March 13 marks International School Meals Day, International Every Girl Wins Day, World Kidney Day, World Riesling White Wine Day and Jewelry Day. Also, interesting and significant historical events took place on this day in different years.
International School Meals Day
This day is designed to draw attention to the importance of healthy nutrition in schools and its impact on the development, learning and general well-being of children. A balanced diet in the school environment contributes to better concentration, reduced risk of disease, increased energy and improved academic performance. A child’s diet should include the necessary nutrients, vitamins and trace elements to ensure his active physical and mental development.
Countries around the world strive to improve school food systems, introducing healthy and diverse meals, popularizing the culture of healthy eating and providing access to quality food. At the same time, this day reminds of the global challenges related to children’s nutrition, in particular the problem of malnutrition or, on the contrary, the growth of obesity among young people.
Interesting facts
According to the WHO, more than 60 million children in the world do not receive adequate nutrition, which affects their health and academic success.
Some countries, such as Japan, are actively implementing healthy eating education programs to build healthy habits from childhood.
Successful school meal programs not only provide children with nutritious meals, but also promote local farming by using local produce.
Conducting educational events and trainings for teachers and parents helps to form a culture of healthy eating among children and adults.
International Victory Day for every girl
It’s a day that celebrates the empowerment and achievement of girls and young women around the world. It aims to raise awareness of the challenges and inequalities many girls face, and to recognize their incredible potential and resilience. The day encourages people to take action to support girls and young women in their communities, and to promote gender equality and women’s rights globally.
The origin of the International Day of Every Girl Wins is connected with the Canadian organization Every Girl Wins. The movement aims to empower girls through education, mentoring and legal support, and help them realize their potential.
Interesting facts
According to the UN, every third girl in the world does not have access to secondary education, which affects her future professional growth.
Girls who receive an education have a higher chance of employment and financial independence in adulthood.
According to research, investments in girls’ education lead to a decrease in child mortality and an improvement in the economic development of countries.
Adolescent girls around the world face the risks of early marriage, violence and limited access to health services.
Organizations supporting girls’ rights work to overcome gender stereotypes that limit their development in science, sports and business.
World Kidney Day
The day aims to raise awareness of the importance of kidney health, disease prevention and the importance of early diagnosis. The kidneys perform vital functions in the body, including cleaning the blood of toxins, regulating water, salt, and mineral levels, as well as producing hormones that control blood pressure and red blood cell production. However, kidney diseases often develop without symptoms, so it is important to undergo regular examinations.
The main risk factors are diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and genetic predisposition. Timely diagnosis, healthy nutrition, physical activity and control over bad habits help to reduce the risk of kidney diseases.
World Kidney Day is celebrated with a variety of activities: information campaigns, free medical examinations, lectures and actions calling for a healthy lifestyle.
Interesting facts
Human kidneys filter about 50 gallons (about 190 liters) of blood each day.
Each kidney contains about one million nephrons — microscopic filters that purify the blood.
If one kidney is lost, a friend can perform the functions of both.
Dehydration is one of the main causes of kidney stones.
A healthy, low-salt diet helps maintain normal kidney function.
World Riesling White Wine Day
This day is dedicated to one of the most famous varieties of white grapes, which is used for the production of exquisite white wine with a characteristic aroma and exquisite taste.
Riesling originates from the regions of Germany and is known for its ability to reflect the unique characteristics of the terroir in which it is grown. This wine is famous for notes of peach, apricot, apple, citrus, and can also have mineral shades. Its taste can vary from dry to sweet, making Riesling versatile for a variety of gastronomic combinations.
Interesting facts
Riesling is one of the oldest grape varieties, the first mention of it dates back to the 15th century in Germany.
This variety is known for its high acidity, which makes the wine fresh and long-lasting.
Riesling can withstand long-term storage, during which its taste reveals new shades.
It is grown in many countries, including Germany, France (Alsace), Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
Riesling goes well with seafood, white meat, Asian cuisine and dishes with spices.
Jewel Day
This day is an opportunity to give jewelry to loved ones and important people as a symbol of attention, love and respect. It is not only a way to express your feelings, but also an opportunity to emphasize the importance of the people in your life.
Jewelry has long been considered a symbol of beauty, status and wealth. They have cultural, historical and even spiritual significance, because each precious stone or decoration has its own unique symbolism and meaning.
On this day, people can give both classic jewelry – earrings, rings, necklaces, as well as original jewelry made of natural stones or other materials that have a special meaning for the giver and recipient.
Interesting facts
Diamond is considered the hardest natural material on Earth.
Turquoise was one of the first gems that began to be used in jewelry 5 thousand years ago.
In ancient cultures, sapphires were believed to ward off evil, and emeralds to bring wisdom.
Pearls are formed in the shells of molluscs and are the only gemstone of organic origin.
Many peoples of the world give certain jewels a special symbolic meaning: for example, garnet is associated with love and devotion.
Historical events on this day
624 year – the Battle of Badr took place, which was the first significant military engagement between Muhammad and the Quraysh tribe. This victory was of great importance for consolidating the position of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula.
1325 year – according to traditional legends, it was in this year that the city of Tenochtitlan was founded, which became the capital of the Aztec Empire. Today, the modern capital of Mexico – Mexico City is located in its place.
1519 year – the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico, which marked the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Central America and the fall of the Aztec civilization.
1639 year – an educational institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was named Harvard, in honor of its first major benefactor, John Harvard. Today it is one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
1781 year – the English astronomer William Herschel discovered the seventh planet of the Solar System – Uranus, which became a major breakthrough in the development of astronomy.
1809 year – Sir George Gordon Byron, a famous English poet and politician, took a seat in the British House of Lords.
1809 year – a coup d’état took place in Sweden, as a result of which King Gustav IV Adolf was removed from power.
1848 year – the revolutionary movement in Vienna, which was led by students, became the beginning of revolutionary events in the Austrian Empire and the German Union.
1888 year – diamond mines in the South African city of Kimberley merged into the De Beers company, which later became a monopolist in the diamond market.
1917 year – Ukrainian historian and politician Mykhailo Hrushevsky returned to Kyiv from exile, which became an important moment in the restoration of Ukrainian statehood.
1917 year – a yellow-blue flag symbolizing the struggle for Ukraine’s independence was raised over the building of the Central Rada for the first time.
1921 year – Mongolia declared its independence from China, which became an important stage in the formation of modern Mongolian statehood.
1938 year – the Anschluss of Austria by Germany took place, which became part of the aggressive expansion policy of the Third Reich.
1943 year – the Nazis liquidated the Krakow ghetto, which became one of the tragic pages of the Holocaust.
1949 year – the Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences began its activities in Canada, which became an important cultural center of the Ukrainian diaspora.
1961 year – the “Kureniv tragedy”, a man-made disaster, took place in Kyiv, killing more than 1,500 people.
1997 year – Ukraine and NASA signed an agreement thanks to which the first Ukrainian cosmonaut Leonid Kadenyuk flew into space.
2013 year – Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), the first Pope from Latin America, was elected Pope.
2014 year – in Donetsk, during a rally against Russian aggression, local resident Dmytro Chernyavskyi was killed, which became a symbol of the struggle for Ukraine’s independence.
2022 year – mass rallies took place in Kherson against the holding of a referendum on the creation of the so-called “Kherson People’s Republic”.
Anton Makarenko’s birthday
On March 13, 1888, Anton Semenovych Makarenko was born in a rented apartment in a village near the railway station near the village of Bilopillia, Sumy District, Kharkiv Province, one of the most outstanding Soviet teachers of the 20th century. His parents were Semen Hryhorovych Makarenko, a worker-painter of railway carriage workshops, and Tetyana Mykhailivna Makarenko (née Dergacheva), the daughter of a minor official in the Kryukiv quartermaster’s office.
The system of education and re-education of youth developed by Makarenko remains relevant even today, especially in Europe and Asian countries. In Japan, his works are reprinted in mass editions and are considered mandatory literature for company managers. His methods are motivation to work, strict discipline, a flexible system of incentives and “elbow feeling”. Makarenko’s words “Work is the basis of everything!” often become slogans for companies.
In 1988, on the 100th anniversary of the teacher, UNESCO declared this year the year of Makarenko. At the same time, four great pedagogues who defined the pedagogical thinking of the 20th century were named: A.S. Makarenko, John Dewey, Maria Montessori and Georg Kershensteiner. Makarenko’s main work “Pedagogical Poem” was included in the list of the ten most outstanding books on education of the 20th century.
The results of his pedagogical activities speak for themselves: more than 3,000 homeless children raised in his colonies did not return to a life of crime. From 1928 to 1936, Makarenko headed the labor commune named after Dzerzhynsky in Kharkiv, where he built two factories – for the production of electromechanics and FED cameras. It was in Kharkiv that he developed the main pedagogical innovations, in particular the method of “axial management”, which was later introduced in Japan under the name “policy deployment”, and in the American division of the Japanese company Bridgestone it was called “shining needles”.
Such modern terms as “brainstorming”, “ability to work in a team”, “team building”, “employee motivation”, “corporate university” and “chain of experts” are also echoes of Anton Makarenko’s ideas.
Famous quotes by Makarenko:
“It is impossible to teach a person to be happy, but it is possible to raise him so that he is happy.”
“A person cannot live in the world if there is nothing joyful ahead of him.”
“The more respect for a person, the more demands on him.”
“Do you want to spoil your child’s soul? Then do not refuse her anything, and over time you will understand that you are not growing a person, but a crooked tree.
“A person should not be sculpted, but forged, creating a chain of trials and tribulations, thanks to which a good person is formed.”
Anton Makarenko died on April 1, 1939 in a suburban train. According to legend, he was met by Chekists with handcuffs at the station, but the exact circumstances remain unknown.
The tragedy in the Kharkiv hospital
On March 13, 1943, after the recapture of Kharkiv by German troops, one of the most terrible crimes against humanity took place. Soldiers of the SS division “Adolf Hitler” committed a brutal massacre of wounded Soviet soldiers in the first triage hospital of Corps No. 8, located on Trinkler Street.
On that day, the SS burned alive about 300 wounded Red Army soldiers who did not have time to evacuate to the rear. According to eyewitnesses, the Germans closed the door in the building and set it on fire. The fire quickly engulfed the premises, black smoke filled the rooms. Realizing the inevitability of death, the wounded tried to escape by jumping out of the windows. But German machine gunners were waiting for them outside and shot those who tried to escape. Only 53 people managed to survive that day – they were wounded and medical workers. They escaped by chance: the SS, believing that they were all dead, left the scene of the crime. Then those who remained alive jumped out of the windows of the second floor and fled.
The atrocities continued for several more days – until March 17. In total, more than 400 people were killed. Many were tortured, their bodies were buried in the yard of the hospital. These crimes became known in September 1943, when the Extraordinary State Commission for the Investigation of the Crimes of the German-Fascist Invaders interviewed witnesses and dug up mass graves on the territory of the regional hospital and hospital.
These events were told at the “Trial about the atrocities of the German-fascist invaders in the territory of the city of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region during their temporary occupation”, which took place in December 1943. There are three mass graves on the territory of the military hospital and the regional hospital, where about a thousand people who were shot and tortured in March 1943 are buried. The names of most of them remain unknown.
This tragedy is mentioned in Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s film story “Ukraine on fire”, which became an artistic testimony of the horrors of war and the suffering of the Ukrainian people during the occupation.
Internet Invention Day
On March 13, 1989, the World Wide Web (WWW) – the Internet – was invented. It was created by the English scientist Tim Berners-Lee together with colleagues who worked at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Berners-Lee created the world’s first website at http://info.cern.ch, which is now archived. On August 6, 1991, this site first appeared on the Internet. It contained information about what the World Wide Web is, how to set up a web server, get a browser, and other technical details needed to run your own web resources.
In 1999, Tim Berners-Lee was included in the list of “100 Greatest Minds of the Century” by Time Magazine. And in 2007, together with Albert Hoffman, he topped the list of the greatest geniuses of our time according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Internet took over the world almost instantly: in 1993, only 1% of all information was transmitted through it, in 2000 – 51%, and by 2007, this figure had increased to 97%.
The founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, believed: “If your business is not on the Internet, then you are not in business!”. However, there is another side: today the Internet is like a virtual cemetery. More than 82% of all sites are abandoned, only 17.65% of web pages are actively used.
