Channel 9's Australia Day cricket match in Adelaide began with journalist Mark Nicholas asking the English skipper if he was 'aware of the enormity of the day.' Some do not know it, feeling that 'enormity' is to do with size, but it in fact means 'monstrous wrong.' So the enormity of Julia Gillard as PM is not referring to her bottom or nose, but to the fact she should not have been PM and was unsuited temperamentally to the task, as have been any ALP PM in living memory. One might refer to the enormity of the debt the ALP left office in September '13. Or the enormity of drowning desperate people who are exploited by pirates and leaving refugees in limbo. Or the enormity of ABC reporting on Indonesian relations with Australia. I want a correction and retraction from Nicholas, and an apology.
ASRC (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre) posted on Facebook that they felt today was an invasion day. A little off putting for me, as I have ancestors on both sides of their invasion. With respect, half of present Australia did not exist fifty years ago. Building has gathered pace and Australia is set to double in another forty years, or less. My point is that Australia I love is not for me, but for those who follow. They may be migrants or born here. It isn't my will or place to deny those who come. And very shortly after I'm gone, this land will not be the land I know. But she will still be Australia and I love her. Those racists making noise about 'invasion' have no love for those they hurt with their faux dreams of a land that never was and never will be. They may graffiti a cottage of a great man, but that won't make their worthless assertions right. It is wrong to give such assertions the currency media give it. If the pathetic race hate laws are still valid, I would like to see ASRC prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and any public funds given retracted.
I have mixed emotions about the great lady Australia. I love her, and wish her to be prosperous. I want her peoples to be diverse, and united in bonds of fellowship. I have been hurt terribly by Australia and her justice system, having my citizenship denied by administrative error, and having been persecuted by a political lobby covering up a bungled pedophile investigation and the death of a school child. So that my career is over as a Mathematics teacher and yet I've done no wrong. But Australia has taught me about life. When I breathe my last, I will no longer be American as I was born in NYC, but my home will be in Australia. My adulthood and contributions will be for Australians. Some of my ancestors came to Australia from China, Ireland, Scotland, England, Holland, Russia, Poland, Hungary .. and .. and from places I know not. But they came here and they named her not as a possession for some empire, but for the place they live. They called her home.
===
Happy birthday and many happy returns Alex Duong. Born on the same day, across the years, as
- 1497 – Emperor Go-Nara of Japan (d. 1557)
- 1541 – Florent Chrestien, French poet (d. 1596)
- 1722 – Alexander Carlyle, Scottish church leader and author (d. 1805)
- 1826 – Julia Grant, American wife of Ulysses S. Grant, 19th First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)
- 1880 – Douglas MacArthur, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
- 1899 – Günther Reindorff, Estonian graphic designer (d. 1974)
- 1905 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (d. 1987)
- 1921 – Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (d. 1999)
- 1925 – Paul Newman, American actor, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman's Own (d. 2008)
- 1945 – Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987)
- 1951 – David Briggs, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Little River Band)
- 1955 – Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Van Halen)
- 1961 – Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1967 – Col Needham, English businessman, co-founded Internet Movie Database
- 2008 – Paul the Octopus, English octopus (d. 2010)
Matches
- 1340 – King Edward III of England is declared King of France.
- 1564 – The Council of Trent issues its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
- 1788 – The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Commemorated as Australia Day
- 1808 – Rum Rebellion, the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in Australia.
- 1838 – Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States
- 1863 – American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced byJoseph Hooker.
- 1863 – American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
- 1885 – Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.
- 1905 – The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
- 1907 – The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III is officially introduced into British Military Service, and remains the second oldest military rifle still in official use.
- 1945 – World War II: Audie Murphy in action that will later win him the Medal of Honor.
- 1962 – Ranger program: Ranger 3 is launched to study the moon. The space probe later misses the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
- 1965 – Hindi becomes the official language of India.
- 1966 – The Beaumont Children go missing from Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, South Australia.
- 1978 – The Great Blizzard of 1978, a rare severe blizzard with the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the US until October 2010, strikes the Ohio – Great Lakes region with heavy snow and winds up to 100 mph (161 km/h).
- 1992 – Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
- 1998 – Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Despatches
- 946 – Eadgyth, German wife of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 910)
ALP must apologise for union war crimes
Piers Akerman – Saturday, January 25, 2014 (11:25pm)
AS a backdrop to today’s Australia Day celebrations, the Labor/Green Left is working itself into a lather over plans to review the flawed national education curriculum.
Continue reading 'ALP must apologise for union war crimes'
TAXES RESCUED
Tim Blair – Sunday, January 26, 2014 (3:25pm)
The drama may not be over for Antarctic tourist Chris Turney and his fellow fools.
BLOOD BUBBLES
Tim Blair – Sunday, January 26, 2014 (3:10pm)
Anti-Jewish activists have moved their attention from chocolate to an Israeli-owned soda campany, as Kat Stoeffel reports:
My first-ever holiday party was going great until someone in the living room wanted club soda for his vodka. It’s not that I wasn’t prepared. I was in the kitchen, overseeing eggnog, and I handed my co-host a bottle of seltzer made for the occasion with my SodaStream countertop carbonator. He’s the one who told me what happened next.“Enjoy your Palestinian blood cocktails,” the left-wing reporter said to the vodka drinkers …At a Thanksgiving with college friends, the appearance of SodaStream’s distinctive, reusable bottles was met with similar tut-tutting. “Blood bubbles,” someone called them. Defending herself, the hostess said the machine had been a gift. Now I say that too, even though I bought mine myself.
MODERN INTOLERANCE
Tim Blair – Saturday, January 25, 2014 (11:58pm)
Multiculturalism and sexual freedom meet Islam. Note one defending lawyer’s claim that the resultant conflict occurred due to “a misguided sense of love.”
GET YER YAHYA OUT
Tim Blair – Saturday, January 25, 2014 (11:36pm)
The ABC’s go-to guy for Indonesian political commentary. Watch the whole thing:
Nation of tribes
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (12:37pm)
The newly tribalised Australia. Men shoot man. Friends of victim react by attacking police:
I don’t see our cultural elite honestly confronting the often deliberate fraying of community. Few public policy issues are actually more important.
UPDATE
A video of some of the confrontation seems to support my suspicion:
UPDATE
Reader Notch:
===A WILD mob fought with police after a man was shot dead in a suspected drive-by in Sydney’s south west this morning...I know no more than what I’ve linked to. Yet the reaction suggests an ethnic or religious element - a exaggerated sense of victimhood and entitlement from people who seem to feel little sense of obligation to the institutions of the territory which they they share with the rest of us. True, we could be just seeing a feral white underclass here, but let’s see…
The area quickly descended into chaos as people arrived in speeding cars and nearly ran over police officers.
A man jumped out of a 4WD stopped in the middle of the road and shouted, “I want to see my brother, c’mon I’ll take you all on,” before him and four men attacked the officers…
A group of over 20 family and friends gathered down the street. Some taunted police while others did their best to calm them down.
I don’t see our cultural elite honestly confronting the often deliberate fraying of community. Few public policy issues are actually more important.
UPDATE
A video of some of the confrontation seems to support my suspicion:
An absence of descriptors in the news reports of those involved is also suspicious.
UPDATE
Reader Notch:
From one who was on scene in an official capacity when the abovementioned altercation took place, your suspicions on the ethnicity of the victim and “family and friends” are 100% correct.
US freezes. What say warmists now?
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (11:07am)
I doubt many people thought global warming would lead to this:
===America is set for the coldest month of the century as weather forecasters predict yet another freezing blast of Arctic air - putting Super Bowl Sunday in jeopardy.Still, a cold freeze in one continent is no more evidence for or against global warming than is a heat wave in Australia. If only our Climate Commission and warmist journalists acted accordingly.
Abetz defends Bernardi: what counts is the argument, not the offence
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (10:23am)
Eric Abetz, leader of
the Government in the Senate, defends Liberal MP Cory Bernardi from the
modern shut-uppers - people who demand important debates be shut down
simply because they cause “offence”:
Continue reading 'Abetz defends Bernardi: what counts is the argument, not the offence'
===I contrast the lack of attention so far paid to Australia’s Secret War - Hal Colebatch’s book, with the affected morale outrage over another recently released book, which I can confirm I have also read cover to cover, word for word, and which I would also commend to you.Abetz also called for the union movement to apologise for its sorry history of sabotage in World War 2. His full speech to the Young Liberal Movement of Australia Federal Convention Gala Dinner follows:
It was written by my colleague, Senator Cory Bernardi, and entitled The Conservative Revolution…
What was disappointing was the rank misrepresentation, from either sheer dishonesty or ignorance, by the gaggle of critics, of the inescapable conclusions of peer reviewed research cited in the book.
Labor Leader, Bill Shorten, claimed to be"offended" by Senator Bernardi’s commentary about so-called ‘non-traditional families’. ‘As a step-father I am offended,’ he said. The media simply ran the ‘I’m offended’ line.
You know the trip; “I claim victimhood. I declare that I have taken offence. So you cannot question me or assail me with undisputed, objective studies"… studies which actually tell us time and time again that the gold standard for the nurturing of children is a married man and woman with their biological children.
Do some such family units fail?
Of course they do.
Do some single mums and dads do a fantastic job? Of course they do.
Do some blended families work exceptionally well? Of course they do.
But that does not disprove the undeniable evidence that the gold standard and best practice model is the traditional family!
The thesis of Senator Bernardi’s book is that, as a consequence, public policy should be supportive of the traditional family.
Our would-be Labor Prime Minister claimed to have been offended by the articulation of these facts.
Mr Shorten, thinking that he had a knockout blow, rhetorically asked on what basis Senator Bernardi was suggesting these children are more likely to be criminal?
Well, let me answer Mr Shorten’s rhetorical question with a substantive answer, by reading to you what is in Senator Bernardi’s book, and I quote:
“we know the statistics – that children who grow up without a father are 5 times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; 9 times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioural problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of this. Can I simply observe that for the sake of our society these things need to be said.”Oh…. and for the record, can I confirm the quote that I just read was an extract from Senator Bernardi’s book - quoting President Barack Obama’s Father’s Day address of 2008.
I wonder if the would-be Prime Minister Shorten would be as critical of and disrespectful to President Obama as he was towards Senator Bernardi? I think not…
The fact that this ill-informed and embarrassing criticism came from Bill Shorten was bad enough. Regrettably some came from within our own Party.
One criticism was that we could supposedly dismiss Senator Bernardi’s thesis and all its evidentiary basis because it was a minority view…
I would invite the Young Liberal Movement and young people more generally not to consider whether Senator Bernardi’s is a minority view or majority view, but whether it is right or wrong
Continue reading 'Abetz defends Bernardi: what counts is the argument, not the offence'
Hard label
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (10:17am)
More labeling from the Sydney Morning Herald:
Could the Sydney Morning Herald identify - for balance - a “hard-Left” group in federal parliament? Or does it believe the only mean people are on the Right?
===Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, parliamentary secretary for social services and from the Liberals’ hard-right faction, told Fairfax Media that speaking English is not only a personal responsibility, it is ‘’an obligation to our country’’.Hard? As in heartless? Mean? Pitiless?
Could the Sydney Morning Herald identify - for balance - a “hard-Left” group in federal parliament? Or does it believe the only mean people are on the Right?
Man honored after yelling at 13-year-old girl
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (9:11am)
Adam Goodes is Australian of the Year:
I completely agree that racism is an evil that must be fought. What concerns me, though, is that the public is instead being coached into acceptance of a New Racism which reduces us to our “racial” identities. Next step: the constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians, to divide Australians on the basis of the “race” of their ancestors.
UPDATE
Reader GreyZeke explains the decision:
===But his advocacy might never be as influential as his magnificent demonstration of character and compassion in May 2013. The day after Goodes raised his arm to identify a 13-year-old girl in the MCG crowd who had shouted ‘’ape’’ at him, he stood, shaken and shattered, before a media throng.How utterly absurd:
On Friday, a 13-year-old Collingwood fan at the football with her Nan shouts “ape” at bearded Sydney player Adam Goodes.Only by reducing two individuals to racial caricatures - a repentant 13-year-old girl into a white racist and 34-year-old champion footballer into a black victim - could you see in that public shaming a “ magnificent demonstration of character and compassion” worthy of an Australian of the Year. (I do note, however, Goodes was honored for more than this incident alone.)
She said later she did not mean the word in a racist way and tried to apologise when she was told he was upset. Yet this girl, as old as my year 7 son, was pointed out by Goodes to security staff, who marched her out of the stadium.
She was grilled [and then detained] by police for two hours, initially without her grandmother present, and threatened with charges. Her face was shown on national TV and she was publicly branded a racist.
On Saturday Goodes absurdly declared “racism had a face - and it was a 13-year-old girl”.
The US has its Ku Klux Klansmen, Serbia its Ratko Mladic, Australia a teary 13-year-old.
I completely agree that racism is an evil that must be fought. What concerns me, though, is that the public is instead being coached into acceptance of a New Racism which reduces us to our “racial” identities. Next step: the constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians, to divide Australians on the basis of the “race” of their ancestors.
UPDATE
Reader GreyZeke explains the decision:
The National Australia Day Council consists of ten members; one is a sportsman and four are connected to the racism industry:-To what extent do our institutions now reflect the values of the people who fund them?
Ms Shelley Reys AOAnother Australian institution hijacked.The remaining members are largely administrative or former recipients.
Managing DirectorProfessor Samina Yasmeen
Arrilla - Indigenous Consultants & Services
DirectorDr Tim Soutphommasane
Centre for Muslim States and Societies
Race Discrimination CommissionerJason Glanville
Chief Executive Officer
National Centre of Indigenous Excellence
Meet the ABC’s favorite Indonesian commentator
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (9:06am)
Via Michael Smith, this
introduction to the ABC’s go-to Indonesian for comment on Australia
(and the last third is the most instructive):
===Arts boss Sophie Cunningham dreams of a grant for nice Ben. And lo and behold
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (8:46am)
First let’s introduce the two main characters in this latest story of arts grants and group-think.
Sophie Cunningham, chairman of the Australia Council’s literature panel, attends parties of fellow Leftists such as Jonathan Green (now an ABC presenter) where guests are known to have bashed a pinata of John Howard.
Benjamin Law is another Leftist with a liking for rhetorical violence against conservatives. Of me he wrote: “Some of us are huge and muscled, built like brick sh*thouses and could demolish Andrew Bolt’s face if we wanted to, and that is definitely fine by me too.” Of Tony Abbott he tweeted:
Last March Cunningham - to repeat, the chairman of the Literature Panel - had a dream:
Now, clearly Cunningham doesn’t have the only vote on the literature panel. Just as clearly, she has decided views on literature and her work on the Australia Council is driven by those considerations, not by friendships or politics.
Yet we all have unexamined prejudices and assumptions, and are influenced more than we’d like to believe or credit by our culture and our peers. Moreover, the group-think in the arts, and especially those parts of it that are grants supported, seems to me undeniable. It all seems very cosy. Almost tribal, with conservatives left to feel excluded - even defunded.
Ask Keith Windschuttle, editor of Quadrant, who in December 2012 protested with some heat:
Arts funding needs reform. It is meant to promote excellence and open minds. I fear it is instead promoting a political tribe and stifling debate.
Here is an urgent job for Arts Minister George Brandis.
(A polite request to anyone I’ve named here who is in furious disagreement. Please do not sue, abuse and otherwise try to stifle debate as is so often the modern way. Let us settle this with argument. Post your responses here and I will publish them.)
UPDATE
Reader GIGO protests:
UPDATE
The only response so far from Cunningham to the matters raised over the past couple of days is to interpret the identification of one grant recipient, the 24-year-old daughter of another, as just a personal and gratuitous attack on a child:
===Sophie Cunningham, chairman of the Australia Council’s literature panel, attends parties of fellow Leftists such as Jonathan Green (now an ABC presenter) where guests are known to have bashed a pinata of John Howard.
Benjamin Law is another Leftist with a liking for rhetorical violence against conservatives. Of me he wrote: “Some of us are huge and muscled, built like brick sh*thouses and could demolish Andrew Bolt’s face if we wanted to, and that is definitely fine by me too.” Of Tony Abbott he tweeted:
Now to the action, as outlined in Quadrant by Roger Franklin.
Last March Cunningham - to repeat, the chairman of the Literature Panel - had a dream:
Hmm. A month later Benjamin’s sister - who describes Cunningham as ”my mentor” - gets an Australia Council award:
And now the man himself gets that grant of which Cunningham once dreamed:
Grants to brother and sister Law. And, as noted yesterday, grants to mother and daughter Croggon, the elder of whom is another Twitter correspondent with Cunningham, sharing her disdain for scrutiny of the ABC:
And, of course, like Cunningham and Law, Croggon is a Leftist who tends to despise Liberal politicians such as Tony Abbott.
Now, clearly Cunningham doesn’t have the only vote on the literature panel. Just as clearly, she has decided views on literature and her work on the Australia Council is driven by those considerations, not by friendships or politics.
Yet we all have unexamined prejudices and assumptions, and are influenced more than we’d like to believe or credit by our culture and our peers. Moreover, the group-think in the arts, and especially those parts of it that are grants supported, seems to me undeniable. It all seems very cosy. Almost tribal, with conservatives left to feel excluded - even defunded.
Ask Keith Windschuttle, editor of Quadrant, who in December 2012 protested with some heat:
Last month, the Literature Board of the Australia Council ... reduced our funding from the $40,000 we received in 2012, to just $20,000 for 2013. This is a big chunk out of our modest operating budget. All our Australia Council grant goes to the writers of Quadrant’s literary content, that is, our book reviews, poetry, short fiction, and essays on literature, film, theatre and the arts…Given all this, I do not expect Cunningham and the Australia Council to protest as Overland, another of the Leftist-magazines they fund, black-balls for purely political reasons poets who seek publication in Quadrant.
As I wrote in a letter to all subscribers last month, the Literature Board has made a blatantly political decision. Throughout the eleven years of the Howard government, its appointees never reduced the funding of overtly left-wing literary magazines like Meanjin, Overland, Griffith Review and Australian Book Review. Under the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments, those journals continued to receive much more money than Quadrant – more than $60,000 a year – even though they carried only a fraction of our literary content and had much smaller circulations.
Meanjin, for instance, is published only four times a year, compared to Quadrant’s ten issues, and carries less literary content in each of those editions than we do… Yet the Australia Council rewards Meanjin with a privileged position as one of its “key organisations”, which guarantees funding for three-year periods, while Quadrant is made to stand in line like a naughty boy and re-apply for funds each year.
So when the Gillard government this year appointed former Meanjin editor and left-wing feminist, Sophie Cunningham, as chair of the Literature Board, we knew what to expect. Still, we did not anticipate such a ruthless and heavy discounting of our good name. Under Cunningham’s editorship, Meanjin published at least one derogatory article about Quadrant and several articles and blogs about me in particular. With such a track record, she was obviously an interested party and should have stepped aside from any decision about our funding.
Arts funding needs reform. It is meant to promote excellence and open minds. I fear it is instead promoting a political tribe and stifling debate.
Here is an urgent job for Arts Minister George Brandis.
(A polite request to anyone I’ve named here who is in furious disagreement. Please do not sue, abuse and otherwise try to stifle debate as is so often the modern way. Let us settle this with argument. Post your responses here and I will publish them.)
UPDATE
Reader GIGO protests:
When you say “let us settle this with argument” you probably don’t realise how self-serving and self-glorifying such a statement sounds. Of course you would say that, wouldn’t you? You prefer rational argument because it serves you, because you reason you would win it. You seem to want to come across as a caring person, and yet you’re so openly hostile towards those who support bias when it is theirs, even though in your heart of hearts you surely must know that for many of those unfortunates you rail against, acting in the manner that they do is probably the only way they can sustain a living above the poverty line. Live and let die is not such a bad New Year resolution, and it isn’t as if it matters or anyone really cares just because they’re paying for it.Protest noted. Reproof accepted.
UPDATE
The only response so far from Cunningham to the matters raised over the past couple of days is to interpret the identification of one grant recipient, the 24-year-old daughter of another, as just a personal and gratuitous attack on a child:
Al Gore’s untruths grow more extreme
Andrew Bolt January 26 2014 (8:32am)
Al Gore lies:
===“We’re getting closer to a political tipping point,” Gore said. “These extreme weather events, which are now 100 times more common than 50 years ago, are really capturing people’s attention.”Gore is flat-out wrong, as last year’s report by even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes clear:
Overall, the most robust global changes in climate extremes are seen in measures of daily temperature, including to some extent, heat waves. Precipitation extremes also appear to be increasing, but there is large spatial variability…The only thing that’s increased 100-fold since 1950 is extreme scaremongering by the likes of Gore, who is so reckless with the truth that journalists who treat him as an oracle have betrayed their craft. There is no excuse for Gore being so wrong, and no excuse for journalists not picking him up on it.
There is limited evidence of changes in extremes associated with other climate variables since the mid-20th century…
Current datasets indicate no significant observed trends in global tropical cyclone frequency over the past century … No robust trends in annual numbers of tropical storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes counts have been identified over the past 100 years in the North Atlantic basin…
In summary, there continues to be a lack of evidence and thus low confidence regarding the sign of trend in the magnitude and/or frequency of floods on a global scale…
n summary, there is low confidence in observed trends in small-scale severe weather phenomena such as hail and thunderstorms…
In summary, the current assessment concludes that there is not enough evidence at present to suggest more than low confidence in a global-scale observed trend in drought or dryness (lack of rainfall) since the middle of the 20th century…
In summary, confidence in large scale changes in the intensity of extreme extratropical cyclones since 1900 is low...
===
===
===
4 her
===
===
===
Happiness is a choice, not a result. Choose wisely!
===
===
===
===
===
===
Wally Watchers! Where are Wenda, Wally and his binoculars?
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
===
Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech. .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koutoubia_Mosque
===
===
===
===
===
Zaya Toma
Enjoying the Australia Day fireworks show at the Fairfield Showground. Happy Australia Day my friends and congratulations to all those in my local community that have recieved Australia Day honours.
===
Today, at community breakfasts and BBQs, flag raisings and citizenship ceremonies, in backyards and on beaches, millions of our citizens will celebrate one of the greatest gifts imaginable – to be an Australian.
While Australia Day formally marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet, today we celebrate something richer and deeper. We celebrate the nation and people we have become.
We are the grateful inheritors of two strands of history: a British heritage and an Aboriginal one. We honour both today.
Along with the millions of settlers from around the world who have made their home in Australia since 1788, we have become one people sharing the one land. We are fulfilling the aspiration put forward in the opening of the Australian Constitution: ‘that the people….have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth’.
Twenty three million of us have found unity in our diversity, respect in our differences and have built a modern nation on the idea that anyone can get ahead provided they are prepared to “have a go”.
Today, almost 18,000 men and women will take the Citizenship Pledge and “join our team”. It is a fitting day to celebrate our new citizens as it was on 26 January 1788 when Australia’s first modern migrants arrived.
We have always been an immigrant country. Since 1949, more than 4.5 million people from across the globe have chosen to make Australia their home.
I am proud to say that one of those families was my own.
On 7 September 1960, my father, mother, oldest sister and I left Tilbury for Australia.
My parents had a deep sense that there was no better place to raise a family.
In a co-incidence that reminds me how much I will always owe our country, fifty three years to the day after embarking on that journey with my parents, I was elected Prime Minister of Australia.
Australia has been a place for people to realise their dreams - if not all of them, at least many of them. Australia didn't disappoint my parents when they left Britain and it hasn't disappointed my wife Margie since she travelled ‘across the ditch’ from New Zealand. My hope is that our country will always live up to the faith that its people place in it.
Today we celebrate the history that has made us who we are; the country that we love and the values and institutions that underpin it.
It is a great day to be Australian - Happy Australia Day!
Tony Abbott
Prime Minister
Authorised by Brian Loughnane, Cnr Blackall and Macquarie Streets, Barton ACT 2604.
- 1500 – Spanish navigator, explorer, and conquistador Vicente Yáñez Pinzón reached the north coast of what today is Brazil.
- 1564 – Livonian War: A Lithuanian surprise attack resulted in a decisive defeat of the numerically superior Russian forces.
- 1863 – American Civil War: After the disastrous result of the Battle of Fredericksburg and a failed offensive against Robert E. Lee,Union Army General Ambrose Burnside (pictured) was relieved from command of the Army of the Potomac.
- 1952 – Spontaneous anti-British riots erupted in Cairo following the killings of 50 Egyptian auxiliary police the day before.
- 1991 – Factions led by warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his rebel group, theUnited Somali Congress, ousted President of Somalia Siad Barre from office.
Events[edit]
- 1340 – King Edward III of England is declared King of France.
- 1500 – Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot on Brazil.
- 1531 – Lisbon, Portugal is hit by an earthquake--thousands die.
- 1564 – The Council of Trent issues its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
- 1564 – The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.
- 1565 – Battle of Talikota, fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Islamic sultanates of the Deccan, leads to the subjugation, and eventual destruction of the last Hindu kingdom in India, and the consolidation of Islamic rule over much of the Indian subcontinent.
- 1589 – Job is elected as Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
- 1699 – Treaty of Karlowitz is signed.
- 1700 – The magnitude 9 Cascadia Earthquake takes place off the west coast of the North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
- 1736 – Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne.
- 1788 – The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Commemorated as Australia Day
- 1808 – Rum Rebellion, the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in Australia.
- 1837 – Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
- 1838 – Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States
- 1841 – The United Kingdom formally occupies Hong Kong, which China later formally cedes.
- 1855 – Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.
- 1856 – First Battle of Seattle. Marines from the USS Decatur drive off American Indian attackers after all day battle with settlers.
- 1861 – American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
- 1863 – American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.
- 1863 – American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
- 1870 – American Civil War: Virginia rejoins the Union.
- 1885 – Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.
- 1905 – The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
- 1907 – The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III is officially introduced into British Military Service, and remains the second oldest military rifle still in official use.
- 1911 – Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane.
- 1911 – Richard Strauss' opera Der Rosenkavalier receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera.
- 1915 – The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
- 1918 – Finnish Civil War: A group of Red Guards hangs a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the war.
- 1920 – Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.
- 1924 – Saint Petersburg, Russia, is renamed Leningrad.
- 1930 – The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj ("Complete Independence") which occurred 17 years later.
- 1934 – The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.
- 1934 – German–Polish Non-Aggression Pact is signed.
- 1939 – Spanish Civil War – Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.
- 1942 – World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe landing in Northern Ireland.
- 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins encircling the German Fourth Army near Heiligenbeil in East Prussia, which will end in destruction of the 4th Army two months later.
- 1945 – World War II: Audie Murphy in action that will later win him the Medal of Honor.
- 1949 – The Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976).
- 1950 – The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.
- 1952 – Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
- 1958 – Japanese ferry Nankai Maru capsizes off southern Awaji Island, Japan, 167 killed.
- 1960 – Danny Heater sets a worldwide high school basketball scoring record when he records 135 points for Burnsville High School (West Virginia)
- 1961 – John F. Kennedy appoints Janet G. Travell to be his physician. This is the first time a woman holds the appointment of Physician to the President.
- 1962 – Ranger program: Ranger 3 is launched to study the moon. The space probe later misses the moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
- 1965 – Hindi becomes the official language of India.
- 1966 – The Beaumont Children go missing from Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, South Australia.
- 1978 – The Great Blizzard of 1978, a rare severe blizzard with the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the US until October 2010, strikes the Ohio – Great Lakes region with heavy snow and winds up to 100 mph (161 km/h).
- 1980 – Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
- 1986 – The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
- 1991 – Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.
- 1992 – Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
- 1998 – Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
- 2001 – An earthquake hits Gujarat, India, causing more than 20,000 deaths.
- 2004 – President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution of Afghanistan.
- 2004 – A whale explodes in the town of Tainan, Taiwan. A build-up of gas in the decomposing sperm whale is suspected of causing the explosion.
- 2005 – Glendale train crash: Two trains derail killing 11 and injuring 200 in Glendale, California, near Los Angeles.
- 2009 – Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina.
Births[edit]
- 1497 – Emperor Go-Nara of Japan (d. 1557)
- 1541 – Florent Chrestien, French poet (d. 1596)
- 1595 – Antonio Maria Abbatini, Italian composer (d. 1679)
- 1708 – William Hayes, English composer, organist, and conductor (d. 1777)
- 1714 – Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, French sculptor (d. 1785)
- 1716 – George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, English soldier and politician (d. 1785)
- 1722 – Alexander Carlyle, Scottish church leader and author (d. 1805)
- 1761 – Jens Zetlitz, Norwegian priest and poet (d. 1821)
- 1763 – Charles XIV John of Sweden (d. 1844)
- 1781 – Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet (d. 1831)
- 1813 – Juan Pablo Duarte, Dominican philosopher (d. 1876)
- 1826 – Julia Grant, American wife of Ulysses S. Grant, 19th First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)
- 1832 – George Shiras, Jr., American jurist (d. 1924)
- 1842 – François Coppée, French poet and author (d. 1908)
- 1852 – Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Italian-French explorer (d. 1905)
- 1864 – József Pusztai, Slovene-Hungarian poet and journalist (d. 1934)
- 1866 – John Cady, American golfer (d. 1933)
- 1878 – Dave Nourse, South African cricketer (d. 1948)
- 1880 – Douglas MacArthur, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
- 1882 – André Rischmann, French rugby player (d. 1955)
- 1885 – Michael Considine, Irish-Australian politician (d. 1959)
- 1887 – François Faber, Luxembourgian cyclist (d. 1915)
- 1887 – Marc Mitscher, American admiral (d. 1947)
- 1891 – Frank Costello, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1973)
- 1891 – August Froehlich, German priest and martyr (d. 1942)
- 1891 – Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian neurosurgeon (d. 1976)
- 1892 – Bessie Coleman, American pilot (d. 1926)
- 1892 – Zara Cully, American actress (d. 1978)
- 1893 – Giuseppe Genco Russo, Italian mob boss (d. 1976)
- 1899 – Günther Reindorff, Estonian graphic designer (d. 1974)
- 1900 – Karl Ristenpart, German conductor (d. 1967)
- 1902 – Jokichi Ikarashi, Japanese super-centenarian (d. 2013)
- 1902 – Menno ter Braak, Dutch author (d. 1940)
- 1904 – Ancel Keys, American scientist (d. 2004)
- 1904 – Seán MacBride, Irish politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
- 1905 – Charles Lane, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1905 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (d. 1987)
- 1907 – Dimitrios Holevas, Greek priest (d. 2001)
- 1908 – Jill Esmond, English actress (d. 1990)
- 1908 – Rupprecht Geiger, German painter (d. 2009)
- 1908 – Stéphane Grappelli, French violinist (Quintette du Hot Club de France) (d. 1997)
- 1910 – Jean Image, Hungarian-French animator (d. 1989)
- 1911 – Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
- 1911 – Norbert Schultze, German composer (d. 2002)
- 1913 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (d. 1990)
- 1914 – Princess Durru Shehvar of the Ottoman empire (d. 2006)
- 1915 – William Hopper, American actor (d. 1970)
- 1918 – Nicolae Ceauşescu, Romanian politician, 1st President of Romania (d. 1989)
- 1918 – Philip José Farmer, American author (d. 2009)
- 1919 – Valentino Mazzola, Italian footballer (d. 1949)
- 1919 – Bill Nicholson, English footballer and manager (d. 2004)
- 1920 – Hans Holzer, Austrian-American author and paranormal researcher (d. 2009)
- 1921 – Eddie Barclay, French record producer, founded Barclay Records (d. 2005)
- 1921 – Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (d. 1999)
- 1922 – Michael Bentine, English comedian and actor (d. 1996)
- 1922 – Seán Flanagan, Irish footballer and politician (d. 1993)
- 1923 – Patricia Hughes, English radio announcer (d. 2013)
- 1923 – Anne Jeffreys, American actress and singer
- 1924 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress
- 1924 – Rauf Denktaş, Cypriot politician (d. 2012)
- 1924 – Annette Strauss, American philanthropist and politician, Mayor of Dallas (d. 1998)
- 1925 – David Jenkins, English Anglican cleric, former Bishop of Durham
- 1925 – Joan Leslie, American actress
- 1925 – Paul Newman, American actor, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman's Own (d. 2008)
- 1925 – Ben Pucci, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2013)
- 1925 – Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist (d. 2004)
- 1926 – Farman Fatehpuri, Pakistani linguist and scholar
- 1927 – José Azcona del Hoyo, Honduran politician, President of Honduras (d. 2005)
- 1927 – Bob Nieman, American baseball player (d. 1985)
- 1927 – Hubert Schieth, German footballer and manager (d. 2013)
- 1928 – Paul Marcotte, American politician (d. 2012)
- 1928 – Roger Vadim, French actor and director (d. 2000)
- 1929 – Jules Feiffer, American cartoonist
- 1929 – Gordon Solie, American wrestling announcer (d. 2000)
- 1930 – Napoleon Abueva, Filipino sculptor
- 1931 – Mary Murphy, American actress (d. 2011)
- 1931 – Alfred Lynch, English actor (d. 2003)
- 1932 – Coxsone Dodd, Jamaican record producer (d. 2004)
- 1932 – George Clements, American priest and activist
- 1932 – Christopher Price, British educational administrator and former politician
- 1933 – Ercole Baldini, Italian cyclist
- 1934 – Roger Landry, Canadian businessman and publisher
- 1934 – Charles Marowitz, American critic, theatre director and playwright
- 1935 – Corrado Augias, Italian journalist and politician
- 1935 – Paula Rego, Portuguese-born British painter
- 1935 – Bob Uecker, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1936 – Sal Buscema, American illustrator
- 1936 – Huey "Piano" Smith, American rhythm and blues pianist
- 1937 – Joseph Saidu Momoh, Sierra Leonean politician, 2nd President of Sierra Leone (d. 2003)
- 1940 – Séamus Hegarty, Irish Roman Catholic prelate
- 1941 – Scott Glenn, American actor
- 1941 – Henry Jaglom, English-American director and screenwriter
- 1942 – Soad Hosny, Egyptian actress (d. 2001)
- 1943 – César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 2005)
- 1943 – Jean Knight, American singer
- 1943 – Jack Warner, Trinidadian businessman and politician
- 1944 – Angela Davis, American activist and author
- 1944 – Jerry Sandusky, American football coach
- 1945 – Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987)
- 1945 – David Purley, English Grand Prix driver (d. 1985)
- 1946 – Timothy Clifford, English art historian
- 1946 – Christopher Hampton, British playwright
- 1946 – Gene Siskel, American journalist and critic (d. 1999)
- 1947 – Patrick Dewaere, French actor (d. 1982)
- 1947 – Les Ebdon, English educational administrator
- 1947 – Redmond Morris, Irish film producer
- 1947 – Michel Sardou, French singer-songwriter
- 1949 – Jonathan Carroll, American author
- 1949 – David Strathairn, American actor
- 1950 – Jörg Haider, Austrian politician, Governor of Carinthia (d. 2008)
- 1950 – Janet Lupo, American model
- 1950 – Jack Youngblood, American football player
- 1951 – David Briggs, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Little River Band)
- 1951 – Roy Goodman, English conductor and violinist
- 1951 – Walt Willey, American actor
- 1951 – Andy Hummel, American bassist (Big Star)
- 1953 – Alik L. Alik, Micronesian politician, 7th Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia
- 1953 – Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish politician and diplomat, 39th Prime Minister of Denmark
- 1953 – Lucinda Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1954 – Kim Hughes, Australian cricketer
- 1955 – Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Van Halen)
- 1958 – Anita Baker, American singer-songwriter
- 1958 – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, actress, and talk show host
- 1958 – Salvador Sánchez, Mexican boxer
- 1960 – Road Warrior Animal, American wrestler
- 1960 – Charlie Gillingham, American pianist and accordion player (Counting Crows)
- 1961 – Li Cunxin, Chinese-Australian ballet dancer
- 1961 – Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1961 – Tom Keifer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Cinderella)
- 1961 – Mark Urban, British journalist, author and broadcaster
- 1962 – Oscar Ruggeri, Argentinian footballer
- 1963 – Riddell Akua, Nauruan politician
- 1963 – José Mourinho, Portuguese football manager
- 1963 – Andrew Ridgeley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Wham!)
- 1963 – Gisela Valcárcel, Peruvian actress and publisher, founded Gisela Magazine
- 1963 – Tony Parks, English footballer
- 1964 – Peter Braunstein, American journalist
- 1964 – Adam Crozier, Scottish businessman
- 1964 – Paul Johansson, American actor
- 1965 – Thomas Östros, Swedish politician
- 1965 – Natalia Yurchenko, Russian gymnast
- 1967 – Bryan Callen, American actor
- 1967 – Anatoly Komm, Russian chef and restaurateur.
- 1967 – Col Needham, English businessman, co-founded Internet Movie Database
- 1967 – Pradip Somasundaran, Indian singer
- 1968 – Ravi Teja, Indian actor
- 1969 – George Dikeoulakos, Greek-Romanian basketball coach
- 1969 – Michael O'Hearn, American bodybuilder and actor
- 1970 – Kirk Franklin, American singer-songwriter and producer (One Nation Crew)
- 1970 – Tracy Middendorf, American actress
- 1971 – Dorian Gregory, American actor
- 1972 – Peter Peschel, German footballer
- 1973 – Robert Kellum, American wrestler and actor
- 1973 – Melvil Poupaud, French actor
- 1973 – Mayu Shinjo, Japanese illustrator
- 1974 – Shannon Hale, American author
- 1974 – Rokia Traoré, Malian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1975 – Frankie Rayder, American model
- 1976 – Hitomi, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
- 1976 – Willie Adler, American guitarist and songwriter (Lamb of God)
- 1977 – Vince Carter, American basketball player
- 1977 – Justin Gimelstob, American tennis player
- 1977 – Tye Tribbett, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- 1978 – Esteban Germán, Dominican baseball player
- 1978 – Corina Morariu, American tennis player
- 1978 – Kelly Stables, American actress
- 1979 – Sara Rue, American actress
- 1980 – Brian Fallon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Gaslight Anthem and The Horrible Crowes)
- 1980 – Sanae Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
- 1981 – José de Jesús Corona, Mexican footballer
- 1981 – Gustavo Dudamel, Venezuelan violinist, composer, and conductor
- 1981 – Juan José Haedo, Argentinian cyclist
- 1981 – Volador Jr., Mexican wrestler
- 1981 – Colin O'Donoghue, Irish actor and singer
- 1982 – Reggie Hodges, American football player
- 1982 – Brahim Takioullah, Moroccan man with the largest feet
- 1982 – Yasushi Tsujimoto, Japanese wrestler
- 1983 – Petri Oravainen, Finnish footballer
- 1983 – Ryan Rowland-Smith, Australian baseball player
- 1983 – Lee Su-Hwan, South Korean kick boxer
- 1984 – Layla Kayleigh, English-American television host
- 1984 – Wu Qian, Chinese pianist
- 1984 – Iain Turner, Scottish footballer
- 1984 – Luo Xuejuan, Chinese swimmer
- 1985 – Heather Stanning, English rower
- 1986 – Jaejoong, South Korean singer-songwriter and actor (JYJ and TVXQ)
- 1986 – Gerald Green, American basketball player
- 1986 – Matt Heafy, Japanese-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Trivium and Capharnaum)
- 1986 – Shantelle Malawski, Canadian wrestler
- 1986 – Thiago Pereira, Brazilian swimmer
- 1987 – Marlon Mario Brandao da Silveira, Brazilian footballer
- 1987 – Sebastian Giovinco, Italian footballer
- 1987 – Mia Rose, English singer-songwriter
- 1987 – Asaph Schwapp, American football player (d. 2013)
- 1988 – Yukiyo Mine, Japanese softball player
- 1989 – MarShon Brooks, American basketball player
- 1989 – Emily Hughes, American figure skater
- 1989 – Lin Qingfeng, Chinese weightlifter
- 1989 – Torrey Smith, American football player
- 1990 – Christopher Massey, American actor
- 1990 – Sergio Pérez, Mexican race car driver
- 1990 – Nina Zander, German tennis player
- 1990 – Peter Sagan, Slovak professional road bicycle racer
- 1993 – Cameron Bright, Canadian actor
- 1993 – Peter Čerešňák, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1996 – Tyger Drew-Honey, English actor
- 1997 – Ieva Gaile, Latvian figure skater
- 2008 – Paul the Octopus, English octopus (d. 2010)
Deaths[edit]
- 946 – Eadgyth, German wife of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 910)
- 1567 – Nicholas Wotton, English diplomat (b. 1497)
- 1630 – Henry Briggs, English mathematician (b. 1556)
- 1636 – Jean Hotman, Marquis de Villers-St-Paul, French diplomat (b. 1552)
- 1697 – Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician (b. 1640)
- 1744 – Ludwig Andreas von Khevenhüller, Austrian field marshal (b. 1683)
- 1750 – Albert Schultens, Dutch philologist (b. 1686)
- 1795 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German composer (b. 1732)
- 1799 – Gabriel Christie, Scottish general (b. 1722)
- 1823 – Edward Jenner, English physician (b. 1749)
- 1824 – Théodore Géricault, French painter (b. 1791)
- 1831 – Sangolli Rayanna, Indian freedom fighter (b. 1798)
- 1855 – Gérard de Nerval, French poet (b. 1808)
- 1869 – Duncan Gordon Boyes, English soldier Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1846)
- 1870 – Victor de Broglie, French politician, 9th Prime Minister of France (b. 1785)
- 1885 – Edward Davy, English physician and inventor (b. 1806)
- 1885 – Charles George Gordon, English general (b. 1833)
- 1886 – David Rice Atchison, American general and politician (b. 1807)
- 1891 – Nikolaus Otto, German engineer, invented the Internal combustion engine (b. 1833)
- 1893 – Abner Doubleday, American general (b. 1819)
- 1904 – Whitaker Wright, English businessman (b. 1846)
- 1926 – John Flannagan, American priest (b. 1860)
- 1932 – William Wrigley, Jr., American businessman, founded the Wrigley Company (b. 1861)
- 1933 – Alva Belmont, American activist (b. 1853)
- 1942 – Felix Hausdorff, German mathematician (b. 1868)
- 1943 – Harry H. Laughlin, American eugenicist (b. 1880)
- 1943 – Nikolai Vavilov, Russian botanist (b. 1887)
- 1946 – Oskar Kallas, Estonian diplomat, linguist and folklorist (b. 1868)
- 1946 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer (b. 1884)
- 1947 – Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (b. 1906)
- 1947 – Grace Moore, American soprano and actress (b. 1898)
- 1948 – John Lomax, American musicologist (b. 1867)
- 1952 – Khorloogiin Choibalsan, Mongolian military officer and ruler (b. 1895)
- 1953 – Athanase David, Canadian politician (b. 1882)
- 1961 – Stan Nichols, English cricketer (b. 1900)
- 1962 – Lucky Luciano, American mobster (b. 1897)
- 1963 – H. S. Lloyd, English dog breeder (b. 1887)
- 1968 – Merrill C. Meigs, American publisher (b. 1883)
- 1968 – Yvor Winters, American poet (b. 1900)
- 1973 – Edward G. Robinson, American actor (b. 1893)
- 1976 – João Branco Núncio, Portuguese bullfighter (b. 1901)
- 1977 – Filopimin Finos, Greek film producer, founded Finos Film (b. 1908)
- 1977 – Margaret Hayes, American film and television actress (b. 1916)
- 1979 – Nelson Rockefeller, American politician, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
- 1980 – Simon Kapwepwe, Zambian politician, 2nd Vice President of Zambia (b. 1922)
- 1983 – Bear Bryant, American football player and coach (b. 1913)
- 1986 – A. J. P. Ponrajah, Sri Lankan Tamil civil engineer (b. 1927)
- 1988 – Ethelreda Leopold, American actress (b. 1914)
- 1990 – Bob Gerard, English race car driver (b. 1914)
- 1990 – Lewis Mumford, American sociologist and historian (b. 1895)
- 1992 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican actor (b. 1912)
- 1993 – Jan Gies, Dutch businessman, helped hide Anne Frank and her family (b. 1905)
- 1993 – Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor and painter (b. 1912)
- 1993 – Jeanne Sauvé, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Governor General of Canada (b. 1922)
- 1996 – Georg Alexander, Duke of Mecklenburg, (b. 1921)
- 1996 – Harold Brodkey, American author (b. 1930)
- 1996 – Frank Howard, American football player and coach (b. 1909)
- 1996 – Henry Lewis, American bassist and conductor (b. 1932)
- 1996 – Stevie Plunder, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Whitlams) (b. 1963)
- 1996 – Dave Schultz, American wrestler (b. 1959)
- 1997 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer (b. 1904)
- 1998 – Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese violinist and educator (b. 1898)
- 2000 – Don Budge, American tennis player (b. 1915)
- 2000 – Kathleen Hale, English author and illustrator (b. 1898)
- 2000 – A. E. van Vogt, Canadian-American author (b. 1912)
- 2001 – Al McGuire, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928)
- 2003 – Valeriy Brumel, Russian high jumper (b. 1942)
- 2003 – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian (b. 1917)
- 2003 – George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, Scottish banker and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1931)
- 2004 – Fred Haas, American golfer (b. 1916)
- 2006 – Len Carlson, Canadian actor (b. 1937)
- 2006 – Carol Lambrino, Romanian son of Carol II of Romania (b. 1920)
- 2006 – Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Pakistani politician (b. 1917)
- 2007 – Gump Worsley, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
- 2008 – Christian Brando, American actor (b. 1958)
- 2008 – Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and designer (b. 1906)
- 2010 – Louis Auchincloss, American lawyer, historian, and author (b. 1917)
- 2011 – Gladys Horton, American singer (The Marvelettes) (b. 1944)
- 2011 – Charlie Louvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Louvin Brothers) (b. 1927)
- 2012 – Ian Abercrombie, English actor (b. 1934)
- 2012 – Colin Tarrant, English actor (b. 1952)
- 2013 – Gökhan Budak, Turkish academic administrator and professor of quantum physics (b. 1968)
- 2013 – Lesley Fitz-Simons, Scottish actress (b. 1961)
- 2013 – Christine M. Jones, American politician (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Sukekiyo Kameyama, Japanese voice actor (b. 1954)
- 2013 – Stefan Kudelski, Polish engineer, invented the Nagra (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Daurene Lewis, Canadian politician (b. 1943)
- 2013 – Patricia Lovell, Australian television host and producer (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Hiroshi Nakajima, Japanese physician (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Lloyd Phillips, South African-New Zealand film producer (b. 1949)
- 2013 – Padma Kant Shukla, Indian physicist (b. 1950)
- 2013 – Shōtarō Yasuoka, Japanese author (b. 1920)
Holidays and observances[edit]
- Australia Day (Australia)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Duarte Day (Dominican Republic)
- Liberation Day (Uganda)
- Republic Day (India)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” -Philippians 4:8
===
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
January 25: Morning
"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us." - Isaiah 63:7
And canst thou not do this? Are there no mercies which thou hast experienced? What, though thou art gloomy now, canst thou forget that blessed hour when Jesus met thee, and said, "Come unto me"? Canst thou not remember that rapturous moment when he snapped thy fetters, dashed thy chains to the earth, and said, "I came to break thy bonds and set thee free"? Or if the love of thine espousals be forgotten, there must surely be some precious milestone along the road of life not quite grown over with moss, on which thou canst read a happy memorial of his mercy towards thee? What, didst thou never have a sickness like that which thou art suffering now, and did he not restore thee? Wert thou never poor before, and did he not supply thy wants? Wast thou never in straits before, and did he not deliver thee? Arise, go to the river of thine experience, and pull up a few bulrushes, and plait them into an ark, wherein thine infant--faith--may float safely on the stream. Forget not what thy God has done for thee; turn over the book of thy remembrance, and consider the days of old. Canst thou not remember the hill Mizar? Did the Lord never meet with thee at Hermon? Hast thou never climbed the Delectable Mountains? Hast thou never been helped in time of need? Nay, I know thou hast. Go back, then, a little way to the choice mercies of yesterday, and though all may be dark now, light up the lamps of the past, they shall glitter through the darkness, and thou shalt trust in the Lord till the day break and the shadows flee away. "Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses, for they have been ever of old."
Evening
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." - Romans 3:31
When the believer is adopted into the Lord's family, his relationship to old Adam and the law ceases at once; but then he is under a new rule, and a new covenant. Believer, you are God's child; it is your first duty to obey your heavenly Father. A servile spirit you have nothing to do with: you are not a slave, but a child; and now, inasmuch as you are a beloved child, you are bound to obey your Father's faintest wish, the least intimation of his will. Does he bid you fulfil a sacred ordinance? It is at your peril that you neglect it, for you will be disobeying your Father. Does he command you to seek the image of Jesus? Is it not your joy to do so? Does Jesus tell you, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"? Then not because the law commands, but because your Saviour enjoins, you will labour to be perfect in holiness. Does he bid his saints love one another? Do it, not because the law says, "Love thy neighbour," but because Jesus says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments;" and this is the commandment that he has given unto you, "that ye love one another." Are you told to distribute to the poor? Do it, not because charity is a burden which you dare not shirk, but because Jesus teaches, "Give to him that asketh of thee." Does the Word say, "Love God with all your heart"? Look at the commandment and reply, "Ah! commandment, Christ hath fulfilled thee already--I have no need, therefore, to fulfil thee for my salvation, but I rejoice to yield obedience to thee because God is my Father now and he has a claim upon me, which I would not dispute." May the Holy Ghost make your heart obedient to the constraining power of Christ's love, that your prayer may be, "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight." Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin.
===
Amos
[Ä€'mos] - burden-bearer or one with a burden.
1. This prophet of "judgment,"; which is the key word of the book he wrote, was a citizen of Tekoa, west of the Dead Sea (Amos 1:1; 7:8-16; 8:2).
The Man Who Was a Dresser of Sycamore Trees
Although he was one of the oldest of the prophets, we know little about Amos save what he himself tells us. He does not appear to have belonged to any rank or influence. The opposite is the case, seeing he styles himself a herdsman (Amos 7:14). He was no "professional prophet, speaking for a living." Amos did not belong to the order of the prophets, nor had he been educated in the school of the prophets. The prophetic office was thrust upon him (Amos 7:14, 15). When the call came he exchanged the life of a shepherd and cultivator of sycamore trees for that of a prophet.
The desert life of Amos exercised great formative influences upon him. With time to think and pray, he was qualified to form clear judgments. The art of the seer is not cultivated in crowds.
Contemporary with Hosea, Amos prophesied in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah and in the time of Jeroboam. Most of the prophets confined their message in the main to Israel, but to Amos, Israel was only one of the nations. He took in a whole range of various nationalities and indicted them for their sins and proclaimed the judgment of God alike upon nations and individuals.
Amos pronounced judgment upon the oppression of the poor, commercial dishonesty, selfish indulgence and idolatrous worship, and was the first prophet to predict the captivity of Israel, and to announce God's rejection of His chosen people. The great lessons of the Book of Amos are:
I. Sin is sin in all its blackness, against the bright background of God's grace.
II. Mere ritual is not pleasing to God. The very worship of Israel was sin (Amos 4:4, 5; Amos 5:21-24). Israel thought of God as a vain monarch, pleased with gifts and empty phrases. Amos had nothing but utter contempt for forms of religion that did not disturb one's conscience or change one's life.
III. The greatest perils, both of nations and men, lie not in poverty, but in prosperity.
IV. God's dealings with men are for their discipline, not their doom. Discipline, however, if unheeded, only hastens doom and determines destiny. Thus Amos is rightly called "the prophet of divine law."
2. An ancestor of Joseph, husband of Mary, our Lord's mother (Luke 3:25).
===
Today's reading: Exodus 12-13, Matthew 16 (NIV)
View today's reading on Bible GatewayToday's Old Testament reading: Exodus 12-13
The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats....Today's New Testament reading: Matthew 16
The Demand for a Sign
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' 3 and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away....
No comments:
Post a Comment