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 Sunday, 6 May 1945, WWII: Mildred Gillars (“Axis Sally”) delivers her last propaganda broadcast to Allied troops (the first was on December 11, 1941).
On Sunday, 6 May 1945, Holocaust: Ebensee concentration camp in Austria is liberated by troops of the 80th Division (United States).
On Sunday, 6 May 1945, The government of the Independent State of Croatia, the Nazi-affiliated fascist puppet state established in occupied Yugoslavia, flees Zagreb for a location near Klagenfurt in Austria rather than fall into the hands of the Yugoslav Partisans, initiating the Bleiburg repatriations.
On Friday, 6 May 1960, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.
On Wednesday, 6 May 1970, Arms Crisis in the Republic of Ireland: Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney are dismissed as members of the Irish Government, for accusations of their involvement in a plot to import arms for use by the Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland.
On Wednesday, 6 May 1970, Feyenoord wins the European Cup after a 2–1 win over Celtic.
On Sunday, 6 May 1990, Six people die in the Cowan rail accident, when a CityRail Interurban train collides with a 3801 Limited steam locomotive on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales.
On Sunday, 6 May 1990, Pope John Paul II visits Mexico. [May 6–13 1990]
On Thursday, 6 May 2010, The 2010 Flash Crash, a trillion-dollar stock market crash, occurs over 36 minutes, initiated by a series of automated trading programs in a feedback loop.
On Wednesday, 6 May 2015, Christine Milne resigns as leader of the Australian Greens, and is replaced by Richard Di Natale.
Images Citations in Composite: ID 17208541 © Anhong | Dreamstime.com; ID 35001957 © DiversityStudio1 | Dreamstime.com; ID 156394527 © Gerd Zahn | Dreamstime.com
Neville Buch