Pages from history
May
World Press Freedom Day
People have always been hungry for information. They tell each other what they have seen and heard, so any news travels fast. Heralds, merchants, travellers, messengers and even pigeons have been used for information transmission for thousands of years. The dissemination of information, as well as the growing interest in it, led to the creation of information boards made of plaster. Such boards were made in ancient Rome at the behest of Julius Caesar. The Acta diurna (also called Acta populi, or Acta publica), said to date from before 59 BCE, recorded official business and matters of public interest.
The first Chairman of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, diplomat Alimardan Bey Topchubashov
Politician and statesman, scholar-publicist Alimardan bey Alekper oglu Topchubashev was born on May 4, 1862 in Tbilisi. He received his first education at the 1st Tbilisi Gymnasium. In 1884 he successfully graduated from high school and entered the Faculty of History and Philology of St. Petersburg University. However, after the first semester, he transferred to the Faculty of Law. In 1888 he graduated with honors from the university and received the title of candidate of legal sciences. After university, A. Topchubashev worked as an assistant judge, a lawyer in Tbilisi, and a publicist in Baku. In 1898, he bought the Caspian newspaper and headed it.
Hanifa Malikova-Zardabi - one of the first women educators of Azerbaijan
Hanifa Malikova-Zardabi was born on 5 May 1856 in the North Caucasus, in the city of Nalchik. She studied in Saint Nino girls’ School in Tbilisi, Georgia, the only place available for girls’ education at that time. Hanifa khanum married Hasan bey Zardabi, one of the founders of the enlightenment movement in Azerbaijan. The story of how couple met is very interesting. Once in the newspaper “Caucasus” he saw the list of girls graduated from the St. Nino Educational Institution in Tbilisi, in 1872. There was only one Muslim surname there – Hanifa Abayeva. Hasan bey Zardabi immediately went to Tbilisi wishing to marry this educated girl.
The first Azerbaijani military topographer, General Ibrahim agha Vakilov
Ibrahim Agha Pasha Agha oglu Vekilov was born on 7 May 1853 in the village of Girag Salakhly in the Gazakh district of Yelizavetpol province. His father Pasha oghlu Pasha died in 1864. On September 6, 1866 Ibrahim Agha Vekilov entered the third military gymnasium in Tbilisi, which provided education in the scope of secondary school. The future general studied there for nine years, and then, following the advice of his countryman Mirza Huseyn Efendi Gaibzadeh entered the Military Topographical School in St Petersburg. In 1879 Ibrahim Agha Vekilov successfully accomplished his studies and received the military rank of ensign.
Day of Victory over fascism
German troops invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, triggering World War II. In response to German aggression, Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany. World War II began. Breaking its 1939 (August 23) treaty with the USSR, Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. On June 22, 1941, Germany launched its a full-scale invasion of the USSR codenamed Operation Barbarossa. The German military plan called for an advance up to a hypothetical line running from the port of Archangel in northern Russia to the port of Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea – the so-called “A-A line” before winter.
National leader Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev was born on 10 May 1923 in the city of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. In 1939, after graduating from Nakhchivan Pedagogical School he entered Azerbaijan Industrial Institute (present Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University), Faculty of Architecture, but the outbreak of the World War II prevented him from completing his education. In 1941-1944, Heydar Aliyev headed a secret division at the Archive Department of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and then served as head of the General Department of the Council of People's Commissars of Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
Prominent linguist, literary critic, professor Bekir Chobanzade
Bekir Chobanzade was born on May 15, 1893, in the city of Garasubasar, Simferopol region, Crimea. He received his primary education there. At the age of 14, he attracted attention with his extraordinary intelligence. The Society of Religious Benefactors sent him to Turkey to continue his education at Galatasaray high school - "Sultaniyya" (1908-1918). He wrote his first poems, also the poem "Where is Mother?" in his student days. B. Chobanzade studied Arabic and Persian languages to perfection in the three-year higher course at Istanbul University.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day has been celebrated annually on 17 May. The celebration of this universal history is connected with the founding of the International Telegraph Union. On May 17, 1865, the International Telegraph Union was founded in Paris to define uniform standards for telegraphic communications of that time, and since 1932 it has been called the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). On May 17, 1865, the International Telegraph Union, the predecessor to the modern ITU, was founded in Paris as the first international standards organization. The Union was tasked with implementing basic principles for international telegraphy.
International Museum Day
Every year, May 18 is celebrated as International Museum Day in the world. Established by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to promote cultural exchange and cooperation between nations, this holiday is held under a different motto every year. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) was founded in 1946. ICOM is a worldwide organization representing museums and museum professionals committed to protecting and promoting the tangible and intangible, natural and cultural heritage of the past and future. ICOM includes more than 45,000 members from 138 countries.
National Library of Azerbaijan
The main library of Azerbaijan is the largest national library not only in the Caucasus and the European continent, but one of the largest national libraries and book depositories in the world. The library was founded in 1922 and officially opened on May 23, 1923. When the library was created, 5,000 copies of literature were donated to the library from the funds of the libraries of Imperial Technical Society’s Baku branch and Baku Public Society. First director of the library which started activity with only 13 employees was M.Salimov. The reading hall in the library was opened in 1927. The reading hall was open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Well-known educator, playwright and ethnographer Rashid bey Efendiyev
Rashid bey Ismail oglu Efendiyev (Efendizade) was born in 1863 in the city of Sheki into a religious family. He received his primary education from a teacher named Abdurrazzak Takhirzade at a mollakhana (divinity school) located in the Juma Mosque. Rashid bey Efendiyev graduated from the school at the mosque in 1873 and continued his education in Russian, first in the county and then in the city school. In these schools he studied arithmetic, geography, history, physics, chemistry, got acquainted with the works of Russian and European writers. In 1879, Rashid-bek Efendiyev went to work at the newly opened Azerbaijan branch of the Transcaucasian (Gori) teacher's seminary.
Independence Day
The establishment of Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan on May 28, 1918 was a historic event and one of the glorious pages in our history. This significant date is celebrated as Independence Day in Azerbaijan anniversarily. In February 1917, monarchic regime in Russia was overthrown. The Provisional Government that replaced the monarchy held elections to the Constituent Assembly. However the Provisional Government was quite short-lived. In October 1917 coup d'etat occurred. As a result the members of parliament to the Russian Constituent Assembly from the Southern Caucasus could not go to Russia.
International Day for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
According to the decision of the UN General Assembly, since 1992 May 5 has been celebrated worldwide as the “International Day for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. The purpose of this date is to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in all spheres of public life, as well as to attract the attention of the general public to the problems of people with disabilities. It was Heydar Aliyev who, after returning to power in Azerbaijan for the second time, has taken measures to protect the rights of disabled people and their health. This created a rich legislative base in this sphere.
World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
May 8th is observed worldwide as International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. This day is dedicated to the founder of the organization, Swiss writer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Henri Dunant. Dunant was profoundly influenced by the horrors he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 between France and Austria, where he assisted 40,000 wounded alongside local residents. Upon returning to Switzerland in 1862, Henri Dunant detailed the severe aftermath of this battle in his book «A Memory of Solferino».
Khosrov bey Sultanov is a prominent statesman and political figure of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
Khosrov Pasha bey Sultanov was born on May 10, 1879 in Kurdhaji village of Zangazur district. He studied at the Ganja Gymnasium and graduated from the Medical Faculty of Novorossiysk University (1903). He was preparing medicine from the rich herbs he was gathering in Garabagh and disinterested treated the sick people in the villages. Khosrov Bey, one of the intellectuals who loved the history, literature and culture of his homeland called one of his houses in Shusha called the Eastern Library and lectured on the history and culture of the East peoples. Khosrov bey Sultanov was a member of the Musavat party in 1917 and was elected a member of the Russian Entrepreneurship Assembly.
The First Kharibulbul Music Festival in liberated Shusha
"Kharibulbul" Music Festival is an international music festival held in Shusha. It is not a coincidence that the venue of choice for the festival is the city of Shusha. Shusha is the cradle of Azerbaijani culture, the homeland of many prominent figures, musicians, architects, artists and writers, personalities who have made invaluable contributions to the world's cultural treasury. The mission of the Kharibulbul International Folklore Festival is to revive and preserve national cultural traditions; to demonstrate the multicultural environment of Azerbaijan, created by various peoples living together.
World Metrology Day
The leading role of metrology in all areas of human activity, both in the development of the world economy and in scientific and technological progress, is indispensable. Metrology is the science of measurement. There is no field of human activity where the results of measurements are not used. Approximately 15% of social labor is devoted to performing measurements. Billions of measurement operations are carried out every second worldwide. Their results are widely used in ensuring the quality and technical level of the produced goods, the safe and accident-free operation of transportation, the substantiation of medical and environmental diagnoses, and the analysis of data flow.
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
Every year on May 21, World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is celebrated. This day was established by the UN General Assembly in December 2002 and was first celebrated on May 21, 2003. Currently, world culture is threatened by many different factors - in one case, excessive protection of national identity threatens the cultures of various minorities, in another case, religion puts pressure on culture, and in a third case, languages are disappearing. Under the influence of globalization, in almost all countries of the world, traditions are lost, and weak cultures are marginalized, and sometimes even disappear altogether.
Professional Holiday of Workers of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources
May 23 is a professional holiday for workers of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The Ministry was created by the Decree of National Leader Heydar Aliyev on May 23, 2001 after our country gained independence. The professional holiday of workers (ETSN) was established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated May 16, 2007. As in all areas of our country, important work has been done to solve environmental problems, protect the environment, and restore the ecological balance. National programs for environmentally sustainable socio-economic development, restoration and expansion of forests are being successfully implemented.
International Missing Children's Day
International Missing Children's Day was observed for the first time in the United States on May 25. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed National Missing Children's Day recognizing the hundreds of thousands of children who went missing each year. Just a few short years before, in 1981, six-year-old Adam Walsh was abducted from a Florida shopping mall and later found brutally murdered. Besides, six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from his New York City home on his way from the bus to school on May 25, 1979. The observance commemorated the date of Etan’s disappearance. In addition, it also honored missing children everywhere. Etan’s case quickly received much coverage.
State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The first attempt to create a State Anthem in Azerbaijan was made during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. In addition to other attributes of statehood, the government of the ADR has taken certain steps to create our state anthem. Although the draft of the anthem of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan was prepared in 1919-20, historical and political events of that period did not allow it to be adopted at the legislative level. Thus, in the issue of the Azerbaijan newspaper, the official organ of the ADR it is reported that the Ministry of Public Education submitted official proposals to the government on the issue of organizing the preparation of the state anthem.