February 10 is celebrated as Safer Internet Day, World Pulses Day, International Arabian Leopard Day and Homer Treat Day. The events of this day cover different eras and spheres of life – from wars and government decisions to cultural shifts, scientific breakthroughs and international agreements.
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is dedicated to raising awareness about the risks of the online environment and the responsible use of digital technologies. It is about protecting personal data, combating fraud, violence and disinformation, as well as developing safe behavior skills for children and adults in everyday use of the network.
Special attention is paid to the role of the state, educational institutions and business in creating conditions under which digital services do not threaten human rights. A safe Internet is associated with legislative regulation, technical protection standards, the development of digital literacy and the responsibility of platforms for content and information distribution algorithms.
Interesting facts
The first computer virus for personal computers appeared in 1986 and was called Brain, it was created by brothers from Pakistan to protect their own software from piracy.
About 90% of all account hacks in the world occur due to the reuse of passwords, and not due to complex technical attacks.
On average, a person agrees to the terms of use of online services without reading them, although it would take dozens of hours a year to fully familiarize themselves with the privacy policies of popular applications.
The first law on the protection of personal data in Europe was adopted in the 1970s in Germany after public discussions about the collection of information by the state.
Ukraine is among the countries where the level of two-factor authentication usage has increased since the start of a full-scale war due to massive cyberattacks and phishing attempts.
Ukrainian government websites have repeatedly been targeted by DDoS attacks, but in many cases they have been able to restore operations within hours thanks to distributed infrastructure and backups.
According to the Ukrainian cyber police, a significant part of online fraud is associated with fake ads for the sale of goods, rather than hacking into banking systems.
The first rules of network etiquette appeared even before the mass Internet and concerned communication in e-mail and on forums, where liability for insults and the spread of false information was already discussed.
Social media algorithms are able to spread dangerous content faster than verified news, since users’ emotional reactions increase the reach and profits of platforms.
World Pulses Day
This day is celebrated to draw attention to the role of this group of crops in human nutrition and agriculture. Pulses are an important source of vegetable protein, fiber and micronutrients, and are also important for food security in many regions of the world.
In addition to their nutritional value, pulses play a significant role in soil conservation and reducing environmental stress. They are able to enrich the soil with nitrogen, reduce the need for mineral fertilizers and are widely used in crop rotations, which makes them important for sustainable agriculture.
Interesting facts
Pulses were cultivated more than 8 thousand years ago, and archaeologists find the remains of lentils and peas in the settlements of the oldest agricultural civilizations of the Middle East.
Beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils belong to different genera, but they all share the common property of forming a symbiosis with bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air.
In ancient Rome, legumes were considered the food of commoners, but they formed the basis of the diet of Roman legionaries during campaigns.
The world leader in the production of legumes is India, where they remain a key food for millions of people.
In Ukraine, peas and beans have been traditionally grown since the times of Kievan Rus, and pea porridge was a common dish in the peasant diet.
Ukrainian soils are well suited for growing soybeans, which in recent decades has become one of the country’s important export crops.
Legumes can be stored for years without losing their nutritional properties if stored dry, so they were used as strategic food reserves.
In many cultures, legumes have had ritual significance and are associated with fertility, abundance, and renewal of life.
Unlike cereals, legumes contain significantly more lysine, an amino acid that is often lacking in cereals.
International Arabian Leopard Day
This day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2023. It draws attention to one of the rarest subspecies of big cats on the planet, whose numbers have declined to critical levels due to habitat loss, poaching, and a decrease in the food base.
The Arabian leopard is important for the natural ecosystems of the Middle East, as it plays the role of an apex predator. Its disappearance leads to a disruption of the natural balance, excessive growth of populations of other animals, and landscape degradation. The conservation of this species is considered part of a broader effort to preserve biodiversity in regions with arid climates.
Interesting facts
The Arabian leopard is considered the smallest of all leopard subspecies, and its weight sometimes does not exceed 30 kilograms.
According to zoologists, there are fewer than two hundred individuals left in the wild, most of which live in the inaccessible mountainous regions of Oman and Yemen.
This subspecies is able to survive in conditions of extreme water scarcity, obtaining most of its moisture from food, which is a rare adaptation among large predators.
The Arabian leopard can cover considerable distances over rocky terrain, having wide paws adapted to moving along rocks and steep slopes.
In traditional Arabian culture, the leopard symbolized strength and endurance, but at the same time it was persecuted for centuries due to fear and competition with humans.
Camera traps have become a key tool for confirming the existence of single individuals in regions where the species was thought to be extinct.
Breeding Arabian leopards in captivity is extremely difficult due to their territoriality and sensitivity to stress, so each successful birth is recorded as a significant event for zoologists.
Scientists believe that the genetic diversity of this subspecies has already been significantly reduced, which makes its long-term conservation difficult even under full protection.
Domovik Treat Day
On February 10, the ancient Slavs celebrated Domovik Treat Day, known as Kudesy, as well as Velesichi. It was a day dedicated to household spirits, who in folk beliefs were responsible for peace in the house, the preservation of property and the well-being of the family. The brownie was imagined as a permanent resident of the home, closely connected with family life and the household, and the order in the house depended on his behavior.
On this day, the owners tried not to quarrel, maintain cleanliness and leave treats for the brownie, usually simple food from the home table. The Velesichi supplemented this holiday with the honoring of Veles, a deity associated with livestock, wealth and land, so the ritual actions were protective in nature and concerned the entire home and household.
Interesting facts
In folk beliefs, the brownie could change appearance and appear in the form of an old man, a cat, a dog or a shadow, and sometimes he was described as a creature resembling the owner of the house.
It was believed that the brownie was especially attached to the stove or attic, so it was there that food was most often left for it and these places were considered sacred.
In many regions of Ukraine, it was believed that the brownie could warn the family of danger – with night knocks, strange sounds or disturbing dreams.
Moving to a new home was accompanied by a special rite of inviting the brownie, without which, according to legend, the house was left without protection.
The brownie was associated with family memory, believing that it knew the history of several generations of the family and maintained the connection between living and dead ancestors.
In some Ukrainian villages, it was believed that if the brownie was angered, it could hide things, confuse livestock or disturb sleep, but never harm without a serious reason.
The name Kudesa comes from the idea of small domestic miracles and incomprehensible events that were attributed to the actions of the brownie.
The image of the brownie was preserved in folklore even after Christianization, but gradually acquired a less sacred and more everyday character.
Historical events on this day
1258 – Mongol troops captured Baghdad, which led to the destruction of one of the main political, cultural and scientific centers of the medieval Islamic world. The fall of the city was a symbolic end to the period that was later called the Golden Age of Islam.
1635 – the French Academy was founded in France, created to systematize and develop the French language and literature. Over time, it turned into an authoritative institution that influenced the language norms and cultural policy of the country.
1789 – Emperor Joseph II issued a law abolishing serfdom in Galicia, Bukovina, and the Austrian part of Volhynia. This decision weakened feudal relations and was an important step in changing the situation of peasants in the region.
1810 – The Odessa Opera House was inaugurated, which quickly became one of the leading cultural centers of southern Ukraine and an important part of city life.
1840 – British Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, an alliance with which significantly influenced the political and moral orientations of the British Empire.
1919 – Volodymyr Vynnychenko resigned as head of the UNR Directory due to deep political disagreements with Symon Petliura regarding the future course of the state.
1940 – in Krakow, the radical wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists created the Revolutionary Leadership, led by Stepan Bandera. This step solidified the de facto split of the OUN into two separate currents – Banderaists and Melnykists.
1942 – for the first time in history, the Victor record company awarded Glenn Miller a “golden disc” for the composition Chattanooga Choo Choo, starting a new tradition in the music industry.
1947 – peace treaties were signed in Paris between the victorious powers in World War II and the former allies of Nazi Germany, which legally consolidated the post-war order of Europe.
1957 – the first African Cup of Nations began in Sudan, which became the basis for the development of a continental football tournament.
1962 – the exchange of captured American pilot Francis Powers for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel took place, which became one of the most famous episodes of the Cold War.
1972 – the BBC banned the broadcast of the song Give Ireland Back to the Irish by Paul McCartney and the band “Wings” due to its political content and support for the Irish national movement.
1992 – the premiere of the film “Basic Instinct” took place in the USA, which caused a wide public resonance and became one of the most discussed films of the decade.
1992 – Ukraine established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea, expanding the network of international contacts after the restoration of independence.
1995 – During a test flight near Kyiv, the An-70 experimental transport aircraft, unique in its technical characteristics, crashed.
1996 – The IBM supercomputer Deep Blue first defeated the reigning world champion Garry Kasparov in a chess game, which became a landmark event for the development of artificial intelligence.
2006 – The XX Winter Olympic Games opened in Turin, Italy, bringing together athletes from dozens of countries around the world and becoming a notable event in the history of the Olympic movement.
