On 1 November, the world celebrates the European Union’s birthday, World Lawyers Day, World Business Intelligence Day and World Ballet Day.
Birthday of the European Union
This is a celebration of the economic and political union of 27 independent European countries. The European Union, which is now the most integrated union of states on the continent, dates back to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. Initially, it consisted of only six countries, but gradually the association expanded, accepting new members and increasing its political and economic powers.
The European Union in its current form was formed on the basis of the Maastricht Treaty, signed on 7 February 1992 and officially implemented on 1 November 1993. An important historical impetus for the creation of the EU was given by the so-called Schuman Declaration, announced on 9 May 1950 by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman. It proposed a new form of cooperation between France, Germany and other Western European countries, laying the foundations for economic integration as a means of preventing wars in Europe.
Today, the European Union is a union of democratic countries united for peace, stability and economic prosperity. The member states have common institutions that allow them to make democratic decisions on common issues at the European level, while retaining a part of national sovereignty.
Interesting facts
The EU is the second largest economic union in the world and plays an important role in the international arena. The Union actively supports the development of democracy, human rights and environmental initiatives both in Europe and beyond.
Europe Day symbolises unity, solidarity and peace among European countries. The blue flag with 12 golden stars and the EU anthem, ‘Ode to Joy’ (from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony), are well-known symbols that emphasise the EU’s shared values and goals.
The euro, the EU’s common currency, was first introduced for non-cash payments in 1999 and into cash circulation in 2002. Today, 20 of the 27 EU member states use the euro.
The EU has created a dynamic common market where goods, services, people and capital move freely. This allows citizens of member states to live, work and travel without visas throughout the EU.
Over the years, the EU has gone through several waves of enlargement, adding new countries. The largest wave occurred in 2004, when 10 new countries, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, joined the EU.
The EU has its own European Court of Human Rights, established in 1998, which monitors the observance of human rights in all member states of the Council of Europe.
One of the main strategic directions is the European Green Deal, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This ambitious plan covers all sectors, including industry, transport and energy, and aims to reduce carbon emissions.
Since 23 June 2022, Ukraine has been a candidate for EU membership. The EU is a political, economic and cultural union with the characteristics of a confederation, comprising 27 European states with a population of 447,706,209 people (as of 1 July 2020).
World Lawyer Friendly Day
This unofficial holiday, which is celebrated annually on the first Friday of November, is intended to highlight the importance of the work of lawyers and to remind us of their role in protecting rights, maintaining law and order and justice in society.
Interesting facts
This holiday is an occasion for professional communities of lawyers and legal professionals to hold thematic events, forums and meetings to discuss ethical principles, the importance of mutual respect and goodwill in professional activities.
On this day, posts on justice and jurisprudence are popular, as well as posts of gratitude to lawyers for their work. Humorous memes and ironic statements related to stereotypes about the legal profession often appear.
Lawyers perform an important function not only in courtrooms, but also in business, government agencies, international organisations and even in social initiatives. They help people understand complex legal issues, ensure compliance with the law and protect the rights of citizens.
The World Lawyers Day also reminds us of the need for ethics in the legal profession, the importance of mutual respect between the profession and clients, and the role of lawyers in maintaining fairness and objectivity in the administration of justice.
This holiday is a great opportunity to thank lawyers for their hard work, which often involves emotional stress and difficult ethical decisions. Lawyers often act as defenders of justice and help people in critical situations.
World Business Intelligence Day
This day is an important event for business analysts and is designed to raise awareness of the role of business analysts in helping organisations grow, improve processes and achieve strategic goals. Thanks to business analysts, companies can adapt to changes, use resources efficiently and innovate.
Interesting facts
The idea of business intelligence originated in the 1960s, when companies began to actively use data processing systems to improve operations. Since then, the role of analysts has become an integral part of corporate culture.
According to a LinkedIn report, business analytics is among the most in-demand professions in the world. In 2023, the number of vacancies in the field of business analytics increased by more than 20% compared to the previous year.
A high level of statistical knowledge, skills in data analysis tools (such as SQL, Power BI, Tableau), and communication skills are critical to success in the profession.
Most decisions made at the management level are based on analytical data. Analysts play a key role in identifying growth opportunities, optimising costs, and identifying potential business risks.
Business analytics actively uses the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data. This allows specialists not only to analyse past data but also to predict future trends, providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making.
While business intelligence used to be mostly associated with the financial and technology sectors, today its application has spread to healthcare, education, government organisations, manufacturing and even sports.
World Ballet Day
This holiday was initiated by the Royal Ballet of London and supported by the world’s leading ballet companies, including the Australian Ballet, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the San Francisco Ballet. This day brings together ballet lovers and professionals and provides a unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of theatres.
Interesting facts
In honour of World Ballet Day, many ballet companies organise broadcasts of rehearsals and backstage preparations. This allows viewers to see the process of creating ballet productions, the training of artists and various aspects of life behind the scenes.
To date, more than 50 theatres from all over the world have joined the celebration, and virtual events allow us to reach a wide audience. Viewers from all over the world can watch rehearsals and exclusive interviews with dancers and choreographers.
World Ballet Day aims to promote this art form, increase interest in ballet performances and broaden knowledge of classical and contemporary ballet productions.
In addition to professional performances, theatres organise masterclasses and meetings for beginners and young dancers on this day. This helps to popularise ballet among young people and inspire new generations to learn the art.
Thanks to modern technology, the World Ballet Day celebrations are held online, making them accessible to everyone. Viewers can virtually ‘visit’ different theatres and enjoy performances by ballet companies regardless of their location.
Historical events on this day
1179 – Philip II Augustus, the future King of France, nicknamed ‘The Divine’, was crowned in Reims Cathedral. His reign marked a period of strengthening royal power and the beginning of France’s territorial expansion.
1478 – Pope Sixtus IV granted permission to establish the Spanish Inquisition. Its goal was to preserve the Catholic faith in Spain and fight heresies, which had an important impact on the country’s religious and social structure.
1512 – The Sistine Chapel frescoes created by the genius Michelangelo were first opened to the public. It is one of the greatest artistic achievements of the Renaissance, containing images from the Bible and is a famous masterpiece of Western art.
1525 – Francisco Pizarro’s famous expedition to Peru began, which marked the beginning of the conquest of the Inca Empire and played a significant role in expanding Spanish possessions in the New World.
1570 – A major flood occurs in the North Sea, killing more than 20,000 people. This catastrophe, known as the Great Flood of All Saints, caused significant damage to the Netherlands and Northern Germany.
1604 – The Royal Palace of Whitehall in London hosted the premiere of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. This play became one of the most famous Shakespearean tragedies and is still popular in theatres around the world.
1755 – a terrible earthquake in Lisbon, which almost destroyed the capital of Portugal, killed 32,000 people and left about 100,000 injured. This tragedy influenced the development of seismology and architecture in Europe.
1800 – John Adams became the first US president to enter the White House, a new residence for presidents that later became a symbol of the US government.
1870 – the US Weather Bureau issued its first official weather forecast, marking the beginning of professional meteorological services in the country.
1894 – French microbiologist Emile Roux announced the creation of anti-diphtheria serum, which was a breakthrough in the fight against infectious diseases.
1896 – National Geographic magazine published the first image of a naked woman’s breast, which caused a wave of discussion and changed the approach to photography in scientific publications.
1918 – the Melbourne Street disaster occurred in New York, killing 102 people. It was one of the worst railway accidents in the United States.
1939 – Nazi Germany annexed western Poland and Gdansk as part of Hitler’s plan to expand its territories during World War II.
1950 – an unsuccessful assassination attempt on US President Harry Truman was made. The incident took place in Washington, DC, near the Blair House residence.
1952 – the United States conducted the first hydrogen bomb test at Eniwetok Atoll, which marked a new stage in the arms race and contributed to the expansion of nuclear weapons capabilities.
1954 – an armed uprising in Algeria against the French administration started the Algerian War of Independence, which lasted until 1962.
1954 – the world’s first fully transistorised radio, the Regency TR-1, was launched in the United States, revolutionising electronics by significantly reducing the size of portable devices.
1998 – the European Court of Human Rights was established as an institution to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Council of Europe member states.
2012 – a petrol tanker exploded in the Saudi capital Riyadh, killing 26 people and injuring 135. This tragedy has become a symbol of the dangers associated with the transport of fuel in densely populated areas.
Birthday of the millionth resident of Kharkiv
On 1 November 1962, a boy was born to the Marushchak family in Kharkiv. For his parents, Andrii and Viktoriia Marushchak, he was the first child, and for the city, the millionth resident. The boy was named Yuri in honour of the world’s first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin. To mark this momentous occasion, the city presented the family with a three-room apartment, and Kharkiv became the fourth city with a million inhabitants in the Soviet Union, along with Moscow, Leningrad and Kyiv.
For about five years, photojournalists actively photographed the ‘star’ boy for various print media in the country. Over time, interest in him waned, but revived again when Kharkiv became the city’s 1.5 millionth resident. Yuriy Marushchak, a 20-year-old college student at the time, was invited to the newborn’s registration ceremony and presented with a medal confirming his status as Kharkiv’s ‘millionth’ resident.
Yuriy Marushchak now lives in Pesochin.
The birth of the two millionth Kharkiv resident was expected in 1992, but it did not happen.
