On January 9, the International Choreographer’s Day and the Day of the Verbal Botanist or the Day of the Verbalist are celebrated.
On January 9, 1768, the first circus show took place in London, which started the circus in its modern form.
On January 9, 1799, the income tax was introduced in Great Britain for the first time in history.
On January 9, 1951, the United Nations headquarters was officially opened in New York.
On January 9, 2007, the world’s first touchscreen smartphone, the iPhone, was presented, which became a revolutionary breakthrough in the technological industry.
International Choreographer’s Day
This holiday honors the profession that transforms the movements of the body into a refined art – International Choreographer’s Day. It unites those who create dance compositions, inspires artists and gives emotions to the audience through the language of movements.
Choreographers are not only artists, but also psychologists, mentors, sometimes even directors, who shape not just dance, but history. Thanks to their skill, the dance productions impress with their scale, emotional depth and aesthetics.
Interesting facts
The word “choreography” comes from the Greek words “χορός” (horos) – dance and “γραφή” (grafe) – writing. Initially, this concept was used to denote the fixation of dance movements on paper.
As a profession, choreography began to take shape in the 17th century, when court dances became an important part of the cultural life of European royal courts.
Classical ballet is one of the most complex forms of choreography. Ballet choreographers often work for years to create a production that combines technical skill with emotional impact.
In the modern world, choreography is used not only in art, but also in psychological therapy. Therapeutic dance helps to overcome stress and develop self-confidence.
Day of the verbal nerd or Day of the wordsmith
This day is dedicated to everyone who finds true joy in words, admires their etymology, subtle nuances of meaning and the ability of language to influence worldview.
This holiday is a special event for literary gourmands, linguists, writers and everyone who admires the richness of the language canvas. Words are a tool with which we not only communicate, but also create, think and preserve our cultural heritage. Word Nerd Day is a time to celebrate the power of language that affects all aspects of our lives.
Celebrations of this day often include activities that remind us of the beauty and importance of language. People play word games, read books, write poems or research new words. Attempts to find rare or long-forgotten terms that add color to everyday speech bring special pleasure.
Words are more than just a set of letters. They are the key to understanding the world, a source of inspiration and a means of self-expression. So on this day it is worth stopping and thinking about how language shapes our lives.
Interesting facts
One of the oldest known words in the world is “I”. It was used more than 5,000 years ago and is a symbol of individuality and self-awareness.
The shortest word is “a” or “I” (in the sense of “I”), which consist of one letter, but convey a whole idea.
In the Ukrainian language, the longest word is “dichlorodiphenyltrichloromethylmethane”, which is a chemical term. The longest word in the English language is the chemical name of the protein titin, which consists of 189,819 letters. Pronouncing this word can take more than three hours.
In most languages, the most common words are those that denote basic concepts, such as “and,” “I,” “you,” “water,” “mother,” and “home.”
More than 1,000 new words are added to the English language every year, often due to technological and cultural developments. For example, words like “selfie” or “emoji” quickly became part of everyday usage.
Many words have multiple meanings. For example, the word “bank” can mean both a financial institution and a riverbank.
Palindromes are words or phrases that read the same forwards and backwards. For example, the Ukrainian word “eye” or the English “racecar”.
In some languages, there are words that do not have a direct translation. For example, Japanese tsundoku means buying books you never plan to read.
Historical events on this day
475 year – in the Eastern Roman Empire, Basilisk came to the throne, deposing the emperor Flavius Zeno. This event became part of the struggle for power in the empire, which was experiencing a period of decline.
1431 year – the trial of Joan of Arc began in the French city of Rouen. Bishop Pierre Cauchon presided over the process. The trial became a landmark in the history of France, because Jeanne was later rehabilitated and canonized as a saint.
1449 year – a lottery organized to finance the war against Venice is mentioned for the first time in Milan. This event became one of the first examples of the use of lotteries for government purposes.
1599 year – the first official Masonic lodge was registered in the Scottish city of Musselburgh, which marked the beginning of the organization of the Masonic movement.
1648 year – Bohdan Khmelnytskyi was elected hetman of Zaporizhzhya Sich. This event became an important step in the formation of Ukrainian statehood.
1792 year – the Iasi peace treaty was signed, which ended the Russian-Turkish war of 1787–1792. The Russian Empire annexed the lands between the Southern Bug and the Dniester, as well as the Kuban.
1799 year – Great Britain introduced income tax for the first time in the world. It was intended to finance military expenses in the fight against Napoleon.
1816 year – tests of the Davy lamp in the mines of Hebburn (England). This invention greatly reduced the risk of explosions in mines.
1905 year – “Bloody Sunday” took place in St. Petersburg. Tsarist troops brutally dispersed a peaceful demonstration of workers, which became a harbinger of revolutionary events in Russia.
1951 year – the official opening of the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, which has become a symbol of international cooperation.
1959 year – in Ukraine, the arrests of members of the underground organization “Union”, which fought against the Soviet regime, began.
1972 year – the ocean liner “Queen Elizabeth”, which at that time was the largest passenger ship in the world, sank in Hong Kong.
2007 year – Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. This device revolutionized the perception of mobile phones and ushered in a new era of smartphones.
2021 year – a Boeing 737 passenger plane crashed in Indonesia, killing dozens of people.
The first circus show
On January 9, 1768, the first circus show took place in London, which started the circus in its modern form. Its founder was a former British cavalryman, Philip Astley, who revolutionized the field of entertainment by combining horse tricks, acrobats, clowns and musicians.
Circus as a place for spectacles has deep historical roots, because the term itself comes from the Latin word “circus”, which means “circle”. In Ancient Rome, special structures were built for mass entertainment, the largest of which was the Circus Maximus. Chariot races, gladiator fights and other spectacles were held there.
Philip Astley started the modern circus by betting on riders performing stunts on the racetrack. He was the first to realize that the use of centrifugal force during a circular motion helps riders perform complex acrobatic elements, because it presses the rider against the saddle. To achieve the perfect balance, Astley determined the optimal radius of the arena — 6.5 meters, based on the length of the circus bull. Since then, all circus arenas in the world have a diameter of 13 meters.
Astley later expanded the program to include acrobats, jugglers, clowns and musicians. He also built a roof over the arena and created the first stationary circus, called “Astley Amphitheater”. It was Philip Astley who started the tradition of red-nosed clowns: for laughs, he hired people who did not know how to drive horses, and sometimes they were even specially soldered before the performance.
In 1782, the first Astley-style amphitheater appeared in France, and later such structures were opened in 18 European cities.
On the territory of Ukraine, the history of circus entertainment began with buffoons who performed at fairs in temporary booths. The first temporary circus premises in Kyiv appeared in 1863 thanks to Karl Christian, who created the “Chateau de Fleur” — an entertainment facility where circus shows took place.
In 1875, the first stationary circus building was built in Kyiv at the corner of Novo-Yelizavetynska and Fundukleivska streets (now it is the theater named after Lesya Ukrainka). The architect of the project was Volodymyr Nikolaev, and the owner was the Frenchman Auguste Bergognier. The circus was named “Alkazar”, and its director was Prince Obolensky.
The circus has always been a popular form of entertainment that combined acrobatics, clowning, dressage and music. The price of tickets for the first performances was high, so only wealthy people could attend them. However, over time, the circus became accessible to a wider audience, turning into a favorite art form for millions of spectators. Today, the circus is not only a show, but also an important element of cultural heritage that continues to amaze and inspire.
The world’s first income tax
On January 9, 1799, the income tax was introduced in Great Britain for the first time in history. This newly introduced mechanism was intended to raise funds to finance war expenses in the fight against Napoleon. The tax, which caused numerous discussions and criticisms, became an important milestone in the development of modern taxation systems.
The idea of taxes has always caused heated discussions among philosophers, economists and jurists of different eras. The Italian thinker Thomas Aquinas called taxes “a permitted form of robbery.” French jurist Charles Montesquieu noted that determining a fair level of taxes requires considerable wisdom: “It is necessary to carefully weigh how much can be taken from citizens and how much to leave to them”.
At the same time, Adam Smith, one of the founders of economic science, argued that taxes are not a sign of slavery, but on the contrary, a symbol of the freedom of citizens in a civilized society. American philosopher Benjamin Franklin is known for his phrase: “Only two things are inevitable in this world: death and taxes”.
Charles Louis de Seconda, a prominent French writer and jurist of the Enlightenment, expressed one of the wisest thoughts about taxes: “In matters of taxation, it is necessary to take into account not only what the people can give now, but what they are able to give constantly”.
Taxes have always been a source of satire and humor. For example, this is reflected in the famous story from “The Adventures of Cipolino”, where Cavalier Tomato taxed the peasants for the amount of air they inhaled.
The introduction of the income tax in Great Britain in 1799 became the foundation of modern financial systems and a reminder of the importance of balance, wisdom and fairness in this area. And although humor and criticism have accompanied taxes throughout the centuries, they remain an integral part of the social order.
Opening of the UN headquarters
On January 9, 1951, the United Nations headquarters was officially opened in New York. This is a landmark event in the history of international cooperation, which symbolizes the unification of efforts of the countries of the world for peace and development. It is worth noting that New York was not the only candidate for the location of the headquarters: Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco were also considered. The final choice was made in favor of New York when John D. Rockefeller, Jr. provided $8.5 million to purchase the required lot.
The territory on which the headquarters was built was previously used for industrial purposes: a slaughterhouse, a railway depot and other buildings were located here. The complex is located in the eastern part of Manhattan, between 42nd and 48th streets, First Avenue and the East River. The total area of the territory is 73,000 m², and it has the status of an international territory belonging to all member states of the United Nations. However, according to the agreement between the United Nations and the United States, the headquarters remains under the jurisdiction of the United States.
The work of the UN is financed through the contributions of member countries. The size of these contributions is determined according to a special scale that takes into account the solvency of countries, their national income and population. Ukraine, as a full member of the UN, annually pays about 1.5 million dollars.
The opening of the headquarters was an important stage in the formation of the United Nations, which to this day plays a key role in solving global issues. The UN building in New York is a symbol of the desire for peace, cooperation and mutual understanding between the peoples of the world.
Presentation of the first iPhone
On January 9, 2007, at the “Macworld Conference & Expo” in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented the world’s first touchscreen smartphone, the iPhone, which became a revolutionary breakthrough in the technology industry. During his presentation, Jobs noted, “I’ve been looking forward to this moment for two and a half years,” and added, “Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.” He described the iPhone as a unique combination of three devices: a wide-screen iPod with touch control, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough Internet communicator.
This presentation stunned the audience. Viewers were delighted with the innovative touch screen, user-friendly and intuitive interface, as well as the ability to browse web pages and send e-mails. The first generation iPhone had a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, which worked on the basis of multi-touch technology. The body of the device combined anodized aluminum and plastic, which gave it a stylish and modern look. The iOS operating system on which the smartphone worked supported the installation of applications through the App Store, which later became an important part of the Apple ecosystem. The smartphone was also equipped with a 2-megapixel camera, supported Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The price of the first iPhone in the US was $499 for the model with 4 GB of memory and $599 for the model with 8 GB. The press immediately called the new device “the standard of the future” and praised its design and functionality. After the presentation, Apple’s shares rose sharply, and analysts predicted great success for the company.
The appearance of the iPhone changed the perception of mobile phones, ushering in the era of smartphones. It was not just a new device, but a revolutionary concept that influenced the further development of technology and the lifestyle of millions of people around the world.
