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 Friday, 7 May 1920, Polish–Soviet War: Polish troops occupy Kiev. The government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic returns to the city.
On Friday, 7 May 1920, Mexican Revolution: Venustiano Carranza leaves Mexico City in a large train.
On Friday, 7 May 1920, Treaty of Moscow (1920): Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, only to invade the country six months later.
On Monday, 7 May 1945, WWII: General Alfred Jodl signs the unconditional German Instrument of Surrender at Reims, France, ending Germany’s participation in the war, officially coming into effect on May 8 at 23:01 hours Central European Time (00:01 hours May 9 German Summer Time).
On Wednesday, 7 May 1980, Paul Geidel, convicted of second-degree murder in 1911, is released from prison in Beacon, New York, after 68 years and 245 days (the longest-ever time served by an inmate).
On Sunday, 7 May 1995, Melbourne Knights dispel their tag of chokers by upsetting defending champions Adelaide City 2-0 in the NSL Grand Final at Hindmarsh Stadium.
On Friday, 7 May 2010, Chile becomes the 31st member of the OECD.
On Friday, 7 May 2010, Scientists conducting the Neanderthal genome project announce that they have sequenced enough of the Neanderthal genome to suggest that Neanderthals and humans may have interbred.
On Thursday, 7 May 2015, the 2015 UK General Election results in the first Conservative majority government in 18 years.
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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