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Tag Archives: human-rights
Almanac – June 13
1381 – The Peasants Revolt led by Wat Tyler entered London and, joined by many local townsfolk, attacked the gaols, destroyed the Savoy Palace and the Temple Inns of Court, set fire to law books and killed anyone associated with the royal government.
1884 – Gerald Gardner born. English Wiccan, as well as an author and an amateur anthropologist and archaeologist.
He was instrumental in bringing the Contemporary Pagan religion of Wicca to public attention, writing some of its definitive religious texts and founding the tradition of Gardnerian Wicca.
Tagged as 1381, 1884, amateur anthropologist, archaeologist, author, Contemporary Pagan, Culture, current-events, english, Gardnerian Wicca, Gerald Gardner, human-rights, libya, London, pagan, politics, religion, Savoy Palace, Temple Inns of Court, The Peasants Revolt, Wat Tyler, Wicca, Wiccan
June 8, 2013 · 14:16
632 – Muhammad, Islamic prophet, died, in Medina, at the age of 63, in the house of his wife Aisha. With his head resting on Aisha's lap, he asked her to dispose of his last worldly goods (seven coins), then murmured his final words:
Rather, God on High and paradise.
He was buried where he died, in Aisha's house.
793 – Vikings raided the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of the Scandinavian invasion of England.
1794 – Robespierre inaugurated the French Revolution's new state religion, the Cult of the Supreme Being, with large organized festivals all across France.
The primary principles of the Cult of the Supreme Being were a belief in the existence of a god and the immortality of the human soul. Though not inconsistent with Christian doctrine, these beliefs were put to the service of Robespierre's fuller meaning, which was of a type of civic-minded, public virtue he attributed to the Greeks and Romans.
This type of virtue could only be attained through active fidelity to liberty and democracy. Belief in a living god and a higher moral code, he said, were "constant reminders of justice" and thus essential to a republican society.
To inaugurate the new state religion, Robespierre declared that 20 Prairial Year II (8 June 1794) would be the first day of national celebration of the Supreme Being, and future republican holidays were to be held every tenth day – the days of rest (décadi) in the new French Republican Calendar.
Every locality was mandated to hold a commemorative event, but the event in Paris was designed on a massive scale. The festival was organized by the artist Jacques-Louis David and took place around a man-made mountain on the Champ de Mars. Robespierre assumed full leadership of the event, forcefully – and, to many, ostentatiously – declaring the truth and "social utility" of his new religion.
1809 – Thomas Paine died. English political activist, author, political theorist and revolutionary.
As the author of two highly influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, he inspired the Patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment era rhetoric of transnational human rights. He has been called "a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination."
Paine died at the age of 72, at 59 Grove Street in Greenwich Village, New York City. Although the original building is no longer there, the present building has a plaque noting the fact.
After his death, Paine's body was brought to New Rochelle, but as the Quakers would not allow it to be buried in their graveyard as per his last will, so his remains were buried under a walnut tree on his farm.
In 1819, the English agrarian radical journalist William Cobbett dug up his bones and transported them back to England with the intention to give Paine a heroic reburial on his native soil, but this never came to pass. The bones were still among Cobbett's effects when he died over twenty years later, but were later lost.
There is no confirmed story about what happened to them after that, although down the years various people have claimed to own parts of Paine's remains, such as his skull and right hand.
Tagged as 1794, 1809, 59 Grove Street, 632, abbey, Aisha, American Revolution., author, Cult of the Supreme Being, English political activist, Enlightenment, France, French Republican Calendar, French revolution, Greeks, Greenwich Village, human-rights, Islamic prophet, Jacques-Louis David, libya, Lindisfarne, Medina, Muhammad, New Rochelle, New York City, Northumbria, political theorist, politics, Quakers, radical journalist, religion, revolutionary, Robespierre, Romans., scandinavian invasion, state religion, Thomas Paine, transnational human rights, Vikings, walnut tree, William Cobbett
May 30, 2013 · 12:00
Almanac – May 30
1593 – Christopher Marlowe died. English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era.
Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day, and greatly influenced William Shakespeare, who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe's mysterious early death. Marlowe's plays are known for the use of blank verse, and their overreaching protagonists.
He was stabbed to death by Ingram Frizer. During an argument Marlowe snatched Frizer's dagger and wounded him on the head. In the ensuing struggle, according to the coroner's report, Marlowe was stabbed above the right eye, killing him instantly. The jury concluded that Frizer acted in self-defence, and within a month he was pardoned.
Marlowe was buried in an unmarked grave in the churchyard of St. Nicholas, Deptford immediately after the inquest, on 1 June 1593.
1778 – Voltaire died. French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.
Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate, despite strict censorship laws with harsh penalties for those who broke them. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
1993 – Sun Ra died. Prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances.
"Of all the jazz musicians, Sun Ra was probably the most controversial," critic Scott Yanow said, because of Sun Ra's eclectic music and unorthodox lifestyle.
Claiming that he was of the "Angel Race" and not from Earth, but from Saturn, Sun Ra developed a complex persona using "cosmic" philosophies and lyrical poetry that made him a pioneer of afrofuturism. He preached awareness and peace above all.
Tagged as 1593, 1778, 1993, afrofuturism, Angel Race, bandleader, blank verse, books, Catholic church, censorship laws, Christopher Marlowe, complex persona, coroner's report, cosmic, cosmic philosophy, Deptford, eclectic music, Elizabethan era., Elizabethan playwright, Elizabethan tragedian, English dramatist, Enlightenment, essays, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, french, historian, human-rights, Ingram Frizer, intolerance, jazz composer, literature, lyrical poetry t, novels, pamphlets., philosopher, piano, plays, poems, poet, politics, religion, religious dogma, satirical polemicist, Saturn, Scott Yanow, self-defence, separation of church and state, society, St. Nicholas, Sun Ra, synthesizer player, translator, unmarked grave, unorthodox lifestyle, Voltaire, William Shakespeare., writer, writing
1536 – Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII of England, was beheaded for alledged adultery, treason, and incest.
Following the coronation of her daughter, Elizabeth, as queen, Anne was venerated as a martyr and heroine of the English Reformation, particularly through the works of John Foxe.
Over the centuries, she has inspired or been mentioned in numerous artistic and cultural works, as a result, she has retained her hold on the popular imagination.
Anne has been called "the most influential and important queen consort England has ever had", since she provided the occasion for Henry VIII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and declare his independence from Rome.
1649 – An Act of Parliament declaring England a Commonwealth was passed by the Long Parliament.
England would be a republic for the next eleven years.
1925 – Malcolm X born. American Muslim minister and human rights activist.
To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. Detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, and violence.
He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history.
Tagged as 1536, 1649, 1925, Act of Parliament, adultery, American, Anne Boleyn, artistic and cultural works, beheaded, black supremacy, Catherine of Aragon, Commonwealth, crimes against black Americans, current-events, England, English Reformation, English republic, executed, greatest and most influential African American, Henry VIII, human rights activist., human-rights, incest, John Foxe, libya, Long Parliament, Malcolm X, martyr, minister, Muslim, politics, popular imagination, racism, religion, rights of blacks, Rome, second wife of henry viii, Serial killer, treason, violence.
Almanac – March 25
421 – Venice founded, according to legend, identified with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo at the islet of Rialto ,which is said to have been at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421
1807 – The Slave Trade Act became law, abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire. The act abolished the slave trade but not slavery itself.
Slavery on English soil was unsupported in English law and that position was confirmed in Somersett's Case in 1772, but it remained legal in most of the British Empire until the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
1931 – Tom Wilson born. American record producer best known for his work with Sun Ra, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Simon and Garfunkel and The Velvet Underground.
As a staff producer at Columbia Records he was one of the 'midwives' of folk-rock, producing three of Bob Dylan's key 1960s albums: The Times They Are a-Changin', Another Side of Bob Dylan, and Bringing It All Back Home, along with the 1965 single, "Like a Rolling Stone."
1942 – Aretha Franklin born. American musician, singer, songwriter, and pianist. In a recording career that has spanned over half a century, her repertoire has included gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, pop, rock and funk.
She has been described as "the voice of the civil rights movement, the voice of the black America" and a symbol of black equality.
She first became connected with the movement through her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, a preacher, who traveled the country as well as recorded a weekly sermon for the radio station, WLAC, which reached 65 percent of the African-American population.
On tours with her father, Franklin began her singing career. Rev. Franklin also introduced Franklin to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., starting a lifelong friendship between the two.
Tagged as 1807, 1931, 1942, 421, abolishing the slave trade, African American, American, Another Side of Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, black equality., blues, Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, British Empire, celebrities, civil rights movement, Columbia Records, Dr. Martin Luther King, entertainment, folk-rock, Frank Zappa, funk, gospel, history, human-rights, Italy, jazz, Jr, Like a Rolling Stone, midday, musician, pianist, politics, pop, R&B, record producer, religion, Reverend C.L. Franklin., Rialto, rock, San Giacomo, Simon and Garfunkel, singer, Slavery Abolition Act 1833, Somersett's Case, Songwriter, stroke of noon, Sun Ra, The Slave Trade Act, The Times They Are a-Changin', The Velvet Undergroun, Tom Wilson, Venice, voice of the black America, WLAC
1956 – Pakistan became the first Islamic republic in the world.
Despite this definition the country did not have a state religion until 1973, when a new constitution, more democratic and less secular, was adopted.
Pakistan only uses the "Islamic" name on its passports and visas.
1964 – Peter Lorre died. Austrian actor.
Lorre caused an international sensation with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M (1931).
He later became a popular featured player in Hollywood crime films and mysteries (in particular with Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet), and, though frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner, became star of the successful Mr. Moto detective series.
Tagged as 1956, 1964, actor, Austrian, crime films, democratic, detective, entertainment, foreigner, gaming, German film, Hollywood, human-rights, Humphrey Bogart, international sensation, Islamic, Islamic republic, libya, M, media, Mr. Moto, Pakistan, passports, Peter Lorre, religion, secular, Serial killer, sinister, Sydney Greenstreet, typecast, visas
1314 – Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, burned at the stake.
Though little is known of his actual life and deeds except for his last years as Grand Master, he is the best known Templar, along with the Order's founder and first Grand Master, Hugues de Payens (1070–1136). Jacques de Molay's goal as Grand Master was to reform the Order, and adjust it to the situation in the Holy Land during the waning days of the Crusades.
As European support for the Crusades had dwindled, other forces were at work which sought to disband the Order and claim the wealth of the Templars as their own. King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Templars, had de Molay and many other French Templars arrested in 1307 and tortured into making false confessions.
When de Molay later retracted his confession, Philip had him slowly burned upon a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in Paris. The sudden end of both the centuries-old order of Templars, and the dramatic execution of its last leader, turned de Molay into a legendary figure.
1834 – Six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, Dorset – The Tolpuddle Martyrs – were sentenced to be transported to Australia for forming a trade union. They were a group of agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. The rules of the society show it was clearly structured as a friendly society and operated as a trade-specific benefit society.
James Frampton, a local landowner, wrote to the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, to complain about the union, invoking an obscure law from 1797 prohibiting people from swearing oaths to each other, which the members of the Friendly Society had done.
James Brine, James Hammett, George Loveless, George's brother James Loveless, George's brother in-law Thomas Standfield, and Thomas's son John Standfield were arrested, tried before Judge Baron John Williams in R v Lovelass and Others. They were found guilty, and transported to Australia.
1877 – Edgar Cayce born. American psychic who allegedly possessed the ability to answer questions on subjects such as healing and wars, and had visions of the world ending. He also gave a reading about Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance.
Cayce founded a nonprofit organization, the Association for Research and Enlightenment.Though Cayce himself was a member of the Disciples of Christ and lived before the emergence of the New Age Movement, some believe he was actually the founder of the movement and influenced its teachings.
Cayce became a celebrity toward the end of his life and he believed the publicity given to his prophecies overshadowed the more important parts of his work, such as healing the sick and studying religion.
Skeptics challenge Cayce's alleged psychic abilities and traditional Christians also question his unorthodox answers on religious matters such as reincarnation and Akashic records. However others accept his abilities as "God-given".
Tagged as 1314, 1834, 1877, agricultural labourers, Akashic records, American, Association for Research and Enlightenment, Atlantis, Australia, burned at the stake., Crusades, current-events, Disciples of Christ, Dorset, Edgar Cayce, farm labourers, friendly society, Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers, gaming, George Loveless, Grand Master, Holy Land, Hugues de Payens, human-rights, Jacques de Molay, James Brine, James Frampton, James Hammett, James Loveless, John Standfield, Judge Baron John Williams, King Philip IV of France, Knights Templar, legendary figure., libya, Lord Melbourne, New Age Movement, Paris, politics, psychic, R v Lovelass and Others., reincarnation, River Seine, secret oath, The Tolpuddle Martyrs, Thomas Standfield, Tolpuddle, tortured, trade union, videogames