Although much about the historical Saint Valentine is sketchy and obscure, it is traditionally believed that in the 3rd Century, Valentine, a Christian priest, was arrested by forces of the Roman Emperor. He was martyred for his faith and his defiance of Empire. Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.
Relic of St. Valentine source: wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
Actor and philanthropist Paul Newman was born on this day in 1925. Newman was arguably one of the greatest American actors of all time. He was both a movie star and a well respected actor. Paul Newman appeared in both box office smashes as well as critically acclaimed films, and he portrayed many iconic characters, including Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy, and Reggie Dunlop in “Slap Shot.” As impressive as his acting resume is, he made an even greater impact on the world with his many philanthropic pursuits. Just one of these endeavours, his food company, “Newman’s Own,” donated all earnings to charity, in excess of 500 million dollars. Newman died in 2008.
On January 5, Sikhs in Canada and around the world celebrate Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, a chance to observe and celebrate the birth of Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru was born in 1666 in Patna, India. He was the 10th and last of the (human) Gurus of Sikhism. He established the Khalsa, the organization of men and women baptized into the Sikh faith. He also established the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, as the final Guru for the Sikh people.
source: discoversikhism.com
For more on Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikh faith, check out:
One year ago today, the world lost a comic legend. Norm MacDonald died on September 14, 2021. Norm Macdonald, a Canadian born in Quebec City, was a stand-up comedian and a performer on television and in movies. Norm was a frequent talk show guest and was beloved by such luminaries as David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, both of whom regarded Macdonald as a comic genius. Norm Macdonald was 61.
Norm Macdonald with his guest, David Letterman (left) source
I have a very vivid memory of watching this game on television when I was a young boy. Guy Lafleur was the superstar of the NHL at the time, and once again he scored an enormous goal in the playoffs. Danny Gallivan, the master, was doing the play-by-play. It was bedlam in the Montreal Forum, the Mecca of hockey. I’m sure that millions of Canadians were watching that night and that many can remember it still.
Guy Lafleur, one of the legends of the game of hockey, died today at age 70.
Most people associate Jeopardy with the legendary Alex Trebek, who hosted Jeopardy from 1984 until his death in 2020.
source: The Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The task of hosting the show in the long shadow of Trebek has fallen to Mayim Bialik, and Jeopardy’s “Greatest of All Time,” Ken Jennings. Nobody will ever replace Alex Trebek, but both Bialik and Jennings are doing a wonderful job.
Although much about the historical Saint Valentine is sketchy and obscure, it is traditionally believed that in the 3rd Century, Valentine, a Christian priest, was arrested by forces of the Roman Emperor. He was martyred for his faith and his defiance of Empire. Happy Saint Valentine’s Day
Relic of St. Valentine source: wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Join with us as we take this day to remember the many millions who died during the Holocaust, to learn more about what happened, and resolve to fight against anti-Semitism, racism and other forms of hate and violent oppression.
The term “Holocaust” refers to the period in history in which the Nazi regime of Germany murdered over 6 million Jews, as well as millions of other victims, including Roma, homosexuals, people with physical and mental disabilities, and more. The Nazi persecution of the Jews began in the early 1930’s and reached its most horrific and brutal peak during the period of 1941-1945, as the Nazis adopted as official policy the “Final Solution,” the attempt at completely annihilating the entire Jewish population.
Source: CC / Sienda
The Holocaust is not the only example of genocide in human history. What makes the Holocaust stand out amongst the long and plentiful list of human atrocities and evil? Germany was amongst the most powerful nations of the world and a leader in science, technology, medicine and engineering. The German contributions to art, music, literature and philosophy put German culture at the heart of what we would call Western Civilization. And yet this supposedly civilized people turned their great achievements and progress towards planning and carrying out ruthless genocidal murder with scientific and economic efficiency.
Children selected for extermination source: wikimedia commons / public domain
The date of January 27 was chosen for this solemn observance as the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated on January 27, 1945.
Auschwitz Death Camp source: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, License CC-BY-SA 3.0
Some might argue that he was the greatest actor of his generation– at least the greatest actor of his generation who had a mohawk, myriad gold chains and feather earrings.
Mr. T was my hero when I was in Grade 8, watching Clubber Lang in “Rocky III” and B.A. Baracus in “The A-Team.” Mr. T was also a big part of the massive rise of the WWF in the 1980’s and played a key role in the very first Wrestlemania.
Rumours are that Mr. T will reprise his role as Clubber Lang in the Michael B. Jordan directed “Creed III.”
Born on this day in 1925, Malcolm Little grew up in poverty and lived a life of crime. While in prison he worked to self-educate and converted to Islam, Publicly he became known as Malcolm X, dropping what he referred to as his “slave name.” Intelligent, articulate and charismatic, Malcolm X would become one of the leading figures of the fight for equality for African-Americans. In contrast to Martin Luther King who called for non-violent protest, Malcolm X believed that violence would be necessary for black people to gain their rights. Early on he was considered to be a black-supremacist who believed that blacks and whites could never live together. However, he would eventually disavow that position, and would preach the equality of all people and express a hope for peaceful coexistence. In the years prior to his death, he began to reach out with a willingness to work with other Civil Rights groups and leaders. In particular it was after the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslims, where he experienced the coming together of people of all races and backgrounds, that he embraced the possibility of peaceful change rather than inevitable violence. Tragically, he wouldn’t live long in pursuit of those dreams. He was assassinated in 1965 by members of the group he formerly led, the Nation of Islam.
For more on the life of Malcolm X:
MalcolmX.com (official website of the estate of Malcolm X)
Legendary actor Bill Paxton was born on this day in 1955. Paxton was best known for brief but high impact supporting roles in such films as The Terminator, Commando, Weird Science, and Aliens. Paxton died in 2017 at age 61.
On this date in 1967, Muhammed Ali was arrested for refusing his conscription into the US military for the Vietnam War. Ali was the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, and arguably the most famous athlete in the world, perhaps of all time. Yet later that day he was stripped of his titles and effectively banned from boxing for more than 3 years, at the height of his athletic prowess.
Ali was already a powerful symbol for African-American Civil Rights. His decision to be a conscientious objector, refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War, elevated his status in the US and around the world as a counter-cultural icon. He stated, “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?” (source) Ali would eventually box again, regaining his championship belts, but it is his status as a champion of peace and of human rights that make him a true hero.
Some might argue that he was the greatest actor of his generation– at least the greatest actor of his generation who had a mohawk, myriad gold chains and feather earrings.
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 