World Metrology Day is celebrated globally on May 20 every year to highlight the importance of the science of measurement in our daily lives and raise awareness around it.
Metrology has constantly pushed scientific and technological
advancements; this day highlights metrology’s impact on quality of life and conservation
of the environment, thereby aligning with UNESCO’s objective to advance science
for a better world.
Plant Something Day is a holiday that
is celebrated in the United States every year on May 19. It encourages people
to take a few minutes to plant something around them. It could be a flower, a
tree, or an indoor plant. Any plant that grows would suffice. During the
holiday, local businesses like nurseries and landscapers usually host community
events to plant in public spaces together. People can plant at home, in
schools, in parks, and in other community gardens. The planting initiates help
to protect the environment and enhance the beauty of public spaces.
St.
John Paul II, born on 18 May 1920, in Wadowice,
Poland, was born, Karol Józef Wojtyła. He was the third longest
serving pope and the first non-Italian for 455 years who held office from 1978
to his death in 2005.
He was
beatified on 1 May 2011; canonized 27 April 2014; and has his feast day on 22
October, a date chosen to remember the anniversary of the liturgical
inauguration of his Papacy in 1978.
As part
of his effort to promote greater understanding between nations and
between religions, he
undertook numerous trips abroad, traveling far greater distances than had all
other popes combined,
and he extended his influence beyond the church by campaigning
against political oppression and criticizing the materialism of the West. He
also issued several unprecedented apologies to groups that historically had
been wronged by Catholics, most notably Jews and Muslims. His unabashed Polish
nationalism and his emphasis on nonviolent political activism aided the Solidarity
movement in communist Poland in the 1980s and ultimately contributed to the
peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. More generally, John
Paul used his influence among Catholics and throughout the world to advance the
recognition of human dignity and to deter the use of violence. His centralized style of church
governance, however, dismayed some members of the clergy, who found it autocratic and stifling. He
failed to reverse an overall decline in the numbers of priests and nuns,
and his traditional interpretations of church teachings on personal and
sexual morality alienated
some segments of the laity.
International Child Helpline Day takes place on
May 17 every year. The holiday is dedicated to celebrating the work of child
helplines all around the world. The efforts of these workers ensure that
children and youth in need are listened to and assisted in a timely manner.
Millions of children contact the network of child helplines asking for support.
Suggestions have been made through the analysis of child helpline data from 181
countries, to make policy changes for the improvement of children’s lives.
Child helplines hold various activities and celebrations to highlight their
work and achievements. This helps to enhance public awareness.
Living together in peace is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way.
The UN General-Assembly, in its resolution 72/130, declared 16 May
the International Day of Living Together in Peace, as a means of
regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote
peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity. The Day aims to
uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and
diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and
harmony.
Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, who
passed away on 15 May 1993, aged 94, in Bengaluru, was the first Indian
Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. A national hero with many firsts to his credit, he was
instrumental in the transition of the Indian military from colonial
to independent India and his legacy is still honoured today. Under his
leadership, the Indian armed forces proved their mettle during a critical
period of transition and a competent and capable military establishment was
formed. Kodandera's election was a major turning point in the growth of India's
independent defence sector. His legacy will continue to inspire future
generations of military personnel by highlighting the importance of discipline,
leadership and dedication in serving the nation.
Military career
Cariappa had a distinguished military career
spanning nearly three decades. Joining the British Indian Army after World War
I, he was commissioned as a temporary first lieutenant into the 2/88 Carnatic
Infantry. Cariappa became the first Indian officer to attend the Staff College,
Quetta, and later commanded the 1/7 Rajputs, making him the first Indian to
lead a battalion. He served in various staff roles and commands, eventually becoming the
Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. During World War II, Cariappa served in
the Middle East and Burma, earning accolades for his leadership. His historic
achievements include being the first Indian to command a battalion in the
Indian Army.
Post-Independence, Cariappa assumed the role of
deputy chief of the general staff. He orchestrated three successive attack
operations—Kipper, Easy, and Bison—with the aim of reclaiming strategic areas
like Naushera, Jhangar, Poonch, Zoji La, Dras, and Kargil. However, plans to
expel Pakistani forces from Kashmir were thwarted by the United States'
intervention. On July 6, 1948, the Army HQ imposed strict restrictions on
conducting major operations without its authorization. Cariappa opposed this
policy, warning that it endangered Leh, Kargil, and ultimately the Kashmir
Valley, jeopardizing the nation's security.
On May 14, 1796, the first documented vaccination against smallpox, by Edward Jenner, an English physician and scientist, took place. Jenner inoculated eight-year-old James Phipps with matter from a cowpox sore on the hand of milkmaid Sarah Nelmes. Phipps suffered a local reaction and felt poorly for several days but made a full recovery. In July 1796, Jenner inoculated Phipps with matter taken from a fresh human smallpox sore, as if he were variolating the boy, in an attempt to challenge the protection from cowpox. Phipps remained healthy. Jenner next demonstrated that cowpox matter transferred in a human chain, from one person to the next, provided protection from smallpox.
Jenner was not precisely sure about the nature of the cowpox material he
used. He suspected that cowpox actually came from horsepox; in other words, he
speculated that cows became infected with the same agent that caused a similar
disease in horses. Recent genetic analysis of old samples of smallpox vaccine
have revealed that the samples were more closely related to horsepox virus than
cowpox virus.
Sir Garfield St Auburn Sobers, born on 28 July 1936, in Bridgetown, Barbados, was widely considered the greatest all-rounder in cricket ...
