Holidays and commemorative dates:
International Day of the Seafarer – this day was started in 2010 after the adoption of Resolution No. 19 at a conference in Manila by member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is a specialized UN agency responsible for the safety of shipping and protection of the marine environment from pollution. The resolution emphasized the importance of honoring seafarers for their contributions to international trade, the world economy and the development of civil society.
The holiday is held under the auspices of the IMO, and each year it is dedicated to a certain theme. For example, one year the theme was “Sailors: Unsung Heroes” to highlight the importance of their work, which is often overlooked by society. The International Maritime Organization was established on March 6, 1948 in Geneva, and as of 2024, it has 176 member states and 3 associate members.
Day of the Customs Service of Ukraine – is celebrated annually on June 25 since the adoption of the Law on Customs Affairs by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in 1991. The Presidential decree on the celebration was signed on June 22, 1992. The customs service is an important component of the state, ensuring the protection of Ukraine’s economic interests.
The declaration of state sovereignty and independence of Ukraine in 1991 necessitated the creation of a national customs system. Laws of Ukraine “On Customs Affairs in Ukraine”, “On the Unified Customs Tariff” and the Customs Code, adopted in 1991-1992, became the basis for the organization of the customs service.
Day of youth and children’s organizations of Ukraine – celebrated since 2008 in accordance with the decree of the President of Ukraine. The celebration of this day is aimed at supporting and regulating the activities of youth and children’s organizations. Education of youth and children is the key to the successful development of the state. One of the most famous organizations is the National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (NOSU), which has been operating since 2007. She is engaged in educating young people on the principles of patriotism, social activism and leadership.
World Vitiligo Day – today they honor the memory of Michael Jackson, who suffered from vitiligo, a rare disease that affects the pigmentation of the skin. Vitiligo is a poorly understood disease that has no effective treatment. It is equally common among people of different races and age groups. World Vitiligo Day aims to raise awareness of the disease, fight stigma and support people living with vitiligo.
Events on this day:
- In 1783, the French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier announced that water consists of hydrogen and oxygen. This discovery was an important step in the development of chemistry.
- In 1848, during the “Spring of Nations” in Lviv, a blue-yellow flag, a symbol of the Ukrainian national movement, was hung over the town hall.
- In 1857, Charles Baudelaire’s collection of poems “The Flowers of Evil” was published, which became a classic of French poetry.
- In 1863, Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi ordered the expulsion of all foreigners from Japan as part of a policy of isolating the country.
- In 1872, the activity of the Jesuit Order was banned in Germany, which became part of the policy of the Kulturkampf.
- In 1878, the Congress of Berlin began, which confirmed the independence of the Principalities of Montenegro, Serbia and Romania from the Ottoman Empire.
- In 1939, the last meeting of the Shevchenko Scientific Society was held in Lviv, which was closed after the coming of Soviet power.
- Antonio Gaudi was born in 1952
On June 25, 1852, in Catalonia, in the province of Tarragona, in the city of Reus, the most famous Spanish architect, Antonio Gaudi-i-Cornet, was born as the fifth and last child of a family of master boilermakers.
He was called the “Barcelona recluse”, the “poet of stone” and the “Dante of architecture”. Unique, incomparable, unimaginable.
The most famous project of Antonio Gaudí is the Church of the Holy Family – one of the most famous and to some extent mystical monuments of Barcelona.
It was built on private donations from parishioners and money from tourists, starting in 1882, and Gaudí himself invested all his money in the construction of the temple. All elements of decoration have a deep symbolic meaning – they are scenes, images and heroes from the Gospel and church rites. It is said that not only the residents of Barcelona served as models for the sculptures, but also the dead. The architect wanted the church to look like a “forest of tree-shaped columns” from the inside, with warm light streaming through the stained glass windows, and parishioners looking up to see a starry sky.
The construction of the temple has been going on for over 130 years, it is planned to be finished in 2026, on the birthday of the author. After the construction of the sanctuary of the temple is finished, it will become the tallest in the world – almost 170 meters.
Gaudi said: “This creation is in the hands of God and depends on the will of the people”, and when he was asked when the construction of the temple would be finished, he answered: “My customer is in no hurry”.
By the way, the author was not a very religious person. Gaudí built the Sagrada until his death. A sad story: having spent all his savings on the long construction, the architect managed to grow old and wore inconspicuous shabby clothes. When he got under the tram, the poor old man was not immediately recognized as a great architect. On June 7, 1926, Antoni Gaudí was hit by a tram on the way to the church. The architect was very poorly dressed, had no documents, so he was taken to a hospital for the poor. The next day, Gaudí was sought out and recognized by the chaplain of the Sagrada. The architect was transferred to a better clinic, but they could no longer help him.
Antoni Gaudí died on June 10, 1926 at the age of 74 and was buried in his unfinished Sagrada. They want to canonize him and make him the patron saint of architects.
- In 1950, the North Korean army attacked South Korea, leading to the start of the Korean War.
On June 25, 1950, at 4 a.m. on Sunday, 135,000 men, 150 T-34 tanks and 172 planes of the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded the territory of South Korea to start the “war of national liberation.” This is the official version. The North Korean version was announced by the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, the leader of the people, Kim Il Sung, at an emergency meeting of the North Korean Council of Ministers.
In just three days, North Korean troops captured Seoul. American and British troops came to the aid of South Korea, which received a mandate from the UN Security Council. Already at the beginning of October, the troops of the DPRK retreated back beyond the 38th parallel. On October 20, Pyongyang was taken, and then China sent volunteers and the USSR helped the Allies with military advisers and air support. Everything returned to the 38th parallel… People were dying, but nothing was changing.
They say that the main turning point for the world was the death of Stalin on March 5, 1953. Negotiations began shortly thereafter, leading to the signing of a cease-fire agreement in July 1953. The document was signed by representatives of the DPRK and the UN. But South Korea refused to agree to a truce, demanding the continuation of the war until the victorious end. The peace treaty between the countries has not yet been signed. And in 2013, the DPRK denounced the armistice agreement. That is, formally South and North Korea are now in a state of war.
From 1950-1953, 2.5 million North Koreans and one million South Koreans died in Korea. The losses of the Chinese army amounted to almost one million soldiers, among whom was Mao’s son – Anying. The war also claimed the lives of 36,914 US Army soldiers (54,246 as listed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington), 103,284 soldiers were wounded, and an unknown number of Soviet soldiers. Stalin sent a fighter air corps to Korea, but forbade flying over the front line so that Soviet pilots could not be captured. The USSR officially recognized the fact of its participation in the war only in the 1970s.
These were the first aerial battles involving jet aircraft in history, during which the Soviet Air Force, according to official information, lost 335 machines and 120 pilots, shooting down 1,097 enemy aircraft. According to American data, the US Air Force shot down 976 and lost 1,041 vehicles. It is also known that 22 pilots who fought in the skies of Korea were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and those who died are buried in the Russian cemetery in Dalian in the People’s Republic of China.
- In 1957, the toy “flying saucer” was created, which became popular among children and adults.\
- In 1991, Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia, which marked the beginning of the dissolution of the federation.
- In 1991, the Law of Ukraine “On Customs Affairs in Ukraine” was adopted, which became the basis for the organization of the customs service.
