DAY 1054 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
January 12 is observed as the Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner.
Additionally, today is the Day of Keeping New Year's Promises, the Day of Hot Tea, and the Day of Marzipan.
The Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of Saint Martyr Tatiana.
Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner
This is an unofficial commemorative date, initiated by V. Chornovil in honor of those who were arrested for their political beliefs.
In 1974, Vyacheslav Chornovil addressed a statement to the Chairman of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR, stating that starting from January 12, 1972 (the day of his arrest and the beginning of widespread repression against the Sixties generation in Ukrainian literary and public life), he would annually mark this day with a one-day hunger strike until a fair review of his case and others like it.
The issue of political prisoners remains relevant today. In the context of Russian aggression and the occupation of parts of Ukrainian territory, many Ukrainians have become political prisoners of the Kremlin. Supporting them, applying international pressure, and fighting for their release are significant tasks for the state and society.
The Royal Astronomical Society is Founded in England
Astronomical societies are national and international scientific-public organizations that unite both professional astronomers and enthusiasts to coordinate scientific research, exchange materials and information, foster collaboration, and promote astronomical knowledge.
National Astronomical Societies exist in many countries around the world, but the oldest among them is the Royal Astronomical Society of England, founded on January 12, 1820, in London under the name of the Astronomical Society of London.
The society was initiated by John Herschel and other prominent astronomers and scientists of that time. The new Society and Council first convened on March 10, 1820. Initially, the main goal of the organization was to promote astronomy as a science and support astronomical research, which at that time was mostly conducted "informally" by amateur astronomers.
In 1831, the society received royal privileges—a charter—from William IV, who also became the patron of this organization (and every subsequent monarch followed his example). At that time, laws and regulations were established to govern the functioning and activities of the society. In 1916, women were also granted access to the society.
A Protocol on the Prohibition of Human Cloning is Signed in Paris
On January 12, 1998, 27 years ago, a Protocol on the prohibition of human cloning was signed in Paris.
Cloning is the reproduction of an individual with a completely identical set of genetic characteristics and appearance. Currently, human cloning technology is not fully developed, raising numerous theoretical and technical questions.
The most successful method of cloning higher animals has been the "nuclear transfer" method. This was the method used to clone the sheep Dolly in the UK, which, as is known, lived for six years—a sufficient period, according to scientists, to consider the experiment successful and to begin direct development of human cloning techniques. However, there are significant limitations here.
The most fundamental limitation is the impossibility of replicating consciousness, meaning that complete identity of personality cannot be achieved—its measure and boundaries are still subject to research. Concerns have also been raised regarding the high percentage of failures in cloning, which are associated with the possibility of creating malformed individuals, as well as issues of parentage, motherhood, inheritance, marriage, and many others.
Also on this day:
1939 - The first six taxis began operating in Poltava;
1964 - Pope Paul VI appointed Metropolitan Joseph Slipyi as a member of the Congregation for the Eastern Church;
1965 - The Mayor of Toronto (Canada) signed a proclamation declaring January 22 as "Ukrainian Independence Day";
1967 - The body of a person—Professor of Psychology at the University of California, James Bedford—was cryonically preserved for the first time;
1990 - The new authorities of Romania were the first among Eastern Bloc countries and former members of the Warsaw Pact to ban the Communist Party; its assets were nationalized on January 18;
1990 - A seven-day pogrom against Armenians began in the capital of the Azerbaijan SSR, Baku;
1998 - 19 EU member countries signed a protocol prohibiting human cloning;
2004 - The largest (at that time) cruise ship in the world, "Queen Mary 2," set sail on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean;
2007 - China shot down its own meteorological satellite, marking the first use of space weaponry in the last twenty years;
2008 - The Crimean Tatar Wikipedia was created;
2024 - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Kyiv with military aid for Ukraine and signed a bilateral security agreement with President Volodymyr Zelensky, which will remain in effect until Ukraine joins NATO.
Born on this day:
160 years since the birth of Fyodor Petrovich Balavenko (1865-1943), Ukrainian sculptor, painter, educator;
140 years since the birth of Pavel Grigorievich Klepatsky (1885 - after 1938), Ukrainian historian, archivist, local historian, member of the Ukrainian Central Rada; born according to the new calendar on January 24, 1845.
Church holiday:
Saint Martyr Tatiana was born in Rome to the family of a noble official who secretly professed the Christian faith and raised his daughter in true reverence and fidelity to the Christian faith.
Saint Tatiana chose not to marry but decided to dedicate herself to serving the church. She was appointed a deaconess in one of the Roman temples and devoted all her efforts to fulfilling her church duties.
The young woman suffered during the persecution of Christians under the young Emperor Alexander Severus (222—235). She was captured and brought to the temple of Apollo, where she was forced to offer a sacrifice to a pagan idol. Refusing to comply, Saint Tatiana was subjected to cruel torture, yet her faith and patience remained unshaken. Amid her suffering, she prayed for God to enlighten her tormentors. And the Lord heard the prayer of the righteous.
By her prayer, the statues of the pagan gods were destroyed three times. The tortures inflicted upon Saint Tatiana either caused her no harm or their traces disappeared overnight, or the torturers themselves suffered from blows dealt by an invisible hand. Struck by the steadfastness of the saint, Tatiana's tormentors openly turned to Christ, transforming from executioners into martyrs for Christ. A hungry lion, released onto Saint Tatiana in the circus arena, began to caress her, causing her no harm.
The manifestations of the Lord's power and truth, revealed in the martyrdom of Saint Tatiana, led many to faith in Christ. Alarmed, the persecutors condemned the martyr to death by sword. Her father was executed alongside her.
Name days: Illya, Makariy, Pyotr, Tatiana.