March 31 is celebrated as Florist Day of Ukraine, International Embrace of the Medievalist, World Backup Day and Eiffel Tower Day. This day combines events that influenced the development of states, science, culture and technology in different eras.
Florist Day of Ukraine
This is a professional holiday of people who work with flowers and plants. It is dedicated to florists, decorators and craftsmen who create compositions for holidays, events and everyday life. The date was chosen taking into account the beginning of the active spring season, when the demand for flowers increases sharply, and the work of florists becomes especially intense.
Floristry in Ukraine combines artistic approaches with practical plant care skills. In this area, knowledge about the compatibility of flowers, their resistance, symbolism and seasonality is important. Ukrainian florists work both in the traditional manner, using classic bouquets, and create modern compositions from non-standard materials, dried flowers and decorative elements.
Interesting facts
In Kyiv at the beginning of the 20th century, there were specialized flower shops that worked in greenhouses and grew plants directly for sale, which allowed flowers to remain fresh much longer.
In floristry, the rule of the “golden spiral” is used, which is borrowed from mathematics and art, and helps to create harmonious compositions by arranging flowers according to the principle of natural growth.
In Ukraine, the popularity of dried flowers has increased dramatically after 2015 due to their durability and less dependence on the import of fresh flowers during difficult economic periods.
Tulips, which are sold en masse in Ukraine in the spring, are often grown in greenhouses with a controlled microclimate, where their growth cycle is artificially accelerated to 2–3 weeks.
Some florists use special nutrient solutions that can extend the life of cut flowers up to 10–14 days even without daily water changes.
In traditional Ukrainian culture, flowers had a symbolic meaning: periwinkle was associated with eternity, viburnum with family and memory, and marigolds with home and protection.
Modern floral arrangements are sometimes created with the addition of vegetables, fruits, or even metal elements to emphasize the style or theme of the event.
In professional floristry, there is a separate direction – mourning floristry, where arrangements are created taking into account the cultural and religious traditions of a particular region.
The longest-lasting cut orchid in the world is preserved, which, with proper care, can stand in water for more than three weeks without losing its appearance.
International Day of the Medievalist’s Hug
This is an informal holiday dedicated to people who study the Middle Ages. This includes historians, archaeologists, philologists, and anyone who works with sources from that period or popularizes knowledge about it. The day originated as a humorous initiative in academic circles, but gradually spread to a wider audience, including through social networks.
Medievalists study the period from approximately the 5th to the 15th centuries, analyzing manuscripts, chronicles, material monuments and languages. Their work helps to understand the development of states, culture, religion and everyday life of that time. Reconstruction of events and everyday life plays a special role, since many sources have survived in fragments or require complex interpretation.
Interesting facts
The name of the holiday originated in 2011 as an online flash mob among scholars who jokingly offered to “hug a medievalist” as a sign of support for their often underappreciated work.
Many medieval manuscripts have survived because they were copied by monks, sometimes adding their own comments in the margins, which today are a valuable source of information about everyday life.
In Ukraine, important monuments of the Middle Ages are chronicles, in particular, the “Tale of Bygone Years”, which became the basis for studying the early history of the state and neighboring regions.
Medieval texts were often written in Latin, even in countries where it was not spoken, which creates additional difficulties for researchers.
There is a separate field of science – paleography, which specializes in the study of ancient handwriting and helps decipher complex manuscripts.
Some medieval books were created on parchment made of animal skin, and several dozen skins could be needed for one large book.
In medieval universities, education was conducted in the form of disputations, where students publicly discussed complex issues, reminiscent of modern scientific debates.
Some archaeological finds in Ukraine related to Kievan Rus indicate a high level of crafts and trade, in particular jewelry and weapons found during excavations.
In medieval cities, there were strict rules for artisans that regulated the quality of products and even the appearance of goods.
Often in films and popular culture, the Middle Ages are depicted as much darker and less developed than they actually were, which creates a false impression of that period.
World Backup Day
This day is celebrated as a reminder of the need to protect digital data. Its purpose is to encourage users to make copies of important information: documents, photos, work files and personal archives. The date was chosen on the eve of April 1, which is symbolically associated with the risk of losing data due to errors, viruses or technical failures.
Backup involves creating a duplicate of data on a separate medium or in a cloud service. The most common ways are to save information on external drives, servers or in specialized online storage. The practice of regular backups helps to avoid losses in the event of a device being hacked, accidental deletion of files, or cyberattacks, including ransomware.
Interesting facts
The idea of this day appeared in 2011 as an online campaign that quickly spread among technology users and received support from the IT community in different countries.
The “3-2-1” rule is considered the basic standard for backups: three copies of data, two of them on different media and one in a different physical location.
According to statistics, a significant part of users have lost important files at least once due to device failure or accidental deletion, but not all of them regularly create backups.
Ransomware can encrypt all files on a computer, and the only reliable way to restore data in many cases remains a previously created backup.
In large companies, backups are often automated and performed daily or even hourly to minimize information loss.
The first magnetic tapes for data storage, which were used back in the middle of the 20th century, are still used for archival backups due to their durability.
Cloud services allow you to store data on remote servers in different countries, which increases their security in the event of physical damage to the equipment.
In Ukraine, due to power outages and equipment damage, the issue of backup has become especially relevant for businesses and private users.
Some modern operating systems have built-in tools for automatic backups that can be configured without additional software.
Data loss can occur not only due to technical reasons, but also due to the human factor, such as accidental formatting of the media or overwriting of files.
Eiffel Tower Day
This day is celebrated in honor of the completion of construction and official opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889. It was erected in Paris as the main exhibit of the World Exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution. Initially, the structure caused controversy among artists and the public, but over time it became a recognizable symbol of the city and one of the most famous landmarks in the world.
The tower was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel together with a team of specialists. Its height is more than 300 meters, and for several decades it remained the tallest structure in the world. Today, the object is used not only as a tourist attraction, but also for telecommunications, in particular for the transmission of radio and television signals.
Interesting facts
The Eiffel Tower is approximately 330 meters high including antennas, although it was originally about 300 meters. The structure weighs more than 10 thousand tons, of which about 7.3 thousand tons are for the metal frame.
The tower consists of three main levels for visitors, and the total number of steps to the top is 1665. The structure rests on four massive supports located on a square base with a side of approximately 125 meters.
Construction lasted a little more than two years – from 1887 to 1889. More than 18 thousand metal elements were used for its construction, which are fastened with approximately 2.5 million rivets.
The tower has a complex engineering shape, which allows it to effectively resist wind loads, and the maximum deflection of the top under the influence of the wind usually does not exceed a few centimeters. Temperature changes also affect the dimensions of the structure, which was taken into account in its design.
During the construction of the tower, more than 18 thousand metal parts were used, which were connected with approximately 2.5 million rivets, which was an engineering achievement at that time.
The Eiffel Tower was originally planned to be dismantled 20 years after the exhibition, but it was saved by its use for radio communications.
In hot weather, the structure can expand so much that the top deviates by about 15 centimeters due to thermal expansion of the metal.
During World War II, when Paris was occupied, the tower’s elevators were deliberately disabled to make it difficult for German soldiers to climb.
Each year, the structure is painted using tens of tons of paint to protect the metal from corrosion; this process takes several years and is carried out without completely closing it to visitors.
There are several shades of paint that are applied to different levels of the tower so that it appears evenly colored from below despite changing lighting.
At the time of its opening, the tower was the tallest structure in the world and held this status until 1930, when the Chrysler Building was completed in New York.
Gustave Eiffel set up a small private room on the upper level where he conducted scientific experiments and received guests.
At the top of the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel conducted experiments in aerodynamics and meteorology, and also installed equipment for the first radio transmissions there, which actually saved the structure from dismantling.
There are more than 30 copies of the Eiffel Tower in different countries of the world, in particular, significant replicas are in China, the USA and Japan, and some of them reach half its height.
In 1925, the fraudster Victor Lustig twice “sold” the Eiffel Tower for scrap metal to various entrepreneurs, taking advantage of the trust and the difficult situation with the maintenance of the structure.
Historical events on this day
1284 — Bishop Ely founded Peterhouse, which eventually became the oldest college at Cambridge University and retains this status to this day, while also remaining one of the smallest in terms of student numbers.
1492 — Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon issued a decree expelling Jews from Castile and Aragon, which caused mass migration and significantly affected the economy and culture of Spain.
1770 — James Cook completed his exploration of New Zealand, proving that it consists of islands, and then set off towards Australia, opening new territories for Europeans.
1814 — the troops of the Sixth Coalition under the command of Blücher, Schwarzenberg and Barclay de Tolly captured Paris, which became one of the decisive stages in the fall of Napoleon’s power.
1821 — the Inquisition, which had persecuted people for centuries for religious beliefs and dissent, was finally abolished in Portugal.
1831 — Quebec and Montreal received official city status, which contributed to their rapid development as administrative and economic centers of Canada.
1840 — The Central American Federation ceased to exist, the union of the region’s states disintegrated due to political conflicts and contradictions between its participants.
1851 — Leon Foucault began an experiment with a pendulum in the Panthéon in Paris, clearly demonstrating the rotation of the Earth around its axis.
1854 — Japan and the United States signed the Treaty of Kanagawa, which opened Japanese ports to foreigners and ended the country’s long-standing policy of isolation.
1856 — Jews were banned from serving in the Russian Empire’s navy, as part of a broader system of restrictions based on nationality and religion.
1889 — The Eiffel Tower, built as the centerpiece of the World’s Fair; engineer Gustave Eiffel personally raised the French flag at its peak, and visitors climbed the stairs due to the lack of working elevators.
1893 — Whitcomb Judson introduced a new type of fastener, which later became known as the “zipper” and became an integral part of clothing and accessories.
1896 — the zipper was officially patented in the United States, which began its mass production and use in everyday life.
1900 — the first nationwide automobile advertisement appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, which indicated the beginning of the active development of the automobile industry.
1900 — a law was passed in France that limited the working day for women and children to 11 hours, which was a step towards improving working conditions.
1901 — the first Mercedes car, designed by Wilhelm Maybach, was created, which became the basis for the further development of modern automobile manufacturing.
1909 — construction of the Titanic began, which later became one of the most famous ships in history due to its tragic fate.
1917 — The Danish West Indies were transferred to the United States for $25 million and were renamed the U.S. Virgin Islands.
1918 — Daylight Saving Time was first introduced in the United States to save energy, which later became a common practice in many countries.
1922 — in Kyiv, Les Kurbas founded the Berezil Theater, which became an important center for the development of Ukrainian modern theater and later moved to Kharkiv.
1923 — the first dance marathon took place in New York, the winner of which danced continuously for 27 hours, setting a kind of endurance record.
1929 — the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences approved the Kharkiv orthography, which standardized the rules of the Ukrainian language and influenced its further development.
1936 — An exhibition of “degenerate art” was opened in Munich, where the Nazi authorities tried to discredit modern artistic movements.
1940 — LaGuardia Airport was opened in New York, which became one of the city’s key transport hubs.
1949 — Newfoundland became part of Canada as the tenth province, completing the process of political accession.
1952 — a branch of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was opened in Lviv, which contributed to the development of scientific research in the region.
1954 — the USSR proposed joining NATO, but the alliance refused, which became an indicator of the deep political contradictions of the Cold War period.
1959 — the Dalai Lama left Tibet after the aggravation of the situation with the Chinese authorities and went into exile.
1966 — Luna 10 was launched, which became the first artificial satellite of the Moon and opened a new stage in space exploration.
1967 — NATO headquarters were moved from Paris to Brussels after France decided to withdraw from the military structure of the alliance.
1973 — Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon first appeared on the Billboard chart and remained there for many years.
1976 — Led Zeppelin released the album Presence, which became one of the notable releases in rock music of the time.
1991 — in a referendum in Georgia, the majority of the population supported independence, which was an important step towards leaving the USSR.
1992 — The UN imposed sanctions against Libya due to its refusal to cooperate in the Lockerbie bombing.
1994 — Hungary applied for membership in the European Union, beginning the process of integration into European structures.
1998 — the world speed record for a production car was set — over 400 km/h, which became an important achievement in automotive engineering.
2019 — the first round of presidential elections was held in Ukraine, according to the results of which Volodymyr Zelensky and Petro Poroshenko advanced to the second round.
2020 — The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on the land market, which lifted a long-standing moratorium on the sale of agricultural land and caused significant public outcry.
