🕰️🌞 What happened today? 🤷‍♀️🤓

Today is 25 October and this happened today in the past:

1️⃣ Naturalist Charles Darwin returned to England on this day in 1836 after a five-year journey on the HMS Beagle. 🚢 During his trip he observed species of animals and created the theory of evolution by natural selection. 🦉🐗🐺🐛🐭🐼🦊🐥🐸🦁🐨

2️⃣ The British-American war classic The Bridge on the River Kwai 📽️🎞️ had its world premiere on 25 October 1957 and it later won the Academy Award for best picture. 🏆🥇

3️⃣ On 25 October 1985, American actor Rock Hudson died, becoming one of the first Hollywood celebrities known to succumb to AIDS-related complications; the extensive publicity surrounding his death drew attention to the disease. ✨🌹

4️⃣ On this day in 1935, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie 👑 ordered mobilization after learning that Italian forces had crossed the frontier to begin the Italo-Ethiopian War. ⚔️⚔️

5️⃣ These people were born on this day: German president Paul von Hindenburg, (1847), Indian leader Gandhi (1869), American photographer Annie Leibovitz (1949) and British musician Sting (1951). 🥳🥳🍰🎂🎉🎁🎈

When were hours increased? Besides, sure we can work less, but in a world without magic that means we're getting poorer

Well, it didn't get officially increased, but the trend it to "work more". As for your second remark, it might not seem very obvious, but working more does not mean an increase of productivity. On the opposite, it seems to rather lower productivity, essentially because too much time working increase stress level, decrease motivation etc.

1️⃣ Naturalist Charles Darwin returned to England on this day in 1836 after a five-year journey on the HMS Beagle. 🚢 During his trip he observed species of animals and created the theory of evolution by natural selection. 🦉🐗🐺🐛🐭🐼🦊🐥🐸🦁🐨

I think he started to write about natural selection a few years later. His trip was essentially to make naturalist observations and experiments. Certainly it helped to come with the idea/to formulate his theory, but if you read the origin of Species, you will see that many of his arguments also use domesticated species (pigeons, farm animals, plants...). It took him more than 20 years after this trip to publish first with Wallace, who more or less got the same idea with Darwin, then to publish the Origin of species.

Oww thanks @Lianshen I did not know that!! 😛 Did you read the book? We only got text about him in our biology class but that is a normal Dutch book and not only about Darwin. And I read it online the news where I always take the daily facts from the past for this forum!! 🙂

Oww thanks @Lianshen I did not know that!! 😛 Did you read the book? We only got text about him in our biology class but that is a normal Dutch book and not only about Darwin. And I read it online the news where I always take the daily facts from the past for this forum!! 🙂

Yes. The writing style of Darwin is also very pleasant to me. It's nicely written and pedagogical, but one still has to be quite focused because he wrote long sentences. I also would like to read more of his books, but didn't have the opportunity yet.

Also yes, most of the time, students only read about Darwin and his work in some textbooks (hopefully updated with more receent contents, and showing neo-darwinism rather than just darwinism). Most of the time, people come across natural selection in middle school, so there are a lot of shortcuts/innacurate points in the teachings and I find it a little bit sad, but it's a way to just introduce a very general conception of the theory. I guess most of the teachers couldn't or wouldn't like to really dig that topic anyway... 🙂

Well, it didn't get officially increased, but the trend it to "work more". As for your second remark, it might not seem very obvious, but working more does not mean an increase of productivity. On the opposite, it seems to rather lower productivity, essentially because too much time working increase stress level, decrease motivation etc.

There is a common misconception about this claim: when economists say we need to work more, they typically don't mean we need to work longer hours (people who do work tend to work long enough, at least in the private sector). However (and the following mostly applies to France):
- young adults, on average, enter the workforce too late
- older adults, on average, leave the workforce too early
- on average, too many sick days are taken
- on average, too many people are on benefits (unemployment, welfare in general)

The working age population in France is ~50% of the entire population. Only 73% hold a job, and 21% work for the government (therefore arguably creating no value per se). I'll let you do the math to figure out how small the fraction of the population that realistically supports the whole system is 😃.

To make things even worse, we should note that the retired population is set to almost outnumber workers in the coming years. 😶️

As for longer hours not correlating with productivity, this is technically true but for amounts of work significantly higher than what is typical in Western countries. Having said that, I agree with you that the answer shouldn't be to increase the work week 😛

Today is 26 October and this happened today in the past:

1️⃣ On this day in 1881, a feud between the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan) and an outlaw gang led by Ike Clanton escalated into a celebrated gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. 🤠🤠

2️⃣ After some eight years of construction 🧑‍🔧👩‍🔧, the Erie Canal, which connects the Great Lakes with New York City via the Hudson River at Albany, officially opened on 26 October 1825; its success propelled New York City into a major commercial centre and encouraged canal construction throughout the United States. 🚢🛳️

3️⃣ Today in 1813 British and U.S. troops clashed in the Battle of Châteauguay during the War of 1812.

4️⃣ The National Convention, the assembly that governed France during a pivotal period of the Revolution, was dispersed on this day in 1795. 💙🤍❤️ @Etienne, @Lianshen or @Sabri_KC do you perhaps know more about this?

5️⃣ The action thriller The Terminator was released on this day in 1984 in the United States; hugely successful, it made actor Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and established director James Cameron as a bankable filmmaker. 🤖📽️🎞️

6️⃣ president of France François Mitterrand (1916), the old shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919), American first lady and politician Hillary Clinton (1947) and American actor and film maker Seth MacFarlane (1973). 🥳🥳🎉🎈🎁🎂 @Parsaa do you know the shah mentioned above? 🙂

Haha yes. Most iranians know him. Tho i don’t really know about him much. People just talk about him in a way that i think they all dont know what are they actually talking about haha. Such a busy day.

Thanks for letting us know about that @Parsaa!! 🙂

Today is 27 October and this happened today in the past:

1️⃣ On this day in 1978, Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for negotiations that resulted first in the Camp David Accords, then in a peace treaty between their countries.

2️⃣ Catalonia's parliament voted to declare the region independent from Spain on 27 October 2017, resulting in the central government's dismissing that legislative body and calling for new elections, in which the majority of seats were claimed by the pro-independence movement.

3️⃣ Taylor Swift released on this day in 2014 the album 1989, which she described as her first “official pop album.” It was a blockbuster hit and won the Grammy Award for album of the year. On the same date in 2023 she released 1989 (Taylor's Version), a rerecording of the original.

4️⃣ This news is for @Sabri_KC 😛 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an island country lying within the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, achieved its independence on this day in 1979.

5️⃣ On this day in 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed to Cuba and claimed the island for Spain.

6️⃣ Athelstan the first king to rule over all of England, died on 27 October 939.

7️⃣ These people were born on this day: old president of United States Theodore Roosevelt (1858), American author Sylvia Plath (1932), British actor John Cleese (1939) and American maffia boss John Gotti (1940).

Sorry that I am so late with the news of the past today but we were in Amsterdam and got back very late. And i was busy making a flag for the flag forum. 🙂 It is now super late but it is vacation so i dont mind but i made the news without emojis!! Sorry for that but i will do that next time! 🙂 😃

4️⃣ This news is for @Sabri_KC 😛 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an island country lying within the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, achieved its independence on this day in 1979.

Absolutely, and Turkmenistan as well had independence on October 27th 1991 🙂 🇹🇲

Absolutely, and Turkmenistan as well had independence on October 27th 1991 🙂 🇹🇲

Oh that is nice to know @Sabri_KC! 🙂 I always use two websites and choose the news from the past from there! 😛

I looked online about what you said about Turkmenistan and I found this website: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkmenistan-celebrates-33rd-anniversary-of-independence/3343631 Maybe you like to read it!! 😊😊

Today is 28 October and this happened today in the past:

1️⃣ On this day in 1886 U.S. President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty 🗽- a gift from the people of France 💙🤍❤️ to the people of the United States - on Bedloe's (later Liberty) Island in Upper New York Bay. Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France @Etienne, @Sabri_KC and @Lianshen?? I had no idea about that!! 🙄🙄 It can be a Trivia question later!! 😛

2️⃣ American actor Matthew Perry who played Chandler Bing on the hugely popular sitcom Friends (1994–2004), died on 28 October 2023 at age 54 of “acute effects of ketamine,” an anesthetic drug. 🌹⭐

3️⃣ On this day in 2007, Argentine lawyer and politician Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became the first woman elected president of Argentina. 🩵🤍🩵 @martutuni do people in Argentina like her?

4️⃣ The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, designed by Finnish-born American architect Eero Saarinen to commemorate St. Louis's historic role as “Gateway to the West,” was completed on this day in 1965. I can look up online what they mean with it if anybody is interested. It has something to do with people who were first going to West America when they wanted to take land. 🤠🤠 But that also meant that indians and nature suffered from it. 🙁

5️⃣ On 28 October 1962 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev capitulated to U.S. demands to halt delivery of nuclear-armed missiles to Cuba, bringing to an end the Cuban missile crisis. ❌☮️

6️⃣ Tomáš Masaryk, Edvard Beneš, and other leaders issued a proclamation on 28 October 1918 announcing the formation of an independent Czechoslovakian state. 🌍🌏

7️⃣ Harvard University 🏫, the oldest institute of higher learning in the United States, was founded by the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on 28 October 1636. 🎁🎈

8️⃣ These people were born on this day: English philosopher John Locke (1632), American computer programmer Bill Gates (1955), president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (1956) and American actress Julia Roberts (1967). 🥳🥳🍰🎂🎊🎉🎁🎈 @Etienne: is Bill Gates one of your idols because he is also a programmer? Do you think he was very good or not? And @Parsaa do the people in Iran like the president now or Ahmadinejad more? Thank you and merci! 😊😊

On Wednesday we get family from outside The Netherlands that come to visit us until Sunday evening so I will be offline almost all the time in that period. Because we will visit places in The Netherlands and if they want maybe also in Belgium and perhaps in France or Germany. So if anybody wants to write daily updates on those days just send a message to me. Or if not I can of course write again after Sunday!! 🙂 😊😊

Today is 28 October and this happened today in the past:

1️⃣ On this day in 1886 U.S. President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty 🗽- a gift from the people of France 💙🤍❤️ to the people of the United States - on Bedloe's (later Liberty) Island in Upper New York Bay. Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France @Etienne, @Sabri_KC and @Lianshen?? I had no idea about that!! 🙄🙄 It can be a Trivia question later!! 😛

2️⃣ American actor Matthew Perry who played Chandler Bing on the hugely popular sitcom Friends (1994–2004), died on 28 October 2023 at age 54 of “acute effects of ketamine,” an anesthetic drug. 🌹⭐

3️⃣ On this day in 2007, Argentine lawyer and politician Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became the first woman elected president of Argentina. 🩵🤍🩵 @martutuni do people in Argentina like her?

4️⃣ The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, designed by Finnish-born American architect Eero Saarinen to commemorate St. Louis's historic role as “Gateway to the West,” was completed on this day in 1965. I can look up online what they mean with it if anybody is interested. It has something to do with people who were first going to West America when they wanted to take land. 🤠🤠 But that also meant that indians and nature suffered from it. 🙁

5️⃣ On 28 October 1962 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev capitulated to U.S. demands to halt delivery of nuclear-armed missiles to Cuba, bringing to an end the Cuban missile crisis. ❌☮️

6️⃣ Tomáš Masaryk, Edvard Beneš, and other leaders issued a proclamation on 28 October 1918 announcing the formation of an independent Czechoslovakian state. 🌍🌏

7️⃣ Harvard University 🏫, the oldest institute of higher learning in the United States, was founded by the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on 28 October 1636. 🎁🎈

8️⃣ These people were born on this day: English philosopher John Locke (1632), American computer programmer Bill Gates (1955), president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (1956) and American actress Julia Roberts (1967). 🥳🥳🍰🎂🎊🎉🎁🎈 @Etienne: is Bill Gates one of your idols because he is also a programmer? Do you think he was very good or not? And @Parsaa do the people in Iran like the president now or Ahmadinejad more? Thank you and merci! 😊😊

On Wednesday we get family from outside The Netherlands that come to visit us until Sunday evening so I will be offline almost all the time in that period. Because we will visit places in The Netherlands and if they want maybe also in Belgium and perhaps in France or Germany. So if anybody wants to write daily updates on those days just send a message to me. Or if not I can of course write again after Sunday!! 🙂 😊😊

Enjoy holliday @Yue

Enjoy holliday @Yue

Thank you @Fleurke!! They will come on Wednesday during the day so I will be online today and tomorrow and maybe also bit on Wednesday! 😛

Today is 28 October and this happened today in the past:

1️⃣ On this day in 1886 U.S. President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty 🗽- a gift from the people of France 💙🤍❤️ to the people of the United States - on Bedloe's (later Liberty) Island in Upper New York Bay. Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France @Etienne, @Sabri_KC and @Lianshen?? I had no idea about that!! 🙄🙄 It can be a Trivia question later!! 😛

2️⃣ American actor Matthew Perry who played Chandler Bing on the hugely popular sitcom Friends (1994–2004), died on 28 October 2023 at age 54 of “acute effects of ketamine,” an anesthetic drug. 🌹⭐

3️⃣ On this day in 2007, Argentine lawyer and politician Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became the first woman elected president of Argentina. 🩵🤍🩵 @martutuni do people in Argentina like her?

4️⃣ The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, designed by Finnish-born American architect Eero Saarinen to commemorate St. Louis's historic role as “Gateway to the West,” was completed on this day in 1965. I can look up online what they mean with it if anybody is interested. It has something to do with people who were first going to West America when they wanted to take land. 🤠🤠 But that also meant that indians and nature suffered from it. 🙁

5️⃣ On 28 October 1962 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev capitulated to U.S. demands to halt delivery of nuclear-armed missiles to Cuba, bringing to an end the Cuban missile crisis. ❌☮️

6️⃣ Tomáš Masaryk, Edvard Beneš, and other leaders issued a proclamation on 28 October 1918 announcing the formation of an independent Czechoslovakian state. 🌍🌏

7️⃣ Harvard University 🏫, the oldest institute of higher learning in the United States, was founded by the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on 28 October 1636. 🎁🎈

8️⃣ These people were born on this day: English philosopher John Locke (1632), American computer programmer Bill Gates (1955), president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (1956) and American actress Julia Roberts (1967). 🥳🥳🍰🎂🎊🎉🎁🎈 @Etienne: is Bill Gates one of your idols because he is also a programmer? Do you think he was very good or not? And @Parsaa do the people in Iran like the president now or Ahmadinejad more? Thank you and merci! 😊😊

On Wednesday we get family from outside The Netherlands that come to visit us until Sunday evening so I will be offline almost all the time in that period. Because we will visit places in The Netherlands and if they want maybe also in Belgium and perhaps in France or Germany. So if anybody wants to write daily updates on those days just send a message to me. Or if not I can of course write again after Sunday!! 🙂 😊😊

Very interesting facts!
As per Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, she wasn’t the first female president, but certainly one of the few. She was the second! First was Isabel Martinez de Perón, and if I’m not wrong, she was the first female president of the world even!

Regarding the people liking her, I can’t deny there is a huge chunk of the country that has supported her and loved her and does until today. I personally can’t agree with her politics, and she’s been in the verge of prison many times. It’s basically known her government has stolen money from the state, and if i’m not wrong she’s about to be convicted again. She’s been involved in many sketchy situations. Although, sadly, she’s not the only one that should be convicted for that.
Thank you for thinking of me Yue!! 🩵

Thank you very much @martutuni!! I did not know about Isabel Martinez de Perón and i copied what it said on the website with the news facts! 😛 It is nice also women can be president!! But maybe the first president was better than the other if she is even convicted of crimes and stealing money!! 🙄🙄

In our country we have a queen Maxima and she is from Argentina! 😛 Everybody in our country likes her a lot. But she is now also Dutch because she is the queen. 🙂 👑

Thank you very much @martutuni!! I did not know about Isabel Martinez de Perón and i copied what it said on the website with the news facts! 😛 It is nice also women can be president!! But maybe the first president was better than the other if she is even convicted of crimes and stealing money!! 🙄🙄

In our country we have a queen Maxima and she is from Argentina! 😛 Everybody in our country likes her a lot. But she is now also Dutch because she is the queen. 🙂 👑

we are very fond of her and it makes me happy her children know about their heritage and our language 🤍🤍

1️⃣ On this day in 1886 U.S. President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty 🗽- a gift from the people of France 💙🤍❤️ to the people of the United States

Yes I feel like most French people know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the US.

@Etienne: is Bill Gates one of your idols because he is also a programmer? Do you think he was very good or not?

He is not an idol of mine but I do admire his skills and vision