TODAY - January 29

 

NIELS’ MORNING GREETINGS

ON: JANUARY 29

New 2021 edition

TODAY’s PERSON:

I have this time chosen the Danish king CHRISTIAN IX.  He was born in Schleswig in 1818 and died on this day in Copenhagen in 1906.  He made his mark in several ways. First, he took over the throne without being a descendant of the previous king. The reason was that there were no children to take over.  Secondly, he became king in one of the most serious crisis of Denmark.  It was about to go to war with Germany. And the following year it lost the war and had to hand over 10 % of its area to Germany ( Prussia ). Thirdly, the coming years were politically very troublesome with a huge political fight between the conservatives and the new liberals.  Only in 1901 the king accepted the introduction of a real democracy, where the government always had to be in line with the majority in Parliament. And fourthly, he was called the “Father in Law of Europe”, because 4 of his 6 children got important posts in the royal houses in different parts of Europe:  a son became king of Denmark a daughter queen if the UK, another son king of Greece and a second daughter zarina in Russia.

Below the so-called 4-king photo from 1900:  Christian IX holding his great grand child Frederik ( later king in Denmark ), crown prince Frederik to the left and his son and the father of the baby Christian ( also later king in Denmark) to the right.

TODAY’s LENGTH:

The day is now here in Belgium 1 hour and 8 minutes longer than on December 21.  It lasts 9 hours and 6 minutes – from 08.23 to 17.29.

See more – also in English – about where you are on:  www.dagenslaengde.dk

TODAY’s NAME:

This day’s name is VALERIUS’ DAY. It has its name from bishop Valerius in Trier. According to the legend he was sent there by Saint Peter to make the Franconians Christians. He died in the 3rd century AC.

The name of this day in Belgium is SAINT POPPO – after a noble Flemish abbot in Stavelot. He lived in the years 977-1048.

 

TODAY’s EVENT:

1886:  The German Karl Benz gets the patent for his three-wheeled “selfdriving carriage”, the world’s first car. Its name is “Motorwagen”.  Its speed was 13-16 km per hour.

 

TODAY’s QUESTION:

Potëmkin Wings – where does that come from? And what does it mean?

This expression comes from Russia in the 18th century.  Tsarina Catherine the Great (1729-96) had a governor-general in the south of Russia called Grigorij Potëmkin. He lived in the years 1739-91. He was a dynamic officer, who was very interested in many things, including women (also the tsarina). When he in 1787 had to show Catherine around in his part of the country he contructed a range of artificial villages to give her the best possible impression. All houses looked nice and attractive from the street side. And they were filled with people, who looked very healthy and happy. The Tsarina should get the impression that his region developed very positively under his leadership.  But behind the front walls everything was like before: depressing and underdeveloped.

When you today talk about Potëmkin Wings you refer to the fact that things are not always as they pretend to be at first sight. The “decorated reality” does not correspond to the real reality.

 

QUESTION FOR TOMORROW:

A Muse  - what is that?  And what’s its meaning today?

 

47 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT EUROPE:

EUROPE AT WORK     www.europe-at-work.be

 

TODAY’s QUOTE & FAMOUS PEOPLE :

1.  Yesterday’s quote:

        Those people who always let their children do what they want have

             misunderstood the concept of freedom completely. It is simply wrong

             to say to your kids:  You can do what you like.

             This was once said by the Swedish author of childrens' book - and mother of

              two - Astrid Lindgren.

2.  Today’s quote:

        Poetry is what goes lost in translation.

             Who of today's persons has said that?

3.  Famous people born on this day:

1749:  King Christian VII  ( died 1808 )

1860:  Anton Chekhov  ( died 1904 )

 

4.  Famous people died on this day:

1906:  King Christian IX  ( 88 years ) – see above and below.

1955:  Hans Hedtoft  ( 51 years )

1963:  Robert Frost  ( 88 years )

 

Niels Jørgen Thøgersen

niels4europe@gmail.com  

www.simplesite.com/kimbrer   +  EUROPE AT WORK   www.europe-at-work.be

+ EUROPE AT WORK:  www.europe-at-work.be



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