On October 3, the World Mushroom Day and the World Sobriety Day are celebrated.
On October 3, 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln announced that every last Thursday in November would become an official holiday – Thanksgiving Day.
On October 3, 1990, the reunification of Germany took place, a key event in European post-war history.
On October 3, 1925, the first stationary opera theater in Ukraine – the State Theater of Opera and Ballet – was opened in Kharkiv at 21 Rymarska Street.
On October 3, 1906, a Maritime Conference was held in Berlin with the participation of representatives of 29 countries, at which the SOS signal was approved as an international distress signal.
October 3, 1625 was the date when the author of the immortal novel, Alexandre Dumas the elder, fixed a ball at which Queen Anne of Austria was to appear with the pendants presented to her by King Louis XIII.
World Mushroom Day
Today, lovers of “quiet hunting” celebrate the World Day of Mushroom Pickers – an unofficial holiday that unites fans of mushroom picking. This date is a symbol of the beginning of the mushroom season, when nature presents its autumn riches, and the forest invites you to active recreation.
Collecting mushrooms has become a kind of tradition that combines love for nature and the opportunity to spend time in the fresh air. Mushroom pickers not only hunt for edible mushrooms, but also enjoy the tranquility of the forest, its smells and colors. That is why this day is celebrated not only in Ukraine, but also in many countries of the world.
For many, picking mushrooms is not just a hobby, but a real art. Understanding the difference between different types of mushrooms, knowledge of forest areas, and the ability to find the best mushroom spots — all this makes mushroom pickers true masters of their craft. Therefore, October 3 is a great opportunity to take a basket, put on comfortable shoes and go to meet nature, celebrating World Mushroom Day.
Interesting facts
Mushroom picking was popular even in ancient times. In Ancient Rome, mushrooms were considered a delicacy for emperors and nobility.
Mushrooms form a separate kingdom, they do not belong to either plants or animals. Their closest “relatives” are yeast and mold. Although only about 10% of them are edible, the mushroom world is extremely diverse. Some mushrooms still do not have a scientific description.
In Oregon, USA, a mushroom called Armillaria ostoyae was found, which spread over an area of 9 km² and weighs hundreds of tons. Its age can reach thousands of years.
Some types of mushrooms have bioluminescence, that is, the ability to glow. This helps them attract insects to spread the spores. Some mushrooms secrete special chemicals that confuse ants and other insects, forcing them to “wander” in search of food.
Mushrooms have been used in medicine since ancient times. For example, penicillin, one of the most important antibiotics, was obtained from the mold fungus Penicillium.
Many types of mushrooms do not grow in polluted areas, so their presence indicates the ecological health of the area.
The most dangerous mushroom is the pale toadstool. This mushroom is responsible for most cases of fatal poisoning. One small cap can be fatal for an adult.
Mushrooms can be grown at home. There are special kits for growing edible mushrooms right in the kitchen, making them available at any time of the year.
World Sobriety Day
This day aims to draw attention to the problems of alcoholism and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. This holiday has become a symbol of the fight against alcohol addiction, as well as the popularization of a sober lifestyle, especially among young people.
On this day, actions aimed at informing about the harmful effects of alcohol on human health, on social relations and the economic condition of society are held. Medical institutions, public organizations, and activists conduct seminars, trainings, and provide psychological assistance to those who want to quit a bad habit.
Interesting facts
Alcohol affects all human organs. Alcohol consumption negatively affects the brain, liver, heart, digestive system and immune system. Even small doses can cause cognitive impairment and impair decision-making.
Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the world. According to the WHO, annually more than 3 million people in the world die due to causes related to alcohol. This is about 5.3% of all deaths.
Alcohol is one of the causes of domestic violence. Studies show that a large proportion of cases of domestic violence are related to the use of alcohol. Alcohol reduces self-control and increases aggressiveness, which can lead to conflicts.
A sober lifestyle has a positive effect on life expectancy. People who do not drink or limit their alcohol consumption tend to live longer and have better physical and mental health.
Alcohol affects the ability to recover from injuries and illnesses. The body of sober people recovers faster after illnesses and injuries, because alcohol suppresses the immune system and slows down the regeneration of tissues.
A sober lifestyle often becomes an example for others. People who give up alcohol demonstrate willpower and can help loved ones change their bad habits.
Temperance movements began in the 19th century when people began to oppose alcoholism as a social problem. Some countries even introduced a dry law, although it often had negative consequences.
Alcohol consumption can lead to the development of more than 60 different diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and liver disease.
Many countries in the world have government programs aimed at combating alcoholism, which include preventive measures, treatment and social rehabilitation of people suffering from alcoholism.
More and more people in the world are joining the movement for a sober holiday, organizing parties without alcohol. Such activities promote a healthy lifestyle and show that it is possible to have fun without bad habits.
Historical events on this day
1906 – the SOS international distress signal was officially approved, which replaced the previously active CQD signal. SOS became a more convenient and recognizable signal in Morse radio telegraph code. Its adoption at the international level was an important step in ensuring effective communication during emergencies at sea.
1917 – the All-Ukrainian Congress of Cossacks began in Chygyrin, during which the organization’s charter was approved and its General Council headed by Pavel Skoropadsky was elected. It was an important step in the revival of Cossack traditions in Ukraine and an attempt to organize a national military formation in the period of post-revolutionary changes.
1925 – the Kharkiv State Opera and Ballet Theater was opened. This is the first stationary opera house in Ukraine, which later became a cultural pearl of the country and an important institution in world musical and theatrical culture.
1926 – the First Ukrainian Scientific Congress, which gathered the intellectual elite of the Ukrainian diaspora, began in Prague. This event was an important step for the development of Ukrainian science outside of Ukraine, contributing to the strengthening of national identity among scientists.
1929 – The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes officially changed its name to Yugoslavia, which became an important step in the process of political integration of the South Slavic peoples and strengthening of their statehood.
1932 – The Kingdom of Iraq gained full independence from Great Britain, cementing its place on the international arena as a sovereign state. This event became significant in the history of the Middle East and ended the period of the British Mandate.
1935 – the Italian-Abyssinian war began, when Italy invaded Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia). This conflict became an important stage in the expansion of Italian colonial ambitions, which later led to Italy’s international isolation.
1942 – Germany tested the Vau-2 missile for the first time. This test became a revolutionary moment in the history of rocketry and military technology, paving the way for the creation of modern missile systems.
1945 – the World Federation of Trade Unions was created. This international association aims to protect the rights of workers around the world, becoming an important tool in the fight for social justice.
1952 – Great Britain conducted its first test of a nuclear bomb, becoming the third country in the world to possess nuclear weapons. This test became part of the global arms race during the Cold War.
1952 – the first video recording on magnetic tape was made in Los Angeles, which was a breakthrough in the development of media technologies. This invention opened up new opportunities for the television and film industries.
1973 – a monument to the outstanding Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka was opened in Kyiv. This event marked the importance of her literary heritage for national culture and strengthened her place in the history of Ukrainian literature.
1990 – the process of unification of East and West Germany, which is celebrated every year as the Day of German Unity, was completed. This event became one of the most important in post-war European history, ushering in a new era for a unified Germany.
2003 – philosopher and associate professor of the Department of Culture of LNU named after Ivan Franko, Stanislav Shendryk, committed self-immolation as a sign of protest against the illegal sale by the city authorities of a plot of land that belonged to him according to a court decision. This tragic event became a symbol of the struggle for justice.
2013 – Ukraine became an associate member of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), which opens new perspectives for Ukrainian scientists in the field of advanced physical research.
thanksgiving day
On October 3, 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln announced that every last Thursday in November would become an official holiday – Thanksgiving Day. This day was supposed to symbolize thanksgiving for prosperity and harvest, but the holiday also had a unifying function in the conditions of the Civil War. However, decades later, Thanksgiving almost caused a split between the American states.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to move the holiday from the last Thursday in November to the penultimate Thursday, hoping to extend the pre-Christmas sales season. But not everyone agreed with this change: 23 states started celebrating Thanksgiving on the new date, and 22 – kept the holiday on the traditional last Thursday. Some states, like Texas, have decided to declare both days public holidays! This confusion continued until 1941, when the US Congress finally passed legislation establishing the celebration on the fourth Thursday of November. Roosevelt signed this law on December 26, 1941, ending the controversy and cementing the current order of celebration.
The history of the holiday began with the first English settlers who arrived on a new continent with a harsh climate. If it weren’t for the help of the local Indians, the settlers would hardly have survived their first winter. Thanks to the support of the Indians, the next year the settlers harvested a good harvest and held a feast, to which the tribe that saved them was invited. During the celebration, they thanked them and gave praise to God for salvation. It was the first Thanksgiving in history.
By the way, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated not only in the USA. In Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October. But the question arises: why, after all this, did the Indians get so much trouble from the colonists? And why do they say “thank you” only one day a year?
Reunification of Germany
On October 3, 1990, the reunification of Germany took place, a key event in European post-war history. On this day, the GDR flag was lowered in Berlin, and the former socialist state officially ceased to exist, becoming part of a unified Germany.
It is interesting that at the time of reunification Angela Merkel worked in the last government of East Germany as the deputy press secretary of Lothar de Maiziere, the last leader of the GDR. Her path from an official in the government of a socialist state to the chancellor of a united Germany is an extraordinary example of a political career.
However, not all European leaders positively accepted the idea of reunification. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher openly stated in a conversation with Mikhail Gorbachev: “We do not want Germany to become united again. Such a development can undermine stability in the entire world.” Thatcher even believed that a united Germany could cooperate more with the USSR than with NATO countries. However, as a result of the negotiations, Great Britain still gave its consent to the unification.
France also had doubts. The personal adviser of the president Francois Mitterrand directly stated: “France does not want the reunification of Germany.” In Paris, they feared the rise of German revanchist sentiments, but Mitterrand later softened his position.
Mykhailo Gorbachev emphasized that the process of unification is the business of the Germans themselves. However, it was he who convinced Margaret Thatcher that a united Germany did not pose a threat to peace in Europe. The German chancellor added that Germany’s full sovereignty presupposes the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the territory of the former GDR, after which any German troops can be stationed there, but without nuclear weapons. He also emphasized that foreign troops will not be stationed on the territory of the former GDR.
An interesting moment occurred during a rally in honor of the unification of Germany, when the mayor of Stuttgart said:
“It is believed that we owe a lot to President Bush and America for coming together. No! The main heroes of the union are the German and Soviet peoples!”.
US President George Bush, who was present at the event, did not deny this opinion.
Opening of the first stationary opera theater in Ukraine
On October 3, 1925, the first stationary opera theater in Ukraine – the State Theater of Opera and Ballet – was opened in Kharkiv at 21 Rymarska Street. Initially, it was called “Ukrainian State Capital Opera”. The building on Rymarska Street was erected in 1829 by an architect whose name remains unknown. In 1855, the building was purchased by an entrepreneur Zarudny and rebuilt for showing performances. Later, this building became the property of a commercial club, and in 1884–1885 it was thoroughly reconstructed as an opera house.
Since 1931, the theater has been called the Kharkiv Theater of Opera and Ballet, and in 1934 it was granted academic status, since then it has been known under the abbreviation KHATOB. During the Second World War, the theater continued its work in evacuation: first in Chita, and later in Irkutsk, where it worked together with the Kyiv Opera. In 1944, the theater was named after the outstanding Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko.
In 1991, the theater moved to a new building at 25 Sumska Street. In 2010, the theater received national status, and its official abbreviation changed to KHNATOB (Kharkiv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet).
This theater is not only one of the oldest and most famous in Ukraine, but also an important cultural institution, which over the decades of its existence has made a significant contribution to the development of the Ukrainian opera and ballet tradition.
Approval of the SOS signal
On October 3, 1906, a Maritime Conference was held in Berlin with the participation of representatives of 29 countries, at which the SOS signal was approved as an international distress signal, replacing the previously used call sign CQD. It is important to note that contrary to popular belief, SOS is not an acronym. It’s just a combination of signals that is convenient to remember and recognize by ear.
The first CQD signal consisted of “CQ” (short for “come quick”) and the letter “D” (short for “danger”) added later. However, this signal was not widely used due to a number of reasons. One of the main ones was that the CQD signal was patented by the Italians, so it was only allowed to be transmitted through their equipment and under their license. This limited the use of the signal. The Germans tried to implement their signal – SOE, but faced similar problems.
The SOS signal was not patented, so it became publicly available and quickly acquired the status of an international standard. It is transmitted in Morse code as three dots, three dashes and three dots again (… _ …). On paper, the signal is often written as SOS with a dash above the letters.
The SOS signal is transmitted on a frequency of 600 meters and is used exclusively in emergency situations. According to international standards, this signal can also be transmitted by voice – the word “SOS” is pronounced three times, after which the name of the vessel and its coordinates are given to facilitate the rescue operation.
Historical ball in Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers”
October 3, 1625 was the date when the author of the immortal novel, Alexandre Dumas the elder, fixed a ball at which Queen Anne of Austria was to appear with the pendants presented to her by King Louis XIII. The honor of the queen was saved by brave musketeers, and this plot became one of the most famous in the novel “The Three Musketeers”.
Interestingly, the story of the pendants had real historical roots, just as King Louis XIII and his wife, Anne of Austria, who was actually the Queen of Spain, were real. Despite her name, Anna was of Spanish descent, and her beauty captivated many in Europe. King Louis, on the other hand, was known for his gloom and suspicion, and was often referred to as Louis the Grumpy. As often happens in royal circles, jealousy did not bypass this couple, especially when the 33-year-old Duke of Buckingham appeared on the horizon.
Duke George Villiers, young, handsome and charismatic, came to France to accompany King Charles I to his wedding to Henrietta, Louis’ sister. It is not surprising that Anna succumbed to his charms, having such a complicated husband as Louis. The pendants that Anna gave the duke were a parting gift of sorts, and this did not go unnoticed in court circles.
Cardinal Richelieu, always alert to any possibility of intrigue, decided to use this gift by asking one of the ladies of the court, Lucy Hay, to carve two pendants. “I will find a worthy use for them”, he said, and Lucy, in love with the duke, complied with his request, thereby taking revenge on her rival. The pendants were delivered to Paris by the Countess of Carrick, who became the prototype of Milady de Winter in the novel.
However, Richelieu’s plan to bring England and France into conflict did not work, as Buckingham quickly ordered copies of the pendants and immediately sent them to the ball in Paris. Thus, Queen Anne appeared at the event with a decoration, as the king demanded.
By the way, in real life D’Artagnan, who became the hero of Dumas’s adventures, could not take part in this story, because at that time he was only about five years old.
The subsequent fate of the participants in this drama was tragic. Buckingham was later stabbed to death, and Richelieu defeated his enemies, turning France from a fallen country into a powerful state. Queen Anna, learning about the death of her old enemy, could not hold back her tears. After the death of Louis XIII, Anne of Austria transferred power to a new cardinal, Mazarin, who continued Richelieu’s policy.
These events were described in the memoirs of the French politician François Larochefoucault, who noted many important details of those times. Although the names of the messengers who warned Buckingham and delivered the pendants to Paris have not reached us, the jewelry itself has entered history.
And what did those famous pendants look like? The center of attention was a black silk ribbon decorated with silver buttons, which became the most iconic symbol in history.
