IOTD

                                                        Becoming Autumn

Calendar day; August 25, 2015

Tuesday, the 25th of August, 2015 is the 237th day in 2015 and in the 35th calendar week.

General Events:

Uruguay Independence Day
August 25, 2015 in Uruguay

Known as ‘Día de la Independencia’, this holiday is Uruguay’s National Day and is always celebrated on 25 August and marks Uruguay’s independence from Brazil in 1825.

The region now known as Uruguay lay on the Eastern bank (‘Banda Oriental’) of the River Plate and had passed through English, Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian control in a short period at the start of the nineteenth century. When Brazil gained its independence from Portugal in 1822., Banda Oriental had become a province of Brazil.

On 25 August 1825, following a short period of rebellion, Uruguay declared its independence from Brazil. This instigated the Argentina- Brazil War. The conflict lasted until August 1828, when the British negotiated a resolution that led to Brazil recognising Uruguay’s independence.

To mark the holiday, various patriotic ceremonies take place in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.

Where is Uruguay Independence Day?
Nationwide Uruguay

Liberation Day of Paris
August 25, 2015 in France

Liberation Day of Paris on August 25 is a very important day for the French. This day commemorates the liberation of Paris from German occupation.

Paris was occupied by Nazi Germany on June 22, 1940 since the signing of the Second Compiègne Armistice. Liberation of Paris began on August 19, 1944 with the uprising against the German garrison. The 2nd French Armored Division led by General Philippe Lecrec fought its way to Paris and seized Hôtel de Ville on the night of August 24. The next morning the 2nd French Armored Division and the 4th U.S. Infantry Division entered Paris. German garrison surrendered to the French and they assumed control of the city.

Liberation Day of Paris is not a public holiday in France, but at the same time this day is very important for the Parisians. Grand events are organized in the city on August 25. They remind the citizens about the importance of this date.

Where is this event?
Nationwide France

Soldier’s Day in Brazil
August 25, 2015 in Brazil

In Brazil, there are several commemorative days of the Armed Forces. One of them is Soldier’s Day (Dia do Soldado). It is celebrated on August 25 to commemorate the birthday of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, an outstanding Brazilian marshal.

Luís Alves de Lima e Silva was born on August 25, 1803. In 1818, he was admitted into the Royal Military Academy in Rio de Janeiro. However, he never graduated, dropping out in 1821 and enlisting in the 1st Fusilier Battalion.

Luís Alves participated in the Brazilian War of Independence, the Cisplatine War, the Regamuffin War, the Platine War and quelled a number of rebellions in the Brazilian Empire. In 1840, Emperor Pedro II granted him the title of Baron of Caxias. The title commemorated his recapture of the town of Caxias from the rebels.

Caxias became commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Army in 1866, during the Paraguayan War. He also served three terms as Prime Minister of Brazil (in 1856-1857, 1861-1862 and 1875-1878). In 1869, Pedro II raised him to duke.

The birthday of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva was declared Soldier’s Day in 1925. The holiday focuses on honoring the Brazilian Army. On this day, Brazilian soldiers pay homage to Duke of Caxias who is regarded as a soldierly ideal and one of the greatest officers in the military history of Brazil.

Where is this event?
Nationwide Brazil

Day of Songun
August 25, 2015 in North Korea

Day of Songun is a North Korean public holiday celebrated on August 25. It was established in 2013 to honor the country’s “military first” policy that prioritizes the Korea People’s Army in the allocation of resources and state affairs.

The Songun era began on August 25, 1960 when Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il visited the Seoul 105th Guards Armored Division HQ in Pyongyang. After that, Kim Jong-il frequently visited various army installation across the country.

However, Songun was declared an official government policy only after Kim Il-sung’s death in 1994. Kim Jong-il introduced the Songun policy to win the support of the army, retain control over the government and consolidate power after his father’s death. Songun in fact replaced Juche as the central state ideology.

Songun grants the Korean People’s Army the primary position in the government and society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, guiding both domestic policy and foreign relations. The military is positioned as the model for Korean society to emulate.

Where is Day of Songun?
Nationwide North Korea

Historical Events on 25th August:

325 – Council of Nicaea ends with adoption of the Nicene Creed establishing the doctrine of the Holy Trinity

1248 – The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III, the Archbishop of Utrecht

1537 – The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, is formed

1609 – Galileo demonstrates his 1st telescope to Venetian lawmakers

1718 – Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana; New Orleans, founded

1804 – Alice Meynell becomes 1st woman jockey (England)

1814 – British forces destroy Library of Congress, containing 3,000 books (War of 1812)

1825 – Uruguay declares independence from Brazil (National Day)

1875 – Matthew Webb becomes 1st to swim English Channel (21h 45m)

1894 – Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and publishes his findings in The Lancet

1912 – The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded

1924 – International maritime treaty drawn

1932 – Amelia Earhart completes transcontinental flight

1940 – Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia incorporated into Soviet Union

1944 – Paris liberated from Nazi occupation (Freedom Tuesday)
1944 – General De Gaulle walks the Champs Elysees in Paris after the liberation of the city from Nazi occupation

1952 – Puerto Rico becomes a US commonwealth

1967 – Paraguay accepts its constitution

1973 – Zambia adopts constitution

1979 – Somali adopts constitution

1988 – Serious fire destroys historic center of Lisbon

1989 – After 12-year, 4-billion-mile journey, Voyager 2 flies over cloudtops of Neptune & its moon Triton, sending back photographs of swamps

1990 – UN security council authorizes military action against Iraq

1991 – White-Russia declares its independence

1991 – Linux was born when Linus Torvalds sent off the email announcing his project to create a new operating system

1997 – Egon Krenz, the former East German leader, is convicted of a shoot-to-kill Berlin Wall policy

2003 – The Tli Cho land claims agreement is signed between the Dogrib First Nations and the Canadian federal government in Rae-Edzo (now called Behchoko)