Stories about History from August, 2010
China: Hype on university virginity rate
On August 16, a survey report on university female student virginity rate was posted around university forums. Since the report was published under the name of Li Yinhe, the most famous sexologist in China, the post quickly became the hottest topic online. Eventhough Professor Li denied her connection with the...
Bulgaria: Discovery of John the Baptist's Relics Causes Political Scandal
The discovery of what's believed to be St. John the Baptist's remains last month caused a political scandal and gave rise to a passionate debate in the Bulgarian community. Ruslan Trad translates a selection of bloggers' views.
Russia: 19 Years Since Coup d'Etat Attempt
Bloggers share recollections [RUS] of the 1991 events [EN] in Russia when a group of Soviet generals tried to seize the control over the country. User s01101 posts pictures [RUS] of the commemoration of the events in Saint-Petersburg. Oleg Kozlovsky asks [RUS] his readers, what if coup d'etat would succeed. “We'd be...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Thoughts on the Mosque
Jamaican diaspora blogger Dennis Jones weighs in on “the subject of plans to build a mosque near what is called Ground Zero.”
El Salvador: Cheerleaders Banned from Independece Celebrations
In the blog Gatos Frentudos [es] Chambita Hernandez writes about a recent decision to ban cheerleaders from independence celebrations, starting with the bicentennial. Since 1960, cheerleaders have been part of annual independence parades.
Soviet History: “What Stalin Said About Hiroshima”
“What Stalin said about Hiroshima” to the U.S. Ambassador to the USSR on August 8, 1945 – at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis (via LJ user oboguev, RUS).
Haiti: Reparation?
As Repeating Islands takes note of the pressure on France “to repay the 17 billion euros (£14bn) ‘extorted’ from Haiti in the 19th Century”, Bahamian Nicolette Bethel comments: “Simply erasing the debt is not enough; there is also the long-term damage done to the core fabric of Haitian democratic society…”
Jamaica: Garvey's Birthday
Caribbean bloggers honour the memory of Marcus Garvey today, on the 123rd anniversary of his birth.
A Quiet Independence Day for Pakistan
Given all the pain and gloom that surrounds the life of an ordinary Pakistani today, it is no surprise that this year's independence day was a quiet affair. Bloggers assert that the nation is still strong enough to bounce back.
Macedonia: Political Parties Obsess Over Facebook ‘Likes,’ Myth-Making
Macedonian bloggers comment on the attempts of political parties to show off their ratings via social networks, while the communication they offer remains devoid of substance.
Guyana: Back Then
“That man is dead and gone, yet he still shape people minds”: Guyana-Gyal remembers what life was like under Forbes Burnham.
Cuba: He's Back
“Fidel Castro’s return to public life after a four-year absence provokes conflicting emotions here”: Generation Y and Havana Times blog about his reappearance.
Bahamas: On the Caribbean
“What is the Caribbean? is not an unanswerable question. But there isn’t — will never be — a single, definitive answer that can encompass the complications of the geographic region named for the Caribs of half a millennium ago, its history and its culture”: So writes Bahamian blogger Nicolette Bethel...
Hungary: Budapest's Subway
Hungarian Spectrum writes about Budapest's subway and the politics of its long-term construction: “The Budapest metro is very old, yet still unfinished.”
Hungary: The New President
Hungarian Spectrum writes about the inauguration of Hungary's new president, Pal Schmitt; about Albert Wass, a Transylvanian-Hungarian author whose work Schmitt quoted in his inaugural speech; and about Schmitt's first few days in office: “Since his inauguration the not too sympathetic Hungarian public has been watching Schmitt's every move.”
Malaysia: Reflections on Independence Day
Rungitom from Malaysia reflects on the meaning and significance of Independence Day.
Cambodia,Thailand: Background on Preah Vihear Temple
The Mirror, a Cambodia-based paper, provides a historical background on the conflict over the ownership of Preah Vihear Temple. Cambodia and Thailand are disputing the ownership of the temple.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fan Mail
Nicholas Laughlin discovers a fan letter written to his grandfather, who reportedly “did what is supposed to have been the first live radio commentary on a cricket match in the West Indies, during an inter-colonial tournament at the Queen's Park Oval.”
South Africa: The Liberation of Afrikaans
Sean Jacobs writes about a new film by a South African filmmaker Dylan Valley called Afrikaaps, which focuses on the neglected roots of the Afrikaans language.
Bahrain: Watching Yusuf Al Siddiq
bint battuta in bahrain is pleased with an Iranian historical serial – Yusuf Al-Siddiq, which tells us the story of Joseph, son of Jacob, grandson of Isaac, great-grandson of Abraham, and which is dubbed into Arabic.
Hungary: A Controversial Interview With Former Communist Leader
Marietta Le follows the public discussion of Hungary's pre-1989 past, inspired by a documentary about Béla Biszku, who served as the country's Interior Minister from 1957 to 1961 and was in charge of the retributions against those who participated in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
