Category: Asia

There’s nothing more refreshing than spending time outside, among beautiful trees, animals, and fresh air; and this year has taught us to appreciate the outdoors more than ever! Let’s take a look at some of the most beautiful city parks around the world.

Central Park

Central Park in New York City is hands down the most famous urban park in the world, and one of the biggest. It is very diverse, with lakes, ponds, hills, wooded areas, as well as sports complexes, theaters, and places for families and kids to play. More people visit Central Park than any other park in the world, and with all it has to offer, it’s no wonder why.

Everyone coming to New York must take a break in the park, whether it’s to lie on the grass or play in one of the many parks. As you step away from the street, it feels like you’re leaving the city and entering a whole new place where you can relax and take a break from the busiest city in the world.

One of the most popular areas of the park is Strawberry Fields, a memorial to John Lennon of the Beatles. He lived at the Dakota building on the border of the park, and was shot and killed outside the building in 1980. The memorial area in the park is adjacent to his apartment building.

Tuileries Gardens

The Tuileries Gardens in downtown Paris, France, are some of the most beautifully landscaped urban gardens. Originally commissioned in the 1560s, it was the biggest and most elaborate garden in Paris. Over the years, it has been expanded and enhanced, and was opened to the public in 1667.

Since then, it has been a popular gathering place for the city’s residents. They come here to relax, walk, enjoy entertainment, and spend time in nature within the city limits. The Tuileries Gardens fit the Parisian personality perfectly: chic, classy, and understated. They are a great place to visit if you’re lucky enough to spend some time in the City of Lights.

Griffith Park

Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America, even larger than Central Park. Griffith Park has a varied landscape, from remote caves amid rugged hills to the famed Griffith Observatory, from the iconic Hollywood sign to the Los Angeles Zoo.

Griffith Park is central to the identity of Los Angeles, and is a great place to spend a day, whether you’re hiking in the rough hills, interacting with animals at the zoo, or taking in a performance at the Greek Theater. As far as parks go, this one is extraordinary.

Lumphini Park

While not as big or diverse as Griffith Park, Lumphini Park in downtown Bangkok, Thailand, is an integral part of city life. There is a beautiful lake, two miles of walking trails, many varieties of birds and wildlife to observe, and more. The park is especially important in the densely urban area because it provides social services including a library, apprentice schools, and education center to help homeless children.

El Retiro, Spain

Parque del Buen Retiro, known as El Retiro, in Madrid, is perfectly named because the park is a wonderful retreat from the bustle of Spain’s capital city. The park started out as grounds for a palace in the 1500s, but eventually became public by 1868. The park has a large pond, free weekly outdoor concerts, multiple playgrounds, and many lovely walking paths.

There are several buildings that host exhibitions; the most famous of which is the Crystal Palace. The Palace is constructed of glass and iron, including a curved glass ceiling, which is an architectural marvel.  Being inside the palace, but seeing the sky and trees all around is simply enchanting.

Royal Botanic Garden

The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia, was established in 1816, and is both an important scientific institution as well as a beloved cultural and recreational center for the city. It has carefully cultivated gardens and less structured park areas, with both native and exotic wildlife. The Garden extends to the Sydney Harbor, and features a beautiful hand-constructed seawall.

Along the harbor edge of the garden is the world-famous Sydney Opera House. It is a wonderful cultural institution, but it’s probably more famous because of it’s breathtaking, unique design. The shell-inspired design is recognized the world over.

These are just a few of the beautiful parks around the world. There are parks everywhere, so you don’t have to travel to a big city to enjoy a little respite from the busy world.

We’re making progress in the most interesting year in awhile, but 2020 isn’t the only time things have been wild. Let’s take a look back in history and see some important historical events.

Iraq Invades Kuwait

Tensions between Iraq and its neighboring country Kuwait were simmering for awhile over oil production issues when, on August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Within two days, the small country’s military was completely overrun, and shortly thereafter the country was annexed by Iraq.

Soon, a US-led coalition declared war on Iraq in what became known as the Gulf War. They started bombing Iraq on January 16, 1991, and after a five week ground assault, Kuwait was liberated from the Iraqis.

While the Iraqi military leadership had declared a retreat, a unit stationed at the Kuwait International Airport did not receive the message, and engaged allied forces in a several-hours long standoff before they surrendered.

Lizzie Borden’s Parents are Murdered

On the morning of August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were found gruesomely murdered by an axe in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew’s 32 year old daughter Lizzie Borden was the prime suspect, and tried for their murders.

While she was acquitted of the crimes, she lived the rest of her life under a haze of suspicion, and the macabre rhyme about the crime has ensured she will be remembered for many years to come. “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.”

Marilyn Monroe Is Found Dead of a Drug Overdose

Marilyn Monroe was an actress, singer, and sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s, starring in several popular films and capturing the attention of many American men, including, allegedly, President John F. Kenned. However, she was plagued by depression, drug addiction, and other maladies.

On August 5, her housekeeper found her dead, and it was determined that she passed away on the evening of August 4, 1962, of an intentional drug overdose.

Fans the world over mourned her death, and she is still beloved by many, and considered one of Hollywood’s brightest stars.

Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima

By the summer of 1945, the war in Europe had come to an end, but the war between the Allies and Japan continued to rage on. It became clear that to defeat Japan, it would cost many more American, and Japanese lives. The decision was made to use a new, catastrophic, weapon against Japan in an effort to expedite the end of the war.

On the morning of August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, killing up to 166,000 civilians. As a direct result of the bombs on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki, which was dropped three days later, Japan surrendered to the United States on August 15.

Hiroshima was nearly entirely destroyed that day, but the surviving residents rebuilt the city into a thriving, vibrant metropolis. The city has not forgotten its history, and a beautiful memorial park and museum serve to honor the dead and tell the story of that day.

Berlin Wall Erected

After the end of World War II, Germany and its capital Berlin were divided among the Allied victors: the US, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. However, after years of deteriorating relations between the former Allies, the Soviets erected a wall to divide their sector from the sectors of Berlin on August 13, 1961. They claimed it would keep westerners out, but it was clearly designed to keep East Germans trapped and unable to escape.

This wall became a symbol of the divide between “east” and “west”, communism and democracy, until it came down on November 9, 1989. While the wall is mostly gone, some pieces have been preserved as living symbols of the division, and unity, of the country.

Mount Vesuvius Erupts

Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy near Naples is an active volcano.

Its most famous eruption began early in the morning of August 24, 79 AD. It destroyed several nearby cities, including Pompeii and Herculaneum. The volcano began by spewing ash, giving residents of nearby cities a warning that the volcano was beginning to erupt. By the afternoon, the volcano shifted to violent and deadly eruptions, killing some people in an instant from the heat of the ash and lava.

It is estimated that more than 16,000 people died, some instantly. Many bodies, as well as much of the cities, have been preserved in remarkable condition due to the ash and lava that fell down on the cities. Sites are continually being excavated, and scientists and anthropologists are learning so much from the incredibly well-preserved sites. Tourists can visit the destroyed cities as well.

Princess Diana Dies in Car Crash

Diana Spencer became a princess when she married Prince Charles in 1981, and became a global icon over the next decade, earning the nickname “The People’s Princess”. The couple divorced, but Diana continued to be one of the most famous, and most photographed people in the world. Every aspect of her life was public fodder, and she was hounded by aggressive paparazzi wherever she went.

On August 30, 1997, she and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, were in a car crash in Paris, France. Early the next morning, she was declared dead at a local hospital, plunging the world into shock and mourning.

Even now, more than 20 years later, she is still known around the world for her popularity, charity work, and kind personality.

This year may feel unique in terms of crazy events, but when we reflect on things from our past, it helps to put our challenges, and successes, in perspective. Here’s hoping that the rest of 2020 will be memorable for the best of reasons!

It’s a new year, and a time to reflect on what you’ve done in the past, and how you want to steer your future. Looking back on historical events can help us maintain a good perspective as we work to create a positive, successful future.

So, as we welcome the new year, let’s look back on some past events.

January 1: Opening of Ellis Island

As immigrants flooded into the United States, especially from Europe, the federal government needed a facility to process all the people arriving by boat in New York City.

Ellis Island was turned into a massive station to screen and process immigrants. It opened on January 1, 1892, and served in various capacities until it was closed in 1954.

During that time, an estimated 12 million immigrants passed through the doors, and most were welcomed into the United States to work, live, become citizens and contribute to the melting pot culture of the country.

As immigrants arrived in New York Harbor, they could see the Statue of Liberty, representing the American culture of welcoming immigrants and visitors with welcome arms, giving them hope of a new life in America.

January 5: Khmer Rogue Takes Power in Cambodia

While the United States was fighting the North Vietnamese, the neighboring country of Cambodia broke out in a civil war. In 1975, the Communist Party of Kampuchea, or Khmer Rouge, won. On January 5, 1976, the Khmer Rogue, led by the infamous Pol Pot, announced a new government and constitution.

Over the next four years, a massive genocide took place, killing roughly 2 million people or 25 percent of the entire population. The autocratic regime was overthrown in 1979.

Much of the genocide took place in “killing fields” throughout the country, where more than one million people, men, women and children, were murdered and buried in mass graves.

January 8: Elvis Presley is Born

On January 8, 1935, a king was born. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.

His first record was released in 1956, and over the next 20 years, he would be the greatest star in the rock and roll universe. Songs such as Hound Dog, All Shook Up, and Love Me Tender have made him the best selling solo artist of all time, a record which endures to this day.

Elvis passed away suddenly in his home Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. Fans can visit the home, and it has become a major tourist attraction for the region.

January 15: Coronation of Elizabeth I

Born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was never expected to be queen, but the death of first her brother Edward VI, the overthrow of Lady Jane Grey, and then the death of her sister Mary, led to Elizabeth becoming queen in 1558. On January 15, 1559, Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey in London.

She was welcomed to the throne by the mostly Protestant country, and they looked to her for peace and stability after decades of religious and political instability. She ruled as queen until she died in 1603, reigning for 44 mostly peaceful years.

January 21: Vladimir Lenin Dies

Vladimir Lenin was born in Russia in 1870, and became a revolutionary who advocated for Marxist communism, and became the leader of Russia in 1917, at the end of the Russian Revolution. In his short time in power, he led the country through wars, economic expansion and massive reshaping of the social structure. He rebranded the country as the Soviet Union.

He passed away on January 21, 1924, leaving power to Joseph Stalin, who quickly became a dictatorial leader of the Soviet Union. Long after his death, Lenin and his political movement continue to influence the world.

Lenin was buried in a massive mausoleum in Moscow, and more than 2.5 million people visit the tomb each year.

January 22: Roe v. Wade Decided at the Supreme Court

On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down one of the most controversial decisions in their history. Roe v. Wade was decided by a 7-2 margin, declaring that the Constitution allowed for a woman to have an abortion, with certain restrictions and guidance for the states enforcing the laws.

Since its decision, Roe has been a focal point for politicians and political debate in the United States, and the issue is far from settled.

January 27: Liberation of Auschwitz

Nazi Germany established several concentration camps where they housed first political prisoners and then other “undesirables” including Jews, homosexuals, and others. Over the course of the war, between 15 and 20 million people were forced into the camps.

Auschwitz, in Poland, was possibly the worst of these camps. The camp housed an estimated 1.3 million people, more than 1.1 million of whom died or were murdered at the site. On January 27, 1945, Russian soldiers liberated what was left of the mostly-abandoned camp, and the Nazis’ worst atrocities were revealed to the world.

The words “Arbeit Macht Frei” or “Work Will Set You Free” at the gates of the camp have become immortal, haunting, representations of the worst of what the Nazis did to their enemies.

These are just a few of the important historical events of Januarys past, and they certainly illustrate the importance of knowing our history to both celebrate the great moments and remember the bad events in order to ensure a better future.