TODAY - January 16
NIELS’ MORNING GREETINGS
ON: JANUARY 16
New 2021 edition
TODAY’s PERSON:
I have chosen
the French industrialist ANDRÉ MICHELIN. He was born in Paris on this day in 1853. And
he died in 1931. During his lifetime he
managed to start and run the huge Michelin company. First, he started in 1888 the tyre company in
Clermont-Ferrand in mid France. Its headquarters is still there. Then he founded the Michelin Guides in
1900. They showed all roads all over
France, and the first edition was published in 35.000 copies. He wanted to sell more tyres for cars, so he
had to stimulate car owners to travel more.
This was made easier with the Guides.
In 1904 he made a Guide also for Belgium. And from 1909 his Guides were
also published in English. When people
were driving around they also became hungry – if possible for very good and
delicious food. That is why he after WWI hired a number of inspectors. Their
task was to visit hotels and restaurant to check their quality. This was the start of the famous Michelin
stars. They are today ( 2021 ) 2.817
restaurants worldwide with a Michelin star:
2.290 with 1 star, 414 with 2 stars and 113 with 3 stars.
See a photo of
André Michelin below.
TODAY’s LENGTH:
This day is here
in Belgium 32 minutes longer than December 21. Its length is 8 hours and 30
minutes – from 08.37 to 17.07.
See more – also in
English – about where you are on: www.dagenslaengde.dk
TODAY’s NAME:
Today is MARCELLUS’ DAY. He was pope in Rome – died in 309. He had
problems with the emperor all the time. And most of the time as pope he also
had to look after the stables for emperor Maxentinus.
In Belgium the
day’s name is SAINT MARCEL – after a French bishop in Die the the south
of France. He lived in the years
430-510.
TODAY’s EVENT:
1969: The 21 year old Czech student Jan Palach puts himself on
fire on the main street Vaclavske
Namesti in Prague as a protest against the Soviet occupation. He dies from his wounds.
TODAY’s QUESTION:
Pandora’s Box –
what’s the origin of that expression? And what does it mean?
This story comes
from Greek mythology. Pandora was a
woman, who was rich and possessed a lot of valuable things. She was created by Hefaistos from earth and
water. She was considered to be the
first ancestress of all women. When she got married, she received from the gods
as a present a big box with food. She was in the first instance not allowed to
look into the box. But she was too curious and opened the box despite the
prohibition. This meant that all sorts of pains jumped out of the box and were
spread to all people in the world. In
the bottom of the box only hope was left. That is why people always have hope
left, when everything else has gone.
Today the
expression Pandora’s Box is used to describe that something unexpected may
happen, if you do things with unpredictable consequences. In other words: if you open Pandora’s Box.
QUESTION FOR TOMORROW:
The fifth column - where does that expression come from? And what does it
mean?
47 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT EUROPE:
EUROPE AT WORK www.europe-at-work.be
TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :
1.
Yesterday’s quote:
I prefer a
pleasant bad habit to a boring virtue !
This was one said by the French author and actor Molière
2.
Today’s quote:
Zeros are always
placed to the right, if they want to mean anything.
Who of today’s persons has said that?
3. Famous
people born on this day:
1853: André Michelin ( died 1931 ) –
see above and below.
1901: Fulgencio Batista ( died 1973 )
1931: Johannes Rau ( died 2006 )
4. Famous
people died on this day:
1969: Jan Palach ( 21 years )
2001: Laurent Kabila ( 61 years )
Niels Jørgen Thøgersen
www.simplesite.com/kimbrer +
EUROPE AT WORK www.europe-at-work.be
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