June 27th is World Fisheries Day, World Industrial Workers Day, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Day, World Microbiome Day and ATM Birthday. Also, in these years, events took place that left a mark in the history of politics, technology, science, culture, and the memory of tragedies.
World Fisheries Day
This day was established in 1985 by the decision of the International Conference on the Regulation and Development of Fisheries, which took place in 1984 in Rome. Its purpose is to draw attention to the depletion of fish resources, the protection of marine ecosystems, the working conditions of fishermen and the rights of local fishing communities. It has a clear focus on combating industrial overfishing, illegal fishing, environmental threats and the monopolization of access to water bodies by transnational corporations.
This day is supported by organizations from more than 80 countries. It is mostly celebrated in the form of campaigns to protect traditional small-scale fisheries that provide food security to millions of people in the regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The main message is that fish resources should be used sustainably, not destroyed for profit.
Interesting facts
In 2022, more than 90% of the world’s fish catch came from small boats—small-scale fisheries, not large industrial fleets.
Most of the fish are not caught in the oceans, but in the freshwater reservoirs of Asia, in particular in the Mekong, Yangtze and Ganges rivers.
In Vietnam, fishermen are using old refrigerators en masse as floats for fishing near shore, a common phenomenon in poor coastal areas.
Scientists record a decrease in the average size of fish caught in the oceans: some species have decreased by 20-30% in the last 50 years due to global warming.
In Tanzania, fishermen use LEDs to lure fish at night. This increases catches but reduces populations of some species in coastal areas.
In Norway, the catch of wild cod is already inferior to farmed fish in terms of volume. Aquaculture is becoming the main source of seafood.
In the Philippines, children of fishermen often help in the night fishing from the age of 6, which creates serious problems with the rights of the child.
In Ukraine, before the full-scale war, more than 30 thousand tons of fish were caught annually in the Sea of Azov. As of 2024, most of the fisheries in the region have been lost.
International Day of Industrial Workers
This day is dedicated to people who work in industrial sectors: plants, factories, mines, metallurgical plants, machine-building, energy, chemical, textile enterprises. It has no official international status, but is used by trade unions, activists and workers themselves to remind them of the importance of industrial work, its complexity, danger and impact on the economy.
The main purpose of this day is to draw attention to working conditions, health protection, automation, the impact of industrialization on the environment, workers’ rights, decent pay, protection in case of injury and loss of work.
This date is associated with the history of the radical labor movement, in particular the Industrial Workers of the World trade union, which appeared in the United States in 1905. She stood up for the rights of workers and also insisted on the complete abolition of capitalism through the solidarity of all workers. It was the first major union to accept not only white men, but also women, blacks, migrants, and even the unemployed. Its members were active participants in strikes, the creation of self-management at factories, and the agitation campaign against wars.
Interesting facts
According to the International Labor Organization, almost a third of all workplace deaths in the world are caused by industrial workers, especially in the mining, chemical and construction sectors.
In China, the industrial sector provides more than 40% of the country’s GDP, but the average industrial worker works more than 55 hours a week, often without days off. This is recognized as a serious social problem, despite economic growth.
In Germany, post-pandemic demand for skilled industrial workers has grown so much that some factories are paying newcomers bonuses of up to €3,000 just for agreeing to work night shifts.
In India, the textile industry is the second largest employer after agriculture, employing more than 45 million people, about half of whom are women, often undocumented.
Before the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian metallurgists provided up to 80% of foreign exchange earnings from industrial exports. After 2022, many factories were destroyed or moved production closer to the west of the country.
In 2024, trade unions in the Czech Republic achieved a legislative reduction of the temperature in shops to 32°C during the summer heat, after numerous cases of heat stroke among foundry workers.
In the US, only 9% of industrial workers are unionized, the lowest rate in 80 years. At the same time, industry is gradually returning from Asia, and the demand for workers is growing.
The most dangerous industrial profession in the world is considered to be work in steel factories in Pakistan, where the rate of injury and death is ten times higher than the world average.
Day of micro, small and medium enterprises
This day is celebrated annually on June 27, starting from 2017. The date was established by the UN General Assembly to recognize the role of these enterprises in ensuring sustainable economic growth, employment, innovation and the fight against poverty.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) make up more than 90% of all companies in the world, provide more than 60% of jobs and up to 50% of global GDP. In developing countries, their role is even more significant: MSMEs are often the basis of the economy, a source of income for women, young people, people without formal education.
This day is designed to draw the attention of governments to the needs of these businesses – access to finance, digitalization, participation in bidding, legal protection and tax benefits.
Interesting facts
According to the World Bank, in low-income countries up to 70% of formal employment is provided by small businesses, which is the key to combating unemployment.
In the European Union, MSMEs make up 99.8% of all businesses. The most common form is micro-enterprises with up to 10 employees.
In Kenya, most of the economy is based on “jua kali” – informal small businesses that are not officially registered, but include millions of workers in the fields of repair, trade, household services.
In Japan, small businesses often run for several generations — according to statistics, every third entrepreneur inherits a business from their parents.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 60% of MSMEs worldwide reported a significant reduction in revenue. Many governments were forced to introduce direct cash grants for the first time.
In Ukraine, small and medium-sized enterprises provide about 65% of employment in the private sector, but have limited access to credit, especially in wartime conditions.
World Microbiome Day
The day was launched in 2018 by the Irish Microbiome Association to raise awareness of the role of the microbiome in human, animal, plant and environmental health. It aims not only to popularize science, but also to give practical attention to how microorganisms affect digestion, immunity, the brain, allergies, mental health and the effectiveness of drugs. It is also an occasion to discuss the role of the soil microbiome in agriculture, climate change, biotechnology and the fight against pathogens.
Interesting facts
In the human body, there are more cells of microorganisms than own cells – approximately in a ratio of 1.3:1.
Each person’s microbiome is unique, like a fingerprint. It is different even in identical twins.
Certain gut bacteria can influence levels of anxiety, depression, and overeating by signaling to the brain.
After a course of antibiotics, the gut microbiome can recover for up to a year, and sometimes it never fully returns to its previous state.
Gut bacteria are capable of breaking down toxins, synthesizing vitamins (such as K and B12), fermenting complex carbohydrates, and regulating metabolism.
1 gram of soil can contain up to 10 billion microorganisms. They determine fertility, drought tolerance and yield.
Long-term life without contact with bacteria (for example, in ultrasterile conditions) leads to immune disorders – the risk of allergies, autoimmune diseases and even some mental disorders increases.
In 2023, scientists transplanted the microbiome of healthy donors into people with severe autism. Some of them showed a significant improvement in symptoms, which was a breakthrough in neurobiology.
ATM’s birthday
It was on this day in 1967 that the world’s first ATM was installed in a Barclays bank branch in Enfield, London. It cost about $18,000—a huge sum by the standards of the time. The device had no screen, keyboard or plastic cards and operated on the basis of paper vouchers.
The designer of the first ATM was John Shepard-Barron, a Scottish engineer and employee of the De La Rue company. The idea came when one day he did not have time to reach the bank before it closed. He compared banking to chocolate vending machines and suggested creating an analogue for cash.
Interesting facts
The first ATM only dispensed £10 at a time. The amount was fixed, it could not be changed.
To confirm his identity, the client used a one-time paper voucher with a radioactive carbon-14 isotope, which the bank issued in advance. It was he who was “read” by the ATM.
The first user was the actor Reg Varney, who was chosen specifically to advertise the technology. Although he was not a bank client, it provided a media effect.
The PIN code, which later became a standard, was invented by Shepard-Barron himself. He initially offered a 6-digit code, but at the request of his wife, he shortened it to 4 digits – it was difficult for her to remember more.
By the mid-1970s, ATMs appeared in the USA, Japan, Sweden and a number of Western European countries. In the 1980s, they began to support plastic cards with a magnetic stripe.
In 2025, there are approximately 2.6 million ATMs worldwide, but their number is decreasing: in 2022, there were more than 3 million. The biggest reduction is taking place in Western Europe and South Korea due to the mass transition to cashless payments.
In some countries, such as India or Nigeria, ATMs are still the key means of accessing money — especially in rural areas where there is no internet or bank branches.
The highest ATM in the world is installed at an altitude of 4,693 meters above sea level in Pakistan (Khunjerab Pass). It is serviced by National Bank of Pakistan and it really works.
The oldest ATM in operation today – the same device at Barclays Enfield – still stands in the same location, although it is not used for its intended purpose, but serves as a museum piece.
Historical events on this day
1663 — a Cossack council was held in the city of Nizhyn, at which Ivan Bryukhovetskyi was elected hetman of the Left Bank of Ukraine. This decision meant the division of power in Ukraine along the Dnieper River, which was later enshrined in the Moscow Articles.
1871 — the yen became the official monetary unit of the Japanese Empire. It replaced a system of coins of various origins and became part of the modernization of the Japanese economy during the Meiji era.
1929 — in New York, for the first time, the technology of transmitting a full-color television image was demonstrated. This was a breakthrough in the development of television, which paved the way for color broadcasting around the world.
1931 — Kyiv-based aircraft designer Ihor Sikorsky received a US patent for the first rotorcraft. It was this development that became the basis for the creation of modern helicopters.
1932 — a constitution was proclaimed in Siam (present-day Thailand). This marked the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of the transition to a parliamentary form of government.
1944 — the mass deportation of Bulgarians, Armenians, and Greeks from Crimea to the eastern regions of the USSR began. The operation was carried out by Soviet power structures under the pretext of the “unreliability” of these peoples.
1954 — the world’s first nuclear power plant was put into operation in Obninsk (USSR). It marked the beginning of the practical use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
1964 — a monument to Taras Shevchenko was unveiled in Washington (USA). It became an important symbol of Ukrainian presence in world culture and politics.
1991 — Slovenia’s war for independence began, which became the first phase of the Yugoslav wars. The conflict lasted ten days and ended with the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops.
1997 — the civil war in Tajikistan ended. A peace agreement was signed between the government and the United Tajik Opposition after five years of armed conflict.
2022 — during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Russian missile hit a shopping center in Kremenchuk. As a result of the attack, 22 people died, more than 50 were injured.
Peter-Paul von Mauser’s birthday
Peter-Paul von Mauser was born on June 27, 1838 in the city of Oberndorf an der Neckar, in the family of a master of the Royal Armory, a well-known German designer and organizer of the production of not only effective, but also one of the most aesthetic systems of small arms, which was adopted in seventeen countries.
The gunsmith business was hereditary for Mauser: his father worked as a foreman at the Württemberg Royal Arms Factory, and Peter-Paul himself started working at the same enterprise at the age of 12.
In 1912, for his significant contribution to the development of German armaments, Peter-Paul Mauser received the hereditary title of Baron von Mauser.
One of his most famous inventions was the Mauser self-loading pistol. Its design made it possible to turn a pistol into a carbine with the help of simple manipulations. The weapon was distinguished by a high striking ability: from a distance of 35 steps, a bullet could penetrate 8 boards 25 mm thick, and from 50 meters it penetrated a pine log to a depth of 23 cm (when using a 7.63 mm caliber cartridge). Loading was carried out from above, similar to a rifle. The aiming device was designed for shooting at a distance of up to 1000 meters.
Despite the engineering excellence, the gun did not gain widespread use in regular armies, but in a number of countries it was allowed for use by certain categories of military personnel.
In the mass memory, this weapon was engraved as a “commissar’s gun”, it was associated with the Chekists, anarchists, and Basmachs. Along with the leather tuzhurka and bodonivka, it became a symbol of the Soviet government.
Among hunters, the Mauser Mod 98 rifle enjoyed special respect. There was even a gunsmith saying:
“England entered the world war with a good army rifle, Germany with a hunting rifle, and Italy with a sporting one.”
Hunting versions of Mauser rifles spread to all continents without exception and were used in many countries.
