International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day

International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day is an annual event held on May 1. It was created by a group of guerrilla gardeners from Brussels in 2007.

The term “guerrilla gardening” is applied to gardening on land that the gardeners have no legal rights to utilize. Guerrilla gardeners may have different motivations, but most often they garden on abandoned or neglected land in order to make the site of use and/or more aesthetically attractive.

The guerrilla gardening movement is believed to have emerged in the United States in the 1970s. Over the decades, it has spread throughout the world. There are groups and associations of guerrilla gardeners in many European, Asian, and American countries.

On International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day, participants are encouraged to plant sunflowers in their neighbourhoods. In the parts of the world where the weather in May is too cold to plant sunflowers, people may plant other plants appropriate for the season.

Raman Sankar's Birth Anniversary

Raman Sankar, born on 30 April 1909, in Kuzhikkalidavaka, Kingdom of Travancore, British India (present-day Kerala, India), was an Indian politician, statesman, administrator, orator, educationist, writer and editor who served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Kerala from 1962 to 1964.

Tukdoji Maharaj's Birth Anniversary

Tukdoji Maharaj, born on 30 April 1909, in Yawali, Central Provinces and Berar, British India, was a spiritual saint from India. He was a disciple of Aadkoji Maharaj. Tukdoji Maharaj was involved in social reforms in the rural regions of Maharashtra, including construction of roads. Tukdoji Maharaj wrote Gramgeeta which means village development. Many of the development programs started by him worked efficiently even after his death.

Adolf Hitler commits suicide in 1945

Adolf Hitler, who passed away on 30 April 1945, aged 56, in Berlin, Germany, 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.

 

 

 

Hari Singh Nalwa's Death Anniversary

 

Hari Singh Nalwa, who passed away on 30 April 1837, aged 46, at Jamrud, Khyber Pass, Sikh Empire (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, was the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj, the army of the Sikh Empire. He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur, Sialkot, Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Peshawar and Jamrud. Hari Singh Nalwa was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire to beyond the Indus River right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass. At the time of his death, Jamrud constituted the western boundary of the Empire.

He served as governor of Kashmir, Peshawar and Hazara. He established a mint on behalf of the Sikh Empire to facilitate revenue collection in Kashmir and Peshawar.

 

National Zipper Day (U.S.)

 

National Zipper Day is celebrated every year on April 29 to honour the invention of the zipper, a simple yet revolutionary fastening device.

The modern zipper was designed by Swedish-American engineer, Gideon Sundback, who patented it on April 29, 1913. Although earlier versions existed, Sundback’s design made the zipper reliable and practical, changing clothing, luggage, and fashion forever.

The name "zipper" was later popularized by the B.F. Goodrich Company because of the fun "zip" sound it made.

Before Sundback came up with his tool, there were many versions of this wondrous device, without which, being fashionable today may have just been a bit harder.

One of the first recorded versions of the zipper came in 1851 from Elias Howe - an American inventor who is often credited as a developer of the technology for sewing machines. In the late 19th century, Whitcomb Judson invented a clasp locker which made its debut at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. This invention did not catch on as well as Judson had hoped for but it did earn him the title of the Inventor of the Zipper.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

 

Every year, people mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28 to promote workplace safety and foster a healthy work environment in all sectors.

This day was initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2003, aiming to advocate for workplace safety standards and prioritizing employee well-being by bringing awareness about work-related casualties and ailments.

The world of work is rapidly evolving due to AI, technology, and digitalization; by addressing both the advantages and challenges it presents, the campaign will also explore how these factors are influencing and transforming labour trends, enabling the creation of safer and healthier workplaces for everyone on a global scale.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is for everyone, not just office workers, including those who work in factories, farms, hospitals, schools, and construction sites.

It promotes communication between governments, employees, and other stakeholders to establish and implement occupational safety and health (OSH) rules and practices.

It emphasizes that everyone, regardless of where they work, has the right to a safe and healthy workplace, with the day serving as a reminder to promote workplace safety and the necessity of avoiding work-related illnesses or accidents.