DAY 1068 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION - DAY 1068 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
On January 26, the World Leprosy Day, International Customs Day, International Day of Clean Energy, and World Environmental Education Day are celebrated.
In Ukraine, it is the Day of the Worker of the Control and Audit Service.
Additionally, today marks Australia Day, Republic Day of India, International Recognition Day of the Republic of Latvia, in the USA - Michigan State Day, and National Peanut Brittle Day.
The Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of Saints Xenophon and Maria.
World Leprosy Day
This day is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of January, starting from 1954. It was established by the UN in 1953 in honor of French public figure R. Follet, who dedicated his life to combating Hansen's disease – leprosy.
World Environmental Education Day
Every year on January 26, the world celebrates World Environmental Education Day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about global and local environmental issues and the importance of active participation in preserving and protecting the environment. Special emphasis is placed on educating governments and the public.
The date was chosen based on the outcomes of the UN Conference on the Human Environment held in June 1972 in Stockholm, where the importance of environmental care was highlighted, and the necessity of establishing common principles for improving the planet's ecological state was formulated. These principles were to serve as the foundation for educational initiatives worldwide.
International Customs Day
Celebrated annually since 1983, on the day of the first session of the Customs Cooperation Council, which took place on this day in 1953 (since 1994 - World Customs Organization).
On January 26, 1953, the first session of the International Customs Cooperation Council was opened in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. This was preceded by the adoption of a special global convention that came into force in November 1952. Coordinating efforts and approaches to solving customs issues yielded tangible results, significantly increasing trade turnover, creating favorable conditions for business development on the international stage, and greatly reducing illegal smuggling activities. Subsequently, in 1994, the Customs Cooperation Council was renamed the World Customs Organization, which included 17 European countries.
Considering the contribution to the development of good neighborly relations actively promoted by the Customs Cooperation Council, an annual celebration - International Customs Day - was established in 1983, 30 years after the council's inception.
Day of the Worker of the Control and Audit Service of Ukraine
The Control and Audit Service is responsible for checking the proper use of state funds, evaluating the effectiveness of state programs and policies, as well as preventing and detecting financial violations. Auditors and other service employees play a crucial role in ensuring the proper use of state resources, conducting audits of financial activities of enterprises, institutions, and organizations, including in the field of public procurement. They also help ensure transparency in the work of government bodies and reduce corruption levels.
International Day of Clean Energy
This day is celebrated annually in accordance with the decision of the UN General Assembly A/RES/77/327.
In a world battling climate change, clean energy plays a vital role in reducing emissions and can benefit communities lacking access to reliable energy sources.
Proclaimed by the General Assembly, the International Day of Clean Energy, celebrated on January 26, calls for raising awareness and mobilizing actions for a fair and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet.
January 26 is also the date of the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency – a global intergovernmental organization established in 2009 to support countries in their energy transitions, serving as a platform for international cooperation and providing data and analysis on technologies, innovations, policies, financing, and investments in clean energy.
Australia Day
On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Sydney Cove, raised the British flag, and founded the first colony - New South Wales. This day is celebrated as Australia’s National Day. Also, on January 1, 1901, six Australian colonies formed a federation, thus creating modern Australia - the Commonwealth of Australia.
Notable Birthdays on this Day:
310 years since the birth of Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-1771), French philosopher, Enlightenment thinker, encyclopedist, and writer;
170 years since the birth of Anna Ivanovna Pavlik (1855-1928), Ukrainian writer, public and political figure, active participant in the women’s movement in Galicia;
150 years since the birth of Viktor Ivanovich Klimenko (1875-1926), Ukrainian military figure, general of the UNR Army;
120 years since the birth of Peter-Markian Ivanovich Isaev (1905-1973), Ukrainian historian, philosopher, journalist, publisher, educator, and public figure (USA);
110 years since the birth of Valentina Alexeyevna Tishkovets (1915-1977), Ukrainian cinematographer;
110 years since the birth of Vasily Lukinovich Fedoronchuk (1915-1984), Ukrainian journalist, publisher, editor, and public figure (France, Italy); according to other sources, born on March 26, 1915;
75 years since the birth of Vladimir Stefanovich Biletsky (1950), Ukrainian scientist in the field of mining, publisher, editor, translator, and public figure.
Also on this Day:
1905 - The largest diamond in the world, "Cullinan," weighing 3106 carats, was discovered in South Africa;
1923 - The literary association "Hart" was founded in Kharkiv;
1926 - Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the first working television system in the world;
1930 - The Indian National Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence of India (Purna Swaraj);
1931 - Mahatma Gandhi was released from prison;
1949 - American Airlines became the first in the world to introduce safety announcements over loudspeakers for passengers;
1950 - The Constitution of India came into effect;
1956 - The Seventh Winter Olympics began in Italy;
1962 - The USA launched the Ranger 3 spacecraft, which was supposed to deliver scientific equipment to the Moon. The launch failed - the spacecraft passed by the satellite at a distance of 40,000 km;
1965 - Hindi became the official language of India;
1992 - Ukraine established diplomatic relations with Japan;
1993 - The Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists was created;
1999 - The US Senate rejected the Democrats' proposal to end the impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton;
2000 - Archaeologists in Argentina discovered the remains of the largest dinosaur in the history of our planet;
2001 - The Ukrainian cargo ship "Memory of Mercury" sank in the Black Sea with 54 people on board. 12 people died, 8 went missing;
2001 - More than 20,000 people died in an earthquake in Gujarat (India);
2003 - Eric Weihenmayer, an American, became the first blind person to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents.
Church Holiday:
Saints Xenophon and Maria of Constantinople
Xenophon and Maria were noble citizens of Constantinople who lived in the 5th century. Despite their wealth and nobility, they were characterized by simplicity of spirit and a kind heart. Wishing to provide their sons, Saints Arcadius and John, with a complete education, they sent them to the city of Beirut. During a storm, the ship carrying the brothers sank. However, by God's grace, the brothers were not lost. John was cast ashore in Malmefetane, while Arcadius landed in Tetrapyrgia. Thus, by God's providence, the brothers were separated from their parents and from each other. Grieving over this, they dedicated themselves to God and embraced monastic life.
For a long time without news of their sons, the parents believed them to be dead. However, the elder Xenophon maintained a firm hope in the Lord and advised his wife not to grieve and to believe that their children were safe. While making a pilgrimage to holy places, Xenophon and Maria met their sons in Jerusalem at different monasteries. The remaining life of Saints Xenophon and Maria was dedicated to God, as they took monastic vows. Striving for silence and