World Earth Day 2016

World Health Day 2016  is celebrated by the people all over the world on 22^nd of April, at Friday.

There is reason behind the title of this celebration as “Earth Day”. It was suggested by number of people in 1969 and the idea came with “birthday” as Earth day (rhyming word of birthday).

World Earth Day Information and History

World Earth Day is celebrated every year as an annual event by the people all across the world on 22^nd of April in order to increase the awareness among people about the environment safety as well as to demonstrate the environmental protection measures. First time, the world earth day was celebrated in the year 1970 and then started celebrating annually on global basis by almost 192 countries.

World Earth Day observance was started to celebrate as an annual event to get national support in order to better take care of the environmental safety by solving its issues. In 1969, there was a peace activist of the San Francisco named John McConnell who actively involved in starting this event and proposed a day to get together for the environmental safety. John McConnell had chosen this event to be celebrated in the spring equinox on 21^st of March in 1970 whereas United States Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson had chosen this event to be celebrated on 22^nd of April in 1970.

They had contacted the people to join this event to get together for solving their environmental issues for better future. During the first time celebration of the earth day millions of people shown their interest and participated to understand the motto of the event. Instead of deciding one date for the celebration of the earth day, it has been started celebrating on both of the dates. Generally, the earth day event celebration starts with the common practice of new trees plantation in the required areas worldwide.

For founding the earth day celebration date on 22^nd of April, United States Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson was honored later with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award for his participation in great job. Later, the 22^nd of April as an Earth Day was focused globally by the original national coordinator, Denis Hayes in the year 1990 among almost 141 nations. Most of the earth day communities celebrate it for the whole week with the name Earth Week to focus on many environmental issues. In this way, 22^nd of April 1970 has been marked as the anniversary of the modern environmental movement.

Earth Day 1970 was established to raise the public awareness for self consciousness, other living organisms, controlling the anti-war protest movement as well as keeping the environmental issues in front of the people. A big tragedy behind establishing the event of earth day celebration by the founder Gaylord Nelson (a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin) was tragedy of the massive oil spill in the Santa Barbara, California in 1969. This tragedy led the Gaylord Nelson towards enhancing the public consciousness for the air, water and soil pollution as well as implementing the environmental protection measures.

Why April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day?

Our Earth is the only planet in the Universe where life is possible till date. It is very necessary to maintain the natural assets of the earth in order to continue the life on the earth. In the rush of the crowd, the most intelligent creature of the God called human is slowly losing its humanity and forgot to take care of the planet that gave it life and started using its resources very ruthlessly. The 22^nd of April has been marked as an Earth Day to make the human race get aware about the importance of their planet.

A USA senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson had founded the day to make the people aware about day to day increasing rate of the industrialization as well as the careless attitude of the people living on the earth. The step was taken by him to promote the idea of natural balance among people as well as encourage them for respecting the assets of the planet. It is very necessary to take care of the environmental issues to stay healthy and alive as cruel people have mercilessly utilized its resources and depleted its life supporting resources over the centuries.

One of the big examples of it is the depletion of the Ozone layer which prevents us from the ultra violet rays of the sun. Another big problem of the environment is death of rivers by getting mixed with the industrial toxic materials which leads to the global warming. Increasing industrialization on daily basis leads to deforestation which ultimately leads to the rise in Earth temperature. These are the life ending dangers on the earth forever which can be lessens through the small steps such as new trees plantation, inhibiting the deforestation, limiting the vehicles use to reduce air pollution, enhancing the energy conservation through reducing the unnecessary use of electricity. Such small steps become a big step if taken care by the people worldwide together.

Now a day, everything is being packed in the plastic bags or given in it by the shopkeepers. Plastic bags productions are increasing day by day which is very shameful condition for us as these materials are undegradable. The first celebration of the Earth Day was took place in the US on 22^nd of April in 1970 to mark the environmental movement as a big matter of fact. Students group from the US College campuses had participated to protest for the environmental deterioration to increase the public awareness. Another group was protested for the oil spills, toxic dumps, air and water pollution due to industrialization, raw sewage, use and production of pesticides and many more. Since then, 22^nd of April was continued to be celebrated as Earth Day officially.

How World Earth Day is Celebrated

People from all over the world celebrate earth day with great enthusiasm and interest on each 22^nd of April since 1970 to save the natural assets of their earth. More than 20 million Americans took part in the event celebration and make the streets, parks and auditoriums busy in order to display their themes role based on the public health, environmental issues, industrialization, deforestation and so many. Students from thousands of colleges, universities and other educational institutions actively take part in the protest against increasing earth issues such as the day to day environment deterioration, air and water pollution, ozone layer deterioration, industrialization, deforestation and etc to prevent the oil spills, set up of polluting factories, power plants, use and production of pesticides and etc.

Various steps have been taken by the governments of many countries towards the safety of earth by implementing the variety of legal rules. A group of environmental leaders organize various events and campaigns to celebrate the earth day. A big crowd of the people gets together from 141 countries to solve the environmental issues by implementing variety of useful measures. People take part in demonstrating the theme of clean environment in order to build a clean and healthy world to welcome new generations. The aim of celebrating the world earth day is to inspire the public for making better earth environment.

At this day people perform outdoor activities related to the earth safety like new trees plantation planting trees, picking up roadside waste materials, recycling of wastes, energy conservation and so many. Some people request governments to take immediate action to prevent the day by day increasing global warming and other environmental destructions. At this day all the TV channels to show their programs to deal with the real environmental issues to get public aware.

It has not been declared as the public holiday officially by the government. All the schools, colleges, universities and educational institutions are open at this day. April 22 Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

People who participate in the event celebration, make an earth planet using green and blue colors to indicate the life of animals, plants and symbolize their natural recycling including the green house effect and global warming. At some places in the United States, people celebrate earth day by taking part in a parade getting dressed up in flowers, plants or bugs clothes to make aware that whole environment is our real home. There are many ways to celebrate the earth day:

·         New trees plantation at required places.

·         Do some outdoor activities with your family such as making the home for a bird on the tree and discuss their role in the ecosystem.

·         Motivate people to reduce the use of plastic bags to avoid the soil and water pollution.

·         Teach your children about the recycling and reuse of the old materials.

·         Take part in picking up the wastes from streets, parks and other places.

·         Take part in the amusement activities like singing a song related to the Earth safety to attract more people to the event celebration.

·         Take part in the educational sessions like seminars, discussions and other competitive activities related to the safety of natural resources of the earth.

·         Motivate people by wearing green, brown or blue clothes for displaying the environmental colors.

·         Promote people for energy conservation by various practical means.

·         Teach people that every day of their life is earth day, so they should take care of the earth on daily basis.

Significance of World Earth Day Celebration

The founder of the Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, has chosen this day (22^nd of April) to increase the awareness among common public, especially among youngsters to get full effect of the campaign of environmental safety. He had selected this day by keeping things in mind that there would not be any disturbances of the exams for the students or any fairs and festival for the common public, so that everyone could pay their full attention towards this event celebration. According to the Gregorian calendar, it is considered that 22^nd of April 1970 .

World Earth Day Theme

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2015 was “Water Wonderful World” and “Clean Earth – Green Earth”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2014 was “Green Cities”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2013 was “The Face of Climate Change”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2012 was “Mobilize the Earth”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2011 was “Clear the Air”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2010 was “Reduce”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2009 was “How Do You Get Around”.

·         The theme of World Earth Day 2008 was “Trees Please”.

The theme of World Earth Day 2007 was “Be kind to the earth – starting from saving resources

The Queen's 90th Birthday

Queen Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She was born on 21 April 1926 but her birthday is celebrated on a separate date. She has been Queen since 1952 and is currently the second-longest reigning British monarch, the longest being Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years.

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June. Official celebrations to mark Sovereigns' birthday have often been held on a day other than the actual birthday, particularly when the actual birthday has not been in the summer. King Edward VII, for example, was born on 9 November, but his official birthday was marked throughout his reign in May or June when there was a greater likelihood of good weather for the Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour. The Queen usually spends her actual birthday privately, but the occasion is marked publicly by gun salutes in central London at midday: a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21 gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London. On her official birthday, Her Majesty is joined by other members of the Royal Family at the spectacular Trooping the Colour parade which moves between Buckingham Palace, The Mall and Horseguards’ Parade.                                                                

Thursday, April 21, is the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. This year she turns a remarkable 90 years old. Buckingham Palace has released a charming photograph of her majesty and three heirs to the throne. The Queen is joined in the Palace's White Room by her son, Prince Charles, grandson, Prince William and great-grandson, Prince George. The shoot was put together by the Royal Mail for a stamp sheet.

Prince George posed for his very first stamp while perched on a pile of foam blocks - sweetly holding Daddy's hand as reported by The Daily Mail. 

Happy birthday, Your Majesty!

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The first detective story in the history of literature - «Murder in the street Morgue», written by   American writer Edgar Alan Po, was  published on the 20^th of April , 1841.  

 

Edgar Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. That makes him Capricorn, on the cusp of Aquarius. His parents were David and Elizabeth Poe. Edgar grew up in good surroundings and went to good schools. When Poe was 6, he went to school in England for 5 years. He learned Latin and French, as well as math and history. He later returned to school in America and continued his studies. Edgar Allan went to the University of Virginia in 1826. He was 17. Even though John Allan had plenty of money, he only gave Edgar about a third of what he needed. Although Edgar had done well in Latin and French, he started to drink heavily and quickly became in debt. He had to quit school less than a year later. Edgar Allan had no money, no job skills, and had been shunned by John Allan. Edgar went to Boston and joined the U.S. Army in 1827. He was 18. He did reasonably well in the Army and attained the rank of sergeant major. In 1831, Edgar Allan Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry published. He submitted stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected. Poe had no friends, no job, and was in financial trouble. He sent a letter to John Allan begging for help but none came. John Allan died in 1834 and did not mention Edgar in his will. In 1835, Edgar finally got a job as an editor of a newspaper because of a contest he won with his story, "The Manuscript Found in a Bottle".  As the editor for the Southern Literary Messenger, Poe successfully managed the paper and increased its circulation from 500 to 3500 copies. Despite this, Poe left the paper in early 1836, complaining of the poor salary. In 1837, Edgar went to New York. He wrote "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" but he could not find any financial success. He moved to Philadelphia in 1838 where he wrote "Ligeia" and "The Haunted Palace". His first volume of short stories, "Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque" was published in 1839. Poe received the copyright and 20 copies of the book, but no money. Sometime in 1840, Edgar Poe joined George R. Graham as an editor for Graham's Magazine. During the two years that Poe worked for Graham's, he published his first detective story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and challenged readers to send in cryptograms, which he always solved. During the time Poe was editor, the circulation of the magazine rose from 5000 to 35,000 copies. Poe left Graham's in 1842 because he wanted to start his own magazine. Poe found himself without a regular job once again. He tried to start a magazine called The Stylus and failed. In 1843, he published some booklets containing a few of his short stories but they didn't sell well enough. He won a hundred dollars for his story, "The Gold Bug" and sold a few other stories to magazines but he barely had enough money to support his family. Often, Mrs. Clemm had to contribute financially. In 1844, Poe moved back to New York. Even though "The Gold Bug" had a circulation of around 300,000 copies, he could barely make a living. In 1845, Edgar Poe became an editor at The Broadway Journal. A year later, the Journal ran out of money and Poe was out of a job again. He and his family moved to a small cottage near what is now East 192nd Street.  In June of 1849, Poe left New York and went to Philadelphia, where he visited his friend John Sartain. Poe left Philadelphia in July and came to Richmond
On September 27, Poe left Richmond for New York. He went to Philadelphia and stayed with a friend named James P. Moss. On September 30, he meant to go to New York but supposedly took the wrong train to Baltimore. On October 3, Poe was found at Gunner's Hall, a public house at 44 East Lombard Street, and was taken to the hospital. He lapsed in and out of consciousness but was never able to explain exactly what happened to him. Edgar Allan Poe died in the hospital on Sunday, October 7, 1849.

The Union Jack

The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. The flag also has an official or semi-official status in some other Commonwealth realms; for example, it is, by law, an official flag in Canada and known there as the Royal Union Flag. Further, it is used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas territories. The Union Jack also appears in the canton (upper left-hand quarter) of the flags of several nations and territories that are former British possessions or dominions.

The claim that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage has been disputed, following historical investigations by the Flag Institute in 2013.

The origins of the earlier flag of Great Britain date back to 1606.James VI of Scotland had inherited the English and Irish thrones in 1603 as James I, thereby uniting the crowns of England, Scotland, and Ireland in a personal union, although the three kingdoms remained separate states. On 12 April 1606, a new flag to represent this regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England (a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross), and the flag of Scotland (a white saltire on a blue background, known as the Saltire or St Andrew's Cross), would be joined together, forming the flag of England and Scotland for maritime purposes. King James also began to refer to a "Kingdom of Great Britain", although the union remained a personal one.

The present design of the Union Flag dates from a Royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. The flag combines aspects of three older national flags: the red cross of St George of the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland (which two were united in the first Union Flag), and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland.

Notably, the home country of Wales is not represented separately in the Union Jack, being only indirectly represented through the flag of England representing the former Kingdom of England (which included Wales).

The terms Union Jack and Union Flag are both historically correct for describing the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. Whether the term Union Jack applies only when used as a jack flag on a ship is a modern matter of debate.

According to the Parliament of the United Kingdom: "Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms. This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I of England. Because the Queen died unmarried and childless, the English crown passed to the next available heir, her cousin James VI, King of Scotland. England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a union of the crowns.

In 1606, James VI gave orders for a British flag to be created which bore the combined crosses of St. George and of St. Andrew. The result was the Union Jack, Jack being a shortening of Jacobus, the Latin version of James".

In 1908, a government minister stated, in response to a parliamentary question, that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag".

Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister

Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912), known between 1883 and 1897 as Sir Joseph Lister, Bt., was a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. By applying Louis Pasteur's advances in microbiology, he promoted the idea of sterile portable ports while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Lister successfully introduced carbolic acid (now known as phenol) to sterilise surgical instruments and to clean wounds, which led to a reduction in post-operative infections and made surgery safer for patients, distinguishing himself as the "father of modern surgery. "

Arthur Hailey

Arthur Hailey (5 April 1920 – 24 November 2004) was a British/Canadian novelist, whose works have sold more than 170 million copies in 40 languages. Most of the novels are set within one major industry, such as hotels, banks or airlines, and explore the particular human conflicts sparked-off by that environment. They are notable for their plain style, extreme realism, based on months of detailed research, and a sympathetic down-to-earth hero with whom the reader can easily identify.

Let's read and enjoy books  by Arthur Hailey 

• The Final Diagnosis (1959)
• In High Places (1962)
• Hotel (1965)
• Airport (1968)
• Wheels (1971)
• The Moneychangers (1975)
• Overload (1979)
• Strong Medicine (1984)
• The Evening News (1990)
• Detective (1997)

April Fools' Day (sometimes called All Fools' Day) is celebrated every year on 1 April by playing practical jokes  and spreading  hoaxes . The jokes and their victims are called April fools. People playing April Fool jokes expose their prank by shouting “ April Fool”. Some newspapers, magazines, and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in small letters. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday  in any country.

The custom of setting aside a day for the playing of harmless pranks upon one's neighbor is recognized everywhere. 

 In the UK, an April Fool joke is revealed by shouting "April fool!" at the recipient, who becomes the "April fool". A person playing a joke after midday is the "April fool" themselves.

In Scotland, April Fools' Day was traditionally called 'Huntigowk Day'. The traditional prank is to ask someone to deliver a sealed message that supposedly requests help of some sort. In fact, the message reads "Dinna laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile." The recipient, upon reading it, will explain he can only help if he first contacts another person, and sends the victim to this next person with an identical message, with the same result.

In England ‘fool’ is known by different names according to the part where it is celebrated. If you are fooled on this day you may be known as ‘noodle’, ‘gob’, ‘gobby’ or ‘noddy’.

In Ireland it was traditional to entrust the victim with an "important letter" to be given to a named person. That person would then ask the victim to take it to someone else, and so on. The letter when finally opened contained the words "send the fool further".

April Fool’s Day is here.
It is a day of fun.
If you are really clever.
You can fool someone!

Or someone may come
and tell a word to you.
And you may say
“Oh, no! Oh, no!”

But then they look at you
With a sly grin.
And that is when
Their fun begins!

“April’s fool!” they shout.
And then they laugh at you.
It is so much fun.
And you laugh too!