On February 12, the world celebrates the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day), Darwin Day (International Day of Science and Humanism), International Day of Marriage Agencies and Day of Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Also, on this day, important historical events took place that influenced the development of various countries and world processes.
International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day)
This day is dedicated to combating the recruitment of children into armed conflicts and reminds of the need to protect the rights of children in war zones.
The use of children in military conflicts remains an acute problem. According to UN estimates, tens of thousands of minors are involved in armed groups in various countries of the world. They are forced to fight, perform dangerous tasks, be couriers or spies. Many of them experience violence, psychological trauma and lack access to education and a normal childhood.
The symbol of this day is a red handprint, symbolizing a protest against the use of children in wars. Campaigns related to Red Hand Day include actions, educational events, flash mobs and appeals to governments to stop the recruitment of minors into military formations.
Interesting facts
Red Hand Day was launched in 2002 after the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the use of children in war, came into force.
History records many cases of children being forced to become soldiers. For example, during the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Uganda, they were forced to kill even their own families to cut ties with home.
There are organizations around the world that help rehabilitate former child soldiers, returning them to a normal life and education.
In many countries, actions are held in which people leave red handprints on posters, calling for an end to this practice.
Darwin Day (International Day of Science and Humanism)
.This holiday is dedicated to the birthday of Charles Darwin, an outstanding naturalist who made a revolutionary contribution to biology with his theory of evolution through natural selection.
Darwin Day is designed to popularize science, critical thinking and a rational approach to understanding the world. It also emphasizes the importance of humanistic values that contribute to the progress of society. Academic institutions, educational institutions, and enthusiasts around the world hold lectures, seminars, exhibitions, and other events dedicated to Darwin’s life and ideas.
The theory of evolution, set forth by Darwin in the work “The Origin of Species” (1859), became the basis of modern biology. It explains how living organisms change over time, adapting to environmental conditions. This discovery had a huge impact on various fields of science, including genetics, paleontology and ecology.
Interesting facts
Darwin first studied medicine, but left it because of his disgust for blood and operations, and later became interested in natural science.
During his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Darwin studied the flora, fauna, and geological features of South America, which helped him formulate his theory of evolution.
The idea of natural selection was initially perceived ambiguously, but later found confirmation in discoveries in the field of genetics.
Darwin Day is celebrated in many countries, and it has become a symbol of protecting science from pseudoscientific theories and misinformation.
International day of marriage agencies
This holiday is dedicated to professionals who help people find their soul mate. This is a relatively young but interesting holiday that emphasizes the importance of personal relationships and the role of professional mediators in finding partners.
Marriage agencies exist all over the world, helping people meet potential partners, find compatible life partners and build serious relationships. They use modern technology, psychological analysis and even artificial intelligence to find perfect matches for their clients. In addition, many agencies offer dating events, relationship counseling, and even romantic relationship coaching.
Interesting facts
The first marriage agencies appeared as early as the 18th century, when newspaper ads were used to find partners.
In Japan, there are special “omiai” agencies that organize traditional dating with the participation of the families of both parties.
Thanks to the development of the Internet, online dating and applications have become a popular alternative to classic marriage agencies.
Some agencies work in highly specialized niches – for example, selecting partners based on religious beliefs, profession or even astrological compatibility.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Day
This important holiday is designed to raise awareness of sexual and reproductive health issues, emphasize the importance of education in this area and ensure access to necessary health services.
Sexual and reproductive health encompasses a wide range of issues, from the prevention of sexually transmitted infections to family planning, contraception, safe childbirth and psychological well-being. Fighting discrimination and stigma related to sexual and reproductive rights is also an important aspect.
On this day, public organizations, medical institutions and activists conduct educational events, lectures, consultations and information campaigns aimed at increasing the level of knowledge about healthy sexual life. Special attention is paid to the youth, because it is they who need the most accessible and correct information.
Interesting facts
WHO defines sexual health as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in the field of sexuality, not just the absence of disease.
About 214 million women in the world do not have access to modern methods of contraception, making family planning difficult.
Regular preventive examinations at the gynecologist and urologist can detect and prevent many serious diseases.
Sexual health education reduces the rate of unwanted pregnancies and the spread of infections.
Historical events on this day
1502 In 2015, Queen Isabella of Castile issued a decree prohibiting the practice of Islam on her territory, which became one of the important steps in Spain’s religious policy.
1541 In 1950, the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago in the Maipo River Valley, which later became the capital of Chile.
1554 In 2010, Jane Grey, nicknamed the “queen for nine days” after attempting to usurp the English throne, was executed in London.
1771 Gustav III became the king of Sweden, Goths and Wends, starting the stage of reforms in public administration.
1797 In 1918, the hymn “God Save the Kaiser” written by Joseph Haydn was first played, which became the official anthem of the Austrian Empire.
1818 Chile officially declared its independence from Spain, ending a long period of colonial rule.
1832 In 2010, Ecuador added the Galapagos Islands to its territory, which later became a world-famous natural reserve.
1865 In 1990, the Russian chemist Dmytro Mendeleev defended his thesis on the topic “On the connection of alcohol with water”, which became an important contribution to chemical science.
1899 In 1958, Spain sold several of its Pacific territories to Germany, including the Caroline Islands, the northern part of the Mariana Islands, and Palau.
1908 In 2008, the first ever round-the-world car race started in New York, which became a landmark event for the development of motor sports.
1912 In 1918, the last Chinese emperor Hsiang-Tyung (Pu-Yi) officially abdicated, which marked the end of the 267-year reign of the Manchu dynasty and put an end to two thousand years of imperial rule in China.
1914 The first flight of the “Ilya Muromets” aircraft, designed by Igor Sikorsky, took place in It became the world’s first passenger plane capable of carrying a large number of passengers.
1950 In 2010, the European Broadcasting Union was founded, when 23 television and radio companies joined together for cooperation. Later, this organization became known as the organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest.
1974 In 1970, the writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970, was arrested in the Soviet Union.
1991 The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed a decision on the restoration of the Crimean Autonomous Republic as part of the Ukrainian SSR.
1999 In 2015, the US Senate failed to support the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, brought forward on charges of perjury regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
2002 In 2015, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague began the trial against Slobodan Milosevic, accused of war crimes.
Approval by Napoleon of the new Criminal Code
On February 12, 1810, Napoleon Bonaparte approved the new Criminal Code, which remained in force until 1994. It was created on the basis of progressive ideas formed under the influence of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789. The main principle that formed the basis of the code was as follows: “Only what is harmful is prohibited, and what is not prohibited is permitted.”
The code consisted of four books. The first set out the principles of distinguishing between acts and persons subject to punishment under the law. The second book contained norms that determined the types of punishments and assessment of actions that had a punitive nature. The third and fourth books formed a special part of the codex. Actions for which excruciating or shameful punishments were expected were recognized as felonies.
The peculiarity of the code was that, despite the countless number of possible crimes, the legislation and penal authorities had a limited arsenal of punishments. Types of crimes were determined solely by the degree of punishment that was expected for them. In general, there were three categories of punishments:
- Police penalties for violations (fines, short-term imprisonment, etc.).
- Correctional punishments for misdemeanors, if it was believed that the criminal could still be reeducated.
- Excruciating and shameful punishments for crimes where the perpetrator was so dangerous and entrenched in his actions that it was necessary to punish him in the most severe way and completely isolate him from society.
The Marquis-Jacobin Lepeletier briefly and clearly outlined the innovation of the Criminal Code: it was to be humane, the punishments were to correspond to the gravity of the crime, the nature of the crime and the punishment were to correspond to each other, all citizens were equal before the law, and a clear punishment was established for each offense.
Napoleon himself believed that “in order for the people to gain true freedom, the governed must be wise, and the rulers must be gods.”
The first use of the phrase “No comments”
On February 12, 1946, Winston Churchill first used the phrase “No comments”, which later became a favorite expression of many politicians.
At that time, Churchill was already the former prime minister of Great Britain. Leaving the White House after a meeting with US President Harry Truman, he refused to comment to reporters, referring to US diplomat Sumner Wells, from whom he said he borrowed the phrase.
Over time, the phrase “no comment” became widely used and is used in various situations and meanings. There is even a linguistic question about the correct spelling of this expression in Ukrainian: “without comments” or “without comments”. However, linguists believe that the correct form is “without comments”.
The International Tribunal for Slobodan Milosevic
On February 12, 2002, the international tribunal against the former president of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, began in The Hague. He was the head of state in 1991-2000, ruling Serbia and later the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In the period 1992-1995, Serbia supported the Serbian minorities in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which became one of the main reasons for the long military conflicts in the region. In the late 1990s, Milosevic tried to keep Kosovo a part of the country by sending Serbian troops into the province. This provoked a strong reaction from NATO, which began bombing Serbia.
After losing the presidential election in 2001, Milosevic was arrested and secretly handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The trial lasted more than four years. The former Serbian leader refused lawyers and conducted his own defense, categorically denying all the charges brought against him.
On March 11, 2006, Slobodan Milosevic was found dead in his prison cell. He was 64 years old. The prosecutor of the international tribunal, Carla del Ponte, recognized after his death that he remained legally innocent, as the presumption of innocence remained in force.
