This day commemorates the martyrdom of the Apostle James the Great in A.D. 44. St. James, son of Zebedee, was one of the disciples of Jesus and brother of John the Evangelist. He is called St. James the Greater to distinguish him from the other apostle named James (James, son of Alphaeus).
Today is the birthday of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. He was born on this day in 1946. He ascended to the throne on Sept. 15, 1973, upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf. The king is the head of state of the King-dom of Sweden, but his duties are of a representative nature.
Today is the anniversary of the fall (or liberation) of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in 1975. Those sympathetic to the North Vietnamese hailed the event as the liberation of Saigon, while southerners called it the fall of Saigon. The event marked the end of the second Indochinese war and the start of a transition period leading to the formal reunification of Vietnam under communist rule. The fall of the city was preceded by the evacuation of almost all the Americans in Saigon, along with tens of thousands of South Vietnamese. The evacuation culminated in Operation Frequent Wind, the largest helicopter evacuation in history.
Today is Queen's Day in the Netherlands. Queen's Day (Koninginnedag in Dutch) is a national holiday celebrating the Dutch monarchy. The holiday is celebrated on this date because it was the birthday of the late Queen Juliana (1909-2004). When Queen Beatrix succeeded Juliana on April 30, 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on April 30, as the weather on her own birthday, Jan. 31, tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivities. On Queen's Day the queen visits one or two towns where she is received with celebrations in her honor. These celebrations often involve traditional Dutch dances and demonstrations of old crafts.
Today is Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) in many parts of central and northern Europe. The festival is named after Saint Walpurga, born in Wessex in 710. Historically, Walpurgisnacht is derived from Pagan spring customs, but in modern times it has been loaded with political meaning and is organized by liberal groups so as to suppress the May Day celebrations organized mainly by left wing parties and labor unions. In Germany, the festival has a witchcraft dimension, with allegations that on this night witches hold a large celebration awaiting the arrival of spring. The same witchcraft dimension has led the Czechs and Slovaks to call the festival Carodejnice, Witches' Night. Only in Estonia is Walpurgisnacht celebrated on May 1.
On this day in 1883, the founding father of impressionist art, French artist Edouard Manet (b. 1832), passed away. His early masterpieces, The "Luncheon on the Grass" and "Olympia," engendered great controversy and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today these are considered watershed pain-tings that mark the beginning of modern art.
Gregorian Calendar: 30 April 2008 C.E.Hijri Calendar:
24 Rabi al-Thani 1429 A.H.Hebrew Calendar:
25 Nisan 5768
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