Daily Pic (Diwali) A triumph of light

November 7, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

A triumph of light

These students in Guwahati, India, are lighting oil lamps called diya, and placing them around a floor decoration called rangoli. They’re preparing for Diwali, a five-day celebration symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. It’s a Hindu festival, but Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists also observe variations of Diwali. Many homes, temples, and commercial spaces decorate with lights, especially diya. The rangoli decoration is thought to bring good luck, and is created by hand using colored rice, flours, sand, or sometimes flower petals. Diwali lasts until November 11, so there’s still time to embrace the light.

Daily Pic ^11/07/17

Ferns in the Columbia River Gorge

Today in History ^10/31 (Indira Gandhi)

October 31, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1982 (© AP)

(1984) India’s first female prime minister is shot and killed

On a morning walk through her garden, India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is shot multiple times by two of her own Sikh bodyguards. The daughter of India’s previous prime minister, Nehru, and the country’s first female leader, her assassination will spark deadly riots.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated at 9:20 a.m. on 31 October 1984 at her residence in Safdarjung Road, New Delhi. She was killed by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the Indian Army’s June 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar which left the Sikh temple heavily damaged.

Date: Oct 31, 1984

Memorial at the place of assassination, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi
wiki/Assassination_of_Indira_Gandhi

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(1984) India’s first female prime minister is shot and killed.
Also on this day,

1517 | The Protestant Reformation starts with a posting of Luther’s 95 Theses

According to tradition, German theologian Martin Luther nails a document to the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, questioning Catholic Church traditions that he sees as questionable and possibly corrupt. Luther’s ’95 Theses’ will lead to the founding of a new religion.

1950 | Sports pioneer Earl Lloyd integrates the NBA as racial barrier broken

Just three years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line, Earl Lloyd does the same for the sport of basketball as he takes the court with the Washington Capitols. The first African American NBA player scores 6 points in his opening game against the Rochester Royals.

1974 | Manhattan streets transform with Halloween revels for NYC’s Halloween Parade

Puppeteer and mask maker Ralph Lee promenades with his creations through the streets of his New York City neighborhood. This whimsical start will launch the annual Village Halloween Parade, mixing huge puppets and costumed revelers in one of the largest nighttime parades on the planet.

Today in History ^10/31/17

NBA player Earl Lloyd, circa 1950 (© The Stevenson Collection/ NBAE/ Getty Images)

(1950) Sports pioneer Earl Lloyd integrates the NBA

Just three years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line, Earl Lloyd does the same for the sport of basketball as he takes the court with the Washington Capitols. The first African American NBA player scores 6 points in his opening game against the Rochester Royals.

Earl Francis Lloyd was an American professional basketball player. He was the first black person to play in the National Basketball Association, in the 1950–51 NBA season. Three other African Americans played in the same season: Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton, and Hank DeZonie.

Born: Apr 03, 1928 · Alexandria, VA
Died: Feb 26, 2015 · Crossville, TN
Height: 6' 5" (1.96 m)
Spouse: Charlita Lloyd
Education: West Virginia State University
Upcoming movies: The First To Do It

Major General Walter E. Gaskin, left, greets with basketball hall of famer, Earl "The Pearl" Lloyd during the CIAA Hall of Fame brunch, March 3, 2006. Lloyd was the first African-American to play in an NBA game.
Highlights
1948: Lloyd led West Virginia State to two CIAA Conference and Tournament Championships in 1948 and 1949.

1951: Lloyd played in only seven games for the Washington Capitols before the team folded on January 9, 1951.

1965: According to Detroit News sportswriter Jerry Green, in 1965 Detroit Pistons General Manager Don Wattrick wanted to hire Lloyd as the team's head coach.

2007: On December 1, 2007, the newly constructed basketball court at T. C. Williams High School in Lloyd's home town of Alexandria, Virginia, was named in his honor.

2015: In 2015 Lloyd, along with fellow basketball player Alonzo Mourning, was one of eight Virginians honored in the Library of Virginia's "Strong Men & Women in Virginia History" because of his contributions to the sport of basketball.

2015: Earl resided in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee, just outside Crossville, until his death in February 2015.

wiki/Earl_Lloyd

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Today in History ^08/15 (India Independence)

August 15, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ

Jawaharlal Nehru salutes the flag as he becomes independent India's first prime minister on Aug 15, 1947 during the Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort, New Delhi, India (© AP)

(1947) British Empire’s former ‘jewel in the crown’ breaks free

British Crown Rule ends in one of the most populous places on the planet, the vast, diverse country of India. Although the Dutch, Danish, and French were there before them, Britain has had a presence on the vast subcontinent since 1612. Today, however, India gains its freedom.

India, also called the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

Founded: Aug 15, 1947
GDP: $2.85 trillion USD (2018)
Population: 1.34 billion (2017)
Calling code: 91
Area: 1.27 million sq miles
Travel tip: From the beaches of sun-soaked Goa to the frenetic bazaars of Mumbai, India offers wealth of vastly different, yet equally enthralling, experiences. Explore the sparkling lakes and palaces of Udaipur, watch traditional Indian dance in Kochi, or buy brilliantly-colored silk saris at a market in Varanasi… no matter how much you … @tripadvisor

Area controlled by India shown in dark green;claimed but uncontrolled regions shown in light green
wiki/India

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(1947) British Empire’s former ‘jewel in the crown’ breaks free.
Also on this day,

1483 | Consecration for a chapel with a heavenly view

Pope Sixtus IV consecrates a chapel in Rome after painters, including Botticelli, have finished their frescos. The ceiling, however, still needs a little work, and 25 years later a new pope will hire Michelangelo to paint what will be considered one of the greatest artworks of all time.

1914 | A channel carved through rock and jungle joins oceans

Thirty-three years of toil comes to a close as one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history, a 51-mile-long channel carved through the Isthmus of Panama, opens to maritime traffic. The new shortcut between the Pacific and Atlantic will speed transport and remake the global economy.

1969 | Three days of peace and music begin in Bethel, New York

Max Yasgur’s farm fills with masses of music lovers as the Woodstock Music and Art Fair kicks off its first day. Before the event is through, 400,000 will revel in rainstorms and mud, some of history’s best rock bands will jam, and a counterculture will consider itself transformed.

Today in History ^08/15/17

Opening of the Panama Canal when the American Steamship SS Ancon entered the Pedro Miguel locks from Culebra Cut, Panama, Aug 15, 1914 (© PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

(1914) A channel carved through rock and jungle joins oceans

Thirty-three years of toil comes to a close as one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history, a 51-mile-long channel carved through the Isthmus of Panama, opens to maritime traffic. The new shortcut between the Pacific and Atlantic will speed transport and remake the global economy.

The Panama Canal is an artificial 48-mile waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres above sea level, and then lower the ships at the other end. The original locks are 33.5 metres wide. A third, wider lane of locks was constructed between September 2007 and May 2016. The expanded canal began commercial operation on June 26, 2016. The new locks allow transit of larger, Post-Panamax ships, capable of handling more cargo.

Length: 47.90 miles (77.10 km)
Bridges: Bridge of the Americas · Centennial Bridge, Panama · Atlantic Bridge, Panama

Map of the Panama Canal

wiki/Panama_Canal

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Daily Pic ^07/29/18 (Bengal Tiger)

July 29, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ

A Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, India

Tigers once roamed a broad territory across Asia, eastern Russia, and various islands of the Indian Ocean. Over the past century, hunting and habitat loss have reduced their range by more than 90 percent and have severely diminished the massive cats’ populations. Hundreds of thousands of tigers roamed in the wild 100 years ago, but a 2016 count estimated fewer than 4,000 wild tigers remained.

Conservation programs, such as the careful monitoring of native Bengal tigers in India’s Ranthambore National Park, have helped stabilize the population of this species for now. But tigers are still listed as endangered, which is why we’re observing International Tiger Day today. The observance is part of the continued effort to raise awareness and prompt action to ensure the survival of these charismatic creatures.

Daily Pic ^07/29/17

Washington Square Park, New York City

Daily Pic ^07/22/18 (Varanasi, India)

July 22, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ

Travel Sunday: On the Ganges in Varanasi, India

These floating candles are part of the Ganga Aarti ceremony, a nightly Hindu ritual here in Varanasi, which is a holy city for followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, all of which are ancient religions of India. Tourists join congregants who gather at the river’s edge as practitioners make offerings of light to the goddess Ganga, the river’s namesake. In addition to Varanasi’s religious significance, this diverse city in North India also draws tourists for its ornate temples, silks, and archaeological sites.

Daily Pic ^07/22/17

Hammock camping on the Econlockhatchee River in Florida