On August 10, the world celebrates International Biodiesel Day, International Vlogging Day, World Lion Day.
International Biodiesel Day
This day is dedicated to an alternative source of energy that is becoming increasingly important in a world that strives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions. Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly fuel that is produced from vegetable oils or animal fats and can be used in diesel engines without significant modifications.
Interesting facts about biodiesel:
Biodiesel was first created in the 19th century. German engineer Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, tested his first engine on peanut oil. It was during the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.
Biodiesel is produced through a chemical process known as transesterification, in which vegetable oils or animal fats are converted into fatty acid methyl esters, the main component of biodiesel.
Using biodiesel significantly reduces emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Biodiesel has a lower level of emissions of toxic substances, such as sulfur compounds, compared to conventional diesel fuel.
In various countries, biodiesel is actively used as an addition to traditional diesel fuel. For example, in the European Union, biodiesel is the main biofuel for vehicles. Brazil, Argentina, and the United States are also among the top biodiesel producers in the world.
Although biodiesel is considered environmentally friendly, its production can have its own challenges, including the use of agricultural land for growing raw materials, which can affect food security. At the same time, new technologies are being developed that allow the production of biodiesel from waste and other renewable sources, which can reduce these risks.
International Vlogging Day
This holiday is dedicated to one of the most popular forms of modern self-expression and media content. Vlogging (video blogging) is the process of creating video blogs where people share their thoughts, experiences, life or knowledge on various topics. Since the advent of platforms like YouTube, vlogging has become an integral part of internet culture.
Interesting facts about vlogging:
The word “vlog” comes from the combination of two words – “video” and “blog”. It became popular in the mid-2000s, when vlogs began to gain popularity on the Internet.
It is believed that the first vlogger was Adam Contarras, who in 2000 began publishing videos about his life on his personal website. However, with the development of platforms like YouTube, vlogging has become a mass phenomenon.
Vloggers, or YouTubers as they are also called, have become important figures in the media space, influencing the opinions of millions of people. They talk about a variety of topics: from fashion and beauty to scientific discoveries and political events.
Vlogs can be very different in content and format. They can be short and simple, like daily video diaries, or more complex and professionally edited, like documentary series or video tutorials.
Successful vloggers can earn significant amounts of money through advertising, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and paid content. Some vloggers have become real stars with millions of followers and global influence.
With the development of new technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, vlogging continues to evolve, opening up new opportunities for content creation and audience engagement.
World Lion Day
This holiday is dedicated to the majestic “kings of the jungle” and symbols of wild nature. The day is created to raise awareness about the conservation of lions, which face numerous threats, including habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.
Interesting facts about lions:
Lions are often called the “kings of the jungle”, although in fact they live mainly in the savannas of Africa. They are one of the largest and most powerful carnivores on Earth, a symbol of strength and majesty in many cultures.
Lions are the only true social cats that live in groups known as prides. A pride usually consists of several related females, their offspring, and one or more males.
Today, lions are endangered. Over the past 50 years, their population has decreased by 50%. Loss of natural habitats due to agricultural expansion and urbanization, as well as illegal hunting, have led to significant declines in lion numbers.
Lions have enormous cultural significance. They are found in mythologies, coats of arms, national symbols, and in contemporary pop culture. For example, the lion is depicted on the coats of arms of many countries and royal families, and in films such as “The Lion King”, this image has become iconic.
World Lion Day is designed to draw attention to the problem of conservation of these majestic animals. Conservation organizations work to protect lion habitats, combat poaching, and reduce conflicts between humans and lions.
Lions are a major tourist attraction in many African countries. Ecotourism helps raise funds for conservation and raise awareness of the importance of conserving lions and their habitats.
Historical events on this day
- 1519 Year: Famous Portuguese navigator Fernand Magellan embarked on his famous first circumnavigation, which laid the foundations for European understanding of global trade routes.
- 1664 year: The Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire signed the Vashvar Peace Treaty, which ended the war between these two great powers of the time.
- 1678 year: France and the Netherlands signed the Nimwegen peace treaties, which became an important milestone in European diplomatic relations.
- 1793 year: the grand opening of the Louvre to the general public took place – one of the most famous museums in the world, which became a center of art and culture.
- 1819 year: Simón Bolívar, a prominent Latin American independence fighter, gained control of the Colombian capital Bogotá, an important step in the fight against Spanish rule.
- 1821 year: Missouri becomes the 24th state of the United States of America, thereby strengthening the territorial integrity of the young nation.
- 1846 year: thanks to the funds left by the English scientist James Smithson, the first scientific research institution of the USA was founded – the Smithsonian Institute, which became an important center of scientific research.
- 1876 year: The world’s first long-distance telephone call was made in Ontario, Canada, a major communications breakthrough.
- 1945 year: Japan officially announced its surrender, thereby ending World War II.
- 1966 year: in the United States of America, the issue of the $2 banknote was discontinued, which became an interesting fact in the history of American currency.
- 1995 year: Ukrainian athlete Inessa Kravets set a world record in the triple jump, reaching a distance of 15 meters 50 centimeters during the competition in Gothenburg.
- 2012 year: the Law on languages of Kolesnichenko-Kivalov came into force, which caused a significant resonance in society and was considered by many as a step backwards in the language policy of Ukraine.
August 10, 1539 year, the French king Francis I issued an order according to which all official documents should be drawn up in French, not in Latin, as was customary before.
French belongs to the Romance language group, which also includes Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Moldovan and others. The basis of these languages is Latin, the language of ancient Rome. The modern French language is the result of more than two thousand years of development.
The first documents in the Old French language appeared as early as the 9th century, when this language was formed from popular colloquial Latin. It was in Old French, and not in Latin, that the text of the Strasbourg Oaths was written down – the treaty of alliance between the kings Charles the Bald and Louis II of Germany. At that time, the language we know as French was called “Romance”. By the 14th century, an all-French written standard was formed, but only in the 17th century was a literary language norm established, which has mostly survived to the present day.
An interesting fact is that during the Great French Revolution of 1789, French was the native language of only 25% of the French population. The other 75% of the population spoke dialects characteristic of the areas where they lived. French received the full status of the state language only in 1992. Two years later, the government passed the Toubon Law, which restricted the use of English words in the media and advertising, and ended public funding for schools taught in Provençal, Breton or other local dialects. However, such schools still remained.
It is interesting that problems with the official language also existed in England. It is known that in the English tradition, laws do not change over the centuries – some acts of the XII-XIII centuries are still valid and are applied by the courts. For example, the Act on judicial recovery for damages, adopted in 1267, is still formally valid. It is noteworthy that in those days the English judiciary was conducted… in a special version of the French language, which some sources call “legal French”. It is believed that this practice arose after the conquest of England by William I, who spoke and wrote only the Norman version of French and knew no other. In order to understand the new government, the English rich had to quickly learn this French, which eventually led to the appearance of the Anglo-Norman colloquial language and the French legal language for official documents. This situation lasted for almost three centuries until Parliament decided to remedy it by issuing a special English Judiciary Act.
