пятница, 6 апреля 2012 г.

April, 10, 1912 - the Tragedy of the 'Titanic'


Grandeur. Elegance. Luxury. A floating palace. These were a few of the descriptions used for the largest passenger steamship in the world when she was built. The Titanic had libraries, squash courts, a heated swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gymnasium, elevators, barber shops, and four restaurants offering magnificent cuisine. The ship had 840 private rooms for the first-, second- and third-class sections of the boat, and could carry 3,547 passengers and crew.
The Titanic featured the latest in maritime technology and was said to be "unsinkable." The designers claimed that no one would get seasick on the Titanic because of her massive size. There were two huge steam engines, over 100 coal-burning furnaces, several boilers, steam-powered generators, an elaborate electrical system, and Marconi radios that could send messages from the ship.
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World Health Day - April,7


Every year, World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of concern for WHO.
World Health Day is a global campaign, inviting everyone – from global leaders to the public in all countries – to focus on a single health challenge with global impact. Focusing on new and emerging health issues, World Health Day provides an opportunity to start collective action to protect people's health and well-being.

воскресенье, 1 апреля 2012 г.

April Fool's Day History



The history of April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day began around 1582 in France with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX. New Year's Day was moved from March 25 - April 1 (new year's week) to January 1.
A common practice was to hook a paper fish on the back of someone as a joke. This tradition eventually spread elsewhere like to Britain and Scotland in the 18th century and was introduced to the American colonies by the English and the French. Because of this spread to other countries, April Fool's Day has taken on an international flavor with each country celebrating the holiday in its own way.
In Scotland, for instance, April Fool's Day is devoted to spoofs involving the buttocks and as such is called Taily Day. The butts of these jokes are known as April 'Gowk', another name for cuckoo bird. The origins of the "Kick Me" sign can be traced back to the Scottish observance.
In England, jokes are played only in the morning. Fools are called 'gobs' or 'gobby' and the victim of a joke is called a 'noodle.' It was considered back luck to play a practical joke on someone after noon.
In Rome, the holiday is known as Festival of Hilaria, celebrating the resurrection of the god Attis, is on March 25 and is also referred to as "Roman Laughing Day."
In Portugal, April Fool's Day falls on the Sunday and Monday before lent. In this celebration, many people throw flour at their friends.
The Huli Festival is celebrated on March 31 in India. People play jokes on one another and smear colors on one another celebrating the arrival of Spring.
So, no matter where you happen to be in the world on April 1, don't be surprised if April fools fall playfully upon you.
How do you celebrate this holiday?