THE ULTIMATE
For PE at home, let US Gymnast Katelyn Ohashi show take you through a handstand routine you can do during lockdown!
See via the BBC at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/gymnastics/52433308
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On this day, April 30th 1789, George Washington the first President of the United States of America was sworn into office, to begin his Presidency.
He had previously led the American Continental Army against the British in the American War of Independence or American Revolution, and presided at the Philadelphia Convention that created the US Constitution and the US federal Governmet in 1787. He served as President until 1797. He is seen by Americans as the 'Father of His Country', and 'First in War, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen'. He, like many others among the 'Founding Fathers' ot the USA, owned slaves, but steadily moved towards an abolitionist viewpoint, and unlike many of his contemporaries asked that the slaves on his estate at Mount Vernon to be freed after his death - which Martha Washington carried out a year after his death. You may see a statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square, standing by the National Gallery, only a couple of streets away from Benjamin Franklin's house, which served as the first unofficial embassy of America. Washington was born British, and is descended from Britain, in the American Colonies, and served in the British forces in Virginia. He decided to join the fight to preserve his rights, against what he saw as the tyrannical British King, George III. Saying that he wouldn't set foot on British soil again, and so the statue in Trafalgar square stands not on British soil, but soil brought over from the USA! See how 170 trees that survived the Hiroshima Atom Bomb blast, when pretty much everything else in 2km of the blast was destroye, offered hope in the past and today. A wonderful film, by the BBC's 'Witness History', talking to one of the founders of Green Legacy Hiroshima, Tomoko Watanabe, about the detruction of the bombing and how buds on the trees gave the people of Hiroshima hope in the aftermath; how she learned to appreciate the trees and how the seeds of these remarkable survivors being sent around the world offer hope and peace to humanity today. The Green Legacy Hiroshma is at: http://glh.unitar.org/ See the BBC film at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-52459140/the-trees-that-survived-the-bombing-of-hiroshima Picture; T Grand via Pixabay.
On this day, April 29th 1899, Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington was born,
Born in Washington D.C. Duke became a pianist, composer and leader of his own jazz orchestra. His band toured Europ and operated out of New York City from the 1920s, though his music may have been termed he preferred 'beyond category' transcending genre to take its place in American Music. In a career spannning six decades Duke Ellington composed over a thousand pieces, particularly for 78 rpm records lasting three minutes. In 1999 he received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize Special Award for his music. His classics include 'It don't mean a thing, If it ain't got that swing' and 'Take the A Train'. He appeared in a number of films and composed stage musicals. On this day, April 28th 1926, Harper Lee tha author of the American Modern Classic 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was born.
Harper Lee saw her book as a phenomenom, published in 1960 it tackled issues of innocence in the face of prejudice, particularly racial prejudice of the United States in the era of segregation. Doing so from the viewpoint of a young white girl, Scout, her older brother Jem and friend Dill, as their father Atticus defends a wrongly accused black man Tom Robinson. Whilst the children also speculate as to their reclusive neighbour, Boo Radley. The book has never been out of print, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and earning Harper Lee the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007. The book has become a mainstay in anti-racist teaching in schools, not just in the USA but across the English speaking world. Who On This Day, 27th April, became the first female Speaker of the House of Commons in 1992?4/27/2020 On the 27th April 1992, Betty Boothroyd, became the first female Speaker of the House of Commons - being 'dragged to the chair' in Parliamentary ceremony (MPs are not supposed to want to do the job of Speaker as they have to be neutral, and so are unable to voice the political concerns of their constituents in the Chamber).
Betty Boothroyd, was Labour MP for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West. In 1993 she had to cast the Speaker's tie-breaking vote on a motion under John Major's Conservative government. Having consulted the Works of Authority, the written works by Victorian constitutional lawyers such as I.V Dicey and Walter Bagenot, one of the numerous sources of the UK's uncodified constitution, she cast her vote in favour of the government of the day, and against her own party. Thus, maintaining the precedent that should a future Labour government be in the same situation, the Speaker if of another party would also vote for the government. She has said that the greatest moment of her career as the Speaker, was welcoming South African President Nelson Mandela. to Parliament, and introducing him to members of the Commons and Lords in Westminster Hall in Parliament, with the new anthem of the Republic of South Africa playing. After retiring as Speaker, Betty Boothroyd, became a Life Peer in the House of Lords, as Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell. She continues to campaign, most notably over Brexit and calls for a Second Referendum. On this day, April 26th 1918, Olympic athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen was born in the Netherlands.
Fanny became the first female athlete to win 4 Olympic Gold medals in a single Olympic Games at the 1948 Olympics in London - being the most successful athlete at the event. Gold - 100m Gold - 200m Gold - 80m Hurdles Gold - 4 X 100m relay Twice she almost failed to start, prior to the 200m final she broke down, homesickness, pressure of competing, and attacks that as a woman and mother that she shouldn't be competing. Whilst, before the relay she had gone to buy a raincoat, only just making the start. At the time she was 30 years old, mother of two, and it was revealed after the event she was also pregnant. She had also participated in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Although, Fanny specialised in track events at the Olympics due to restrictions as to how many events she could enter, she also particpated in the long jump and high jump, setting world records in these as well! The media nicknamed her 'The Flying Housewife', 'The Flying Dutchmam' and 'Amazing Fanny'. In 1999 the IAAF voted her the 'Female Athlete of the Century'. On April 25th, 1599, Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon - Cromwell is a key figure in the development of the UK's democracy - and many democracies derived from the UK around the globe, including the USA and Commonwealth countries.
Cromwell became a Member of Parliament, as a deeply religious stict Protestant Christian, called a Puritan. He was highly critical of King Charles I, seeking the abolition of the monarchy. In the English Civil War, Cromwell fought for the Parliamentarians, against supporters of the King, the Royalists. He was intrumental in the reorganisation of the Parliamentarian forces into the New Model Army, of a paid military where rank was based on ability rather than one's title. The New Model Army, with its religious zeal of fighting against the King, believed to favour Catholicism, was highly effective, so much so it is seen as the leading army in Europe at the time. Cromwell's tactics and control of his forces at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, led to victory at the Battle of Naseby - a turning point in the Civil War. Cromwell pushed for the trial and executino the King in 1649. Following which, he dismissed the Rump Parliament, that was failing to ut in place a new constitution, with the aid of the military forces at his command. Cromwell became England's ruler, refusing to take the title of King, instead he was entitled 'Lord Protector'. His rule is seen as austere due to his determination to put in place religious laws to make England a Godly Commonwealth in his eyes, banning theatres, pubs and Christmas. Thus, he was increasingly acting in ways that were similar to how King Charles I had acted removing liberties. Cromwell reputation was also tarnished by his military actions in Ireland, especially the atrocities at the Siege of Drogheda. Cromwell, died in 1658, being replaced by his son, Richard, who lacking the support of the army was deposed and Charles 1's son Charles II was restored to the throne as the rightful king. Cromwell's statue stands outside of the Houses of Parliament in London - as a memorial to his role in creating the UK's Constitutional Monarchy whereby Parliament has greater influence than a symbolic monarch. The outcome of the English Civil War, is ceremonially played out at the start of each Parliamentary session, at the Queen's Speech - where MPs throw the House of Commons door shut in the face of the monarch's messenger, Black Rod. Black Rod has to knock three times before the door is opened and they can deliver their message from the monarch to the MPs, to attend the monarch's speech in the House of Lords, The MPs then walk at a leisurely pace to the House of Lord, to listen to the monarch's speech - as they choose to go, rather than being ordered to by the monarch. On 25th April 1990, the Space Shuttle, launched on the 24th, placed its payload the Hubble Space Telecope into low Earth orbit.
The Hubble Space Telescope sits in low Earth orbit around 600 km above the Earth's surface, and thus is above the clouds that obscure the views of space of Earth based telescopes, and it is near enough to Earth to be serviced by astronauts - this has occurred five times, including correcting a fault in its mirrors discovered within weeks of it becoming operational. Over the 30 years of its operation Hubble has transmitted incredible images across from across depth, breadth of space and time. NASA has released a new image and visualised fly through of an image called 'cosmic reef' for Hubble's 30th Anniversary. This can be seen at www.hubblesite.org as well as available links to a lecture on the Hubble for the 30th Anniversary. Eight year-old, Yahya from Bradford, has created his own mosque with a little help from his family, to allow him to celebrate Ramadan.
The cardboard structure in his room, includes a wonderful arch and dome, with lovely symmetrical designs on the exterior of the arch. The mosque allows Yahya space to pray and consider his faith and the Quran over the month of Ramadan. See Yahya's wondeful mosque on the BBC at: .co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-52396107/coronavirus-boy-s-homemade-mosque-for-ramadan-in-lockdown |
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