrains grouped in hundreds, each set of 100 called a century. Astrology was then at a peak, and an enlarged second edition, dedicated to the French king, appeared in 1558.

Some of his prophecies appeared to be fulfilled, and his fame became so widespread that he was invited to the court of Catherine de Médicis, queen consort of Henry II of France, where he cast the horoscopes of her children. He was appointed physician-in-ordinary by Charles IX in 1564. Nostradamus’s prophecies were the subject of many commentaries; contrary to popular belief, however, they were never condemned by the Congregation of the Index, the body set up by the Roman Catholic Church for the examination of books and manuscripts. Because of their cryptic style and content, the prophecies continued to create much controversy. Some of them are thought by believers to have foretold actual historical events that occurred since Nostradamus’s time, including certain details of the French Revolution of the 18th century. Others, having no apparent meaning, are said by some to foretell events that have not yet occurred.

 

 

Sir William Henry Bragg's Birth Anniversary

 

William Henry Bragg, born on 2 July 1904, in Wigton, Cumberland, England, was a British physicist. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, Bragg spent 23 years teaching at the University of Adelaide in Australia, before returning to the University of Leeds in 1909.  There, working with his son William Lawrence, he invented the X-ray spectrometer in 1912, which allowed them to measure the wavelengths of X-rays. X-rays had only been discovered in 1895, and scientists were not entirely sure that they were electromagnetic waves like light and radio waves. The Braggs showed that they are, and that if you bounce X-rays off solid crystals at very slight angles, then the waves are reflected at different angles, depending on their wavelength, which one could now measure. 

The pioneer British scientist in solid-state physics was a joint winner (with his son Sir Lawrence Bragg) of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for his research on the determination of crystal structures. The Braggs remain the only father-son Nobel Laureates.  He was knighted in 1920.

Samuel Hahnemann's Death Anniversary

Samuel Hahnemann, who passed away on 2 July 1843, in Paris, France, aged 88, was a German physician, founder of the system of therapeutics known as homeopathy.

Hahnemann studied medicine at Leipzig and Vienna, taking the degree of M.D. at Erlangen in 1779. After practicing in various places, he settled in Dresden in 1784 and then moved to Leipzig in 1789. In the following year, while translating William Cullen’s Lectures on the Materia medica into German, he was struck by the fact that the symptoms produced by quinine on the healthy body were similar to those of the disordered states that quinine was used to cure. This observation led him to assert the theory that “likes are cured by likes,” similia similibus curantur; i.e., diseases are cured (or should be treated) by those drugs that produce in healthy persons symptoms similar to the diseases. He promulgated his principle in a paper published in 1796; and, four years later, convinced that drugs in small doses effectively exerted their curative powers, he advanced his doctrine of their “potentization of dynamization.” His chief work, Organon der rationellen Heilkunst (1810; “Organon of Rational Medicine”), contains an exposition of his system, which he called Homöopathie, or homeopathy. His Reine Arzneimittellehre, 6 vol. (1811; “Pure Pharmacology”), detailed the symptoms produced by “proving” a large number of drugs—i.e., by systematically administering them to healthy subjects.

In 1821 the hostility of apothecaries forced him to leave Leipzig, and at the invitation of the grand duke of Anhalt-Köthen he went to live at Köthen. Fourteen years later he moved to Paris, where he practiced medicine with great popularity until his death.

 

Ernest Hemmingway's Death Anniversary

Ernest Hemmingway, who passed away on 2 July 1961, was an American author and journalist.

One of the most famous authors of the early 20th-century, Hemingway published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works.

Many of his works are considered classics of American literature, and he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 "for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea."

Hemingway was also an accomplished journalist and was present with Allied troops at the Normandy landings and the liberation of Paris.

World Porcupine Day

July 2nd is World Porcupine Day. These herbivore mammals are highly recognizable by their coat of needle-like quills that remind predators not to mess with them! The sharp quills detach easily when touched but are replaced quickly after losing them. A single animal may have 30,000 or more quills! About two dozen species are scattered around North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Some are good climbers and spend much of their time in trees, eating natural bark and stems, while others eat fruit, leaves, and springtime buds, usually living on the ground and inhabiting deserts, grasslands, and forests.

René Lacoste's Birth Anniversary

René Lacoste, born on 2 July 1904, in Paris, France, was a French tennis player who was a leading competitor in the late 1920s. As one of the powerful Four Musketeers (the others were Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon), he helped France win its first Davis Cup in 1927, starting its six-year domination of the cup. Later on, he was better known for his successful sportswear company.

Lacoste, who was nicknamed “the crocodile,” won the Wimbledon singles in 1925 and 1928, the French singles in 1925, 1927, and 1929, and became the first foreigner to win the U.S. championship twice (1926–27). With Borotra, he won the British doubles in 1925 and the French doubles in 1924, 1925, and 1929.

A methodical player, Lacoste would study every aspect of tennis before a match, and he would wait for an opponent to weaken. His best-known game was perhaps the 1927 U.S. championship, in which he drove Bill Tilden to exhaustion in the two-hour final. After winning the 1929 French championship, Lacoste retired. Decades later, sport shirts and other items of apparel with his “crocodile” emblem (although somehow changed to an alligator) became popular throughout the world. He and his fellow “musketeers” were elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1976.

World Sports Journalists Day

 

Every year, World Sports Journalists Day is celebrated on July 2. Sports has emerged as one of the significant career paths. Many people with special interest and deep passion for sports and journalism often pursue 'Sports Journalism'. 

Sports Journalists Day marks the success of sports media professionals and motivates them to put more effort into spreading knowledge about sports among the general public. Many news agencies organise events to honour their sports journalists on this special day.

World Sports Journalists Day: History

The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) established World Sports Journalists Day on July 2, commemorating the formation day of AIPS as an organisation in 1994 during the Summer Olympics in Paris. This day is marked to honour the outstanding work of journalists in the field of sports journalism. Over the years, many sports media professionals have been honoured for their accomplishments on this special day.

World Sports Journalists Day: Significance

The World Sports Journalists Day encourages and recognises the accomplishments of various sports journalists. One of the major reasons to celebrate World Sports Journalists Day is to spread awareness about sports across the globe. Many media organisations in different parts of the world organise special events in honour of sports journalists on this day. This day brings inspiration to people to make a career in sports journalism.

World UFO Day

Every year on July 2, people all over the planet observe World UFO Day. This extraordinary day is all about studying the Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and bringing people together to discuss possibilities of life beyond Earth.

This day is celebrated with great excitement by the fans of UFOs. This subject has, for decades, piqued the curiosity of both young and old. On this day, UFO enthusiasts like to talk about UFOs, hold discussions and debates about the future of human life and the possibility of life among the stars.

The possibility of life beyond our own world would indeed be fascinating, and it’s the perfect opportunity to be part of the informative events organised by various groups on World UFO Day. It's a chance to learn more about UFOs and meet people who share similar interests.

What is a UFO?

Let's first understand what a UFO is before we get any further. Unidentified Flying Object is an abbreviation for UFO. In simple terms, anything flying in the air that we are unable to easily can be called a UFO. UFOs aren't generally always alien spaceships; they could be:

• Weather balloons

• Natural events in the sky

• Satellites

• Unusual aircraft.

What is the history behind World UFO Day?

It was first celebrated on June 24. In 1947, Kenneth Arnold's well-known UFO sighting prompted the selection of this date. The date was later postponed to July 2. July 2 marks the anniversary of the 1947 Roswell incident. 

The Roswell incident is significant in the history of UFOs. It took place in New Mexico, USA when a mysterious object crashed close to Roswell in July 1947. The US military said it was a weather balloon. However, the people believe it was an alien spacecraft. The incident attracted a lot of attention and gave rise to many theories.  

What is the importance of this UFO Day?

World UFO Day is important because it raises awareness of the possibility that the universe may contain intelligent life somewhere else too. It likewise urges individuals to contemplate the chance of UFOs and to conduct research into the subject.

How to celebrate World UFO Day this year?

• One way is to go to a UFO convention or a UFO parade. If you go to parades or other events on this day, you can learn more about the event. You can meet new people while going on these occasions and ask them their perspectives on UFOs.

• Individuals can likewise do their part by exploring UFOs online, reading about UFOs, or watching UFO films. Reading books will assist you with acquiring better information about UFOs and the universe. It's entertaining to read the various viewpoints that different authors have on this issue. You can shape your thoughts after reading various books on UFO Day.

• The most well-known UFO films include 'The Flash Gordon-types' of the 30s, 'The Martian marauders story' typical of the 50s and 60s, and the visually great movies of the recent couple of years. You can also see a few films on World UFO Day. This is the best opportunity to binge-watch the absolute best films on UFO.

What is the future of UFO research? 

As we celebrate World UFO Day 2024, the field of alien research is evolving:

Government Openness: Some countries are making more and more information public on UFOs.

Improved Technology: Advanced cameras and sensors can capture clearer images now to know more about UFOs.

Citizen Science: Common people can assist now on track and report UFO sightings with instruments like cameras becoming widely available.

Space discovery: As we learn more about space, we might end up with more answers about UFOs.