On This Day June 24th

  OTD

June 24th is the one-hundred-seventy-fifth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 190 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

637 – The Battle of Moira is fought between the High King of Ireland and the Kings of Ulster and Dál Riata. It is claimed to be the largest battle in Ireland's history.

1374 – A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.

1717—The Premier Grand Lodge of England was founded in London, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (it is now the United Grand Lodge of England).

1880 – First performance of O Canada at the Congrès National des Canadiens-Français. The song would later become the national anthem of Canada.

1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract.

1948—Cold War: The start of the Berlin Blockade: The Soviet Union made overland travel between West Germany and West Berlin impossible.

1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is aired on NBC.

1995 – Rugby World Cup: South Africa defeats New Zealand, and Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup in an iconic post-apartheid moment.

 

Birthdays

1532 – Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, English politician (d. 1588)

1771 – Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, the French chemist and businessman, founded DuPont (d. 1834)

1788 – Thomas Blanchard, American inventor (d. 1864)

1856 – Henry Chapman Mercer, American archaeologist and author (d. 1930)

1893 – Roy O. Disney, American businessman, co-founded The Walt Disney Company (d. 1971)

1895 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and soldier (d. 1983)

1944 – Jeff Beck, English guitarist and songwriter (d. 2023)

1947 – Mick Fleetwood, English American drummer

1979 – Mindy Kaling, American actress and producer

 

Highlighted Holiday

MIDSUMMER

Midsummer began as a pagan celebration during the Stone Age to mark the fertility and abundance of the harvest. The pagans revered nature and believed in the healing qualities of plants during the summer solstice. They had various rituals, such as dancing around maypoles, adorning themselves with garnets, and gathering herbs on Midsummer's Eve. Bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits believed to roam freely when the sun turned towards the southern hemisphere.

In the fourth century, the holiday was adapted to fit Christian beliefs and was renamed St. John's Day in honor of John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke notes that St. John's birthday is six months before Jesus' birth, placing the celebration in June. The holiday included purification rituals, feasting, and prayer while retaining some customs from the original Midsummer festival.

During the Middle Ages, Germany had its own Midsummer traditions, which were later adopted by Sweden and other countries. Germanic neopagans celebrated their summer solstice festival, Litha, by adorning a Maypole with leaves and raising it on May 1. Due to the scarcity of green leaves in May, the holiday was moved to Midsummer.

Today, Midsummer remains a widely celebrated holiday, particularly popular in Sweden, second only to Christmas. People from around the world travel to take part in the festivities. The British Isles and Scandinavia experience a full day of sunlight during the Summer Solstice, allowing inhabitants to reenact ancient pagan traditions and gain insight into how the Pagans once lived.

 

Holidays And Observance

Celebration of the Senses

International Fairy Day

Museum Comes to Life Day

National Energy Shopping Day

National Pralines Day

Please Take My Children to Work Day

St. Baptiste Day

Swim a Lap Day

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