Centennial of Suffrage

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 29 July 2020 > Celebrate

In 1920, almost 150 years after the United States declared that “all men are created equal,” American women got the right to vote… 27 years after women in New Zealand did. American suffragists worked for almost 80 years to obtain that right. And there’s still work to do today. As is often the case in … Continue reading “Centennial of Suffrage”

Fourth of July in Lockdown

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 01 July 2020 > Celebrate

U.S. Independence Day will be a subdued affair this year due to Coronavirus but celebrations will take place. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Information Programs decided to mark the event with a video available in English and eight other languages. It’s a simple introduction to the event for students from A1+ (reading … Continue reading “Fourth of July in Lockdown”

Juneteenth

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 14 June 2020 > Celebrate

June 19 is marked in Texas and 41 other states as the commemoration of the end of slavery. Another “independence day” that grew spontaneously out of an accidental date, and flourished thanks to former slaves.  On June 19, 1865, news of the end of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Texas, … Continue reading “Juneteenth”

James Joyce and Bloomsday

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 12 June 2020 > Celebrate

Ireland has a rich literary heritage and is fond of honouring it. On 16 June every year, it is author James Joyce who is remembered, as Joyce fans all over Ireland and the world celebrate Bloomsday in honour of his novel Ulysses. Ulysses, published in 1922, consists of 18 episodes mirroring Homer’s Odyssey and takes … Continue reading “James Joyce and Bloomsday”

Florence Nightingale: Nursing Pioneer

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 06 May 2020 > Celebrate

Florence Nightingale is one of Britain’s most recognisable names. The Victorian nursing pioneer and statistician left an indelible mark on the world of medicine. The first woman ever to be featured on a British banknote, her influence is such that 200 years after her birth, the emergency hospitals created for the coronavirus pandemic in the … Continue reading “Florence Nightingale: Nursing Pioneer”

Scotland’s Birth Certificate

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 06 May 2020 > Celebrate

Seven hundred years ago, Scotland’s most powerful lords wrote a letter that many consider the country’s foundational document: The Declaration of Arbroath. In it, they swore they would never submit to English rule. In 1320, Scotland was in the midst of the Wars of Independence with its southern neighbour. After William Wallace’s ultimately doomed rebellion … Continue reading “Scotland’s Birth Certificate”

May the 4th Be With You!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 30 April 2020 > Celebrate

May 4 is international “Star Wars” Day in honour of the pun on this date: “May the fourth be with you.” In the movies the phrase “May the Force be with you” is used to wish an individual good luck and good favour with The Force. Since it began in 1977, Star Wars, an epic space … Continue reading “May the 4th Be With You!”

50 Years of Earth Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 22 April 2020 > Celebrate

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day marches to support the environmental movement. Like so many events in 2020, the marches and events planned to mark the anniversary on 22 April will have to become virtual. But these videos of 50 Voices for Earth Day, from age 8 to 80, from around … Continue reading “50 Years of Earth Day”

Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday on World Book Night

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 20 April 2020 > Celebrate

William Shakespeare is believed to have been born and died on 23 April (in 1564 and 1616 respectively). Which is why the UK celebrates World Book Night on that date (and St George’s Day, England’s national day!) Normally, World Book Night is filled with book readings and events, as tens of thousands of books are … Continue reading “Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday on World Book Night”