28 December-Dr Zhivago

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Doctor Zhivago is an award winning movie. The movie, which was released in 1965 was based on a novel of the same name. The novel was written by poet and novelist Boris Pasternak who was a native of soviet Russia. It was published in 1959. The movie, Doctor Zhivago was the winner of five Oscars at the Academy Awards in 1966. It has a total running time of 197 minutes.

Filming of the award winning movie “Dr. Zhivago” began on location near Madrid, Spain in the year 1964 On This Day.

Photo by Ayuntamiento de Soria

doctor zhivago

Photo by jeffedoe

20 March-Brendan Behan

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Brendan Behan was a native of Dublin, Ireland. He was an author of poems, short stories, novels and plays. He was also involved in republican activities for which he served time in prison. His writing is noted for its satire and political commentary.

Brendan Behan was born Brendan Francis Aidan Behan at Holles Street Hospital on February 9^th 1923. His family was staunchly republican. At the age of 13 Behan left school to work as painter with his father. By then he was drinking alcohol which led to him being an alcoholic all his life.

During his lifetime Behan was imprisoned in England for his republican activities. Shortly after his return to Ireland in 1942 he was convicted of the attempted murder of a policeman. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, during which time he studied the Irish language. He left the republican movement in 1947.

In 1948 Behan moved to Paris to concentrate on his writing. During his career he produced a large volume of work. His most famous works include ‘The Quare Fellow’, ‘The Hostage’ and ‘Borstal Boy’. His plays were staged in Dublin, London and New York.

Brendan Behan, author of poems, short stories, novels and plays died at the age of 41 in the year 1964 On This Day.

Photo by jbraine

Brendan Behan

12 February-Channel Tunnel

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The Channel Tunnel is a rail tunnel which links Folkestone in England with Calais in northern France. The Channel Tunnel runs beneath the English Channel and is 50.5km (31.4) long. Nicknamed The Chunnel it began operations in 1994.

A French engineer, Albert Mathieu, first suggested a tunnel linking England and France in 1802. Despite several initiatives the project did not proceed until The Treaty of Canterbury was signed in February 1986. Two years later tunnelling began on both sides of the English Channel.

Two years after tunnelling began the service tunnel was completed. British and French workers met under the English Channel on December 1st 1990. The island of Britain was connected to the European mainland for the first time since the Ice Age.

Tunnels for freight and passenger trains running on either side of the service tunnel were completed during the following years. The Channel Tunnel was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II and the French President, François Mitterrand on May 6th 1994. Today high-speed passenger trains, freight and automobile shuttles and rail freight trains pass through the Tunnel.

The Treaty of Cambridge under which France and Great Britain agreed to build the Channel Tunnel was signed in the year 1964 On This Day.

Photo by Zemlinki!

Channel Tunnel entrance

Photo by roger4336

Punch – Channel Tunne

17 January-Michelle Obama

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Michelle Obama is a lawyer and writer who is a native of the USA. She is the wife of Barack Obama the 44^th President of the United States. Michelle Obama is the first African-American First Lady.

Michelle Obama was born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson in Chicago, Illinois in 1964. She graduated from Princeton University with a BA degree in 1985. She went on to study law at Harvard Law School graduating Juris Doctor in 1988. She later worked at a law firm in Chicago where she met Barack Obama, who she married on October 3^rd 1992.

Barack Obama was elected president of the United States in 2008 and again in 2012. Michelle Obama played a leading role in both election campaigns. As First Lady she focussed her attention on promoting healthy living, physical activity and education. During the 2016 Presidential election Michele Obama strongly supported the campaign of Hillary Clinton.

Michelle Obama was born in the year 1964 On This Day.

Photo by gademocrats

First Lady Michelle Obama official photographic portrait by gademocrats on 2009-02-18 12:08:02

16 January-Astronaut John Glenn

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John Glenn was an Astronaut who in 1962 became the first American to orbit the earth. On that occasion he made three orbits around Earth aboard Friendship 7. Glenn became the oldest astronaut in history when he made a return to space on the space shuttle Discovery in 1998.

John Herschel Glenn was born in Cambridge, Ohio on July 18th 1921. Having served as a military pilot he was chosen to train as an astronaut in 1959. On February 20th 1962 he was the astronaut aboard Friendship 7 spacecraft when it was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Glenn resigned from NASA in 1964

In 1974 Glenn was elected to the United States Senate. He served for four terms as Senator for Ohio. On October 29^th 1998, at the age of 77 and while still serving as a senator, Glenn returned to space aboard the space shuttle Discovery. In 2012 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. He died at the age of 95 on December 8^th 2016.

John Glenn resigned from NASA in the year 1964 On This Day.

Photo by NASA on The Commons

Astronaut John Glenn During His First Orbit in Friendship 7 by NASA on The Commons on 1962-02-20 00:00:00