Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
What Time is It? It is flow of a sandstorm that will on each day compress somewhere into a structure – sandstone, selected and only remembered in the longue durée.
On Wednesday, 15 August 1945, Japan surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II. The day is known as V-P Day (Victory in the Pacific).
On Wednesday, 15 August 1945, WWII: Gyokuon-hōsō: Emperor Hirohito’s announcement of the unconditional surrender of Japan is broadcast on the radio a little after noon (12:00 Japan Standard Time is 03:00 GMT). This is probably the first time an Emperor of Japan has been heard by the common people. Delivered in formal classical Japanese and without directly referring to surrender, the recorded speech is not immediately easily understood by ordinary people. The Allies call this day Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day). This ends the period of Japanese expansionism and begins the period of Occupation of Japan. Korea gains independence.
On Wednesday, 15 August 1945, The August Revolution in Vietnam begins with the Viet Minh taking over the capital Hanoi, taking advantage of the collapse of Japanese power.
On Wednesday, 15 August 1945, Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization founded as a specialized agency of the United Nations.
On Monday, 15 August 1960, Middle Congo becomes independent from France, as the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).
On Tuesday, 15 August 2000, Queensland Attorney–General Matt Foley announces that the Government has ordered an independent investigation into allegations of widespread electoral rorting within the Queensland Labor Party.
Images Citations in Composite: ID 17208541 © Anhong | Dreamstime.com; ID 35001957 © DiversityStudio1 | Dreamstime.com; ID 156394527 © Gerd Zahn | Dreamstime.com
Neville Buch
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