Category: Uncategorized
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JFK
Many people remember where they were on 22 November 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. My Good Self has no recollection whatsoever of that particular day. I had yet to emerge onto the world stage. John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was born on May 29, 1917. His family was not short of money…
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Bloody Sunday, 1920
There have been two Bloody Sundays in Irish history. The more recent one took place in Derry in 1972. The original of the species occurred on 21 November, 1920, a violent day in the history of Dublin. It was a time when Ireland was fighting for its independence from Britain. A man by the name…
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Diana
On this day in 1995, the BBC current affairs programme ‘Panorama’ aired an interview between its reporter Martin Bashir and Diana, Princess of Wales. It was riveting television. Diana Spencer, born 1 July 1961, grew up near the royal estate of Sandringham, in Norfolk, England. She moved to London in 1978 and three years later…
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Oscar Wilde
This week saw the recovery of a stolen golden ring given as a present by the renowned Irish writer Oscar Wilde to a fellow student in 1876. Taken almost 20 years ago from Magdalen College, Oxford, where Wilde studied, at the time the ring was valued at over 40,000 euro. Oscar Wilde emerged onto our…
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Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney
Today marks the 91st birthday of Mickey Mouse. He’s looking good on it. On 18 November 1928 Mickey made his first public appearance in a cartoon by the name of ‘Steamboat Willie’. Created by Walt Disney and his fellow animator Ub Iwerks, Mickey’s regular dress code is red shorts, yellow shoes and white gloves. He…
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The Dalai Lama
On 17 November 1950, 15-year-old Tenzin Gyatso was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is seen as the spiritual leader of Tibet. 1950 was an interesting year in the history of Tibet. It gained a new Dalai Lama. It also lost its independence. Not content with looking after over one billion of…
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Big Macs and garlic cheese fries
Today, November 16, is National Fast Food Day in the United States. Given that My Good Self is quite partial to the garlic cheese fries that are on offer in the Irish owned Supermac’s outlets, I feel duty bound to mark this auspicious occasion. It is generally accepted that the fast food industry in the…
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Venice
A very long roll of string is a useful thing to have when visiting Venice. Along with some fashionable swimwear. Venice is a truly unique place. And it’s in trouble. This week saw the main plaza in Venice, St. Mark’s Square, submerged in a metre of water. Tables and chairs met gondolas. The local fish…
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India
On this day in 1889, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was born. The son of a prominent lawyer, Nehru had a privileged upbringing. He studied in Cambridge and trained there to become a barrister. On his return to India he took an interest in politics and rose to become a prominent figure…
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Vietnam
On 13 November 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was unveiled in Washington D.C. A wall containing 58,195 names, it honours US Armed Forces personnel who were killed or unaccounted for in the Vietnam War. Beginning in November 1955 and ending in April 1975, the Vietnam War was a conflict that tore America apart. On the…
Blind light 