June 16 is International Biotech Day, International Domestic Workers Day, International Family Remittance Day, International Day of the African Child and International Waterfall Day. On this day, in different eras, significant events took place, covering politics, wars, science, literature, international relations and modern history.
International Biotechnologist Day
On June 16, 1980, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of genetic engineer Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty, who created the Pseudomonas bacterium. This bacterium was able to break down crude oil, which made it possible to more effectively eliminate oil spills with less environmental consequences. The court’s decision recognized that genetically modified organisms obtained artificially can be the subject of patent protection if they were created by humans. This verdict effectively marked the beginning of the modern biotech industry.
Biotechnology works at the intersection of ecology, biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, the agricultural sector, industry and IT, allowing to create products that change the quality of human life. The professional holiday is designed to emphasize the role of biotechnologists in the development of new drugs, diagnostic tests, vaccines, the creation of high-yielding plant crops, the purification of contaminated soils and water, as well as in the development of bioenergy.
In recent decades, biotech companies have made breakthroughs in the production of insulin, the treatment of oncological diseases with antibodies, the creation of vaccines against COVID-19 based on mRNA technologies, the development of genetically modified crops that can withstand drought and pests. The use of biotechnology in the food industry has enabled the production of artificial meat, synthetic milk and egg substitutes.
Ukraine is actively integrated into the global biotechnological industry: laboratories for genetic research, production of enzymes, biological preparations for agriculture, veterinary medicine, research in the field of cell therapy and creation of new drugs for medicine work here.
Interesting facts
Bread is considered the first biotechnological product in the world: people learned to use yeast 6,000 years ago.
Modern biotechnology actively uses CRISPR, a genome-editing technology that allows point-by-point “correction” of DNA defects.
More than 60% of all vaccines in the world are produced using biotechnological processes.
Biotechnology helps fight oil spills — special bacteria are able to break down oil products in water.
Technologies for the production of fuel from algae, which have a high oil content, are being developed in bioenergetics.
Scientists are working on technologies for printing human organs on 3D printers using the patient’s cells — in the future, this will help solve the problem of donor shortage.
In 2022, Harvard scientists created artificial mouse embryos without using eggs or sperm. They were grown from stem cells. This opens up the prospect of creating organs for transplantation without a donor.
Companies are already experimenting with printing human skin for burn patients. Bio-printers are able to “print” the skin from the patient’s own cells, which reduces the risk of rejection.
There are bacteria that have learned to “eat” plastic. For example, a bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis decomposes a bottle made of PET plastic in a few weeks.
Biotechnologists are working on creating “self-eliminating” pests. For example, genetically modified malaria-carrying mosquitoes are designed so that their offspring do not survive — this is already being tested in natural populations.
The most expensive drug in the world is Zolgensma for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. One dose costs more than 2 million dollars, but completely stops the development of the disease after a single injection.
Modern technologies make it possible to preserve cells of rare or extinct species. In Japan, for example, there is already a biobank of cells of woolly mammoths – theoretically it will be possible to clone them.
Scientists from MIT have created living sensors — bacteria that can “warn” about water or air pollution by reacting to chemical compounds and changing color.
Biotechnology is already helping to create “smart tissues” — materials that respond to temperature, pulse, or even the level of oxygen in a person’s blood.
International Day of Domestic Workers
This date was established after the adoption of International Labor Organization Convention No. 189 “On Decent Work for Domestic Workers” in 2011. This is one of the few professional groups that remained in the “shadow” for a long time – without proper legal status, social guarantees and even official statistics.
The concept of “domestic workers” includes nannies, caregivers, domestic workers, cleaners, cooks, drivers, gardeners and other categories that work in private households. According to the ILO, about 75 million people in the world are involved in such work, and a large part of them are women and migrants.
The problem is that a large proportion of domestic workers in many countries work informally – without contracts, without insurance, without pensions and without legal protection. That is why the ILO Convention called on countries to establish clear labor regulations in this sector, to provide domestic workers with minimum social standards, the right to days off, holidays and protection from exploitation.
In Ukraine, the sphere of domestic work also remains mostly informal. Many caregivers, nannies, and cleaners work by verbal agreement without employment contracts. This means the absence of guarantees for payment of sick leave, vacations, seniority, as well as risks from unscrupulous employers. The issue of legalization of work in this area is particularly acute in the context of migration: many Ukrainian citizens work as domestic workers abroad, in Poland, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Israel.
Interesting facts
According to the ILO, more than 80% of domestic workers in the world do not have the right to paid days off.
In Italy, about 900,000 Ukrainians are officially or unofficially employed in the field of care and domestic work.
Domestic work is one of the few areas where forms of modern slavery still exist: forced labor, withholding of documents, restriction of freedom of movement.
ILO Convention No. 189 has currently been ratified by only half of the UN member states. Ukraine has not officially ratified it.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic workers were the first to lose their jobs in many countries, as work in private households stopped en masse due to lockdowns.
In the Persian Gulf countries, the majority of domestic workers are women from poor Asian countries (Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh), who work under harsh conditions under the kafala system, which limits their rights.
International Day of Family Remittances
It is a professional date established by the UN General Assembly in 2018 to draw attention to the role of migrant workers in the global economy and the importance of remittances for millions of families in their countries of origin.
According to UN estimates, every year more than 200 million migrant workers in the world send money to their relatives in their countries. The total volume of these private remittances in 2023 exceeded 650 billion US dollars. This is more than the entire volume of official international aid received by developing countries.
The peculiarity of remittances is that it is a stable source of financing: regardless of global crises, wars, pandemics, economic downturns, migrant workers continue to support their families, helping to maintain a basic level of consumption, pay for children’s education, medical services, housing rent, and utilities.
Ukraine is traditionally included in the list of countries for which remittances from employees are an important component of the economy. According to the NBU, the volume of private remittances to Ukraine in 2023 amounted to more than 14 billion US dollars. The main flows come from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, the USA, Italy and Israel.
After the start of a full-scale war in 2022, the role of remittances from abroad increased even more, as some Ukrainians were forced to leave the country, supporting their relatives who remained at home. Remittances also help to maintain the stability of the foreign exchange market, reduce devaluation pressure and are a source of foreign exchange reserves.
Interesting facts
According to the estimates of the World Bank, every fifth inhabitant of the planet directly or indirectly receives assistance in the form of remittances.
On average, a migrant worker sends home about 15% of his income.
Remittances make up more than 20% of the GDP of countries such as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and Haiti.
The average fee for international transfers in the world still remains high — about 6%. The UN sets the task of reducing this commission to 3%.
Remittances were predicted to fall sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have proved more resilient than most other capital flows in 2020-2021.
In Ukraine, remittances from migrants traditionally exceed foreign direct investment in the country.
International Day of the African Child
This day was started in 1991 by the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union). The date was chosen to commemorate the tragic events that took place on June 16, 1976 in the city of Soweto (South African Republic).
Then tens of thousands of black South African schoolchildren went on a mass demonstration, protesting against the racist policy of apartheid, in particular against the introduction of compulsory education in Afrikaans, the language of the white minority. The peaceful procession of schoolchildren was brutally dispersed by the security forces. According to various reports, from several dozen to several hundred children died, thousands were injured or arrested.
This day has become a symbol of the struggle of African children for access to education, equal rights, freedom and dignity. It reminds us of the millions of children on the African continent who still today face difficulties in accessing education, health care, clean water, adequate nutrition and basic rights.
The International Day of the African Child is also an opportunity for governments, international organizations and civil society organizations to talk about the need to ensure quality education, protect children in conflict zones, combat child labor, sexual violence, human trafficking and the recruitment of children into armed groups.
Interesting facts
According to UNICEF, more than 70% of children in sub-Saharan Africa do not achieve minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics.
Child labor is still widespread in Central and West Africa, with an estimated 80 million children working, often in difficult and dangerous conditions.
In some regions of Africa, children make up more than half of the entire population — for example, in Niger, 50% of citizens are under 15 years of age.
According to the official estimates of the African Union, by 2030 Africa will have the largest child population in the world – more than 500 million children.
Soweto became a historical symbol of the struggle not only against apartheid, but also for the right of every child in the world to be educated in their mother tongue.
International Waterfall Day
Although this date does not have an official UN status, it was started by conservation organizations and activists with the aim of reminding about the importance of preserving water ecosystems and the natural beauty of the planet.
Waterfalls play an important role in shaping landscapes, regulating water flows, enriching water with oxygen, and maintaining biodiversity. In many countries around the world, waterfalls are a source of hydropower, attract millions of tourists, and have cultural and spiritual significance for the local population.
At the same time, many waterfalls today are under threat due to the construction of dams, changes in river beds, increasing water supply needs, climate change, and degradation of natural areas. Some unique cascades have already disappeared, others are gradually losing their water volume.
Interesting facts
The highest waterfall on the planet – Angel in Venezuela – has a height of 979 meters. The flow of water falls from such a height that some of the water turns into fog before it reaches the ground.
The widest waterfall in the world is Honokohau in Hawaii: during the rainy season, it can reach a width of more than 1,200 meters.
The most powerful in terms of flow volume is the Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina: the average flow volume reaches 1,750 cubic meters per second.
Most of the modern hydroelectric power plants in the world are built with the involvement of waterfall cascades or artificially created height differences.
Niagara Falls is one of the most famous in the world, located on the border of the USA and Canada. It consists of three parts: Horseshoe (Canadian part), American Falls and Veil of Untruth (American side). The total height of the water fall is about 51 meters, and the width of the Horseshoe is more than 790 meters.
Niagara Falls is gradually changing its location due to natural erosion. Scientists have calculated that over the past 12 thousand years it has “receded” up the river by about 11 kilometers. At present, the process of erosion is largely slowed down by flow regulation through hydroelectric power plants.
For more than a century, Niagara has been used as a source of hydropower. The first hydroelectric power station was built here in 1895. Currently, the cascade of stations on both sides produces more than 4.5 gigawatts of electricity.
In Ukraine, one of the most famous natural waterfalls is Shipit in the Carpathians — its height reaches 14 meters, and it forms a picturesque cascade of several rapids.
Historical events on this day
1487 — the Battle of Stoke Field took place, which is considered the last major battle of the War of the Red and White Roses in England. The victory of King Henry VII finally strengthened the power of the Tudor dynasty.
1578 — Ivan Pidkov, one of the most famous Cossack chieftains, who held power in the Moldavian principality for some time and opposed the Ottoman Empire, was executed in Lviv.
1746 — the Battle of Placentia (Italy) took place during the War of the Austrian Succession. The troops of Austria and Sardinia defeated the Franco-Spanish forces.
1815 — the Battle of Linya took place during Napoleon’s Hundred Days campaign. French troops won a victory over General Blücher’s Prussian army.
1815 — on the same day, the Kingdom of Poland was formed, which, by the decision of the Congress of Vienna, became part of the Russian Empire under the terms of autonomy.
1874 – in Cambridge, the Cavendish Laboratory was opened – one of the most famous physical laboratories in the world, where later discoveries were made that influenced the development of nuclear physics, electricity and quantum mechanics.
1903 — the automobile company Ford Motor was founded. Its creation initiated the mass production of cars and became a symbol of the industrial revolution of the 20th century.
1919 — The Holy See headed by Pope Benedict XV recognized the independence of the Ukrainian People’s Republic. Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Gasparri sent a corresponding letter to the head of the Directory, Simon Petliuri.
1934 — the first congress of Ukrainian writers opened in Kharkiv, as a result of which the Writers’ Union of Ukraine was created, one of the key literary organizations of the Soviet period.
1940 — The USSR put forward ultimatum demands to the governments of Estonia and Latvia for a change of power and the introduction of additional Soviet troops. The very next day, the Soviet army occupied these countries.
1953 — a construction workers’ strike began in East Berlin against the policies of the pro-Soviet regime, which the next day turned into a massive anti-communist uprising in the German Democratic Republic.
1996 — presidential elections were held in the Russian Federation, as a result of which Boris Yeltsin was re-elected for a second presidential term.
1998 — in the USA, for the first time in history, births were broadcast live over the Internet. A 40-year-old resident of Florida gave birth to a boy named Sean during an experimental broadcast.
2014 — during the war in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces liberated the village of Metalist from pro-Russian militants.
“Plague riot” in Sevastopol
On June 15, 1830, a popular armed uprising broke out in Sevastopol, which went down in history under the name “Plague Rebellion”. The reason was unjustified quarantine measures and, above all, the incompetence of local authorities.
In those days, epidemics of infectious diseases — smallpox, cholera, plague — were a common occurrence. But the fight against them often caused distrust and suspicion among people. Sometimes they introduced strict quarantines with borders and a ban on movement, then rumors spread that the authorities were burying the undesirables alive, then there were “well-wishers” who convinced the crowds that there was actually no plague. All this fueled discontent and pushed people to resistance.
On June 19, tsarist troops, reinforced by units of General Timofeev’s 12th division, entered Sevastopol. Admiral Greig, who commanded the Black Sea Fleet, promised amnesty to all participants in the uprising, except for the organizers and those who committed the murders. He also assured that officials guilty of exceeding their authority will be punished.
As a result, the officials were indeed brought to justice — but only disciplinary. At the same time, seven instigators of the riots were executed, a thousand residents of the city and sailors were sent to hard labor, and another 4,200 civilians were deported from Sevastopol.
The fight against epidemics was then led by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Zakrevsky, who, according to contemporaries, “took very energetic, but completely senseless measures, literally crossed the entire empire with a chain of quarantine borders, paralyzing the economic life of the country, but not stopping the epidemics.” It is not surprising that under such a policy, similar “plague and cholera” riots soon spread to other cities of the Russian Empire. The incident in Sevastopol was only the first in a series of similar public demonstrations.
Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech
On June 16, 1858, in Springfield, Illinois, on Gettysburg Field, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech, which brought him victory, while campaigning for the position of Republican senator. Addressing the voters, Lincoln, referring to the Gospel of Matthew (12:25), said: “Every house divided against itself cannot stand.“. In his speech, he drew attention to the deep division in society and the US government over the issue of slavery. These words made a great impression on the audience and became decisive for his victory.
American poet and historian Carl Sandberg later called Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address “one of the great American poems, one that has significance and resonance far beyond the borders of the United States.”
Today, the text of this speech is engraved on the plinth of the Abraham Lincoln monument in Washington.
Another famous phrase of Lincoln, which should be remembered by every modern politician: “You can fool part of the people all the time, you can fool the whole people some of the time, but you can’t fool the whole people all the time.”
Lincoln possessed a bright oratorical talent, but his main word remained not in speeches, but in history: he united a divided country and became one of the key figures not only for the United States, but also for the whole world.
Artek’s birthday
On June 16, 1925, on the coast of the Black Sea, in the Artek tract, on the banks of the river of the same name, a tented children’s town of four tents appeared, which was destined to become a fairy tale, a legend of childhood for many generations – the Artek pioneer camp. The head of the Red Cross of the USSR, Zinovy Solovyov, chose the place for the creation of a sanatorium camp, a “treatment camp” at the foot of Mount Ayu-Dag. It was on the initiative of the Red Cross that in 1924, the “Pioneer Health Service” was organized in the USSR, thanks to which medical offices began to be opened at schools and clubs, and pioneer detachments were provided with first-aid kits. At the same time, the slogan appeared: “A healthy summer for the young pioneer!”
“Artek” was created during the period of the completion of the reconstruction of the country after the civil war and initially bore the name of Comrade Molotov. The first 80 residents of Artek – children who were prone to tuberculosis – lived directly by the sea in four canvas tents. In its first year of operation, the camp received 320 children during four summer shifts. In its heyday, the annual number of tickets to “Artek” reached 27,000. During the period from 1925 to 1969, “Artek” adopted 300 thousand children, including more than 13 thousand from 17 foreign countries.
Very quickly it became the most famous pioneer camp of the Soviet Union. A trip to “Artek” was considered the highest form of encouragement, and often a dream – both for Soviet children and for children from abroad. The motto of “Artek” was: “Artekivets today – Artekivets forever.”
