Now that it's no longer the 6th of June, I feel more comfortable saying that I found the massive outpouring of "lest we forget" messages frustrating.
I wholeheartedly support remembering the sacrifices of those who fought on D-Day. But I get frustrated that everyone else is forgotten. People were fighting and dying elsewhere on 6th June 1944, and they deserve to be remembered too.
The men in Italy referred to themselves as the "D-Day dodgers" because all the attention was on Normandy. The 14th Army in Burma had long since called itself "The forgotten army". SOE had agents in virtually all occupied territories. Sailors of the Royal Navy and merchant navy were risking their lives to ensure convoys carrying food and supplies arrived safely. RAF crews of Bomber Command and Coastal Command were flying regular missions.
In the years before D-Day, many had died in places like Crete, Singapore, North Africa, and Madagascar. Those campaigns, not all of which were successful, made D-Day and the subsequent victory in Europe possible.
When you talk about remembrance, please don't forget those who fought and died in less famous campaigns.
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Every year, researchers discover 2-3 entirely new pathogens: the viruses, bacteria and microparasites that sicken and kill people.
While some of these discoveries reflect better detection methods, genetic studies confirm that most of these pathogens are indeed new to the human species.
Even more troubling, these diseases are appearing at an increasing rate.
The Albatross is the largest bird that can go years without landing. They spend their first 6 years of life flying over the ocean before coming to the land to mate. It is capable of traveling more than 10,000 miles in a single journey and circumnavigating the globe in 46 days.
Hair jewelry — lockets, rings and other such items adorned with the locks of a loved one — is said to have come into fashion as an expression of mourning in the Victorian age. It was Queen Victoria herself who popularized the jewelry after her husband Albert died in 1861. @Allure's Kara McGrath writes about the history of this, how the craft of hairwork is being revived around the world, and why people continue to be repulsed by it.
Unveil the artistry of the relief on King Pakal's sarcophagus lid, found in Palenque, Mexico, and dating back to 683 AD. This depiction shows Pakal adorned with a jade mask and elaborate jewelry, with his posture symbolizing either emergence from the underworld or ascent to the heavens. Surrounding mythological scenes and extensive hieroglyphic text detail his lineage and reign.
I’ve noticed over the years that some experts kind of get off on quashing misconceptions about the past in a way that disappoints the person they’re talking to. I suspect that this is a contributing factor to the popularity of #pseudohistory.
I have had more success with the “the truth is even stranger!” approach.
#OnThisDay, 4 Jun 1972, civil rights activist Angela Davis is acquitted in a trial over her alleged involvement in the 1970 Marin County Civic Centre attack.
Davis had been prosecuted for three capital felonies, including conspiracy to murder, after guns she owned were used in the attack. The all-white jury cleared her of all charges.