Malaysian Independence Day

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Hari Merdeka - Malaysia Independence Day

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Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule, celebrated on August 31.

The effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, who led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya in negotiations with the British in London for Merdeka, or independence. Once it became increasingly clear that the Communist threat posed during the Malayan Emergency was petering out, agreement was reached on February 8, 1956, for Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire. However, for a number of logistical and administrative reasons, it was decided that the official proclamation of independence would only be made the next year, on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur.

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Japan Elections

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Japanese Election Day

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Michael Jackson's Birthday

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Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971. [Read more on Wikipedia]

Michael Jackson's Birthday

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Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for four decades.

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Battle of Flowers in Laredo

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"La Batalla de las Flores" or the Battle of the Flowers, is a flower-throwing "fight" that can be a lot of fun in Laredo, near Santander in northern Spain. The Battle of Flowers is a tradition dating back 100 years and is celebrated on the final Friday of August. Participants build floats and parade through town and are finally judged on aesthetic merit.

Battle of Flowers in Laredo

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Laredo is a town in the Northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria. Located between the cities of Santander and Bilbao, Laredo is known in the region and nationally for "La Salvé", its 5 km long beach (7 km at high tide) and for the historic part of town dating back to Roman times. Its festivities in August are also well known due to the main event that occurs every year on the last Friday of August, known as la batalla de flores (the battle of the flowers), during which large floats entirely covered with flowers and petals are paraded along the central streets.

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宮沢賢治

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宮沢 賢治（みやざわ けんじ、本名：宮澤-、1896年8月27日（戸籍上は8月1日）- 1933年9月21日）は、日本の詩人、童話作家。

郷土岩手の地を深く愛し、作品中に登場する架空の地名、理想郷を「岩手（いはて）」をエスペラント風にしたイーハトヴ（Ihatov、イーハトーブあるいはイーハトーヴォ（Ihatovo）等とも）と名づけた。 その空前・独特の魅力にあふれた作品群によって没後世評が急速に高まり国民的作家とされるようになった。

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Qi Xi

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Qixi Festival (Chinese: 七夕节; Mandarin Pinyin: qī xī jié; Jyutping: cat1 zik6 zit3; literally "The Night of Sevens"), also known as Magpie Festival, falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar; thus its name. It also inspired Tanabata (aka. Shichiseki [七夕]) in Japan, Chilseok (칠석) in Korea, and vi:Thất Tịch in Vietnam. It is sometimes called Chinese Valentine's Day (Simplified Chinese: 情人节 Pinyin: Qíng rén jié) since late 1990s. [Read more on Wikipedia]

七夕情人节

七夕情人节

每年农历的七月七日，即七夕，又称乞巧节，这个传说和牛郎，织女的神话传说有十分密切的关系。



七夕节始终和牛郎织女的传说相连，这是一个很美丽的，千古流传的爱情故事，成为我国四大民间爱情传说之一 。
相传在很早以前，南阳城西牛家庄里有个聪明．忠厚的小伙子，父母早亡，只好跟着哥哥嫂子度日，嫂子马氏为人狠毒，经常虐待他，逼他干很多的活，一年秋天，嫂子逼他去放牛，给他九头牛，却让他等有了十头牛时才能回家，牛郎无奈只好赶着牛出了村。
牛郎独自一人赶着牛进了山，在草深林密的山上，他坐在树下伤心，不知道何时才能赶着十头牛回家，这时，有位须发皆白的老人出现在他的面前，问他为何伤心，当得知他的遭遇后，笑着对他说：“别难过，在伏牛山里有一头病倒的老牛，你去好好喂养它，等老牛病好以后，你就可以赶着它回家了。
牛郎翻山越岭，走了很远的路，终于找到了那头有病的老牛，他看到老牛病得厉害，就去给老牛打来一捆捆草，一连喂了三天，老牛吃饱了，才抬起头告诉他：自己本是天上的灰牛大仙，因触犯了天规被贬下天来，摔坏了腿，无法动弹。自己的伤需要用百花的露水洗一个月才能好，牛郎不畏辛苦，细心地照料了老牛一个月，白天为老牛采花接露水治伤，晚上依偎在老年身边睡觉，到老牛病好后，牛郎高高兴兴赶着十头牛回了家。
回家后，嫂子对他仍旧不好，曾几次要加害他，都被老牛设法相救，嫂子最后恼羞成怒把牛郎赶出家门，牛郎只要了那头老牛相随。
一天，天上的织女和诸仙女一起下凡游戏，在河里洗澡，牛郎在老牛的帮助下认识了织女，二人互生情意，后来织女便偷偷下凡，来到人间，做了牛郎的妻子。织女还把从天上带来的天蚕分给大家，并教大家养蚕，抽丝，织出又光又亮的绸缎。
牛郎和织女结婚后，男耕女织，情深意重，他们生了一男一女两个孩子，一家人生活得很幸福。但是好景不长，这事很快便让天帝知道，王母娘娘亲自下凡来，强行把织女带回天上，恩爱夫妻被拆散。
牛郎上天无路，还是老牛告诉牛郎，在它死后，可以用它的皮做成鞋，穿着就可以上天。牛郎按照老牛的话做了，穿上牛皮做的鞋，拉着自己的儿女，一起腾云驾雾上天去追织女，眼见就要追到了，岂知王母娘娘拔下头上的金簪一挥，一道波涛汹涌的天河就出现了，牛郎和织女被隔在两岸，只能相对哭泣流泪。他们的忠贞爱情感动了喜鹊，千万只喜鹊飞来，搭成鹊桥，让牛郎织女走上鹊桥相会，王母娘娘对此也无奈，只好允许两人在每年七月七日于鹊桥相会。
后来，每到农历七月初七，相传牛郎织女鹊桥相会的日子，姑娘们就会来到花前月下，抬头仰望星空，寻找银河两边的牛郎星和织女星，希望能看到他们一年一度的相会，乞求上天能让自己能象织女那样心灵手巧，祈祷自己能有如意称心的美满婚姻，由此形成了七夕节。

via  百度知道

400th Anniversary of Galileo's First Telescope

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400 years ago today, on 25 August 1609, the Italian astronomer and philosopher Galilei Galileo showed Venetian merchants his new creation, a telescope – the instrument that was to bring him both scientific immortality and, more immediately, a whole lot of trouble.

400th Anniversary of Galileo's Telescope

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Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642)was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations, and support for Copernicanism. Galileo has been called the "father of modern observational astronomy," the "father of modern physics," the "father of science," and "the Father of Modern Science."

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Indonesia's Independence Day

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The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply Proklamasi) was read at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia's independence in 1949. In 2005, the Netherlands declared that they had decided to accept 17 August 1945 as Indonesia's independence date. [Read more on Wikipedia]

Indonesia Independence Day

Indonesia Independence Day

The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply Proklamasi) was officially made at 10.00 a.m. sharp on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia's independence in 1949. In 2005, the Netherlands declared that they had decided to accept 17 August 1945 as Indonesia's independence date.

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Korean Liberation Day

Korean Liberation Day 09

Liberation Day (Korean hangul: 광복절, hanja: 光復節, RR: Gwangbokjeol, MR: Kwangbokchŏl, lit "restoration of light") is a public holiday in South Korea, celebrated annually on August 15. It coincides with Victory over Japan Day, which liberated Korea from Japanese occupation. In North Korea, it is celebrated as Fatherland Liberation Day (Chosŏn'gŭl: 조국해방의 날, hanja: 祖國解放의날, MR: Chogukhaebang'ŭi nal, RR: Jogukhaebangui nal).

Korea did not gain actual independence on August 15, 1945, but was occupied by the Soviet and United States armies, which oversaw the decommissioning of Japanese troops in Korea. The northern half of the peninsula was occupied by the Red Army, and the southern half was occupied by the United States.

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Korean Independence Day

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Hans Christian Ørsted's Birthday

Hans Christian Ørsted (often rendered Oersted in English; 14 August 1777 - 9 March 1851) was a Danish physicist and chemist who is most widely known for discovering that electric currents create magnetic fields, an important aspect of electromagnetism. He shaped post-Kantian philosophy and advances in science throughout the late 19th century. [Read more on Wikipedia]

Happy 62nd, India!

As many of you know, today marks the 62nd anniversary of Indian independence, and in honor of the special occasion, orkut has created a special commemorative doodle that shows up when you log in.

Check it out below:

Hans Christian Ørsted's Birthday

Hans Christian Ørsted's Birthday 

Hans Christian Ørsted (14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851) was a Danish physicist and chemist who is best known for discovering that electric currents can create magnetic fields which is an important part of Electromagnetism. He shaped post-Kantian philosophy and advances in science throughout the late nineteenth century. He was also the first modern thinker to explicitly describe and name the thought experiment.

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Perseid Meteor Shower

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The Perseids (pronounced /ˈpɜrsiː.ɨdz/) is the name of a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so-called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. The name derives in part from the word Perseides (Περσείδες), a term found in Greek mythology referring to the descendants of Perseus. The stream of debris is called the Perseid cloud and stretches along the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it travels on its 130-year orbit. Most of the dust in the cloud today is around a thousand years old. However, there is also a relatively young filament of dust in the stream that was pulled off the comet in 1862. The rate of meteors originating from this filament is much higher than for the older part of the stream. [Read more on Wikipedia]

Perseid Meteor Shower

Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. Meteor showers occur when Earth moves through a meteor stream. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it passed by the Sun. Most of the dust in the cloud today is approximately a thousand years old. However, there is also a relatively young filament of dust in the stream that was pulled off the comet in 1862. The rate of meteors originating from this filament is much higher than for the older part of the stream.

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Singapore National Day

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The National Day of Singapore is celebrated every year on 9 August, in commemoration of Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965. This holiday features a National Day Parade, an address by the Prime Minister of Singapore, and fireworks celebrations. [Read more on Wikipedia]

Singapore National Day

Singapore National Day 新加坡国庆节

International Women's Day

International Women's Day

Bolivia Independence Day

Bolivia Independence Day

Bolivia's Independence Day

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Independence from Spain in 1825.

Ilya Yefimovich Repin

Ilya Yefimovich Repin (Russian:  Илья́ Ефи́мович Ре́пи)

Ilya Repin's Birthday

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Ilya Yefimovich Repin (Russian: Илья́ Ефи́мович Ре́пин, Ukrainian: Ілля Юхимович Рєпін, (5 August [O.S. 24 July] 1844, Chuguyev, Kharkov Governorate, Russian Empire – September 29, 1930, Kuokkala, Viipuri Province, Finland) was a leading Russian painter and sculptor of the Peredvizhniki artistic school. An important part of his work is dedicated to his native country, Ukraine. His realistic works often expressed great psychological depth and exposed the tensions within the existing social order. Beginning in the late 1920s, detailed works on him were published in the Soviet Union, where a Repin cult developed about a decade later, and where he was held up as a model "progressive" and "realist" to be imitated by "Socialist Realist" artists in the USSR. [Read more on Wikipedia]

Self-portrait, 1878 (State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg).

Swiss National Day

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Swiss National Day

Feiertage in der Schweiz

(Swiss National Day)