May 7 in world history

Saturday, February 27, 2021

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-- The Day of Reinstating the Press, Language and Books in Lithuania. This is a professional holiday of Lithuanian journalists. (Emperor Nicholas II issued his decree May 7, 1904, abolishing all of the Russian government's restrictive resolutions with regard to Lithuanian written language). -- 1879 - Belgian writer Charles de COSTER (b. 1827) died 125 years ago. Authored "Flemish Legends" and "Brabant Stories". His most famous book is called "Legend of Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak and Their Adventures Heroical, Joyous and Glorious in the Land of Flanders and Elsewhere" -- 1909 - Edwin LAND, US inventor and businessman was born 95 years ago. Invented the Polaroid instant photo camera, also founding Polaroid Corp. -- 1920 - A peace treaty between the Georgian Democratic Republic (1918-1921) and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) was signed in Moscow 84 years ago. That document recognized Georgian independence. -- 1939 - US biochemist and molecular biologist Sidney ALTMAN was born 65 years ago; his main scientific papers were devoted to the nucleic-acid synthesis mechanism; discovered fermentative activity in ribonucleic acids (RNA) together with T. R. Check. Nobel Prize winner (1989 together with T. R Check). -- 1954 - The people's army of Vietnam defeated French colonial forces near Dienbienfu, thus completing that decisive battle of the Vietnamese nation's 1945-1954 resistance war. IN RUSSIA: -- Radio Day was instituted in 1945 to mark the 50-the anniversary of inventing the radio. -- Baltic Fleet Day celebrated since 1996 on orders from the Russian Navy's commander-in-chief to mark the victory of Russian warships over Swedish men-of-war May 7 (18), 1703. -- 1819 - Astronomer Otto STRUVE (d. 1905), full-time member of the St. Petersburg academy of sciences, was born 185 years ago. -- 1840 - Composer Peter TCHAIKOVSKY (d. 1893), one of the most outstanding representatives of Russian classic-music culture, was born 164 years ago. -- 1883 - Emperor Alexander III issued his rescript on flags for decorating buildings on official occasions 121 years ago. The imperial rescript ordered all the concerned authorities to use white-blue-red flags alone for such purposes. Democratic Russia, which renounced the red Soviet flag with hammer and sickle, also prefers the traditional tricolor flag nowadays. This flag replaced the black-yellow-white imperial standard, which was endorsed by Emperor Alexander II in 1858. -- 1940 - The decree of the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium introduced general-and-admiral ranks in the army and the navy 44 years ago. -- 1960 - A law stipulating seven-hour working days was passed in the Soviet Union 44 years ago. -- 1992 - President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation issued his decree on establishing the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; May 7 is thus marked as the Day of the Russian Armed Forces. -- 2000 -- Vladimir Putin, who was elected as President of the Russian Federation March 14, 2000, was sworn in exactly four years ago. Vladimir Putin was reelected once again March 14, 2004 and inaugurated May 7, 2004.