July 17 is the Ethnographer’s Day in Ukraine, the World Day of International Justice, Disneyland’s Birthday and World Emoji Day. This day brings together various events in world history that relate to government, technology, culture, war, and the daily decisions of people in different countries.
Ethnographer’s Day in Ukraine
This is an unofficial professional holiday of specialists who study the culture, everyday life, traditions, customs, language, crafts, outlook and forms of social life of different peoples. The main purpose of ethnography is the description and analysis of folk culture in all its manifestations, both in modern form and in historical retrospect.
In Ukraine, this day is associated with the date of birth of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist Volodymyr Hnatyuk, who was born on July 17, 1871 (according to other sources, in 1874). He was a folklorist, ethnographer, translator and public figure, participated in expeditions, recorded folk songs, legends, customs, compiled collections and for the first time systematically described the culture of the Hutsuls, Boyks and Lemks. It was his research work that laid the scientific foundations of Ukrainian ethnography.
Ethnographers in Ukraine work not only in academic institutions, they can be found in museums, educational centers, among local historians, in scientific expeditions, in projects to record intangible cultural heritage. Some of them document the changes caused by war, forced displacement, loss of homes and the transformation of rituals and traditions.
Interesting facts
Regional schools actively developed in Ukrainian ethnography: in particular, the Lviv school of ethnography was noted for its deep field collection of materials, and the Kyiv school for its emphasis on the historical approach.
Volodymyr Hnatiuk spoke several languages, translated works into Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Polish and participated in the editing of the Ethnographic Collection published by the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lviv.
In the interwar period, ethnographers documented the life of Ukrainians in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and the USSR. Thanks to this, many unique descriptions of everyday life, which were lost or displaced by Soviet unification after the Second World War, have been preserved.
In the Ukrainian SSR, ethnography was often subordinated to ideology, and research that did not fit into the official model of Soviet “ethnography” was subject to censorship. Despite this, many ethnographers continued to record rituals, household details, and holidays that tried to preserve family and village communities.
After gaining independence, there was a revival of field ethnographic research. Not only traditional regions, such as the Carpathians or Polissia, but also new phenomena are being actively studied — for example, religious rites in modern Protestant communities, the marital behavior of immigrants, and the life of volunteer communities.
In modern Ukraine, ethnographers work on recording intangible cultural heritage – songs, rituals, crafts. Data are transferred to UNESCO registers. In 2023, Ukrainian ethnographer Natalia Goshovska recorded more than 50 rituals that were threatened with extinction due to the war.
Ethnographers study not only the past, but also the present. For example, memorial practices after the death of soldiers, new forms of the family calendar, local ways of commemoration, life in shelters, transformation of food and consumer practices in front-line zones are analyzed.
There is a separate field — the ethnography of migrations, which examines how the cultural behavior of Ukrainians who have moved abroad changes. For example, how Ukrainians adapt holidays, how they preserve language and traditions, how they form new communities in Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal.
World Day of International Justice
This date is associated with the adoption of the Rome Statute on July 17, 1998, the founding document of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which established for the first time the mechanism for prosecuting individuals for the most serious crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.
The day was officially recognized in 2010 as a reminder of the responsibility of states and the international community to maintain justice at the global level. These are real legal instruments that should prevent impunity.
The day is a way to draw attention to violations of international humanitarian law and human rights that go unpunished due to political will, gaps in jurisdiction or the lack of effective international mechanisms. In this context, the date has a special significance for Ukraine after 2022. It was within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court that in March 2023 a warrant was issued for Putin’s arrest for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
Interesting facts
The International Criminal Court was created as a permanent institution — unlike the tribunals for Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia, which were temporary. It has the power to investigate crimes committed after July 1, 2002, when the Rome Statute entered into force.
Although the court is located in The Hague, it can hold hearings anywhere in the world.
To date, 124 states have ratified the Rome Statute. But among the countries that do not recognize it are the USA, China, Israel and Russia. The US signed the charter, but withdrew its signature in 2002.
The ICC does not have its own police force, it depends on the cooperation of member states to arrest suspects. This is one of the reasons why many warrants remain unexecuted for years.
Cases considered by the ICC concern only individuals — not states, organizations or armed forces. Its task is to prosecute managers who make decisions or give orders to commit crimes.
In its 20 years of operation, the ICC has issued only a few verdicts, but its precedents (in particular, regarding crimes of sexual slavery, recruitment of children into the armed forces) have already established important international norms.
Ukraine is not a full party to the Rome Statute, but has twice recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC over crimes on the Maidan and after the beginning of Russian aggression. This allowed the court to investigate war crimes on the territory of Ukraine.
Disneyland birthday
On this day, the world’s first theme park under the Disney brand was opened. It was on that day in 1955 that Disneyland officially opened in Anaheim, California. It was a personal project of Walt Disney – an idea that was born from the desire to create a place where parents and children could spend time together, in the environment of a fairy tale and technology.
Disney was inspired by trips to amusement parks with his daughters. He was struck by the monotony and untidiness of most such establishments. He dreamed of a space where everything would be clean, visually coordinated, and in which visitors would enter a world of fantasy — not just attractions, but a complete narrative.
The construction of Disneyland lasted only 1 year, and the costs exceeded $17 million — a colossal amount at that time. Many did not believe in commercial success, but already on the first day, July 17, 1955, the park welcomed more than 28,000 guests, although only 6,000 invitations were issued. Because of this, the event was called “Black Sunday” because the attractions broke down, the food ran out, the asphalt did not have time to harden, and the guests were drowning in it with their shoes.
Despite an unsuccessful start, in a matter of months the park became a symbol of postwar optimism in the United States. Here, everything was subordinated to stories: Sleeping Beauty’s castle, pirate adventures, old America, the future with futuristic concepts. Walt Disney visited the park every day, checked the cleanliness, talked with the staff and studied the reaction of visitors. He did not perceive Disneyland as a finished project – only as a basis for constant renewal.
Today, this park is the only one in the world, the opening of which was personally overseen by Walt Disney. Others appeared after his death. And although there are now more than ten parks in different countries, it is Anaheim that remains “the place where the magic began.”
Interesting facts
During the opening, fake tickets were sold right at the entrance. Because of this, the crowd in the park reached almost 30 thousand people, which caused chaos and panic. Many restaurants closed after a few hours.
The asphalt was indeed so fresh that women’s heels left marks on the paths. In the heat, the soda fountain quickly failed.
One of the journalists called this day “the worst failure of Walt Disney’s life”, but already a year later, more than 3 million visitors visited the park, which confirmed that the plan was working.
Walt Disney had a secret apartment right above the entrance to the main street of the park – with a special window and lamp. When the lamp was on, the staff knew Walt was in the park. Today, this lamp is never extinguished – as a symbol of his presence.
The park has underground tunnels and special routes so that Disney characters do not appear in the “not their” zone. For example, a cowboy cannot accidentally end up in a futuristic Tomorrowland.
Every year on the park’s birthday, fans arrive in themed costumes and take part in activities that recreate the original opening — sans pathos, but respectful of Walt’s legacy.
World Emoji Day
This is an unofficial but recognizable holiday associated with the development of digital culture and the features of modern communication. Emojis are small icons that have become a common tool in text communication. They are used in messengers, e-mail, social networks and even in corporate communication. The reason for their popularity is simple: they help convey emotions, shades of mood, and reactions where intonation, facial expressions, or live contact are lacking.
The holiday appeared in 2014 on the initiative of Jeremy Burge, the founder of the site Emojipedia. This resource catalogs emojis, explains their meanings, and tracks changes made by various platforms (Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others). The date was not chosen by chance – July 17 is indicated on the emoji calendar icon displayed in iOS. This is the day when Apple’s iCal calendar was first introduced in 2002.
The history of emoji began in Japan back in 1999. Designer Shigetaka Kurita developed a set of 176 characters for the Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo. Its goal was to supplement short text messages with emotional signs that are easily recognizable. Over time, the concept spread around the world, and since 2010, emojis have become part of the international Unicode standard. This is what made it possible to display them on different devices, regardless of the operating system.
Today, there are more than three thousand emojis in the Unicode database. They cover not only basic emotions, but also occupations, cultures, food, gender identity symbols, animals and transportation. The Unicode Consortium accepts new emoji proposals every year—even regular users can submit applications. The process is long and includes substantiation of the symbol’s cultural significance, universality of its perception, and technical feasibility.
Interesting facts
The first emoji appeared in Japan in 1999. They were created by designer Shigetaka Kurita for mobile operator NTT DoCoMo. There were 176 characters in the set, the size of which was 12×12 pixels.
Emojis and emoticons are not the same thing. Emoticons originated as combinations of ASCII characters (such as 🙂 or ;-)), while emojis are individual graphic symbols with their own code.
The Unicode Consortium, the organization that approves new emoji, reviews proposals for inclusion each year. Anyone, even a private person, can submit a new idea. However, the approval process is complicated and lasts up to 2 years.
The most used emoji in the world is 😂 (face with tears of joy). In 2015, Oxford Dictionaries even declared it “word of the year”, stating that it most accurately reflects the nature of communication in the digital age.
There is an emoji that causes technical conflicts — (eggplant). Because of its sexualized use in chats, platforms like Instagram and Facebook once filtered the symbol in search and advertising.
In 2021, Ukrainian activist Anastasia Zadorozhna submitted an application to create a borscht emoji — as part of the cultural struggle for national identity. The borscht plate emoji has not been approved yet, but the discussion is ongoing.
A study in the UK found that using emojis in correspondence with colleagues has a positive effect on trust, especially among young employees.
Some emoji are considered deprecated but are not removed from Unicode — so as not to break compatibility with older messages. For example, (fax) still exists, although fax machines have practically disappeared from use.
Historical events on this day
709 to n. is. – In China, a total solar eclipse was documented for the first time in history. Its description was left by Chu Fu, a court chronicler who recorded the astronomical phenomenon in the state annals. This is one of the first written evidences of sky observation as a scientific practice.
1048 – The German king Henry III expelled Pope Benedict IX, one of the most scandalous pontiffs of the Middle Ages, from Rome and replaced him with a new one – Damasius II. This episode illustrates how closely the spiritual power of the papacy was intertwined with the political interests of the empire.
1429 – The coronation of Charles VII took place in Reims, France, recently freed from English occupation. During the ceremony, the banner of Joan of Arc was held over his head, symbolizing her key role in restoring legitimacy and belief in victory to the French.
1453 – The last battle of the Hundred Years’ War took place: the French defeated the British at Castillon. Bordeaux then returned to French control, ending one of the longest and most grueling conflicts in medieval Europe.
1505 – The future reformer Martin Luther survived a strong thunderstorm, during which he promised God to devote himself to monastic life. This was a turning point: the lawyer gave up his career as a lawyer and became a monk in Erfurt – the first step to the further Reformation.
1570 – A Jesuit college was founded in Vilna. Later, this institution will turn into Vilnius University, one of the oldest in Eastern Europe, which played a great role in the spread of education, science and religious thought.
1754 – King’s College opened in New York. At first, only ten students studied there, but over time it became one of the leading universities in the world – Columbia. Today it is one of the centers of the American academic elite.
1775 – The first military hospital in the world was created in the USA, which started the system of organized medical care in the army. It was a response to the needs of the Revolutionary War and became the basis of military medicine in modern history.
1785 – The Slovak adventurer Moritz Benjovsky declared himself the emperor of Madagascar and declared war on France. His story is one of the most exotic and at the same time real in the biographies of European colonial adventurers of the 18th century.
1791 – In Paris, a crowd of supporters of the republican revolution was shot on the Champ de Mars. It became one of the first examples of internal violence in revolutionary France itself, and demonstrates how quickly a revolution can turn its arms against itself.
1793 – The execution of Charlotte Cordet, who killed Jean-Paul Marat. She entered history as a symbol of personal political responsibility — her act and death became the subject of controversy both during the revolution and in subsequent eras.
1841 – The first issue of the British satirical magazine “Punch” was published. The publication became a classic of political caricature, and its style influenced the humor press around the world.
1854 – The world’s first mountain railway was launched in the Austrian Empire. It was a breakthrough in technology and engineering, which gave impetus to the construction of railway lines in hard-to-reach areas of Europe.
1868 – The capital of Japan was officially moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. It was part of the sweeping Meiji reforms that transformed Japan from a feudal country to an industrial one.
1915 – Germany and Austria-Hungary signed a secret treaty with Bulgaria on military cooperation, preparing its entry into the First World War on the side of the Central Powers.
1917 – Britain’s King George V announced that the royal family was changing its surname to the Windsors – a break with its German origins in the midst of the war. On the same day, Polubotkivtsi – Ukrainian military, who demanded the declaration of Ukraine’s independence – spoke out in Kyiv. At the same time, a peaceful demonstration was shot in Petrograd — evidence of the tension and chaos of the revolutionary year of 1917.
1918 – In Yekaterinburg, the Bolsheviks shot the royal family of Nicholas II. It became a symbol of the final collapse of the Russian monarchy.
1933 – After the completion of the construction of the Dniproges, a passenger steamer set off on its first voyage from Kyiv to Kherson. This marked a new stage in navigation on the Dnieper.
1941 – By Hitler’s personal order, the district “Halychyna” was included in the General Governorate. This meant the transition of Western Ukraine under German administration during the Second World War.
1955 – The first Disneyland was opened in the city of Anaheim (California). It was the first theme park in the world, conceived by Walt Disney, which launched an entire industry of cultural entertainment.
1973 – The monarchy was overthrown in Afghanistan. A republic was proclaimed in place of King Zahir Shah. This move opened a phase of instability that continues to this day.
1997 – Ukraine ratified the European Convention on Human Rights — a key international document that obliged the state to adhere to European human rights standards.
2013 – In the Sea of Azov, there was a conflict between Ukrainian fishermen and Russian border guards, which ended with the death of one of the Ukrainians. The incident became an alarming signal on the eve of Russian aggression.
2014 – Passenger Boeing 777 flight MH17 was shot down over Donbas. The Buk missile, fired from the territory controlled by the militants of the so-called DPR, destroyed the plane. 298 people died. It became one of the biggest tragedies of modern civil aviation.
2020 – The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the administrative-territorial reform, reducing the number of districts from 490 to 138. The decision became the basis for reformatting local self-government.
